Simi Valley, CA—This year, skincare products maker derma e is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Over the last three decades, the company has became a top brand in the field, something that co-founder and chief formulator for the company Linda Miles, D.O.M., attributes to “honoring our customers with products that promote healthier looking skin and business ethics that promote a healthier world.”

Like many successful companies, derma e began with a creative new application of an established idea. In the 1970s, vitamin E was a popular supplement said to have several internal benefits. Miles learned that the antioxidant properties of vitamin E were just as effective on the skin, and along with her friend and cofounder David Stearn, introduced Vitamin E 12,000 IU Crème to the market, the first high-potency topical vitamin E crème available. The product caught consumer interest, and derma e was born.

Reflecting on the company’s 30 years of operation, Miles muses that the challenges she has faced have generally remained the same: a constant striving to provide “naturally effective, high quality products at an attainable price.” Even as external factors have changed, she still believes the end goal is keeping the customer happy with effective and innovative products. This conviction to keep a similar mindset even as the marketplace changes is reflected in the company’s structure—it is still a small, family owned business after 30 years.

Don’t mistake this for stagnation, though, as Miles sees many opportunities ahead for derma e. She says the company is currently aggressively working for stronger brand awareness and new retail distribution domestically. In addition, derma e is looking to expand internationally, as well as further efforts into e-commerce and social media.  But even as the method changes, the mission stays the same, as Miles notes that from its inception to today, along with bringing quality affordable natural skincare, derma e “has always championed natural ingredient technology, eco-sustainability and triple-bottom line fundamentals.”

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, November 2014