About This Episode
Dr. Whitney Hovenic shares how she built a skincare brand that Gen Z actually trusts, and turned that trust into long-term revenue. Part of the Business of Aesthetics podcast collection, Episode 285, “Building a Skincare Brand Gen Z Actually Trusts-and Turning That Trust Into Long-Term Revenue,” adds useful context for aesthetic-practice professionals. It focuses on the choices that shape trust, satisfaction, and loyalty, helping practices create experiences patients are more likely to value and return to. Listeners can use the conversation to reflect on their current approach, discuss relevant questions with their team, and identify practical next steps.
Read the full conversation
[00:00:12] Introduction & Topic Setup
Most practices are spending more than ever to acquire new patients, while an entire generation is building trust with brands long before they ever step into a clinic. Welcome back to the Business of Aesthetics podcast. I'm your host, Don Adeesha, and to help us understand how to connect with the next generation of patients, we are joined by Dr. Whitney Hovenic. Dr. Hovenic is a double board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon based in Reno, Nevada. Alongside her clinical work in skin cancer and cosmetic dermatology, she is building a sun care brand designed specifically for Gen Z, focused on education, prevention, and real behavior change. Today we are discussing Gen Z behavior, building trust through prevention, and how to turn that trust into long-term patient relationships. This episode is brought to you by Ekwa Marketing, the digital growth partner behind this podcast and a trusted resource for aesthetic practices looking to dominate their local market. Now let's get into the conversation.
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[00:01:20] The Gap in Sun Care for Gen Z
Dr. Hovenic, when you started building for Gen Z, what gap did you see in how traditional sun care brands were approaching young consumers?
Thank you for having me. I've been a dermatologist for a long time and sold product in my office for a long time, and what I saw is that we really didn't have anything in the office that was fun and exciting for that younger patient. We have beautiful products and they're very clinical. I have two daughters, and they've had access to the best sunscreens their whole lives, because when you're a dermatologist, your mom is giving you the best sunscreens. And they would still say, "Ugh, I don't want this." So I knew we needed to address this differently, because we all know how important sun protection is. I wanted to bring something into the clinical space that was a little bold, a little edgy, and made them feel more comfortable choosing to wear something that just wasn't necessarily their mother's sunscreen.
And was that gap more about the formulation, or is it the communication, how the brands talk?
I think it's a little bit of both. Gen Z wants a different product, and they want simplicity. They want products that serve as both skincare and sun protection. Those products exist in the clinical space currently, but a lot of times they're at a price point that's not accessible to that younger consumer. So we saw an opportunity to create a sun care line with skincare benefits at a price point that's more Gen Z friendly. Oftentimes they're in their first job, they're going to college, they don't have a lot of disposable income. They will spend money on skincare, but when we're asking them to make something part of their daily routine, I strongly believe we should present it at a price point that's going to be accessible.
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[00:03:01] What Brands Get Medically Wrong Trying to Be Trendy
As a Mohs surgeon, what is the one thing traditional brands get medically wrong when trying to be trendy?
It's hard to talk to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. My kids have their own language. They'll say, "Mom, that's the riz, the T," and I'm like, I don't know, is that good or bad? So you need to speak to them, but not necessarily try to be them. You want to build their trust and say, look, this is going to help your skin. They don't necessarily care at this point about not getting skin cancer. They care about their skin looking good, feeling good, they want to glow up. My daughter told me at one point that the reason girls want to tan is because they don't want to have the "winter fuglies." They're very concerned about their appearance. So as a brand, you want to say, not only will this protect you, it's going to make you feel good and enhance that inner and outer glow. You just have to be careful not to be preachy, but also not try too hard. There's a balance.
Not trying too hard, how does that show up in your own product development?
The good thing is I have my own test base in my house. In not trying too hard, we don't want to overcomplicate the messaging. We want to say these products are here, we want them integrated into your life, they feel great on your skin. Our product names are a little different to give them that edge. That's why we have products called Cheeky, OG, Ghosted, Do Me, Face Shots, so they catch your attention. But I'm not calling it "get your tea, get your riz." It's translating to them without trying too hard to be them, if that makes sense.