In a world of inflation, inflation, prices and rising ingredients and production costs, it is very surprising when a beauty brand (or any consumer product, really)bring downits values. And if it’s an indie brand (ie it’s not owned by a mega conglomerate that can suffer any loss of profits), that’s serious news. On Monday, skincare darling Dieux permanently dropped the price of its best-selling Deliverance 3-in-1 Repair Serum from $69 for a 30mL bottle to $62.
At the same time, it released a new jumbo size 60mL ($89), which, according to the brand, “is a direct response to consumer demand.” (The large size, which is currently a dieuxskin.com exclusive and will be out at Sephora next month, is $35 cheaper than buying two 30mL bottles, for those who don’t want to sit around doing the math.) And finally, the brand has also upgraded its previous plastic packaging to a bottle made from 100% recycled aluminum. (The pump top is still made of plastic, but it’s a notable departure from sustainable packaging.)
“A lot of times we see brands increase their prices as they get older, and it’s always confused me: You’ve increased your economy … why are you increasing the cost?” Dieux Co-Founder & Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Palermo tells Ujo Shop. “Although inflation and other ingredients and materials can increase in price – sometimes that explains the price increase – and it is because, sometimes, as the product is more popular, a ‘business opportunity’ is seen.”
Dieux has been advocating for price transparency, often making lower production costs more accessible to consumers. So this step is very much in line with your ethos. “It’s interesting and fun to go through the process of creating a product from scratch and growing it. Education allows for informed decision-making, and we want to empower our community,” explains Palermo. “Not every price is for everyone, and we wanted to explain why our serums aren’t $20 or $300. We use high-quality active ingredients, we do a lot of work to stabilize our formulas and Joyce. [de Lemos, co-founder and formulator] you do an amazing job of making sure those ingredients are doing what they’re supposed to do for your skin.”
Image: Hosted by Dieux
But why is it lowering the price of its most popular product – and moreover, how can Dieux do so? “We will still make a profit by selling Deliverance,” confirmed Palermo. “It felt like the right thing to do to fix the price. Our community and brand popularity is what got us here, and if we win, our community should win.”
And it’s a strategy for continued growth: “Lowering the price in the hope that it makes more people open to trying it [it],” he said. “We know the power of Deliverance and want to incorporate it into more people’s lives.”
Image: Hosted by Dieux
This lightweight antioxidant and peptide-rich serum includes some gold standard ingredients (niacinamide, glycerin, shea butter) and less common ones (for example, cannabidiol and purple passionflower). In addition to calm skin and calm redness – Palermo recommends making his skin more tolerant to retinoids – and helps with dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles, firmness and tone. It can be used by any skin type, it’s vegan, it’s cruelty free and it’s a real crowd pleaser.
When asked about the possibility of future price cuts, Palermo is enthusiastic. “Yes! We will continue to check our prices,” he said. “We have nothing in our hands, but we will continue to conduct annual research.”
Related: How Dieux Skin’s Charlotte Palermino Launched a Viral Skin-Care Brand
So, should other beauty brands drop their prices again? The founder admits that each business is different: “Some brands have been hit by costs; others are currently collecting refund checks after raising prices. If you’re an indie brand, and if you’re small, you’re hurt a lot. For us it’s our voice and the brand to try to educate about how economics, production and business mean to everyone,” he said.
Ultimately, Palermo hopes that Dieux’s customer base will feel more connected to the brand because of the price drop: “We hope our current devotees will see how much we value them and we will sell Deliverance to an even larger audience. It’s been a tough year for many Americans, we hope people see that there are businesses trying to do good about it.”
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