The clinical prestige skin care brand, founded nearly 20 years ago with a proprietary niacin/vitamin B3 molecule, has experienced three consecutive years of double-digit sales growth. And now, the brand is readying for its launch onto Sephora.com and into Sephora at Kohl’s. Here, Cori Aleardi, President of StriVectin, talks about this new-(ish) distribution channel, new products and appealing to new demographics.

“Science with soul” is how Cori Aleardi, President of StriVectin, described the brand best known for innovating a proprietary molecule, NIA-114, designed to strengthen the skin barrier and supercharge the efficacy of other ingredients such as retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, AHAs and peptides. The “soul’ part refers to the brand’s sleek, upgraded aesthetics that look to contribute to a feel-good experience.

After three consecutive years of double-digit sales growth, StriVectin will be launching on Sephora.com July 27, and in-store at Sephora at Kohl’s locations, as well as in Canada on Sephora.ca, beginning in August. The brand has not had a presence in the retailer since 2012, save for several hair care sku’s.  The Sephora at Koh’ls concept is expected to have a presence in 29 states by year-end, including Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Minneapolis, Ohio and Wisconsin. StriVectin also appears in the Allure Store in Manhattan’s Soho, which opened in July.

Additionally, the brand is launching two new products. There’s Advanced Retinol Nightly Renewal Moisturizer, which features Retinal (Retinaldehyde), a vitamin A derivative and close precursor to retinoic acid, a highly potent form of retinol that is also gentle enough for nightly use. Then there’s Super-B Barrier Strengthening Oil, a dual-focus treatment featuring an oil-based prebiotic blend that looks to help support bacterial diversity and balance the skin’s microbiome.

All StriVectin products contain NIA-114, a patented niacin technology that is only found in its products. The molecule won recognition by the National Cancer Institute for skin cancer prevention. All the brand’s products are paraben-free.

StriVectin launched its iconic Stretch-Mark Cream in 2002, and became an anti-wrinkle phenomenon when consumers discovered that the cream worked well on aging skin. The brand has since evolved to provide a host of targeted solutions for skin care wellness: the name StriVectin comes from the Latin striae distensae meaning stretch marks.

“Back in the day, StriVectin offered targeted solutions for more mature consumers. Now, we have a broad, really robust portfolio, and we are looking to meet the needs of consumers across all ages,” said Cori, who has been at StriVectin for nine years.

“We are a skin health business focused on making sure that consumers look and feel the best within their aging and changing skin,” she said, adding that the brand that is backed by independent physician-directed trials, and has 90 global patents. Cori pointed out that StriVectin is one of the few brands that clinically tests all products brought to the market.

StriVectin, whose tag line is Outsmart Aging, was founded by award-winning biochemists, Drs. Myron and Elaine Jacobson. The brand was bought by private equity company L Catterton in 2009. Cori said that StriVectin greatly exceeded growth expectations in 2020, outpacing category growth, and continues to see strong performance this year as consumers return to brick and mortar.

StriVectin’s strongest markets outside the U.S. are the U.K. and China. The brand has experienced robust growth in the U.K., creating a cascading effect in the rest of Europe. The brand’s retail footprint in the U.K. now includes Harrods.com and H Beauty as of late 2020, and Boots as of April 2021. China is a key strategic area of focus.

“One of the things I always say to my team is, ‘Science translates in all language. Real results translate in all languages,’” said Cori.

The brand embraced multigenerational beauty with its Generation Skincare campaign, dovetailing with Sephora’s Skincare for Every Age platform. It signed 77-year-old Lauren Hutton as Global Brand Ambassador in 2019, further reinforcing its age-positive, age-inclusive positioning.

Having started out as an item-based brand, Cori is particularly proud that StriVectin has expanded its reach and consumer base. “The possibilities for future growth are limitless. The bones of this business are just tremendous,” she said.