Tower 28 has entered its next phase of growth with a decisive retail signal: doubling its footprint across 500 Sephora stores in North America and Canada, expanding from four shelves to eight. Upon expansion, the brand immediately saw 2-bay stores outperforming 1-bay locations. For a brand that launched just seven years ago, the move reflects not only strong retail performance but a broader shift in how sensitive skin is positioned within prestige beauty.
Since debuting at Sephora in 2020 as an exclusive partner, Tower 28 has steadily evolved from an emerging indie label into one of the retailer’s top-performing brands. Its Swipe Serum Concealer is a top-3 concealer across Sephora North America, and its Birthday Gift (Mini SOS Spray + Mini ShineOn Lip Jelly) is the most redeemed birthday gift in-store at Sephora year to date.
Tower 28’s expansion is less about incremental growth and more about capacity catching up with demand. “After years of consistently being the #1 most productive one-day brand, we were literally bursting out of our space,” founder Amy Liu told BeautyMatter. “The expansion signifies the strength of our Sephora partnership and an opportunity to make space for category growth.”
That category expansion is critical. Tower 28 has successfully built a hybrid business spanning skincare and color cosmetics—two categories that often operate in silos, particularly for consumers with sensitive skin. Its SOS Rescue Spray has become one of Sephora’s top-performing toners, while its Swipe Serum Concealer has emerged as a breakout in complexion. Together, they underscore the brand’s ability to create both viral hits and sustained category leaders.
For Liu, the expansion marks a transition into what she describes as a “next phase,” one defined by scale, but anchored in the same core mission. “Doubling our shelf space reflects that momentum. It signals were showing up in a bigger way to serve more people, especially in our sensitive skin community.”
Tower 28’s growth story is rooted in a contrarian bet. At launch, sensitive skin was not widely considered within beauty—a category often driven by trends, aesthetics, and performance claims that didn’t always account for reactivity. Liu saw an opportunity where others saw a limitation.
“The biggest risk was being so focused,” she said. “Sensitive skin was not seen as aspirational, but I knew this customer was underserved, so we stayed disciplined.”
That discipline extended beyond positioning into formulation. Tower 28 committed early on to fully adhering to the National Eczema Association’s ingredient guidelines across both skincare and makeup, a high bar that added complexity to product development but ultimately built trust. Today, the SOS skincare line carries seals of acceptance from the National Eczema Association, the National Rosacea Society, and The National Psoriasis Foundation, reinforcing its clinical credibility in a crowded “clean” landscape.
Rather than coming from traditional metrics, early validation came from community response. “People told us this was the first time they could use products without a reaction or that they finally felt included in beauty. That kind of feedback is emotional and meaningful. It showed us we were building something bigger than just products.”
While Sephora provided an early platform, Tower 28’s acceleration came when it proved it could scale beyond a single hero. “Launching at Sephora was a pivotal moment for us, but the real acceleration came when we showed we could win across categories,” Liu explained.
The SOS Rescue Spray, formulated with hypochlorous acid, tapped into a growing demand for gentle, barrier-supporting solutions and helped define a new skincare subcategory. Meanwhile, the Swipe Serum Concealer demonstrated in a “skinification” era that high-performance makeup could coexist with sensitive-skin-safe formulations, without compromising coverage or wear.
This dual-category success is not accidental. Tower 28 operates under a tightly defined product philosophy: “Good. Clean. Fun.” In practice, that means products must deliver on efficacy, meet strict safety standards, and remain accessible in both price and experience. “For both skincare and color cosmetics, we adhere to the philosophy with the sensitive skin consumer at the heart of it.”
The approach has enabled the brand to bridge a longstanding gap in the market, offering products that integrate seamlessly into everyday routines rather than existing as niche alternatives. It also reinforces a key insight: Solving real problems is often the most effective driver of both virality and longevity.
Sustaining momentum beyond breakout products remains one of the biggest challenges for emerging brands. Tower 28 has approached this by resisting the pressure to follow trends, instead focusing on building a cohesive product system.
“SOS is not one SKU—it’s a full skincare franchise but a simple three-step system. We are intentional about not chasing trends. Every product has to earn its place.”
That intentionality extends to how the company allocates resources. Rather than prioritizing rapid retail expansion or aggressive marketing spend, Tower 28 has invested first in product and community—two pillars Liu sees as foundational to long-term growth. “The product is the foundation, and community is how we grow in a meaningful and lasting way,” Liu added.
Community engagement has taken both digital and physical forms, from organic user-generated content to experiential activations. Initiatives like in-office viewing events, branded collaborations, and pop-ups have helped translate the brand’s ethos into real-world touchpoints. Liu herself remains closely involved, frequently attending in-store events to maintain direct dialogue with consumers. “Community is not just a marketing channel—it's a long-term investment in trust and loyalty.”
As Tower 28 expands its physical presence within Sephora, the challenge shifts from gaining visibility to sustaining differentiation. For Liu, the answer lies in clarity. “Our story is simple. We make products that are safe, that perform, and are fun to use.”
In-store, that simplicity translates into education and emotional resonance. The brand emphasizes its clinical credentials while also creating a sense of inclusivity, particularly for those who feel excluded from beauty. “When people see Tower 28, we want them to feel seen and safe,” Liu said.
The expanded retail footprint also allows the brand to tell a more complete story, including its origins. Named after a real lifeguard tower at the intersection of Santa Monica and Venice in California, Tower 28 draws on the idea of a safe, welcoming space; an ethos that continues to shape its identity as it scales.
Today, Tower 28 operates as a global nine-figure business with growing international distribution, including a recent expansion into Sephora Middle East, where it launched in 55 doors. Looking across Amazon, Sephora, and Sephora at Kohl's, YipitData said the brand has generated $119 million in GMV in the past year.
Going forward, the brand is evaluating opportunities in Sephora Europe and Latin America, and has a “sole focus in winning within the Sephora global footprint and maximizing their worldwide reach,” while not exploring any other distribution opportunities with other retailers. Liu is also planning to double investment in field sales talent in Sephora North America stores to amplify the growing footprint with personalized sales support. “[Sephora] has been our partner since the beginning, and we have not yet fully tapped into their expansive international network.”
Yet despite its scale, Liu maintains that the brand’s core mission remains unchanged.
“What has changed is the scale,” she said. “What has not changed is the mission.”
That mission—to create a safe, inclusive space in beauty for consumers with sensitive skin—has moved from the margins to the mainstream. As Tower 28 doubles its presence at Sephora, it is not just expanding shelf space; it is helping redefine what prestige beauty can look like when performance, accessibility, and inclusivity are treated as non-negotiable.
