Thayers Natural Remedies is on a roll. The L’Oréal-owned skin care brand, which is celebrating its 175th year in business, is currently the best-selling toner in the U.S. The brand, which was acquired by L’Oréal in June 2020, has built a loyal and diverse consumer base over the years for many of its products, including Certified Organic Witch Hazel, Facial Toners and Facial Mists, all of which serve as the inspiration for the brand’s new campaign featuring eight Thayers devotees in celebration of its anniversary. Here, Erica Culpepper, General Manager, L’Oréal, shares the brand’s anniversary campaign details, distribution growth plans, and how many consumers hear about the brand.

Beauty News: What were some of the biggest opportunities you identified in Thayers when it became part of the portfolio of brands you manage?

Erica Culpepper: We love to say that Thayers is the best kept skin care secret because it is a brand that has been loved for 175 years, but so many people are still discovering the wonders of the brand. Our biggest opportunity is to grow Thayers’ brand awareness and advocacy. The brand already had a robust group of devoted advocates with a deep emotional connection, and now we are building upon and expanding that devotion to introduce even more consumers to Thayers. We have an opportunity to continue to build the regimen of current devotees, while helping new ones to discover the magic of Thayers Natural Remedies and its beloved Facial Toners. Once you try it, you can never go back!

BN: How have you acted on these opportunities?

EC: We have so many exciting things going on across the brand to introduce new users. We have two core obsessions, the first is to amplify awareness and the second is to build trust and expertise through a multi-pronged approach leveraging the voices of our Skin Care Expert Panel, as well as our current Thayers Devotees, and celebrating our 175-year legacy.

We’re also leaning into social media, primarily TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat, to amplify our voice and reach a new generation of consumers, while making sure we continue to meet current consumers where they are.

This year we are leaning more so than ever into our comprehensive network of dermatologists, aestheticians, and other skin care experts to provide consumers with a more in-depth view of the magic behind the science and naturality of our products. It’s this duality that delivers the efficacy that consumers have grown to love and trust and is a key point of difference that truly sets us apart.

We have also just launched our energizing new campaign, sharing the personal testimonials of eight Thayers devotees and why they are so obsessed with the brand. Additionally, to commemorate the Thayers’ 175th Anniversary, we released limited-edition pack artwork on the iconic Facial Toner bottles at retailers including Amazon, Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid.

BN: How would you describe the brand in 30 seconds?

EC: Founded by Dr. Henry Thayers, Thayers Natural Remedies’ mission has always been to provide problem solutions, with naturally derived efficacious skin care to make our clients feel the best from the inside out. Our Toner is created from alcohol-free, organic witch hazel and is locally grown in Connecticut. It is representative of the love and focus we put behind our products, and with that our devotees have made us the number-one brand in toners in the U.S.

BN: What are some of the brand’s top selling sku’s?

EC: Rose Petal Alcohol Free Facial Toner, Unscented Alcohol Free Facial Toner, as well as our Blemish Toner and our recently launched pH Balancing Gentle Face Wash with Aloe Vera.

BN: Who is the Thayers consumer?

EC: Thayers has a range of consumers, from Gen Z to millennials and beyond, who are dedicated to skin care that meet their needs. We are very proud that our consumer is extremely diverse – from different skin tones and textures, to age, gender, and sexual identity – we are passionate about providing quality skin care for all.

BN: How are you marketing to the consumer?

EC: Thayers has built a loyal and diverse consumer base for its line of certified organic witch hazel, alcohol-free and vegan formula Facial Toners and Facial Mists that served as the inspiration for the brand’s new campaign featuring eight Thayers devotees. The campaign features real testimonials from some of the Thayers’ most loyal fans, showcasing the authentic love that Thayers has cultivated over nearly two centuries.

The campaign features :30, :15 and :06 versions across a variety of platforms including Snapchat (inclusive of the brand’s first-ever AR Lens), TikTok, Meta, Search, Display/Pin, and Online Retail. Thayers is also tapping a range of experts, influencers, and creators to celebrate the 175th anniversary and the meaningful results the brand has delivered for everyone’s skin care routine.

BN: Were there any ‘aha’ moments in digging into the brand and its history?

EC: As we were doing research to learn more about our devoted consumers, we were inspired by their deep emotional connection and passion about the brand. So many of our users were introduced to the brand through a loved one, a friend, a parent as their secret skin care step to transform the health of their skin.  Their energy, insights, and advocacy were so contagious that it inspired us to tap real life Thayers users for our latest campaign, to share with the world why they love the brand so much and what makes our products unique.

BN: Are you looking to build distribution? Please talk about where it is sold and what are goals.

EC: Yes, we are growing! We continue to expand our presence nationally amongst the surge in demand for natural origin ingredients and efficacious products. We recently worked with Walmart to bring an exclusive assortment of 8.5-oz Facial Toners and 4-oz Mists to market. We continue to build strong programs in partnership with our partners at Target, Amazon, CVS, and Walgreens, to name a few.