why I had to cancel a product launch after two years of work.

this is what happens when a beauty product fails before it even launches.

building a beauty brand from scratch isn’t just about picking pretty colors and launching products. it’s about formulation, testing, manufacturing, logistics, and sometimes, things going completely wrong. I’ve had one hell of a 2 year stretch of navigating muddy waters.

we were supposed to launch our hydrating texture foam with melonberry. I started working on this formula two+ years ago, locked in the perfect hydrating balance, completed the campaign shoot, sent everything to Sephora, posted about it online, and then… we received the product.

every single bottle malfunctioned.

at first, the foam pumped as expected, for about 10 to 14 pumps. then, the bottle would stop working completely. the foam would turn into thick liquid, making the product completely unusable. nightmare.

you can watch the video here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qMXIy_lbZCzphqzptpD71p2WQSjNNLjr/view?usp=drive_link

what went wrong?

turns out, we made the hydrating texture foam too moisturizing. foams are typically 90% water, which helps them stay light and airy when dispensed. our formula? it had so much moisture-packed goodness that the foam could not maintain its structure. no matter how we tried to troubleshoot, the formula simply wasn’t working in this packaging.

the reality of a failed pre-launch

a failed product launch can cost brands anywhere from $100K to $1M, depending on marketing spend, production costs, and lost retail opportunities. in this case, Sephora also invested $55,000 in marketing support, and we sent product to influencers to create videos, every single one of their bottles malfunctioned.

beyond marketing, consider the total investment:

• lab fees and formulation costs

• packaging and component sourcing

• product photography and campaign development

• influencer partnerships and PR outreach

this wasn’t just a minor inconvenience. a failed product launch at this scale could have a serious impact on a brand’s reputation. if anyone remembers, we launched the melonberry hair milk, and the spray top stopped working for many. a second packaging failure? that’s not something I could risk. consumers remember these things, and I refuse to put something out knowing it might lead to a public disaster.

I’d rather delay a product than launch it and be crucified for it. on top of the time and effort, we lost over $3MM in revenue and nearly lost our brand with the impact of this delay.

so what happens when a product you’ve spent years perfecting doesn’t work? you start over.

• we had to move the formula to a new lab, one capable of supporting the product’s texture.

• we had to go back to square one with testing and production.

• we had to deal with consumers on every post and in our DM’s/email inbox asking when the texture foam would be released. sigh.

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what consumers don’t always see

many beauty products never make it to market because of issues like:

• formula and packaging mismatches (as seen with this product)

• stability failures (if the formula separates, changes color, or loses effectiveness over time)

• regulatory issues (some products fail compliance testing for certain markets)

these problems can delay launches by months or even years.

one thing I’ve learned, especially over the past several months, is that whether you’re transparent or not, some folks will still be upset. no matter how much we explain, delays and setbacks will always frustrate people. learning to deal with this reality rather than letting it emotionally impact me has been one of my biggest growth areas as a founder.

I have gotten so much emotionally stronger over the past two years. dealing with issues, especially as a solo founder, is extremely tough, but I’ve learned to navigate the setbacks without breaking under the pressure.

from the outside, it might look like brands just "decide" to delay a launch. but behind the scenes, there’s an entire chain reaction,

• retailers waiting for products

• marketing campaigns that were already planned

• customers anticipating the launch

• hundreds of thousands of dollars already invested

when a product fails at the manufacturing stage, there’s no quick fix. there’s just problem-solving, patience, and the will to keep going. one user even commented under our IG post that “we take too long to launch a product”. I wonder if consumers don’t really understand that production issues have significant financial impact on a brand, and there is always more to the story. anyway, it doesn’t seem like anyone cares really. *sigh*

so, to everyone asking: where is the hydrating texture foam? it’s COMING, but only when it’s right. quality always wins over speed.

this is the reality of building a brand. real-time problem-solving, real-time lessons. and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

have you ever worked on something for years only to have to start over? let’s talk about it.

with love,

Julian