Meet Kenneth McLaurin | Founder, Evolution Skincare & SHIS

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kenneth McLaurin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kenneth, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?

Great skincare can absolutely help us look and feel our best. But to me, that’s just the beginning.

Healthy skin is also about confidence, education, prevention, and empowering people to better understand their health.

That mission led me to build Evolution Skincare, a science-backed, plant-powered skincare brand designed to care for Melanin-Rich and sensitive skin.

It later inspired SHIS (Skin Health Intelligence System), a technology platform helping people better understand the many factors influencing their skin, receive personalized guidance, and connect with professional care when needed.

My journey began with cystic acne, dark spots, and sensitive skin as a teenager. I wasn’t just searching for products—I was searching for answers.

That experience eventually led me into Public Health and a career at CDC, translating research into health education and disease prevention.

Graduate studies in Public Health at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, further challenged and shaped how I think about the many factors and exposures that influence our health.

Then, lived experience made it personal.

By 2025, four years of constantly pouring into work, graduate school, building Evolution Skincare, volunteering, and everything in between had caught up with me. Somewhere along the way, I had unintentionally stopped prioritizing my own well-being, and that prolonged burnout eventually caused severe anxiety and depression.

After returning to Atlanta from the Thanksgiving holiday last year (2025), I became intentional about changing that. I prioritized nutrient-rich foods, exercise, better sleep, intense prayer, meditation, stress management, and time in nature.

Not long after, a friend commented that although my skin is usually clear, it looked different—even more radiant and hydrated. Without thinking, I said, “I’ve changed my diet and lifestyle.”

Months later, while developing SHIS, that conversation came back to me.

Great skincare is only one piece of the puzzle.

Sleep, stress, nutrition, hydration, environment, and everyday behaviors can all influence the larger skin-health picture. Combined with years of hearing customers ask, “Why is my skin doing this?”, that realization helped shape SHIS around a holistic, behavior-first approach.

I share this because anxiety and depression don’t always look the way we expect. They can exist behind smiles, laughter, accomplishments, and entrepreneurship.

If my journey helps someone feel seen—or gives someone hope to begin taking care of themselves—that’s impact, too.

Whether through Evolution Skincare or SHIS, my goal is simple: help people better understand their skin, take ownership of their health, and make skin health more accessible for everyone.

What should our readers know about your business?

Evolution Skincare was built on a simple belief: healthy skin shouldn’t be complicated, exclusive, or out of reach.

We create science-backed, plant-powered skincare designed to care for Melanin-Rich and sensitive skin—combining effective clinical ingredients with barrier-supporting botanicals to support results while respecting the skin barrier.

SHIS (Skin Health Intelligence System) expands that philosophy beyond products. The technology platform considers skin concerns alongside factors like stress, sleep, nutrition, hydration, and environment to provide personalized guidance and connect users with skin health professionals when needed.

Together, they represent a broader vision for skin health: moving beyond simply asking, “What should I put on my skin?” to better understanding, “Why is my skin doing this?”

Evolution Skincare provides the care. SHIS helps provide the context.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

One of the things I love most about Atlanta is how effortlessly it blends culture, history, nature, and incredible food.

We’d start with lunch at Busy Bee Cafe, then visit The King Center—one of my favorite places in the city and a powerful reminder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of purpose and service.

We’d spend some time outdoors at Piedmont Park or one of Atlanta’s beautiful trails, then head to Atlantic Station for its energy and walkability.

Café Intermezzo is a must. It’s my favorite café in the country. The European-inspired atmosphere reminds me of Paris, and I love everything from the crêpes and coffee to the patio. Whether I’m working, catching up with friends, or unwinding over wine, it’s one of my happy places.

For dinner and live music, we’d head to Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint for great food and a soulful Atlanta experience.

No visit would be complete without Sunday service at Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral. For nearly 13 years, Bishop Dale C. Bronner and the church family have strengthened my faith and encouraged me through some of my most challenging seasons.

We’d close the week at the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, where I’ve celebrated several meaningful personal and professional milestones.

Atlanta welcomed me with open arms, and I’ve always tried to give that same love back. I’m proud to call it home.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

If entrepreneurship has taught me anything, it’s that no one builds something meaningful alone.

First, I’d like to thank Dr. DeShawn Stevenson, one of my best friends and like a brother to me. He introduced me to the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), opening the door to an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Atlanta that has provided invaluable community, resources, and connections.

I’d also like to recognize my sweet friend Victoria Styles, event host and founder of The Fearless Brunch. During one of our Taco Tuesdays—of all places—she told me about The Blox, a week-long entrepreneurship bootcamp filmed for a documentary, and encouraged me to apply.

I did, was cast for Season 17, and the experience changed the game for me. The Blox gave me a roadmap to entrepreneurship when I truly needed one. I often describe it as “an MBA in a week”—I left with greater business acumen, clarity, and confidence as a founder. I’ll always be grateful to Victoria for pointing me toward an opportunity that helped shape my journey.

Last but certainly not least, I’m grateful for John Scott of John Keith Photography, who also serves as a Realtor and has been one of my closest friends since our undergraduate years at the University of Southern Mississippi. He photographed my first professional brand shoot in 2019 and has helped tell the Evolution Skincare story through his lens ever since.

I’m also grateful for The Blox, RICE, Capital Navigator Accelerator, Start Small Think Big, SCORE, and the mentors and fellow founders who’ve challenged me to think bigger and lead with intention.

To my family, friends, and every Evolution Skincare customer: thank you for believing in the vision and reminding me why this mission matters.

No one builds something meaningful alone. It’s built through generosity, mentorship, and community—and I’m committed to paying that same generosity forward.

Website: https://www.skincarebyken.com

Instagram: evolutionskincare

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethmclaurin-evolutionskincare

Facebook: Evolution Skincare

Youtube: Evolution Skincare | By Ken

Image Credits
John Keith Photography