Versed’s Press Restart line reimagines retinol use
Skincare brand Versed has continued to make its ethos of creating products for the skin and body that are not only clean but affordable more important than ever since its launch.
The brand has worked to not only transform clean beauty at the drugstore level but also focused on expanding its roster with an array of new products—including its most recent launch, the Press Restart Advanced Retinol Body Butter.
Retinol is known best for helping with anti-aging skincare concerns, and with that in mind. Versed’s Press Restart family looks to offer solutions from head to toe that incorporate this ingredient.
DSN spoke to Lindsey Kracum, vice president of marketing at Versed to discuss the retinol-infused line and how it has grown over the last few years following the launch of its hero product—Press Restart Gentle Retinol Serum—back in 2019.
DSN: Can you tell us about the Press Restart Gentle Retinol Serum and the reason for expanding into the retinol category?
Lindsey Kracum: Versed sets out to help everyone achieve the skin they want by providing access to safe, dermatologist-backed, community-approved, and easy-to-use and understand skincare.
Retinol has long been touted as the gold standard of age-fighting ingredients by dermatologists, and our consumers [they span the gamut in terms of demographics, but our sweet spot is millennial women—more specifically, the millennial mom who is starting to see the signs of aging on her skin] seek out results-oriented solutions, and retinol provides just that.
We decided to step into retinol with the December 2019 debut of Press Restart Gentle Retinol Serum, a lightweight gel-cream serum specifically developed for sensitive skin and first-time retinol users. It’s formulated with gentle encapsulated retinol and natural retinol alternatives, to smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, even skin tone and refine skin texture.
DSN: What was consumer reaction like for the brand’s first Press Restart product, and how did it influence the additional products launched within the line?
LK: The love was there immediately…and it has continued!
Our retinol suite of products is one of the brand’s most beloved, with one retinol item selling every minute. Versed was created to deliver what our community truly wants: Simple, clean, affordable products that solve her skin concerns and deliver real results. And when it comes to ingredients that deliver, retinol is at the top of that list.
DSN: How did Versed approach adding retinol to skin care products for the neck down?
LK: We have proven ourselves to be well-versed (it’s in our brand name, after all) in facial skincare and have applied this expertise and innovation into body care, first with Press Restart Body Lotion, which was first of its kind in the mass market. The community response and feedback to that SKU and foray into true body care was a resounding yes—so much so, that it sold out three times in its first year.
Our community was begging us for a richer texture that offered more hydration of our top-selling Press Restart Body Lotion, which drove the creation of our new Body Butter. Body care has proven to be an area of want and need, so definitely watch that space, as we are committed to continuing to build that out further.
DSN: Can you tell us about the formulation for the retinol-infused products, and if there is a difference in the strength for face products as opposed to body care products?
LK: Absolutely, and the short answer is, yes, each product within our retinol suite features different aspects of retinol, whether it’s via delivery system, percentage, or a retinol alternative.
The Press Restart Gentle Retinol Serum features both encapsulated retinol and natural retinol alternatives.
Our Smooth Landing Advanced Retinoid Eye Balm, launched in January 2022, is formulated with granactive retinoid, a more stable, less irritating retinoid that helps refine texture and tone, reducing fine lines and wrinkles. It's also packed with vitamin E, black currant seed oil shiitake mushroom extract.
In terms of our retinol body offerings, we introduced Press Restart Gentle Retinol Body Lotion for retinol repair for the neck down in December 2021. This daily body moisturizer is designed to relieve more than just dryness; it also helps enhance smoothness, firmness, glow. It features encapsulated retinol so that the retinol is delivered deep below the skin’s surface bypassing the surface layers, which is where irritation occurs with non-encapsulated retinol. Our Body Lotion also features squalane to hydrate and lock in moisture, cocoa butter to moisturize and nourish dry skin and vitamin E.
For Press Restart Advanced Retinol Body Butter, there’s of course the namesake ingredient of retinol—also in encapsulated form. Our Body Butter features 30% more retinol than the Body Lotion and was designed for those who are experienced with retinol and are looking to level up. As our customers' skin becomes more tolerant of and familiar with retinol in their routine, we've provided a more potent formula that allows people to seamlessly graduate to a more advanced product so they can continue to see results.
DSN: How has social media played a role in popularizing the Press Restart line?
LK: Our community loves Press Restart and is very engaged with the content on our organic channels. But it is worth noting that it’s also a focus for us with our dermatologist partnerships, given its high efficacy and proven results. We have seen a couple of the SKUs go viral on Instagram and TikTok—especially the Body Lotion, given it was first to market.
DSN: What plans does the brand have in place to raise consumer awareness of the line’s products, and how does it address concerns consumers may have about adding retinol to their daily routines?
LK: We decided to showcase Press Restart Advanced Retinol Body Butter and the full retinol collection at our first-ever pop-up, Press Restart Café pop-up. From March 8-10, we took over a mainstay magazine and coffee shop in SoHo and served up complimentary baked goods and coffee, showcased retinol retail and the debut of new merch, provided photo opps and more.
It has also been the main focus of a Q1 integrated marketing campaign. Retinol tends to see an uptick in the earlier months of the year, and with the launch of our new Body Butter, it was the perfect time. The campaign spanned across all channels with a message of delivering retinol results for every inch of your skin.
DSN: Are there any plans to expand the line with additional products?
LK: Yes! I can’t dive into the details at this time, but our community has asked us for more retinol products so we are currently developing products for both face and body care.
DSN: What does Versed have planned in terms of launches and campaigns for the rest of the year?
LK: We will be talking about all of our core consumers' main skin concerns and needs this year and how Versed can help her solve them. Up next this Spring is all about glowing skin…watch this space for more on that!
As for launches, we are expanding our hydration range in the second half of this year with a couple of products I am really excited about. They definitely deliver on our brand promise of real results and at an affordable price.
We are also exploring retail expansion this year to help in our goal of democratizing skincare and giving more people access to the brand.
