A Sydney woman has just landed a major deal to stock her “miracle” spot treatment in 857 Coles stores.
Rachel Wilde, 27, launched tbh Skincare, an Australian-made brand that targets acne-prone skin, alongside her mum in March 2020 after her own battle with the troublesome condition.
After a “fortuitous” encounter with a groundbreaking medical technology that cuts through the skin’s biofilm to treat the bacteria within, Ms Wilde was able to finally banish her own acne, and decided to help others in a similar situation.
In just three and a half years, tbh Skincare has gone from being sold out of her mum’s house, to being stocked in over 1200 stores across multiple retailers, the most recent addition to that tally being more than 850 Coles supermarkets.
“If you had told 23-year-old me when I founded the brand that we would be stocked in a major grocery retailer in Australia I would have thought you were joking,” the entrepreneur told news.com.au’s The Beauty Diary.
“When we were approached by Coles earlier this year I nearly fell off my chair. It has already been such a huge year for tbh, with the expansion into retail and our team growing from just 3 to now 18 people… we really have just been trying to keep up with the demand.”
Ms Wilde, who secured a deal that saw tbh Skincare land on shelves across all 402 Priceline stores in the country at the start of the year, added Coles was the perfect place to expand into as both brands share the same “mission”.
“When we started tbh, the mission was to make the treatment as accessible as possible,” Ms Wilde explained.
“Coles understands our customer, but also our mission, and were really ready to hero this and partner with us in this sense.
“The supermarket is also such a trusted and iconic Australian brand, so we are really proud to be a part of their story too.”
The entire tbh Skincare collection will be available to purchase in every Coles store in the country, including the $29.95 “antibacterial cleanser” and the cult “acne hack spot treatment”, $29.95 – as well as brand’s popular moisturiser, SPF and pimple patches.
“With all of the SKUs going into store, it is the biggest beauty launch in Coles of this year. Pinch me,” she stated.
While it’s impossible to choose a favourite product from the range, Ms Wilde said her “most used” was the antibacterial cleanser.
“It just keeps my breakouts and congestion at bay,” she explained.
“I actually ran out just before I went away recently and I had to go 4 days without it and I noticed my skin suffered. I really saw the congestion creep back in.
“I just love that it keeps bacteria away but doesn’t strip the skin so you don’t get that nasty tight skin feeling.”
Tbh Skincare also has a string of high-profile fans, including Abbie Chatfield, former Miss Universe winner Olivia Molly Rogers, and ex-reality star Keira Maguire.
Chatfield started using the product in 2020, crediting the acne treatment for “fixing my skin”.
“We are so grateful to have crossed paths with Abbie when we did, and will be forever grateful of her support for the company since our very early days,” Ms Wilde said.
“Abbie trialled our hero acne hack spot treatment about 3 months after it launched in 2020, and has since been a long time supporter of the brand.
“For a small business like ours was back then, something like this can have such a huge impact.”
Meanwhile regular users of the brand have called the item a “miracle for spots”, with many sharing impressive before and after shots of their skin after using it regularly.
Ms Wilde said it was “the best part of my job” when she receives progress photos from customers, adding she was looking forward to taking the products to international markets.
“This technology is not only new to Australia but also the rest of the world, so we want to share it with spotty hotties across the globe,” she finished.
“We also have some really exciting plans to extend the range next year, and have been working really hard on new product development, so that will all come to life throughout next year.”