Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in skincare but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dr. Ann Lee, founder of Dermaesthetics, located in Fullerton, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Dermaesthetics Beverly Hills (DBH) is the original Korean-American “East Meets West” skincare company focused on ethnic, hyperpigmentation, and overall aging skin concerns. Bridging the science of polypeptides and holistic treatment care. Every formulation is meticulously prepared with the purest and richest USP-grade plant extracts to provide a comprehensively balanced and results-driven product. Dermaesthetics is a minority and woman-owned, cruelty-free, made-in-USA skincare line that has been delivering safe and effective results for over 30 years. Our customers are professional clients, med spas, dermatologists, estheticians, other licensed professionals, and anyone interested in high-quality, professional-grade solutions for skincare needs.

Tell us about yourself

I wanted to share the benefits of the holistic approach of eastern medicine alongside the advanced technologies of western medicine in treating skin concerns and ailments. I pursued a doctorate in cosmetic chemistry to further my knowledge and apply it to the 150+ formulations we have created through Dermaesthetics. My aim has always been to deliver results beyond any marketing story or byline - I believe people deserve to have expertly developed products that are proven to improve skin health. Our products and treatments resonate naturally with the aesthetics professional or anyone with an interest in high-quality skincare options due to the bespoke nature of Dermaesthetics products that target specific skincare concerns by addressing the underlying skin conditions. My drive to create the best skincare products comes from the belief that beautiful skin starts with healthy skin.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We are a 100% made-in-the-USA company with a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that follows controlled FDA and GMP standards. We have over 7,000 professionals that carry our products in salons and retail spaces, and we own all of our 150+ formulations. We employ proprietary PowerBlend™ and PowerLayer™ technology in our products that combine the most effective active ingredients in their most clinically effective concentrations that produce the best results when multiple Dermaesthetics products are used together in a multi-step skin regimen.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

In the beauty industry, it’s difficult to overcome the symptom-based approach many companies take to treating skincare. It leads to products with incomplete solutions developed from a marketing perspective of what’s currently trending. Committing ourselves to a higher standard of truly understanding skin science allows us to methodically create formulations that are balanced and holistically address the skin with a comprehensive synergy of vitamins and nutrients. We share these insights in development and techniques by providing continuing education to all professionals who use our products, as we value transparency and truth in our approach to skincare. As a skincare company, we deal with a lot of pressure to push products quickly into the market, but we take several years to develop each formulation and only use pharmaceutical-grade natural ingredients in their most effective concentration levels that target the skin at the cellular level. We focus on established and sustainable product technology without using cheap or harmful ingredients with short-term solutions.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. It’s important to become educated about the service and/or product you want to provide - it helps you grow your business with confidence and build authentic relationships with your customers. Without my background and research as a cosmetic chemist, I would not have had the foundation to create results-driven skincare solutions that resonate with our customers.
  2. Be cognizant of every step and component in your product/service and how it impacts your customers - this understanding allows you to fine-tune the best solution for your customers. At Dermaesthetics, we are the manufacturer and creator of all our formulations, protocols, and treatments, so we have a great understanding of potential reactions, effects, and results that can be achieved with our products, and this allows us to adjust further based on customer needs and feedback.
  3. Don’t chase trends and instead set the trend - there’s always pressure to buckle to short-term opportunities that might not always last. Rather than hastily creating skincare products that target currently trending ingredients, Dermaesthetics creates products that address the skin at the cellular level - we figure out where the breakdown of skin cells is occurring and the core cause of issues to create long-lasting products that are ahead of the curve.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://dermaestheticsusa.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DBHskincare/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dermaesthetics/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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