Launched: 2007
Founder:
Key Executives:
2024 Full Year Expected Revenue Range: $75 to $100 million
Primary Beauty Category: Facial Skincare
Primary Distribution Channel: Professional
Other Distribution Channels: DTC
Funding Rounds: Private Equity
Before Dr. Zein Obagi started ZO Skin Health, he was seeing patients in his practice; he was treating their skin, fixing it, then sending them on their way. However, they had limited options for at-home skincare, and they would be back in his practice a year later to fix the same problems. Dr. Obagi wanted to provide product and protocol solutions to his patients that would allow them to maintain and enhance the results of their procedure as well as stay under his care, so he could adapt their regimen as needed.
Insight provided by Mark Williams, President
What are your key business initiatives for 2024?
We see that our partners globally are getting fewer new patients in the door, and that many patients are cutting down on their spending. Our aim for 2024 is to provide tools for our accounts and partners to help focus on keeping their patients in the practice by ensuring they get the best results and have the best tools available.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
The number of people using ZO products globally, and the tremendous (in some cases, life-changing) results they have seen from using and staying on ZO protocols.
What has been the biggest surprise?
The biggest surprise has just been the growth of the market. Since we started this brand, the industry has really taken off. People are more concerned and aware of the importance of healthy skin and are turning to physicians and medical providers to help them.
What fuels your competitive advantage?
The passion of the medical providers who use and recommend our products to their patients, fueled by the teachings and practices of Dr. Zein Obagi.
Please share your insight on the future of the beauty industry.
We believe that we will continue to see a significant shift of patients/consumers to the medical channel as consumers not only become better educated and take a more active role in understanding products but also start to engage more in aesthetic procedures and are introduced to the brand by their providers.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Stay true to what you are as a brand—for ZO, it’s about ensuring the sanctity of the patient/provider relationship. An old professor used to say “lose your focus, lose your shirt,” and I truly believe that what makes brands successful is remaining focused on what you do best.
What is the best mistake you've ever made?
Trying to overhaul the brand and company all at once; we had significant growing pains, but it was the best thing I ever did. Ripping off the band-aid was extremely painful for me and for the teams, but sometimes that approach is the most effective, and in this case it paid off. We had a better infrastructure and a more cohesive brand, making it easier for our teams and our account partners globally.
Paying it forward, what advice would you give to someone contemplating launching a beauty brand?
Don’t just launch a brand, solve a problem. Find something unique; find a niche and do it better than everyone else.
If you could change one thing in the beauty industry what would it be?
I would love to see companies focus more strongly on product integrity and results.
