Executive Interview Series: TruSkin’s #1-Rated Serum Brand on Amazon: How Performance Branding Drives Commerce Growth

Today, we’re diving into insights from TruSkin leadership at Wellbeam Consumer Health, the parent company of TruSkin, the #1-rated serum brand on Amazon, with over 100,000 five-star reviews for its flagship Vitamin C Serum alone.

At WITHIN, we help consumer brands unite creative, media, and commerce to drive measurable growth across the customer journey. TruSkin exemplifies what we believe about performance branding: that trust-building and conversion aren’t separate disciplines, they’re two sides of the same growth engine. Their approach to balancing brand equity and performance marketing across today’s omnichannel landscape reflects the same principles we apply with the brands we partner with every day.

Joe Yakuel: For brands in the direct-to-consumer space, there’s often tension between “brand work” and “performance work.” How does TruSkin think about the relationship between building trust and driving conversion?

TruSkin: For us, they’re functionally the same thing. Trust is the conversion mechanism. When a shopper lands on our Vitamin C Serum page, whether that’s Amazon, our DTC site, or a retail endcap, they’re making a split-second decision based on proof. That’s where our “Skin Friendly, Skin Nutrition” positioning meets performance: we use clinically supported, clean formulations like Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (a stable, gentle form of Vitamin C), paired with botanical Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, Aloe Vera, and Jojoba Oil. That’s the brand promise. But the performance proof comes from 100,000+ verified five-star reviews, awards from Allure, Oprah Daily, and Glamour, and features on Good Morning America and The Today Show. In a crowded category where everyone claims to be “science-backed,” credibility isn’t built through hype. It’s earned through consistency, transparency, and letting customers tell your story at scale.

Joe Yakuel: You mentioned proof. In skincare, every brand has claims like “dermatologist-tested” and “clinically proven.” What kinds of validation actually move customers today?

TruSkin: The proof points that convert are the ones shoppers can independently verify. For TruSkin, that starts with peer reviews at a massive scale. Tens of thousands of real people sharing visible results, texture improvements, glow. That’s the ultimate credibility signal. Then there’s third-party editorial validation: being named a best-of by Forbes, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, and Women’s Health. Those placements aren’t paid; they’re earned by product efficacy and PR relationships. We also lean into education. A lot of brands play a “percentage arms race” with Vitamin C, touting 20% or 30% concentrations. We don’t. We educate customers on why form and formulation matter more than raw percentages, and why SAP Vitamin C is both effective and gentler for sensitive skin. That transparency builds authority while helping customers make informed decisions. It’s proof through education, not just claims.

Joe Yakuel: TruSkin sells an ecosystem, from your flagship Vitamin C Serum to the Super Serum+ with retinol, to your SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Serum. How do you think about first purchase versus repeat purchase, and what changes in your messaging across that journey?

TruSkin: First purchase is about solving an immediate, specific pain point with clear proof. For most customers, that entry point is the Vitamin C Serum. They want brighter, more radiant skin, and we deliver a product that works in their morning routine with minimal friction. The messaging at that stage is benefit-forward: “neutralizes free radicals,” “supports natural collagen,” “reveals nourished, glowing skin.” Once they experience results and trust the brand, the journey becomes about building a regimen. That’s where products like our Super Serum+ (which adds retinol and science-backed botanicals for overnight revitalization) or our Mineral Sunscreen Serum (daily SPF protection with our nourishing ingredients, without white cast) enter the conversation. The messaging shifts from “try this and see results” to “here’s how to build a complete routine that works together.”

Our core customers are typically Millennials or Gen X, not looking for the most complex 10-step routine, but for effective, simple, clean solutions they can rely on daily. Repeat purchase is driven by results, trust, and the realization that TruSkin delivers consistent quality across the line: cruelty-free, fragrance-free, botanical-infused formulations that actually nourish skin over time.

Joe Yakuel: Creative execution, how you communicate benefits, ingredients, and values, is increasingly recognized as a growth lever. How does TruSkin approach creative, and how do you test what’s performing without losing brand voice?

TruSkin: Our creative strategy is rooted in clarity and specificity. On product pages, in ads, in email, we lead with benefit-forward storytelling backed by transparent ingredient callouts. For example, on the Vitamin C Serum page, we don’t just say “brightens skin.” We explain how: “SAP Vitamin C neutralizes free radicals while botanical Hyaluronic Acid and Aloe deliver deep hydration.” That combination of aspiration and science-backed detail is what performs for us.

We’re also re-engaging heavily with Meta advertising right now and scaling TikTok Shop, which requires adapting creative for social-first formats. Shorter, more visual, often user-generated content that feels authentic rather than overly produced. Testing happens at every level: ad creative, product imagery, listicle placements, Amazon A+ content. The key is maintaining our voice (straightforward, trusted, friendly) while iterating based on what drives engagement and conversion. We’re also exploring partnerships with dermatologists to co-author educational content, which adds another layer of credibility without compromising our approachable tone. Creative isn’t decoration; it’s a direct input for growth.

Joe Yakuel: TruSkin has built a strong omnichannel presence, from Amazon and DTC to Target, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens. How do you maintain performance marketing discipline across such diverse retail channels while building the brand awareness needed to drive in-store discovery?

TruSkin: The fundamentals stay the same (trust, proof, education), but the mechanics shift significantly. In e-commerce, especially on Amazon, the customer journey is compressed: search, compare, read reviews, purchase. Success is driven by discoverability (ranking for the right keywords), conversion optimization (product page content, imagery, reviews), and retention (email, subscriptions, repeat purchases).

When you move into brick-and-mortar retail, awareness becomes more critical. Shoppers need to know about TruSkin before they’re standing in the aisle. That’s where PR, social media, TV appearances, affiliate content, and emerging channels like Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) become essential. We’re working to ensure that when consumers ask ChatGPT or Perplexity “What’s the best Vitamin C serum?”, TruSkin is part of that conversation.

Omnichannel growth means maintaining performance discipline at every touchpoint (Amazon, DTC, retail, social commerce) while scaling brand awareness so customers actively seek us out regardless of where they’re shopping. It’s not just multichannel distribution; it’s orchestrating a consistent growth system across channels with different attribution windows, creative formats, and purchase behaviors.