DECIEM, the parent company of skincare brand The Ordinary, has evolved in the beauty industry in just seven years. Overcoming challenges, the brand and its core values ​​of teamwork and support emerged stronger than ever

Starting a beauty brand from scratch is never an easy task, let alone when you decide to launch 10 brands from the very beginning. However, seven years after its launch in 2013 (the Latin word for 10 in a row), DECIEM has become a force to be reckoned with in the industry. beauty Space that separates itself from the daytime spot with the slogan The Abnormal Beauty Company. While many believed the company concept would never work, DECIEM founder Brandon Truaxe was more than happy to prove people wrong by going against the grain.

Focusing on the consumer and being transparent in information makes the company different. “We did the right thing and expected people to understand our commitment to science and transparency,” said DECIEM CEO Nicola Kilner. Emirates Women. That’s exactly what happened. Continued efforts to generate organic interest led to the release of its crown jewel, The Ordinary, in 2016, as DECIEM began to reach new levels of popularity. “Our founder, Brandon, shook up the industry by showing that quality could no longer be defined by price point,” explains Kilner. “It made it easier for people to know if they were overpaying for ingredients.” With a $7 (Dhs25) hyaluronic acid serum and a $6 (Dhs22) retinoid serum that both actually work, this is an instant (literally) prescription for success. “For too long, brands have disguised this type of content as creativity,” Kilner explains. “The ordinary was born to communicate with honesty. “The innovation behind the brand actually lies in its pricing and communication strategy.”

However, with all the praise and success came the emerging erratic behavior of Truaxe, who fired co-founder Kilner in February 2018 and at one point claimed the company would temporarily close. Five months later, she begged Kilner to return, and even though she was five months pregnant at the time, Kilner was more than willing to help her friend build this incredible empire. “Even though my contract was terminated, I never left DECIEM,” he explains. “I was in constant communication with the team and dedicated my time to ensuring we could keep DECIEM in a good place once Brandon’s health improved. My decision to return was made out of love for Brandon, DECIEM, and our people. “I was hoping that by staying with Brandon, I could help make things better.”

But things came to a head in October 2018, when Truaxe was replaced as CEO by Kilner following a lawsuit with Estee Lauder, which held a small stake in DECIEM. Tragically, just a few months later in January 2019, Truaxe passed away. But Kilner made sure his friend’s legacy remained intact and his vision for the brand remained alive. “The things that definitely shouldn’t change are the values ​​that Brandon instilled in us,” he explains. “Our team’s humility and playful spirit will always be at the heart of DECIEM.”

But what changed following Truaxe’s death was the focus on the team’s welfare, which came first for Kilner. “After Brandon’s passing, my priority became our employees; how could we create a stable environment and provide the structure that allowed us to grow during the difficult 2018,” he says. “We have worked to implement initiatives focused on the mental health of our employees, including dedicated mental health days and access to independent counseling 24/7.”

Throughout the trials and tribulations, DECIEM has remained strong, keeping Truaxe’s vision at its core and strengthened by Kilner’s leadership and the family-like atmosphere throughout the company; The CEO feels extremely “lucky” about this. “When you face negative situations, you become stronger, more resilient and prepared,” he says. “We have been very lucky with our people, especially those who have been part of the family since DECIEM’s inception. They believed in Brandon’s genius and vision and wanted to be a part of DECIEM’s future.” Kilner says the family mentality of the company and team is what the late founder instilled in everyone, which helps them “overcome challenges and grow stronger.”

Let them grow stronger – DECIEM has reached over a million followers on Instagram thanks to the strong branding factor of word of mouth. This has a lot to do with The Ordinary’s explosive popularity; Funnily enough, this wasn’t even among DECIEM’s top 10 brands at its launch in 2013. “The Ordinary was the 11th brand we launched; Imagine if we stopped at that. ” Kilner jokes. There was always a plan to bring 10 brands together because in the original vision was the idea of ​​an ecosystem that would have access to everything from its own factory to its own PR department to its own design team and more.

Of course, The Ordinary’s incredible success with its accessible price points and well-researched ingredients and proven results has only catapulted DECIEM’s other brands (including NIOD, Hylamide, The Chemistry Brand, Abnomaly, and HIF (Hair Is Fabric)) . – to more success. According to Kilner, NIOD is DECIEM’s dark horse because it “takes a very unique approach to skin care and supports overall skin health.” “NIOD is truly pushing the boundaries of science in skin care and bringing true innovation to skin care,” he says. “The new technologies used by NIOD are reflected in the prices. The formulas focus on longevity and overall skin health.” In particular, she recommends that NIOD’s Copper Amino Isolate Serum really focuses on longevity by encouraging skin to behave as if it were younger skin. “If someone could only use one product from DECIEM, this is the one I would definitely recommend “This would happen,” he says.

As for the future of DECIEM, the only way is up. But Kilner doesn’t plan to make too many changes; he prefers the company to stay on its own path. “I think we need to continue to be ourselves and stay in our own bubble,” he says. “When you pay too much attention to what other brands and industries are doing, you can lose sight of why.” From the beginning, their focus has been on the customer, innovation, transparency, function and design. But then I realized that kindness is at its core. “It was definitely there from the beginning, but it took us a while to realize that the innovation and transparency we were bringing to the industry was all about kindness.”

While DECIEM remains on its own path, could this potentially lead the company into the UAE and the Middle East? “We really want to be there,” Kilner says. “This is a really interesting space and one that is so important to moving beauty forward. “We’re really looking forward to being a part of it.” You heard it here first, so watch this space.

DECIEM’s Hero Brands Next to Ordinary

NIOD

Focusing on overall skin health, the tech brand has a singular genetic commitment to being at the cutting edge of science. Offering its audience a laboratory experience using only the latest technologies, NIOD is focused on pushing the boundaries of science in skin care.

hilamite

It offers maximum minimalist skin care. The brand’s products make skin care easier without compromising effectiveness. Supports optimum skin performance with multifunctional formulas and simple regimens. Hylamide is a suitable brand for those who are looking for fast results and do not have time to research ingredients.

Chemistry Brand

It allowed the company to offer next-generation content to its target audience, even under non-competition restrictions. Before DECIEM introduced skincare, many people were using The Chemistry Brand on their faces. The range offers advanced products for hands and body.

abnormality

He is unpredictable and his mission is to never be categorized. It abnormally contains products created by our laboratory that do not fit the existing DECIEM “brand”. As DECIEM develops and grows, the brand will always remain in flux.

HIF (Hair is Fabric)

is a Cleansing Conditioner series. HIF offers professional cleansing to the hair to ensure that the delicate fibers of the hair are treated like fabric. You don’t put designer clothes into your washing machine. Is your hair less important?

For more on all things beauty, pick up a copy of June’s ‘Beauty Issue’ or download here.

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