Bethany Hilt, Vertere Skin Care

For some beauty consumers there comes a point in life where it’s not about experimenting with the latest products or trying out new looks, it’s about reliable high-performing basics. These consumers are looking for brands that are loyal to them, brands that keep those reliable go-to products in stock and up to snuff. This is all the more true in skin care than it is in other categories. And it’s brands like Vertere that are well positioned to be the long-term solution for that consumer who wants effective, multitasking skin care.

Here, the beauty entrepreneur Bethany Hilt shares a profile of herself and the Vertere brand.

Name:​ Bethany Hilt, Founder and CEO

Indie Beauty Company: ​Vertere Skin Care

Launched: ​2010

Headquarters: ​Cleveland, Ohio

Cash flow: ​We’ve been experiencing double-digit growth. And, I can tell you that our success with our retail partners has been an accomplishment that means the world to us….We want to improve and impact millions of lives, and our retail partners are instrumental to help us do that.

Distribution: ​Our products are available in the US in select apothecaries, specialty boutiques, spas, EVINE Live, online retailers, and through our e-commerce website.

Years in beauty:​ I am a beauty industry outsider, and stepped into the beauty industry when I launched Vertere. 

Years at Vertere: ​8

Entrepreneurial experience: ​Vertere marks my first entrepreneurial endeavor.  Prior to launching Vertere, I was a senior public relations professional in global and boutique firms, working with small to Fortune 500 companies in multiple industries.

The business: ​Vertere is Latin, meaning “to turn” and our products turn around the look of the skin in as quickly as 72 hours.  Our customers’ testimonials and results photos speak to the visible quick results they experience. Vertere is the first noncomedogenic skin care line for all skin tones and types that improves the look of aging, dark spots and breakouts in a true multi-benefit philosophy, allowing you to see better visible results with fewer products. We’re Clinical Strength Luxury Skin Care that’s clean, proudly free of parabens, phthalates, synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, and hydroquinone.  Also our products are not tested on animals.  ​

The wow-factor: ​Our quick visible results and that our products can be used by every skin type and every skin tone to visibly improve the look [of] aging skin, dark spots and blemishes (as many still experience them) is the unique value we offer.    ​

The customer: ​Our primary consumer is over 30, tends to be affluent and has a multi-faceted life and multiple skin concerns. She wants results quickly but also wants that high-performance to be cleaner.

Milestone moment: ​Seeing Vertere mentioned in WWD and Vogue, and seeing top mature beauty influencers like Beauty by Anne Marie explain to their followers how they use our products in their routine.  Also being called “The Future of 50” by EVINE Live’s hosts (I’ll be 50 in just a couple years) was so validating.  It really speaks to just how effective our products are.  ​

Advice for fellow indie beauty entrepreneurs: ​Get a mentor.  Mentors are so important!  And focus on your customers.

Just one: ​Asked about her go-to product, Hilt admits that picking one is so hard.  If I had to pick one, I’d choose our Travel+Discovery Kit so that I’d have our Refining Treatment Cleanser and Dramatic Transformation Cream SPF 18 in my hands.  These plump, smooth, nourish, brighten and clarify.  My Clarisonic is pretty indispensable too. 

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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.