Debuting merchandise during a global crisis is a risky move both from a sales and public relations perspective, but that’s not deterring clean and (literally) green skincare brand BioClarity from launching two products.
The brand spent two years perfecting the two products—vegan, reef-safe and SPF 30 mineral options SunShady and SunFilter—that combine sun protection with moisturization and antioxidant properties. While people are mostly staying in, BioClarity’s chief commercial officer Tracy Julien decided not to postpone the releases because she thinks they can inject joy amid the gloom.
“People find solace and enjoyment through beauty and self-care, and it allows, if even for a moment, people to feel a bit more normal and at peace,” she says. BioClarity certainly isn’t ignoring the current crisis. It’s dedicating 1% of the proceeds from SunShady and SunFilter to Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which helps food banks secure the resources they need to serve the vulnerable.
BioClarity is staying close to its audience throughout the pandemic, and Julien advises beauty entrepreneurs to do the same. “Ensure you have a pulse on what they need and want from you right now,” she says. BioClarity is working on relevant digital content to give its followers a break from the dire news, and provide tools for self-care and maintaining mental health.
“This is a very stressful time, and I think the beauty community can continue to deliver these opportunities to our customers because there are very few outlets that really allow for this right now,” says Julian. “With the salons and other beauty brick-and-mortar closed, customers depend on us to offer solutions to help them continue with self-care activities at home.”
“People find solace and enjoyment through beauty and self-care, and it allows, if even for a moment, people to feel a bit more normal and at peace.”
BioClarity, a direct-to-consumer specialist backed by Prolog Ventures, is fully operational, thanks to an e-commerce prowess it’s honed since Adigica Health, a San Diego biotech firm established by Rick Sliter and David Hale, previously SkinMedica chairman, started it in August 2016. The brand kicked off with acne products, specifically its bestselling three-step Clean Skin Routine, but has evolved into a broader skincare brand, and its push into sun protection continues its evolution beyond the acne niche and affords it another chance to woo customers interested in clean beauty products. BioClarity believes reef-safe sun care can make headway with customers worried about chemical sunscreen ingredients such as oxybenzone and octinoxate hurting coral.
“Returning customers now have an even greater reason to come back to us,” says Julien. “It also allows us an opportunity to get in front of new customers and introduce our brand through these new products.”
No matter the broader circumstances in the world, some things don’t change. Customers won’t stand for products that don’t perform. In the case of SunShady and the lighter SunFilter, BioClarity strove to ensure they don’t leave white residue after application, and that they dry down to matte finishes. Julien mentions the products shouldn’t be considered customary beach sunscreens. Instead, they’re positioned as daily skin health solutions. The products are formulated with non-comedogenic ingredients to suit breakout-prone skin, and they contain BioClarity’s signature chlorophyll ingredient Floralux along with green tea and jojoba.
“Your sunscreen should do more than protect you from sun damage,” emphasizes Julien, adding, “Listening to our customers and other consumers really helped us to dial things upfront. It took some time to dial in the aesthetics to be exactly where we wanted them to be.”
On top of acne, BioClarity’s customers are concerned about premature skin aging caused by the sun as well as the effects of environmental pollution and blue light from devices on their skin. BioClarity’s manufacturer Solescence is behind a patented technology incorporated in the brand’s sunscreens that shields skin from damage. It’s reported to supply nearly 2.5 times higher protection against free radicals than standard zinc oxide sunscreens. Priced at $29.99 and $34.95, respectively, SunShady and SunFilter will be available on BioClarity’s website beginning Thursday.
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