“I’m a big believer in that if you focus on good skin care, you really won’t need a lot of make-up”. American actress Demi Moore highlights the importance of skincare. And rightly so, as true beauty comes from healthy skin and confidence.
However, achieving and maintain healthy skin is a difficult task especially due to our unhealthy lifestyle choices and hectic schedules nowadays. That’s where skin care services and clinics come into the picture. PCA SKIN is one such skincare clinic that has been in operation since 1990.
Founded by a licensed aesthetician, PCA SKIN has been following a motto of being more than a one-stop skincare solution to its clients. With its innovative skincare solutions backed by science, the skincare center has been working on improving the lives of its customers.
And under the leadership of Joanna Zucker, the company’s CEO, the center is moving forward with more zeal and strong strategies to take its innovative services and solutions to meet consumers’ changing needs.
In the following interview Joanna shares the key aspects of the company, how it has survived throughout the pandemic, and a piece of advice for the aspirants wishing to enter the medical aesthetic industry.
Please brief our audience about PCA SKIN, its mission, and the key aspects of its stronghold within the medical aesthetics niche.
PCA SKIN was founded in 1990 by a Licensed Aesthetician. We strive to improve the lives of our customers, consumers, and employees by providing result-oriented skincare solutions that are backed by science for the health of your unique skin. Our core pillars are innovation, customer service, and education.
Tell us more about your products and services which make PCA SKIN stand out from the competition?
PCA SKIN was the first company to introduce a modified Jessner’s peel in 1995 and has been innovating in professional peels ever since, offering a variety of options for all Fitzpatrick skin types and skin concerns. Our at-home daily care line-up consists of award-winning, clinically proven products to treat and protect your skin, offering the highest efficacy available.
What is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and what challenges did you face during the initial phase of the pandemic?
The pandemic had major impacts on the industry due to the challenges it presented. At the early stages with local and state lockdowns, many customers were forced to shut their doors which impacted the number of treatments done and forced them to distribute goods differently (vs. in clinic).
At PCA SKIN we have a drop ship program and were able to offer that to our customers to enable a revenue stream despite not being physically open. We also saw new product demands emerging. DIY skincare at home led to a peak in skincare mask sales, and maskne care. We quickly created two kits to both repair and prevent skin damage and irritation from wearing protective face masks, both of which were strong sellers.
Mid-pandemic, in late 2020, we saw the impacts on our supply chain where the reduction in workforce led to both raw materials and production labor shortages, at the same time as demand was returning due to states re-opening. Finally, in 2021 we have seen incredible consumer demand for professional skincare, driven by the ‘zoom’ effect of consumers seeing themselves in the mirror (aka their computer screen) more than ever before and not liking what they see.
This coupled with the lack of spending on other discretionary items like travel, eating out, and fashion has led to unprecedented demand and our customers being booked out for weeks, even months.
With continuous development in technologies such as AI and big data, what is your prediction about the future of the healthcare sector pertaining to the medical aesthetics vertical?
AI and big data will continue to have major influences on the medical aesthetics vertical, from better consumer targeting and segmentation of customers to loyalty and rewards programs and diagnostic tools that allow for a better customer experience and reduction of the barriers to entry for many consumers. They will also affect product development, from more personalized/customized products to how we see trends in the marketplace we can quickly innovate against.
As an established leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the medical aesthetics industry?
I would encourage them if they enjoy a fast-paced, highly innovative industry that changes people’s lives and confidence. If you are passionate about helping others and want to be a part of an evolving, energizing industry it is a great place to learn and grow.
How do you envision scaling your company’s operations and offerings in 2021?
We are enhancing our supply chain, sales organization, and digital capabilities and investment to ensure we stay ahead of demand, achieve our aggressive growth targets, and keep up with the changes to consumer behavior and buying habits.
About the leader
Joanna Zucker joined the company in 2019. She has over 25 years of experience leading brands and businesses and has over 10 years of beauty care experience. This is her first role in the med-tech industry.
Exhibiting Excellence
PCA SKIN has successfully formulated both professional and daily care products based on science, with therapeutic levels of ingredients and unique delivery systems that ensure efficacious outcomes for truly transformational results.
PCA SKIN products have won myriad awards over the years; just this year alone the company received:
- NewBeauty’s ‘Best Peptide Serum’ Award for ExLinea®️ Peptide Smoothing Serum
- Health Beauty Award for ‘Best Peel’ for Micro Peel At-Home Kit
- Cosmopolitan Holy Grail Beauty Award for ‘Best Face Mist’ for new Daily Defense Mist, launched in January.
In the last few years, the company was honored to receive:
- NewBeauty award in the ‘Best Peel’ category for the company’s Ultra Peel.
- 2018 Cosmpolitan Beauty Award
- 2019 Women’s Health wins for the best-selling Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum.
Moreover, the company has been appreciative of receiving accolades from the industry organizations comprised of the customers as it validates the work PCA SKIN does every day.
