On this episode, I sit down with Justin Gardner, Founder and CMO of Lively Pores and skin Restore, to debate what it takes to launch a profitable healthcare shopper product in a saturated market.
From his beginnings in healthcare advertising with Johnson & Johnson to main a biotech startup and ultimately launching his personal shopper model, Justin’s journey illustrates the ability of innovation, timing, and authenticity.
The dialog dives into how a molecule your physique already produces—hypochlorous acid—turned the inspiration of a profitable shopper product that bridges medical science with pure wellness. Justin and I discover market differentiation, influencer advertising, omnichannel progress, and future-proof your model in a fast-changing digital panorama.
Word: The next AI-generated transcript is supplied as an extra useful resource for many who choose to not hearken to the podcast recording. It has been calmly edited and reviewed for readability and accuracy.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Good day, and welcome to our podcast. I’m Stewart Gandolf, and at present I’m joined by Justin Gardner, founder and CMO of Lively Pores and skin Restore. We’re going to speak about launch a profitable healthcare shopper product in a saturated market. To start with, welcome, Justin.
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
Thanks, Stewart.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Good to talk with you once more. After we set this up a number of weeks in the past, I used to be actually intrigued by the story of the way you’ve constructed your organization and the way you’re persevering with to construct it. There’s quite a bit to speak about right here. First, inform us somewhat about your background, and the way you got here to discovered—and now be the Chief Advertising Officer for—Lively Pores and skin Restore.
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
Certain. My background has all the time been in healthcare advertising. I began at Johnson & Johnson, then moved to a startup biotech/med gadget firm with a regenerative expertise for diabetic foot ulcers and venous stasis ulcers, and helped market that for about six or seven years. After that, I began my very own advertising company, primarily serving to extra startup firms launch merchandise into the hospital area. Due to my expertise in regenerative medication and wound care, quite a lot of our shoppers got here from that area.
Whereas working that company, I found hypochlorous acid. I helped a consumer launch it into the hospital area—that’s the expertise behind Lively Pores and skin Restore. Lengthy story brief, I offered my company, licensed the hypochlorous acid formulation from that medical gadget firm, and introduced it to market. As an alternative of launching into hospitals, we used the OTC 510(ok) pathway and launched direct-to-consumer.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
That’s nice. For these unfamiliar with hypochlorous acid, inform us what your product is for. Develop on Lively Pores and skin Restore for the buyer market—what does it do, how does it work, and the way do you place it?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
Hypochlorous acid is similar molecule your white blood cells produce. In the event you get a reduce, scrape, or burn, your physique’s immune response sends white blood cells to the damage; inside these cells is hypochlorous acid. It does three main issues: it’s a strong antimicrobial (kills 99.9% of micro organism, viruses, and fungi inside 15 seconds—even advanced ones like MRSA and C. diff), it helps scale back irritation, and it speeds the pure therapeutic course of.
As a result of it’s innate to your immune system, there aren’t any allergic reactions. It may change poisonous antiseptics and topical artificial antibiotics.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Once I grew up, it was hydrogen peroxide and merthiolate—issues have come a good distance. It’s humorous how mandatory this product is. I scratched myself a pair weeks in the past and abruptly had an an infection—gosh, that stinks. I want to recollect to purchase some off your cart. I’ve heard of hypochlorous acid with different shoppers, however not in a shopper setting. Are there different B2B or B2C merchandise on the market utilizing it? Is that rising? What’s occurring?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
It’s rising like loopy. The molecule’s been round without end—it’s innate to our immune system. Scientists replicated it within the 1800s, however the massive leap got here 15–20 years in the past once we found out stabilize it and maintain a good pH (5–7), sustaining antimicrobial efficacy for as much as two years in a bottle. That meant it not needed to be made bedside.
We had been one of many first actual OTC manufacturers to launch hypochlorous acid. Traditionally it was utilized in surgical procedure and power wound care (e.g., outpatient facilities for diabetic and venous ulcers), not OTC. We launched it to customers. Now there are most likely 30+ manufacturers. It actually took off round COVID on TikTok as an zits facial spray. What makes us completely different: we’ve FDA 510(ok) clearance for use on open pores and skin. About 95% of the others are cosmetics.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
We additionally talked about Neosporin. After we met, I’d simply gotten stitches after path working. The pressing care of us stated I shouldn’t have used Neosporin—so it’s not excellent. What are the challenges in competing with and differentiating from such a family model?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
It’s an enormous family model—because the Fifties—and has J&J affiliation, which builds belief. However Neosporin has a excessive allergic response charge (round 15–20% to one of many artificial antibiotics). Due to that, most clinicians don’t suggest it. It’s petroleum-based, which many need to keep away from on pores and skin, and makes use of artificial antibiotics—bringing all the problems that include them.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Fast pause—we’ll edit this out. Are you able to examine Zoom video settings and ensure HD is on?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
It’s… not. (Permits HD.)
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
That’s higher. Do you thoughts re-recording the opening? Really, let’s simply go ahead—it’ll be positive.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Given these adjustments, how do you place your product in another way out there—and who’s your audience? Does that modify?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
We’ll begin with the audience. After we launched, we had been bootstrapped—no capital for mass retail. Competing with Neosporin and large pharma in CVS/Walgreens wasn’t practical, so we went into specialty retail the place we might create a model expertise and educate employees—outside sports activities, surf retailers, bike retailers, climbing gyms. We constructed a cult following, however that market wasn’t large.
We discovered the actual hero buyer is mothers with younger youngsters. Pores and skin points—cuts, scrapes, diaper rash—are day by day. Extra particularly, our “Entire Meals mother,” who values clear, non-toxic options and can pay somewhat extra for a greater product. With that buyer in thoughts, differentiation from Neosporin is straightforward: petroleum and artificial antibiotics vs. a cleaner, efficacious various. That message resonated. The clear magnificence/wellness class has exploded over the past five-plus years, so the viewers is rising.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
What channels are you utilizing now—Amazon, your web site? Are you in Entire Meals or different retail?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
Specialty retail is a good place to construct a model—to not earn cash. We nonetheless have a number of hundred specialty accounts, however that’s now <1% of income. Our enterprise is actually break up between our web site and Amazon. We had been among the many first hypochlorous manufacturers on Amazon in 2017. Evaluations had been sturdy, and we noticed speedy traction.
Round 2020, we found out Instagram influencer advertising—mother and non-toxic influencers explaining the model and household makes use of. That created the flywheel for our DTC website.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Let’s discuss Amazon technique. Past evaluations, what issues for launching and scaling there?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
Amazon at present is completely different than eight years in the past. We view it like a rain catcher—it’s the place most customers begin, and Prime shifted quite a lot of first-aid buying out of pharmacy to Amazon (same- or next-day). We spend money on key phrase search—bidding towards “Neosporin,” plus generic phrases like cuts, scrapes, rashes, diaper rash—and present why we’re completely different.
We additionally run off-channel media. Podcasts, for instance, might present low ROAS on-site by way of coupon codes, however we see an Amazon elevate after they’re dwell. Omni-channel feeds Amazon. For launching, these first ~100 evaluations at ≥4.5 stars are vital.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Inform us extra about influencers and podcasts—any particular ideas?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
Instagram Tales have labored greatest. Our influencer price range is round $1M, working 5–15 companions a month. The primary filter: do they attain our mother? Ninety-five p.c of consumers are ladies 25–45. Too younger or too outdated skews poorly. We like “one-plus child,” and credibility in well being/wellness. Many give attention to better-for-you merchandise, clear components, wholesome household recipes—these do effectively.
We deal with it like a portfolio: some will hit 2x ROAS, others 0.5x. We goal for ~1.5x total on spend tracked by way of swipe-up hyperlinks with auto-applied coupon codes.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Are you utilizing Instagram, TikTok, Fb—what’s working?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
~95% Instagram Tales. We’re simply getting occurring TikTok; traditionally it skewed youthful and hasn’t carried out for us. We’re exploring extra YouTube video, however Instagram is the workhorse.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
How do you discover influencers—company or in-house?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
Each. Now we have somebody in-house (30–40% of her position) scouting and managing social, watching which creators comparable “clear” manufacturers use. We additionally use businesses for recruitment. One rule: the influencer should truly use the product first, perceive it, and have actual tales—particularly household use. Genuine perception drives efficiency.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Paid social—what’s your expertise?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
We do paid. Early on it was robust to scale; over the past two years we’ve scaled to about $1M in paid. Roughly 70% of spend is on Meta, ~30% Google/YouTube. Scaling got here from rising the first-party funnel (so we will retarget) and continually iterating inventive to seek out winners.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
You experimented with linear TV—how did that go?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
We’re seasonal (Could–August). We ran TV then. We’re very performance-oriented, so lack of direct attribution on linear made it robust to quantify, although we did see an Amazon elevate. If we transfer into mass retail, linear might have a bigger position. This 12 months we’re shifting to related TV—greater CPM, however higher concentrating on and a lot better attribution.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
For anybody launching a brand new services or products in a crowded market—what have you ever discovered?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
First-aid/pores and skin well being was a dusty class—no innovation for ~70 years—so it was ripe for disruption. Having one thing actually distinctive issues. Hypochlorous acid is a strong expertise customers didn’t learn about; that differentiation was vital.
All the time search for what’s subsequent. We received onto Amazon on the proper time and had been early on influencer advertising (2018–2022 ROAS was unimaginable). Now we’re watching how AI adjustments search and keep related in LLM-driven discovery. Preserve scanning for platforms/tech that may be significant.
Additionally, assume exterior the field. Constructing a cult following in outside/specialty retail wasn’t scalable income, however it created model uniqueness.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
I all the time come again to the P’s—product being crucial. You had a uniquely helpful product in a mature market, which makes the wave simpler to create. And I really like the revolutionary testing and pivoting—congrats on the success.
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
Listening to the client was large. Coming from doctor advertising, I assumed scientific proof can be #1, however for customers it was truly #5. “Pure/non-toxic” was #1. We tailored rapidly to steer with what mattered most to them.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
So true. In shopper markets, a single testimonial can outperform piles of research. That’s arduous to simply accept coming from healthcare tradition, however it’s actual.
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
We discovered that with influencer advertising. I used to transient creators on all of the science, and people posts carried out worse than once we allow them to be genuine—use it with their households, communicate in their very own phrases, hold it easy. Authenticity beat didactic science each time.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Nice bonus perception. Some in my viewers are your goal clients. If in case you have a person code, I’m completely happy to share it.
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
I’ll get one for you and you’ll put it within the present notes.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Nice. In the event you’re listening and don’t see it but, examine healthcaresuccess.com—or go on to your website?
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
ActiveSkinRepair.com.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Good. It’s been nice having you, Justin. I admire your time—superior dialog.
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
Thanks, sir.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
I want I’d thought concerning the person code beforehand, however we’ll add it to the present notes. This was nice—good story, actionable anecdotes, and broader advertising precepts that transcend shopper vs. supplier. There are healthcare leaders on this viewers—hopefully this sparks some attention-grabbing conversations. Thanks once more!
Justin Gardner (Lively Pores and skin Restore)
Alright, thanks, Stewart.
Stewart Gandolf (Healthcare Success)
Thanks. Bye.
