Cetaphil is entering a new era, according to Tara Loftis, the brand’s global president. And to usher it in, it’s tapped Gen-Z queen Katie Fang (5.2 million followers on TikTok, 506,000 on Instagram).
On Tuesday, Cetaphil launched the Gentle Exfoliating collection, which comprises three products: the $9.99 Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser, the Gentle Exfoliating SA Lotion, which is available in two sizes; and the $14.99 Exfoliating Rough & Bumpy Cream for the body. The collection addresses the specific needs of members of Gen Zalpha who want to exfoliate but have sensitive skin, Loftis said.
According to Loftis, the collection is set to be the biggest in the brand’s 77-year history, based on the projected reach, investment and sales.
The collection is formulated for consumers ages 18-26, a demo Cetaphil has not actively targeted. “We hadn’t been developing products specifically for that consumer or helping them feel seen by our brand. … [But] we couldn’t afford to not show up for Gen Zalpha.”
Along with allowing people with sensitive skin to address skin imperfections and skin texture by exfoliating, it leverages age-suitable ingredients. As Gen Alpha girls have become obsessed with skin care, dermatologists have reported that young people are increasingly using products with too-stong ingredients like retinol. “It does smooth and exfoliate, but without anything harsh,” Loftis said, regarding the collection. The products feature a proprietary blend of acids including salicylic, mandelic and gluconolactone. The body product features 20% urea.
To market the campaign, Loftis felt Fang was an obvious choice. “I’m obsessed with anyone who is a force to be reckoned with, who’s influencing the influencers and who’s really shifting culture with the consumer, and Katie Fang is one of [those people],” she said. “She’s an absolute ‘it’ girl in the most genuine and relatable way, and [she’s] passionate about skin care and sharing her routine — but not in an overly pushy way, in a disarmingly adorable way.”
Cetaphil has long been known as a brand recommended by dermatologists. According to Loftis, the brand is not breaking away from this history, but, rather, finding a way to evolve with it. Doctors are increasingly telling her they want to work with the influencer community to dispel the misinformation that has become so rampant on social media. To that end, the new collection will be promoted by dermatologists Dr. Katie Beleznay (@drkatiebeleznay; 204,000 Instagram followers), Dr. Neera Nathan (@dermatologysurgeon; 576,000), Dr. Jenny Liu (@derm.talk; 855,000) and Dr. Daniel Sugai (@danielsugaimd; 576,000). And, in addition to Fang, Cetaphil has enlisted 250 social influencers to get the word out, including Christie Xie (@christxiee; 363,000 followers on Instagram), Fernanda Ramirez (@fernandaraamirez; 425,000) and Dacey Cash (@dacey_cash; 108,000).
“Katie has sensitive skin and takes the responsibility of communicating [information about] products and recommending them to younger generations seriously,” Loftis said. She added that the pairing of Fang’s content with that of dermatologists made for a well-rounded campaign.
But authenticity was key in getting the message across, Loftis said. “I don’t believe in old school marketing where you hire a celebrity or an influencer and put them on a display in Target and think products will fly naturally,” she said. “Katie started using the products [a couple of months ago] and has been blown away by the results.”
In addition to Fang’s social promotion, she will host a NYC pop-up for the collection on September 5.
When asked how she chooses which brand deals to take, she said, “It’s all about testing everything.” She noted that she grew up with Cetaphil — her mom used its baby products and it’s a favorite brand of one of her older sisters.
Fang has done many brand partnerships, but this marks a first for her, too: She’d never been the face of a campaign before. “It’s so thrilling, but I’m also nervous. It feels like such a big thing, and it’s a huge step for me,” she said. “But I’m more excited than I am nervous.”
Cetaphil is owned by the Swiss skin-care company Galderma — last month, L’Oréal announced its acquisition of a 10% stake in the company for an undisclosed amount. According to Galderma’s 2023 report, Cetaphil surpassed a record $1 billion in net sales in 2023.
