Bioeffect is betting big on the professional channel with its latest launch.
The 15-year-old skin care brand, based in Iceland, is debuting its 3xGF range, a serum and an eye serum duo, with Dermstore on Wednesday, as well as in select medical offices and medi spas. Prices for the duo range from $149 for 3xGF Recovery Eye Serum to $329 for the 3xGF Recovery Serum.
The range derives its name from the three growth factors utilized in the formula. Among them, the epidermal growth factor that gets the hero treatment in the brand’s core range; keratinocyte growth factor, which boosts the skin barrier, and interleukin-1 alpha, which aids in firmness. The idea was to create an offering for post-procedural care, hence why the serum and eye serum only have 11 and 13 ingredients, respectively.
“We have a very small but very efficacious line,” said Aubi Oskarsdottir, senior vice president of North America, Bioeffect. “We have very strict principles in terms of formulation and how we launch our products. These two products are intended to speed up recovery post-procedure, whether with microneedling, radio frequency or more aggressive lasers.”
The channel has become a meaningful, albeit fragmented, path to growth for brands, as reported. Medik8, for example, had bifurcated distribution between Amazon and the professional channel when it sold to L’Oréal in June. Furthermore, data from Kline Group indicates that the professional skin care market is $8.4 billion, with the U.S. being the second-largest market, where it grew 8 percent last year.
“We’re seeing the trend of people going and having all sorts of procedures. People are not shy to discuss what they’ve had done, whether it’s a surgery or something less invasive,” said Aubi Oskarsdottir, senior vice president of North America. “We understand how beneficial our products can be in this specific channel, specifically post-procedure, and we want to stay true to our expertise in growth factor technology, serum production and cream production in this channel. There is definitely a demand there.”
Industry sources anticipate the range to bring in $3.5 million in first-year sales. Oskarsdottir didn’t comment on the estimate, but did acknowledge the range would later entail more products, and distribution would be its key differentiator.
“We’ve seen an increase in products that are coming to market with growth factors and other actives. We’re seeing a lot more of growth factors than we did, say, 15 years ago,” Oskarsdottir said. “We’ve had great success working with key opinion leaders, both with the professional aestheticians and makeup artists.”
The brand is conducting clinical testing, which has not yet concluded, but has brought a few different doctors into the fold. “We have been working closely with a few plastic surgeons and dermatologists,” Sigrun Dogg Gudjonsdottir, MD, Bioeffect’s chief research and development officer. “It’s quite important that the recovery and results from the treatments are enhanced with these products as well.”
At launch, dermatologists carrying the product include Dr. Anetta Reszko, Dr. Ava Shamban and Dr. Jessica Weiser. “We’re focused on utilizing our existing relationships in the derm channel,” Oskarsdottir said. “That’s also why we’re investing in these third-party clinicals, because we know that the data is important.”