Ten years ago Pauline Valle discovered a niche in the market for a professional range that delivered both on results and price. She reveals her success story.
In 2009, Pauline Valle proudly introduced her new Cosmeceutical skincare range Ultraderm to the Australian market. She could clearly see the need for a range of professional and retail products that not only delivered real results but offered great value and affordability.
Ten years on and Ultraderm’s innovative approach and superior ingredients have proven to be the perfect solution for many salons and clients and it has gone on to become a market leader within the beauty industry.
Not only is Ultraderm a product range that delivers optimal results to its clients, but it also prides itself on the fact that every product in their range is ethically formulated with zero animal testing.
The Ultraderm range of exceptional home care products provides the first step in delivering healthy, youthful looking skin while their salon partners provide the care, expertise and enhanced treatments to further boost the results.
We took the opportunity to chat with Pauline about Ultraderm and its amazing success story. Here’s what she had to say.
Tell us a little about how Ultraderm came about?
“Over 23 years in the beauty industry, I’ve worked with hundreds, if not thousands of salon owners, and I listened to what they kept telling me. ‘We need an affordable skincare company with quality products that will support our industry and put salons first. When I began the Ultraderm journey, this need was always at the front of my mind. I wanted to create a skincare company that not only delivered amazing results ethically but also focused on meeting the needs of the salon owners and therapists who were supporting us.”
What has made Ultraderm so successful since it came on to the marketplace?
“I believe that it’s a combination of the excellent service we provide to our salon partners plus the outstanding quality of the Ultraderm products. Our products are almost completely sourced from Australian ingredients (we have only one product in the range we simply couldn’t source here in Australia) and are of the highest quality available today. Ultraderm makes it their mission to stay ahead of the marketplace and is constantly innovating to address the concerns of their customers and the ever-changing trends.”
How do you support your salon partners?
“Everything we do is about finding new and better ways to help our salon partners drive their businesses forward. To date, we’ve introduced our hugely successful Client Loyalty Program that rewards salon clients with their choice of a free 10ml Ultraderm serum or 30 ml cleanser or moisturiser after any 6 purchases from the Ultraderm range. Both the clients and salons love this program as it rewards the clients for their loyalty as well as helping salons to keep their clients returning.
As well as this program, Ultraderm offers ongoing training for salon owners and their staff both in-salon and in Ultraderm’s headquarters on the Gold Coast. We understand how important it is to really know your product range inside and out if you want to achieve the best results for your clients, and so, providing training for our salon partners is high on our agenda. And for those salons that can’t make it to Ultraderm HQ, we provide a USB with all our training material on it so that new team members can be trained in-salon.
We also provide a large range of other marketing materials. One of the biggest of these is our Marketing Promotions. Each month we provide something new for our salon partners to promote to their clients and it always represents a great buy. To support this, we also provide a marketing calendar so salon owners can see in advance what we will be offering and can create their own additional promotions using this information.”
How would you describe Ultraderm’s business philosophy?
“Our salon partners and customers are at the forefront of everything we do. Our goals are to provide the best, most advanced, treatment solutions available today. We really value our salon partners and do all we can to help them thrive in their businesses.”
Is Ultraderm for everyone, or does it cater to a specific segment of the market?
“The Ultraderm product range has been designed to meet the needs of every skin type, especially Australian skins. Whether dealing with a troubled acne skin, rosacea or mature skin that has seen a few too many UV rays, Ultraderm has solutions available in both our professional and take-home ranges. Our products use advanced formulations to guarantee that improvements will be achieved for the end users and this, in turn, helps our salons retain more contented clients.”
How do you decide which ingredients to include in the Ultraderm products?
“We do an enormous amount of ongoing research in collaboration with our cosmetic chemists to ensure we understand the needs of the market and the results we can expect to achieve with any new ingredient included in our formulations. Our chemists report to us on new ingredients as they become available and look for advanced ingredients that will work in harmony with the other actives in our range.”
How does the range compare with other skincare brands for cost and value?
“The quantity, quality and purity of Ultraderm products makes it outstanding value for both salon owners and their clients. Our products are formulated to be very high in active ingredients with just the barest minimum of products to bind these ingredients together and provide a good shelf life.”
Do you have anything new on the horizon for 2019?
“We are incredibly excited to have been appointed as the Rezenerate agents for Australia. Rezenerate originates from the U.S. and incorporates ground-breaking nano-technology that provides amazing short and long-term results without pain or the cost of a medical procedure. It is product-neutral which means it will work synergistically with any quality serums salons may already be using. Rezenerate works by increasing the efficacy of the products used which means better outcomes and more satisfied clients. As well as Rezenerate, we also have an exciting new body product currently in development that will provide anti-aging benefits to the entire body. I can’t say much more at the moment, but it will definitely be a perfect addition to our current range.”
Biggest lessons learnt in the industry?
“Well, with a total of 23 years in the industry, 10 of which have been with Ultraderm, I thought I had seen pretty much everything there was to see. However, I have learned that doing business can be pretty tough and success is definitely not an overnight thing.To survive in this business, you have to be passionate, reliable and accountable.”
What was your biggest challenge getting Ultraderm up and running?
“I knew growing a brand-new company from the ground up was going to be tough, but I didn’t expect it to be quite so difficult. We started the company during the financial crisis period when many businesses were finding it difficult to survive. We really had to dig in, stay focussed and not look sideways if we were going to move forward, and I’m glad we did. Today, Ultraderm is a thriving Australian skincare company that is making a huge impact in the marketplace.”
Any advice for a therapist starting out in their first business?
“Choose your product range carefully as it will impact on nearly every aspect of your business. Be sure it fits your brand personality and you absolutely love it’. I would also advise them to keep current by investing in professional training for both themselves and their team. It’s more essential than ever to keep learning and not try to do business in isolation. Find suppliers who will support you in every way possible so that you can achieve more at a faster pace.”
What role does your husband Steve play in the company?
“Steve is my rock! His main role is to look after the logistics, but in reality, he’s much more than that for me. He helps to keep me grounded when things occasionally feel like they are spinning out of control. I rely on his solid support, and even though you may not see his face often at the front end of Ultraderm, he is the person who keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes.”
Lastly what inspires you personally in business?
“My greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that Ultraderm is helping salons to grow and prosper. I will always stay motivated to get up each morning, do my Ultraderm routine and keep moving forward.”