Inspired By His Vitiligo, Veritao Founder Amish Taploo Aims To Rewrite The Narrative That Skin Should Be “Fixed”

At 5 years old, Amish Taploo was diagnosed with vitiligo, an autoimmune skin disorder affecting an estimated 70 million people globally. Characterized by blotches that can occur anywhere on the body, vitiligo causes the skin to lose color or pigmentation and was a major challenge for Taploo growing up. Now, it’s the impetus behind his new skincare brand, Veritao Skincare.

“Veritao’s purpose was informed by my own personal struggles with vitiligo,” says Taploo matter of factly. “It made me angry and resentful towards my appearance. I constantly dreamt of looking ‘normal,’ whatever that meant.”

Prior to launching Veritao, Taploo spoke with around 60 people about their skincare habits, the beauty industry, aging and what self-care means to them. He discovered that many of them shared his angst over appearance despite not having vitiligo. Fueled by the discovery, he set out to create a brand that would not only offer high-quality, sustainable products, but would reshape the way consumers think about skincare as a whole.

“As a society, we treat our skin as a work in progress to address. Acne, scars, wrinkles are all things to be ‘fixed,’” says Taploo. “We don’t view skincare as an act of nourishment and self-care, but as an indictment of our shortcomings, which can start off as physical, but, as a negative thought loop, can move into even deeper territories.”

Veritao aims to rewrite this narrative and change how people approach skincare in their lives. “Our definition of success is for the façade of our bottle to serve as a gentle visual reminder for the user to slow down, breathe and find calm in their skincare retreat rather than associating it with an anxiety-inducing pursuit of a ‘perfect’ aesthetic,” says Taploo. “We embody this belief through our design, social messaging, advertising, and soon through our retail partners.”

Veritao is family-owned and operated by Taploo and his father, Arun, who founded a chemical company 26 years ago. The brand is headquartered in Toronto. “Our history in personal care chemicals and expertise in emerging technologies supported our ability to create best-in-class formulations,” says Taploo.

The father-son duo worked with a lab for 18 months to develop Veritao’s initial lineup consisting of what they call “five essentials to any nourishing skincare practice.” Priced from $37 to $66, the range includes a Face Wash, Moisturizer and three serums—Repair, Resurface and Vitamin C—addressing a variety of skincare needs. Veritao’s products contain plant actives and are formulated to be vegan, cruelty-free and safe for sensitive skin, and the packaging is refillable.

“Veritao’s purpose was informed by my own personal struggles with vitiligo.”

“Our products are designed for reuse, for a long life and to live well in our spaces,” says Taploo. “Our formulations are housed in glass etched with storied artful designs, which can be refilled using compostable pouches, a first-of-its-kind tech in North America, made of wood cellulose and bio-based polymers.”

Once they’re emptied, Veritao’s refill pouches can be tossed in home or community composts and are intended to decompose within 32 weeks. As the brand matures, Taploo hopes to build on Veritao’s sustainability efforts. That could mean improving its packaging and ingredient sourcing, and partnering with local retailers to minimize its carbon footprint.

Early on, self-funded Veritao has three bestsellers: Face Wash, a nourishing gentle cleanser infused with vitamin C and aloe leaf juice; Repair Serum, a retinol alternative made with bakuchiol and rose hip oil; and Vitamin C Serum featuring ferulic and hyaluronic acids to enhance efficacy. “We’ve been getting great feedback on the design and formulation quality of all three,” says Taploo.

To boost brand awareness, Veritao is primarily relying on Instagram and monthly newsletters, the latter of which include exclusive offers, real-life skin stories and reflections from Taploo. “The newsletter is a way to facilitate open dialogue and a relationship between our early supporters and me, the founder,” he explains. “We promise to only write with three things monthly. You don’t get contacted otherwise.”

Veritao has been delving into TikTok recently, too, and plans to be intentional with the content it puts out. Taploo underscores it will align with Veritao’s brand values and perspective that skincare is an act of self-care. Taploo’s goal is to foster a community that embraces the brand’s take on skincare so the community and brand can spark change together.

Veritao declined to disclose sales projections for the year. The direct-to-consumer brand plans to enter retail soon. Taploo says, “We launched DTC to establish a personality and presence, but are approaching boutique independent retailers that share our values and can effectively share our story to a likeminded community. We’re receiving a lot of positive interest, so we look forward to expanding into retailers soon.”

For the moment, Taploo’s main priorities are spreading Veritao’s message of skincare as a mindfulness practice and getting its products into consumers’ hands. He doesn’t expect the brand to release more than seven or eight products as that would go against its ethos as a sustainable brand that’s against oversaturation. “We have a strong idea of the future that Veritao embodies,” says Taploo. “It’s its own universe.”