Yours Only to disrupt sensitive skincare space with nationwide Priceline launch

Sensitive is often the last word brand founders want to be described as but it’s a label the founder of sensitive skincare brand Yours Only, Ashli Templer, takes in stride. “I have always had allergies and intolerances and skin conditions, and they kind of just got a lot worse,” Templer told Inside Retail when asked what motivated her to start a skincare brand.After consulting with a gastroenterologist, naturopath, dietician and integrated general practitioner Templer had to overhaul her lifestyle – a narrative not too dissimilar from many people struggling with health concerns.Where Templer’s path diverges from many others with similar health struggles is that she decided to launch Yours Only to fill the gap in the market for products that met her allergies, intolerances and sensitivities.Beyond just developing efficacious formulas Templer developed a brand that centres its target consumers with its formulas, packaging, resources and campaigns. Now, after three years as an online-only sensitive skincare brand, Yours Only is launching into Priceline and will be available at 300 stores nationwide.Community not customers It’s no small feat for a young independent Australian brand to be stocked by a leading national pharmacy – placed on the top shelf next to the old-guard of sensitive skincare, QV no less.Priceline is mixing up its sensitive skincare range with the inclusion of a brand that has built its customer base from the ground up.“I think they just love the fact that it looks nice and that it’s not boring – that they can connect with the brand,” Templer said in regards to why Yours Only customers find resonance.“Whereas with a lot of the ‘big dog’ brands, you don’t really know who the founders are and you don’t really have much of a story,” she added.Case in point: Yours Only’s website features two resources that may seem simple, a community blog and an ingredient glossary, but reveal how Templer has been able to disrupt a personal care category that up until now has been dominated by heritage FMCG brands.Templer was motivated to create a corner of the internet where people could share their health stories regardless of whether they were a Yours Only customer – platforming people’s experiences to create community.“I have a crazy health story and when I started to listen to other people’s health stories, I felt less alone,” shared Templer.“I used to always see stories where people were better but what about when you’re in the thick of it, when there’s still a lot happening, and you’re trying to work it out,” she added.It’s Templer’s first-hand experience of being “in the thick of it” that informed her decision to compile an exhaustive and detailed list of ingredients.“A lot of people who are in the thick of it need to know everything – I’m very considerate with everything that I do, I have to read every ingredient, listing every single thing that I eat, everything that I use to clean my house,” Templer outlined.“I really wanted [Yours Only] to be a place where people could go and know what every ingredient does and why it was picked for the product,” she added.Backing the underdogThe magic of Yours Only is in its efficacious formulas but its branding and marketing set it apart from competition online and will ensure it stands out on Priceline’s shelves.Yours Only has not overlooked old-school marketing practices like word of mouth and peer-to-peer recommendations despite its savvy social media presence.“We get a lot of customers who leave amazing reviews and I think the reviews are social proof – so when people go onto the website, they feel comfortable buying the product,” elaborated Templer.“There’s a lot [reviews] that say things like, ‘this is life-changing’, ‘I’ll never go back’ and ‘I’ve used this product twice and my skin’s never looked better’,” she added.Templer has taken the concept of social proof and run with it when it comes to creating a new campaign for Yours Only.“When we do our photo shoots, all of the models are actually our customers,” Templer revealed.“We find them on Instagram. If they bought from us before and they tagged an Instagram story – they probably only have 100 followers and we just connect with them,” she added.“That content does really well, because it’s people with real skin conditions, health worries, and when we share that, people love the fact that it’s real people modelling.”It’s easy to see why Priceline approached Templer about adding an industry disrupter to its shelves of clinical and sometimes boring brands.“I made the decision when I launched Yours Only that I didn’t want to go into retail for at least three to four years because I felt like there wasn’t enough education on the brand and the sensitive skin space,” shared Templer.“I wanted to be able to do that in my own way, and I also wanted to make sure I set up a business correctly,” she added.While the retail partnership aligned with Templer’s timeline, It was actually a past Priceline team member who recommended Yours Only after having a positive customer experience.“We’re going into 300 stores, and the amount of people that have flare-ups or have something going on and they need a product straight away,” Templer concluded.“This is the perfect opportunity for people to be able to pick up a product at their local shop and they don’t have to wait for a couple of days for it to arrive”.