Last updated: September 2026

1. Overview

This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, use, store and protect personal data when you visit Ask Rierie, subscribe to the newsletter, purchase a digital product, contact me, or otherwise interact with this website (the “Website”).

Ask Rierie is an English-language skincare, dermatology and beauty website operated from Germany and intended for an international audience.

The processing of personal data is carried out in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), the German Federal Data Protection Act (“BDSG”) and other applicable data protection laws.

2. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for this Website is:

Marie Knothe
Ernst-Thälmann-Straße 21
01809 Heidenau
Germany

Email: askrierie.pinterest@gmail.com

If you haveany questions about this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal data, you can contact me using the email address above.

3. Hosting and Website Platform – Squarespace

This Website is created and hosted using Squarespace, a website-building, hosting and e-commerce platform provided by Squarespace.

When you visit the Website, Squarespace may process technical information required to securely operate and deliver the Website. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

This processing is necessary to provide the Website, maintain its security and ensure its technical functionality.

Where processing is necessary to provide a service requested by you, the legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. Where processing is necessary for the secure and reliable operation of the Website, the legal basis is my legitimate interest under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Squarespace may process data outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”). Where required, international transfers are subject to appropriate safeguards in accordance with Art. 44 et seq. GDPR.

For further information about how Squarespace processes personal data, please refer to the Squarespace Privacy Policy.

4. Cookies and Consent Management

This Website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Some cookies are technically necessary for the Website, checkout and other essential functions to operate. Other technologies may be used for analytics or similar purposes.

I use the consent-management tools provided by Squarespace to manage non-essential cookies where consent is required.

Where a cookie or similar technology is strictly necessary to provide the Website or a service you have requested, it may be used without consent where permitted by law.

Where consent is required, the relevant technology will only be used after you have provided your consent through the cookie banner.

The legal basis for subsequent processing of personal data based on your consent is Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

You can withdraw or change your consent through the Website's cookie settings. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

5. Squarespace Analytics

I use Squarespace Analytics to understand how visitors use the Website and to improve its content and performance.

Depending on your consent settings and the configuration of Squarespace, analytics may provide information such as page views, traffic sources, visitor activity and other website usage information.

Where analytics involves non-essential cookies or comparable technologies requiring consent, such processing takes place only after you have given your consent through the cookie banner.

The legal basis for consent-based analytics processing is Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

I currently do not use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel or the Pinterest Tag on this Website.

If additional analytics or advertising technologies are introduced in the future, this Privacy Policy and, where necessary, the Website's consent settings will be updated accordingly.

6. Newsletter – Squarespace Email Campaigns

You can voluntarily subscribe to the Ask Rierie newsletter through forms on this Website.

For this purpose, I process your email address and any other information you voluntarily provide through the subscription form, such as your first name if requested.

The newsletter may contain:

The newsletter is managed using Squarespace Email Campaigns.

Your information is processed for the purpose of delivering the newsletter and managing your subscription.

The legal basis is your consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link contained in newsletter emails or by contacting me at askrierie.pinterest@gmail.com.

Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Your newsletter data is generally stored for as long as you remain subscribed. After you unsubscribe, your information will no longer be used to send marketing emails and will be deleted or restricted where appropriate, subject to any legal obligations requiring further retention.

7. Digital Products and Orders

I sell downloadable digital products through Squarespace Commerce, including educational PDF guides relating to skincare and dermatology topics.

When you purchase a digital product, personal information necessary to process and fulfil your order may be collected. Depending on the checkout process, this may include:

This information is used to process your purchase, provide access to the digital product, communicate with you about the transaction, manage refunds or disputes where applicable, and comply with legal accounting and tax obligations.

The legal basis for processing necessary to complete your purchase is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

Where information must be retained to comply with tax, accounting or other legal obligations, processing is based on Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR.

8. Payments – Squarespace Payments

Payments for digital products are processed using Squarespace Payments.

Depending on your location, device and the payment methods available at checkout, payment options may include credit or debit cards and payment methods such as:

The payment methods actually available to you will be displayed during checkout.

When you make a purchase, information necessary to process the payment is transmitted to Squarespace Payments and the relevant payment-processing and payment-method providers.

This may include transaction details, billing information, payment-method information and other information required to authorize, process, secure and document the transaction.

I do not independently receive or store your complete payment-card credentials.

The legal basis for processing payment information necessary to complete your purchase is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

Depending on the payment method you choose, the relevant payment provider may process your information under its own privacy policy and legal responsibilities.

9. Affiliate Links and Benable

Some recommendations on Ask Rierie may contain links to external websites or recommendation pages.

I currently use Benable to maintain collections of products and recommendations. If you follow a link from Ask Rierie to my Benable page and subsequently follow an affiliate link or make a qualifying purchase, I may receive a commission.

This does not increase the price you pay.

Benable and the retailers or affiliate partners accessible through Benable may process information independently when you visit their websites, click affiliate links or make purchases. Such processing is governed by the respective third party's privacy policy.

Ask Rierie does not control the data-processing practices of external retailers or platforms after you leave this Website.

Where applicable, affiliate links and commercial recommendations will be identified in accordance with applicable advertising and consumer-protection requirements.

10. Future Affiliate Partnerships

Ask Rierie may in the future participate in additional affiliate programs, including Amazon Associates / Amazon PartnerNet.

If direct affiliate links are introduced on the Website, they may allow the relevant affiliate network or retailer to determine that a visit or purchase originated from Ask Rierie so that a commission can be attributed to me.

Where such links or related tracking technologies involve additional processing of personal data, this Privacy Policy and, where necessary, the Website's cookie-consent configuration will be updated before or when those technologies are introduced.

At present, I do not participate in the Amazon Associates program and do not use direct Amazon affiliate links through that program on this Website.

11. Pinterest

Ask Rierie uses Pinterest as a social media and content-discovery platform to share and promote content published on this Website.

The Ask Rierie Website may be connected to the Ask Rierie Pinterest business account, and the Website's domain may be verified or claimed through Pinterest. This allows Pinterest to associate content originating from this Website with the Ask Rierie Pinterest account and may provide me with information about how content from the Website is shared and discovered on Pinterest.

Pinterest Rich Pins

Ask Rierie may use Pinterest Rich Pins. Rich Pins allow Pinterest to display additional information about content from this Website based on information and metadata provided by the Website.

This may include information relating to Ask Rierie blog articles and, where applicable, products.

Pinterest Save Button

The Website may also include the Pinterest Save button or similar Pinterest sharing functionality. This allows visitors to save content or images from Ask Rierie directly to Pinterest.

When Pinterest functionality is embedded on a page, Pinterest may receive information when you visit or interact with that page. Depending on the circumstances, this may include information such as:

  • your IP address;

  • browser and device information;

  • the webpage visited;

  • date and time of access; and

  • information about your interaction with Pinterest features.

Pinterest may use cookies and similar technologies in connection with these features and processes information in accordance with its own privacy and cookie policies.

Where consent is required under applicable law for non-essential Pinterest technologies, such technologies will be subject to the consent choices available through the Website's cookie settings.

For further information about cookies and similar technologies used in connection with this Website, please see the Cookie Policy.

Traffic From Pinterest

If you visit Ask Rierie by following a Pin or another link on Pinterest, the referring source may be visible through Website analytics. This helps me understand how visitors discover Ask Rierie and which content is useful or relevant to visitors.

No Pinterest Advertising Tracking

Ask Rierie does not currently use the Pinterest Tag, Pinterest conversion tracking, retargeting or other Pinterest advertising tracking technologies on this Website.

If I introduce Pinterest advertising, the Pinterest Tag or other advertising or conversion-tracking technologies in the future, this Privacy Policy, the Cookie Policy and, where necessary, the Website's consent settings will be updated accordingly.

Pinterest is operated independently from Ask Rierie and processes personal data in accordance with its own privacy practices.

12. External Links

The Website contains links to third-party websites and services, including social media platforms, retailers and recommendation platforms.

When you click an external link, you leave Ask Rierie. The operator of the destination website is responsible for the processing of personal data that occurs there.

I encourage you to review the privacy policies of external services before providing them with personal information.

13. Contact by Email

If you contact me by email, I process the information you provide, including your email address, the contents of your message and any other information you voluntarily send.

This information is used solely to respond to and manage your request.

Depending on the nature of your message, the legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR where the communication relates to a contract or steps prior to entering into a contract, or Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR based on my legitimate interest in responding to general enquiries.

Messages are retained only for as long as necessary for the relevant communication, unless legal retention obligations require longer storage.

14. International Data Transfers

Ask Rierie is operated from Germany but uses service providers that operate internationally, including providers based in or connected with the United States.

As a result, personal data may be processed outside Germany and the European Economic Area.

Where personal data is transferred to a country for which the European Commission has not issued an adequate level of protection, appropriate safeguards are used where required under Art. 44 et seq. GDPR, such as applicable adequacy decisions or Standard Contractual Clauses.

Further information about international transfers carried out by individual service providers can be found in their respective privacy policies.

15. Data Retention

Personal data is retained only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or for as long as required by applicable law.

Retention periods may therefore differ depending on the type of information.

For example:

  • newsletter information is generally retained while you remain subscribed;

  • order and transaction records may need to be retained for statutory tax and accounting periods;

  • correspondence is retained for as long as necessary to deal with the relevant enquiry;

  • technical data may be retained for shorter periods for security and operational purposes.

Where data is no longer required and there is no legal basis for continued storage, it will be deleted or anonymized as appropriate.

16. Your Rights Under the GDPR

If the GDPR applies to the processing of your personal data, you may have the right to:

Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

To exercise your rights, contact:

askrierie.pinterest@gmail.com

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent data protection supervisory authority.

For the controller's location in Saxony, Germany, the relevant supervisory authority is the Saxon Data Protection and Transparency Commissioner (Sächsische Datenschutz- und Transparenzbeauftragte).

You may also contact another competent supervisory authority where applicable.

17. Children

Ask Rierie provides general educational skincare, dermatology and beauty content and is not intentionally designed to collect personal information from children.

If I become aware that personal information has been collected from a child in circumstances where parental consent or another legal basis is required, I will take appropriate steps to address the processing.

18. Health and Medical Information

Content published on Ask Rierie is provided for general educational and informational purposes and does not constitute individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

The Website does not provide functionality intended for visitors to submit medical records, diagnoses or other health information to receive individualized medical treatment.

Please do not send sensitive medical information through general email or newsletter forms.

19. Changes to This Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy when the Website, its services, third-party providers or applicable legal requirements change.

This may be necessary, for example, if I introduce new analytics or advertising technologies, participate in additional affiliate programs, change payment providers or add new Website functionality.

The date displayed at the top of this Privacy Policy indicates when it was last updated.

20. Contact

For questions about this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal data, please contact:

Marie Knothe
Email: askrierie.pinterest@gmail.com

privacy policy