Real Skincare for Men with Tiége Hanley's Kelley Thornton

There's no doubt that women dominate the beauty industry, and that's in terms of the business and the clientele. But, if you've ever thought about a beauty line for men, you're probably late to the party. Kelly Thornton has beat you to it with his Tiege Hanley brand, a beauty line that's for men and, by men. Now, does this matter?

Kelly Thornton's Teach Hanley targets the average American male with interest in care grooming. However, not every man cares much about having a skincare routine. Even when they have the products, it's almost a chore to use them. Men develop skincare habits later in life than women who seem to be born with it. But, it's not just about using skincare products, Kelly says. It's about ensuring that the other bits of the equation are in place.

These include regular exercise, eating right, and so forth.

Starting Out: A Tiége Hanley Story

Before setting out on a mission to make men look beautiful, Kelly Thornton had owned a few companies and researched for multinational skincare companies to help them crack the code for the male market. His aha moment came when he realized he knew next to nothing about basic skincare products such as a toner or serum.

In fact, Kelly once walked into a Marshall Fields store in Chicago and bought a few products without really knowing what to use them for. He knew then that there's a need to help men understand what skincare is about in a simple way. His company launched in 2016 and has enjoyed significant success. To give some context, it's been double and triple-digit growth year on year.

As expected, there has been resistance to the idea, notably from men. Many fail to see the point in dedicated skincare products for men. They get by just fine with whatever their wife uses and recommends. Tiége Hanley tries to navigate this by selling routines, healthy habits, or skincare systems that help take care of the man, depending on their routine.

While spending plenty of time researching the men's skincare market, Kelly toured Asia and Latin America. He helped to launch many products there. The reality was that skincare was a business in a boom in many parts of the world. The US is probably the one notable place where the industry does single-digit year-on-year growth. Double-digit growth is typical elsewhere. So, Thornton saw an opportunity with the American consumer and promptly worked out the business plan he's currently executing.

Kelly Thornton'sTiége Hanley began promotion using Youtube, and by July 2016, several thousand guys had signed up for the product. Kelly was suddenly in business.

Reaching Consumers, Handling Failure and Preparing for Luck

One of the unique elements of Tiége Hanley's business is the 30-day subscription. The membership helps customers develop excellent habits and teaches guys about their bodies and beauty in a non-threatening way. Let's face it, skincare is rocket science for men. The goal is to guide the client until they can stick with the plan on autopilot.

The company also sells on Amazon, though more outlets are in the works for 2021.

What we see now with Kelly's skincare company is the 2.0 version. The first iteration was an absolute failure. Entrepreneurs rarely get things right the first time, but they never quit trying. The first company had sold routines without developing an in-house brand.

Tweaking things in a few places and a chance encounter with a highly experienced skincare chemist serving the world's top skincare chemists from Manhattan was the formula Kelly needed to make everything gel together. Making him a partner in the business was a no-brainer, and he promptly began creating formulas.

Then came Aaron Marino of the Youtube channel, Alpha M. He had a few hundred thousand followers, he loved Kelly's idea, and he signed on as a partner to promote the business. The Youtube channel has more than 6 million subscribers.

These are the elements the brand leveraged to snowball.

It's okay to add a note on the pricing. Kelly and his team keep the subscription accessible. There's a $15 starter routine if consumers just want to check out the program.

Illustrating a Scientific Basis for Skincare

Kelly's work with skincare for men began with what the data told him as he explored markets for big firms. Data continues to hold a key place in the company's overall strategy. There is, for instance, a collaboration with the New York-based Skin Cancer Foundation. Another partner, Rob Hoxie, considers his stake in the business to be personal. He lost his father, who was only in his 50s. Rob reinforced the idea that healthy skin is as crucial as glowing skin.

Tiége Hanley donates to the Skin Cancer Foundation and makes products with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor). It doesn't matter if it's a daytime moisturizer or lip balm. The product formulations are precise to the “T,” and SPF shows Tiége care about sun protection in an era of thinning ozone layer.

Skin cancer is the biggest cancer threat for men. However, it's treatable. It's also easy to prevent if you do the right thing, to borrow that line from the Spike Lee movie. Tiége's moisturizer comes with an SPF. An SPF should be a non-negotiable no matter the product you buy.

Kelly Thornton

Conclusion

Skincare for men should be uncomplicated but highly effective. Because of how peculiar a man's skin is, it's important to wash often. The face and other parts like hands get a fair deal of sunlight than others. It's important to protect them. Tiége Hanley offers $35 moisturizer packs that include an eye cream. The $45 box comes with a serum; that's a price premium considering that brands like Olay sell their serum for $27 or so. Tiége Hanley's contains hexapeptide-8 and other exciting ingredients. All of this is only possible because Kelly Thorton dared to create a skincare company to address male needs effectively. In a simple way.

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