Founder's Story: Desiree Verdejo's Vision for Hyper Skin

Desiree Verdejo is the founder of Hyper Skin. The lawyer-turned-beauty entrepreneur created the brand to address the specific skincare needs of people with hyperpigmentation and dark spots.

Through its carefully formulated product offering, Hyper Skin seeks to address the needs of a highly specific group of women who have been overlooked by the beauty industry for many years.

The brand is continuously striving to bring the unique needs of its target market to the forefront. In today’s crowded beauty industry, Hyper Skin is actively looking to intimately engage people struggling with hyperpigmentation – using products specifically designed for them.

When she decided to establish Hyper Skin, Desiree Verdejo was driven by something stronger than a profit motivation. She sought to create a brand of products that address her skincare issues. She has acne-prone skin which is also subject to hyperpigmentation and dark spots.

Over the years, the skincare options designed for people of color have been increasing. However, Desiree still found it hard to find products that were specifically designed to cater to her unique needs. After having a baby, Desiree struggled with a nasty bout of hormonal acne and the resulting hyperpigmentation.

This personal experience combined with the numerous customers (at her store Vivrant Beauty) seeking products that addressed similar issues inspired her to create a niche-specific skincare brand.

“It was very hard to find skincare brands that were speaking to our customers' concerns and what I realized talking to these, you know, people, mostly women that were walking into our boutique was that everyone has everyone has these issues,” she told Side Hustle Pro. “ And so that is what sort of moved me towards creating what is now Hyper Skin.”

Achieving success in the beauty industry can be quite challenging – especially for Black-owned brands. Before launching her new beauty brand, Verdejo had to overcome a few challenges. It took around two years for her new idea to start coming together. For starters, to make the shift from being a lawyer in New York and owning a beauty store to launching her skincare brand, she had to prepare mentally. Furthermore, she had to get her finances right to fund her new venture – something that required a bit of saving.

On the flip side, she was able to take advantage of this “time gap” by focusing on other things that could bring her closer to launching her brand. For instance, she started laying the foundation for her brand’s success by building a strong and broad network within the beauty industry – including exploring partnerships with big retailers like Sephora and popular influencers in the beauty space.

Desiree focused on creating a brand with a highly focused mission of providing effective skincare products and making an impact in society. In addition to providing products that cater to the needs of the brand’s target audience, Desiree wanted to empower women of color. Her unwavering dedication to realizing her mission is a major driving force behind her success in this cut-throat industry.

“What I would like to see more of in the beauty industry as it relates to diversity and inclusivity, is authenticity,” Desiree explained to Thirteen Lune. “Like myself, a lot of the businesses are really strong in their stance but don’t have the funds to tell the stories in such a broad way. So I’m looking for more authenticity and more support of indie brands with the goal of inclusivity that might not have the resources to catapult their stories and product lines.”

By demonstrating her business acumen and supporting black-owned businesses, Desiree has become a role model for numerous aspiring entrepreneurs. She has also used her platform to advocate for change in the beauty industry by pushing for broader representation and inclusion. It is inspiring to see her dedication to uplifting others and the impact that can come from members of a community supporting each other.