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SkinCeuticals’ patent expiry resets vitamin C competition

Plus: AI beauty tools go from demo to ROI

Author

Zihan Lyu
September 03, 2025

Skincare Unboxed

Here's what's happening this week in the world of beauty commerce and skincare marketing:
- SkinCeuticals’ patent expiry resets vitamin C competition
- AI assistants and analyzers drive measurable conversion lifts
- Vegan mucin enters the mainstream with Glow Recipe
- Rhode’s Sephora debut will shake up prestige aisles
- SPF-meets-makeup expands to the undereye category

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📌WEEKLY MUST-KNOWS

The landmark patent behind SkinCeuticals’ C E Ferulic lapsed, removing a key barrier to formula-matching competitors. Expect intensified dupe attempts, pricing pressure and claims scrutiny as brands chase the halo of the category leader. Dermatology voices and regulatory-safe claims frameworks will be critical for defensibility.

L’Oréal’s Beauty Genius assistant, Haut.AI’s SPF Truth Booth and Paula’s Choice Taiwan’s AI analyzer mark a pivot from novelty to measurable impact, with Paula’s Choice reporting 104% over target conversions. The signal: AI diagnostics plus education is converting, not just engaging. Teams should ready first-party data capture, content ops and attribution for AI-led journeys.

Glow Recipe’s new serum touts 81% prickly pear mucin with peptides, offering a plant-based answer to snail mucin. This taps demand for vegan, barrier-first hydration without animal-derived inputs. Expect copycat launches and opportunity to reposition hydration SKUs around barrier care plus ethics.

Purepeak secured listings in Paris pharmacies and Redcare Pharmacy, leveraging pharmacy as a trust channel for anti-aging and clean credentials. The move underscores a broader playbook: clinical claims, vegan labels and sustainability to unlock regulated retail. US brands targeting credibility gaps can adapt this pharmacy-first strategy domestically.

⚡QUICK READS

Rhode Enters Sephora Across U.S. And Canada: Rhode’s retail debut this week will re-route traffic and intensify shelf competition in lip-led hybrid categories, pressuring merchandising and promo calendars.(More)

Solara Suncare Launches SPF 30 Eye Primer: A peptide-infused, mineral SPF eye primer targets an underprotected zone, signaling SPF–makeup hybrids as a growth lever and bundling opportunity.(More)

SUKOSHI Opens Largest NYC Flagship: Asian beauty retailer SUKOSHI is scaling a new Upper East Side flagship, accelerating US market entry for niche K- and J-beauty via exclusive launches.(More)

Mizon Debuts 7 Vegan Peptide Booster Serum: Global rollout of a vegan peptide booster reinforces demand for peptide-led, cruelty-free actives that can anchor sensitive-skin routines.(More)

ClickZ is a ClickZ Media publication in the DTC eCommerce division