From Miss World to Parliament: Beauty, Power, and Reinvention with Lisa Hanna - E. 860
Lisa Hanna, former Miss World, longtime Jamaican cabinet minister, and founder of Lisa Hanna Beauty, joins Skin Anarchy to talk about rejecting the language of correction, building a science led luxury line in Italy, and the activist mission behind her brand.
Who is Lisa Hanna?
An "accidental beauty queen" who won Miss World in 1993 at 18, then built a two decade political career as one of Jamaica's youngest female members of parliament and a cabinet minister before retiring last year to enter beauty. "I think leadership has an obligation to give other people an opportunity to present their ideas."
Why did she move from politics into beauty?
Because she rejected how the industry talks about age. As she aged in demanding field work, actives like retinol and vitamin C stopped suiting her skin. "If we're constantly told that the evidence of time is something to correct, eventually we see ourselves and believe that time has diminished us."
What does aging intelligently mean?
Working with skin rather than fighting it. Hanna reframes skin as an organ deserving support, not correction. "Remember your skin is at its best when it's supported... when you're working in harmony with it." She sees longevity as overused and prefers accumulating knowledge over reversing time.
How are women in politics judged on their appearance?
Constantly, and before they speak. Hanna recalls being heckled entering parliament, then facing formal motions over sleeveless outfits and a national debate over a swimsuit photo at 51. "There's an ageist component to the beauty," she says, noting the judgment arrived "way before you open your mouth."
Why did she make her line in Italy?
For innovation and EU standards. She wanted regulated formulas that push boundaries without breaking the skin barrier. "I wanted my products to be EU regulated and to pass EU standards," working with a lab using mastic resin to stimulate the skin's own collagen rather than forcing change from the top down.
What is the science behind Lisa Hanna Beauty?
A proprietary quantum RECP delivery system across every product. It pairs mastic resin, protected vitamin C that activates only on the skin, green grape extract for inflammation, and matrikine peptides. "Skin must recognize what it already knows," she says, which is why the formulas absorb rather than sit on top.
Is Lisa Hanna Beauty only for certain skin tones?
No, and she resisted pressure to position it that way. Advisors pushed her to build a brand for people of color; she refused. "I want to do skincare for all skin types." The formulas are clinically tested to work across skin tones, and she argues luxury was wrongly withheld from many women for too long.
What is the fade bomb?
The line's breakout hero product, a hydrating balm for hyperpigmentation that doubles as a healing product. Built after visiting bleaching factories worldwide, it avoids harsh correctives. "That fade bomb is amazing," used on scarring, bikini line, and underarms across every skin tone.
Can luxury skincare be affordable?
That was the point. Watching post COVID economic pressure on women, Hanna built a premium seven product line meant to feel special without breaking budgets. "Every woman deserves when they go home to feel luxury," with glass bottles worthy of a vanity and formulas that are clinically tested.
What is the brand's activist mission?
Five percent of everything funds support for women and children with neurodivergence, especially in Jamaica, where child mental health resources are scarce. Drawing on her own son's experience and her time as minister of youth, she calls it an activist beauty brand. "Skincare can transform skin, but it can also transform lives."
Listen to the full episode with Lisa Hanna on Skin Anarchy, available wherever you get your podcasts.
