Mr Roth (right) launched his skincare line in 1993. The range has since gone beyond acne and anti-ageing creams to include body care and CC creams, sold in 80 markets. His wife, Noreen (left), is the managing director of the company. -- PHOTO: PETER THOMAS ROTH
Mr Peter Thomas Roth's skin might look clear and matte, but it was not always like that. The 55-year-old American, chief executive and founder of his eponymous skincare line, says he was plagued with acne problems throughout his younger years.
Multiple visits to the dermatologists did not help."The only product that was effective was this brown liquid that was supposed to treat acne but looked like a tanning lotion," he recalls."I was in college and had to apply this brown stuff directly onto my spots."It did nothing for my social life and I hated it."
The father-of-two, who is based in New York, was in town for the Sephora Press Day last month to launch his latest products, the anti-ageing Neuroliquid Volufill Youth Serum ($198, from Sephora stores) and Eye Serum ($140), and Oilless Oil 100% Purified Squalane ($63).
Unfortunately, Mr Roth's spotty skin condition lasted through his early adult years. So although he does not have a background in science and had worked at his family's jewellery manufacturing company in New York right after graduating from Wharton University of Pennsylvania with a degree in marketing management, Mr Roth spent all his spare time researching ingredients that treated acne.
Plus, he was always interested in the beauty industry as his grandparents used to own two spa resorts in Hungary.
In 1993, he launched the Peter Thomas Roth Clinical Skin Care line with US$70,000. By then, he had discovered the clear sulphur-and-salicylic acid formulas from the drugstores which helped to curb his adult acne problem.
Naturally, the first 20 products he produced with the help of a chemist were formulated with sulphur, salicylic and glycolic acids. They were aimed at treating acne as well as wrinkles, because the acids that treat acne are effective in smoothing wrinkles too, he says.
Today, the brand has more than a hundred products in its portfolio, with ingredients as varied as the antioxidant-rich dragon's blood and camu camu fruit, to peptides and hyaluronic acid.
The range has also since gone beyond acne and anti-ageing creams, and now includes shampoos and body wash, as well as CC creams. The products are currently sold in 80 markets, including Brazil, China and India, mostly through Sephora and department stores.
The formulas have won more than 20 awards from international titles. The Anti-Aging Buffing Beads clinched beauty magazine Allure's Best Of Beauty award in 2010; while the Firmx Peeling Gel earned a seal of approval from Good Housekeeping magazine this year.
Mr In-Control
Neuroliquid Volufill Youth Eye Serum (left), Laser-Free Resurfacer serum (middle) and Oilless Oil 100% Purified Squalane. -- PHOTO: PETER THOMAS ROTH
Right from the beginning, Mr Roth has been fully hands-on with the brand. Even though it raked in an annual revenue of US$170 million (S$215 million) for the current financial year - up 13 per cent from US$150 million for the previous financial year - he still does everything pretty much himself. His wife, Noreen, is the managing director of the company.
Mr Roth researches new ingredients and gives direction for every product."I find the latest ingredients, tell my chemist how I want it in the formula and how it should feel like on the skin. "
He also decides how the formulas should smell. For example, he hates the medicinal odour of glycolic and salicylic acids, and so he got his chemist to add a light peach fragrance to the Anti-Aging Buffing Beads concoction. "Together with the alcohol, the formula smells like a Bellini. I feel like I'm sipping a cocktail in Venice whenever I use it," he says.
He also comes up with catchy names for the products, such as Laser-Free Resurfacer and Neuroliquid Volufill, writes the marketing material and designs the product packaging. Mr Roth's products are recognisable by their packaging, which is crammed with text that he wrote.
This text-heavy design is a result of his teenage frustration with skincare products. "When I was a teenager, my mother would buy me these formulas with pretty packaging. But nothing was written on the jars and bottles.
"I have a short-term memory and so I would not remember how to use the product after throwing away the box and leaflet.
"My bottles are not very pretty, but they tell you what's inside, how it is going to work and how you should use it."
Faced with increasing competition from other beauty brands, Mr Roth is realistic about the way consumers buy their way through the beauty aisles. "Today, if you look into someone's beauty bag, you'd see a mixture of brands," he says. "Loyalty is not strong." Therefore, he says, each of his products is made to work on its own or fit into a multi-brand routine.
"I prefer that customers find one product of mine that works and fills their need. So the next time they come back, they might try something else."I don't have to sell them five products at a shot."
This article was first run in The Straits Times newspaper on August 16, 2013. For similar stories, go to sph.straitstimes.com/premium/singapore. You will not be able to access the Premium section of The Straits Times website unless you are already a subscriber.