Winds of change

To mark the launch of Dermalogica’s latest product Emma Baron sits down with newly appointed CEO, Aurelian Lis, to find out what’s new on the horizon…

EB: It’s exciting to see that you’re having so many product launches. Has this been stepped up since you joined Dermalogica?

AL: When I joined the company in 2016 I learned of the beautiful innovation plans Dermalogica had set globally, however, I realised something was missing. There was a lag in the consistency of launches around the world.
Dermalogica in the US would launch the product first and the rest of the world would follow at some stage. The buzz of the latest innovation often got lost and I strongly believed that the launches should happen closer together.
The Positive Eye Lift launched on April 6th in the US, and four weeks later it launched here in the UAE – this is a huge step in a positive direction for Dermalogica – consistency is key, and I’m very proud of this.
Also, innovation is fun, the world’s changing – people expect more from brands. Twenty years ago you could create one new product every three years, now, we need to surprise people more than ever, this is why we launch four products a year.

EB: Does every new product you launch come with a new treatment?

AL: Yes, absolutely. Innovation needs to include service and products, this is crucial as they go hand-in-hand.
The newly launched Positive Stress Eye-Lift comes with a treatment called “the 10 minute face fit” which in many parts of the world costs you £10 for 10 minutes, or $10 for 10 minutes – depending on where in the world you are.
This is a quick, targeted treatment which gives real results, in 10 minutes – which is quite something!
At the same time we always look to launch a DIY kit – essentially a slightly more elaborate way of allowing the consumers to apply the product themselves.
We also step up our education with every product launch we do – education is key. It is vital that every single therapist is trained to the highest standard, as we feel it is important to also educate the consumer too. We
have 250 educators worldwide – which is reasonably large for a skincare company. We have the ability to write a new protocol which many companies can’t – this for me, is one of the exciting parts of launching a new product. We want to make sure that whenever we bring something new to the market, that extra steps are given to enhance this – this is what makes us so unique.

EB: During your presentation earlier, you spoke about personalised skincare being a trend of the future – what plans do you have to further enhance this trend?

AL: Personalised skincare is beyond huge for us. Our Daily Superfoliant which is a product that helps combat day-to-day pollution has been by far one of our most successful product launches. The powder simply smooths
away ageing skin cells and pollution, leaving your skin unbelievably soft. Unlike many exfoliators, you can use the superfoliant daily, it doesn’t irritate even the most sensitive skins – this has revolutionised us! The resonance this has created when people notice that pollution isn’t just bad for your lungs, it’s also bad for your skin, has proved how important personalised skincare ranges are, especially ones which help combat day-to-day wear and tear.
We saw a demand for a more potent version of our Overnight Retinal Repair. Itis a take home product but because it is so powerful we only want it sold through therapists – the therapist educates the consumer before they can take it home.
There are lots of products in our range that are of incredible power. I think what you will see with time is packaging changes, improvements and additions to our ranges which I think, for the skincare therapist, is really exciting. Therapists truly understand we are all about power.

EB: What, do you think, has made Dermalogica the brand it is today?

AL: It has to be the education – companies and brands are defined by the times they were created, by the founders, by what happened at the time and by the obstacles they overcame. For us, it was Jane Wurwand,
founder of Dermalogica who really grew the ethos of the company and emphasised the importance of education.
It all began when Jane created an educational institute and it was only four years later that she said “I need products to go with the education that I’m doing” and this is how Dermalogica began. There is no choice but
for the company to continue in the way in which it was founded and that’s why Dermalogica continues to be the success it is today. It’s the education you receive when you speak to our teams, the passion when the
therapist speaks to the consumer and the way the consumer speaks about the products or treatments to their friends – is really quite unique.

EB: What are Dermalogica’s plans for the UAE over the next year?

AL: We have already sighted that our latest products here have been arriving a lot faster than before – and this will continue. I also see the digital effort here enhancing, I see the importance of enhancing education through social channels, especially here in the UAE. We are redesigning our flagship store in Dubai Mall – which, incidentally, is one of the top performing stores around the world. Our products, which are displayed in the salon, are littered with educational content, offering our consumers small nuggets of skincare wisdom. And, of course, we will continue with our product launches, especially focusing on creating innovative, personalised product ranges which in one way or another will apply to every single individual.