Beauty Store Business

AUG 2014

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44 August 2014 | beautystorebusiness.com BEAUTY STORE BUSINESS: Please give us some back- ground on Boca Cosmetics Group. How was the company started? And how has it grown over the years? CORREIA: I started Boca Cosmetics Group 17 years ago as a private-label manufacturer for some of the worldÕs best-known cosmetics brands. While that is still a solid portion of the busi- ness, the company also began producing its own brands. Then, in 2009 to 2010 we noticed significant growth in the profes- sional keratin-treatment market. Clients were paying large sums of money for in- salon keratin treatments. Therefore, we saw an opportunity to create a keratin system that would be safe and simple to self-apply at home. ThatÕs when Zelo Professional was born. It was inevitable that I would find my way into the beauty industry. My family back in Brazil has several chem- ists who had formulated beauty prod- ucts for other companies. Why not for me? After spending time in senior-level marketing and sales positions within other industries, I finally came home to develop, market and sell products that I produced. Then the formaldehyde controversy began to permeate the professional keratin [beauty] industry in 2011. OSHA was tightening restrictions, and a large amount of mom-and-pop keratin manu- facturers dissolved. Once again we saw an opportunity to enter the market with a keratin treatment that was completely form- aldehyde-free and economically priced, provided a quick spray-on application and lasted for up to 30 shampoos. So we entered the professional market under the Olez brand with our Advanced Keratin System. Olez continues to utilize cutting-edge technology to create its various treatment lines. Olez expanded with INCEPTION in 2012. INCEPTION features apple stem cell technology, which treats not only existing hair, but future hair growth. Last year was a big year for Olez with the introduction of Essence of Youth Anti- Aging Treatment, O2 Detox for Hair and Scalp and NutriFuze Hair Diet. Please share some details about the Zelo line. What products are available? And how do they differ from others on the market? Zelo means Òcare with loveÓ in Portu- guese. The line offers two varieties of Brazilian Home Keratin Treatments: One focuses on all hair types, while the other is specifically for coarse hair. Additionally, the Zelo line contains Zelo Salt & Sulfate Free Shampoo, Keratin Conditioner, Velvet Gloss for shine, and our new 12-solutions-in-1 leave-in hair therapy called Control Plus. We are proud that our products fea- ture the finest natural ingredients from around the world. Our exotic oils, omega oils and organic acids are combined with the latest technology to deliver healthy and beautiful hair. How have you succeeded in the home-keratin product category? Zelo was the first home-keratin system in the market. We launched with a sold- out segment on HSN, so we knew the demand for our product was there. We stick to our core belief that the overall health of the client and the clientÕs hair is of primary importance; then we find the natural ingredients that help us achieve our objective. Our customers can depend on consistently receiving quality products. Keratin treatments are used to smooth out the hair and eliminate frizz. Zelo does that, but it still allows for users to retain a curl pattern if they desire. Zelo eliminates the frizz. But in order to maintain smoothness, the cus- tomer has to briefly blow-dry her hair. The blow-drying time is cut about half. If the user elects to air-dry her hair, the frizz will be goneÑbut a slight wave or curl pattern will remain. Additionally, the occasion may arise where the customer is looking to curl her hair. Zelo allows for retention of the curl pattern until the hair is washed and blow-dried smooth again. Have customers become more wary of keratin treatments over the years? Over the past few years, the public has become cautious of keratin treatments because of the use of formaldehyde or formaldehyde-producing agents as an ingredient in the products. The heat from blow-drying and flat ironing, which are part of the keratin-treatment process, triggers the release of formaldehyde gas, which can cause sensory irrita- tion and is possibly a carcinogen. While there is still a demand for these types of treatments because of the straightening effect they have on the hair, Zelo and all products produced by Boca Cosmet- ics Group do not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde-producing ingredients or any other harmful ingredients. How does education factor into your company? How do you support beauty stores as well as consumers? For distributors, beauty stores and indi- vidual stylists, education is and always will be the foundation of Boca Cosmet- ics Group whether for Zelo or Olez. We have educators on staff who travel in the market for product and sales training. We employ a licensed cosme- tologist as our office administrator so that when any customer, professional or consumer calls with a question, it can be answered immediately and thoroughly. We also have our Olez AcademyÑwhich is also used for ZeloÑan online portal for education and training. It allows for live Webinars and access to recorded classes. Our distributors have access to the system so they can conduct their own trainings. How do you reach consumers and spread the word about Zelo? Our marketing team has been doing a solid job of reaching Zelo customers online. Social media has been an impor- tant medium for us. Of course, we can always be doing more, and we hope to expand our efforts over the next couple of years. We are currently documenting Zelo success stories through testimoni- als and product reviews. We are finding that with access to so much information on the Internet, the public is becoming very sharp about researching product performance and ingredient lists. That bodes well for us since we have a tre- mendous amount of positive feedback, which is reflected in consistent reorders. What are your plans for the company? On the Zelo side of the business, we want to continue to garner retail distribution. For Olez, weÕll continue to support our existing distributors with education, mer- chandising materials, aggressive salon "We launched with a sold-out segment on HSN, so we knew the demand for our product was there." Images courtesy of Boca Cosmetics Group A t H o m e K e r a t i n f o r R e t a i l . i n d d 4 4 At Home Keratin for Retail.indd 44 6 / 2 6 / 1 4 3 : 0 7 P M 6/26/14 3:07 PM

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