Skincare marketing that sells the whole routine and stays inside the claims rules
Skincare shoppers build a routine one product at a time. Every ad also has to stay on the right side of the line between cosmetic and drug. We plan for both.
Free, 30 minutes, and you'll leave with at least one clear next step.
Where we'd start with a skincare brand
We haven't published a skincare case study yet, so this page shows how we'd plan your account. We start with your order history and get to the ads after that.
The first question is which product brings people in and which one keeps them. Most skincare brands have an entry product, often a cleanser, a sunscreen or a hero serum. It wins the first order. The money comes later, when that customer adds a moisturizer, an eye cream and a second bottle of the serum.
So we pull your orders and find the first product that leads to the most second orders. That product gets the ad budget, even if another one has a better click rate. How we time the reorder itself is covered on our beauty and skincare page. This page is about the rest of the routine.
What makes skincare different from the rest of beauty
Some products count as drugs
In the US, sunscreens and acne treatments are over-the-counter drugs. Their ads have to match the label, with stricter rules than a moisturizer.
Results take weeks
Customers judge a product after weeks of use. Early reviews and refund requests can look worse than the product deserves.
Skin type changes everything
Oily, dry and sensitive skin need different products. One welcome email for everyone recommends the wrong thing to most people.
Health rules can reach skincare accounts
Meta limits what some health and wellness advertisers can track. Accounts that mention skin conditions can get flagged. When that happens, your Shopify sales matter even more than Meta's report.
Why ask shoppers about their skin?
Because they'll tell you, and it makes every email better. A short quiz, or one or two questions at sign-up, can ask skin type and main concern. Keep it short. Three questions get answered. Ten get abandoned.
Those answers go into Klaviyo with the profile. The welcome series then recommends products for that skin type, and the routine suggestions after the first order make sense for that person. Someone with sensitive skin never gets the email about your strongest acid.
The same answers help your ads. Customer lists grouped by concern let you show the right product to people like your buyers. Over time, you also learn which concerns bring in your best customers, which shapes what you make next.
Words that tend to pass review, and words that cause trouble
Cosmetic language
- Hydrates and softens skin
- Smooths the look of fine lines
- Brightens a dull complexion
- Gentle enough for daily use
Claims that sound like a drug
- Treats acne, eczema or rosacea
- Heals or repairs damaged skin
- Boosts collagen or changes how skin works
- Sun protection claims without a tested, labeled sunscreen
What we run for skincare brands
Google Shopping and search for ingredients
Shoppers search for vitamin C serum or a retinol cream by name. Your feed and search ads should match those words.
Paid adsRoutine videos on Meta and TikTok
Creators and customers showing the steps, the texture and how it fits into a morning.
Paid adsKlaviyo flows by skin type
Welcome, routine add-ons and win-back emails that match what each person told you.
Email marketingA claims check on every new ad
Copy checked against the line between cosmetic and drug before it runs. Anything close goes to your legal team.
Paid adsSample-to-full-size tracking
How many trial kits turn into full-size orders, and what each one costs to win.
Ad tracking and reportingHow to sell the second and third step in a routine
Timing matters. Suggest the next step once the customer has had time to try the first one. The day after delivery is too soon. A week or two of use gives them a reason to trust you with the next product.
Then make the next step easy. A small sample of the matching moisturizer in the first box does more than an email ever will. Routine bundles priced a little below the separate items give a reason to buy the set. Post-purchase emails can show the order to use each product in, which cuts confusion and returns.
We track which second product sticks. If customers who add the eye cream reorder more often than those who add the toner, that changes what you suggest and what you advertise.
The first stretch with a skincare brand
- Day 1
A free 30-minute call
Bring your best sellers. We'll show you which first product leads to the most repeat orders.
- First weeks
Quiz, flows and claims review
Skin-type questions in your sign-up, flows that use them, and an ad copy check against the rules.
- Ongoing
Ads judged on the full routine
Budget goes to the products and creative that bring customers who come back.
Skincare questions
Can skincare ads show before-and-after photos?
Meta restricts them for many products, and they often get rejected. Routine videos, texture close-ups and honest customer photos usually get approved and still sell. Your legal team should see anything that shows a change in skin.
Why are sunscreen ads treated differently?
In the US, sunscreen is an over-the-counter drug. Claims in the ad have to match the tested, labeled SPF and directions. We keep sunscreen copy close to the label.
Do skin quizzes help a skincare brand sell more?
They help when they're short and when the answers change what people get. If the quiz result goes nowhere, skip it. If it drives the welcome emails and product picks, it's worth the setup.
Which skincare product should we advertise first?
The one that leads to the most second orders, based on your own Shopify data. That's often a cleanser or hero serum, but your numbers decide.
When should a skincare brand ask for reviews?
After a few weeks of use, not on delivery day. Skincare results take time, and early reviews can undersell a product that works. Time the request to when most customers would have seen a change.
Should a skincare brand sell trial kits?
Often, yes. A paid trial kit with a credit toward the full size brings in people who want to test before committing. We judge it on how many kits turn into full-size orders.
Related
Find the product that builds your routine buyers
We'll look at your orders on the call and show you which first purchase leads to the most second and third ones.