Dear Maelove Family,
On behalf of everyone at Maelove, I want to sincerely thank you for your love and support for Maelove in 2022. As I have done for the past 4 years, I’m writing this annual letter to share with you some of our major developments and what we hope to bring to you in the new year.
Navigating the challenges of rising inflation and operating costs
I think 2022 might have been our most challenging year thus far with what I can only describe as unusually large cost increases across every aspect of our business - from ingredients to packaging to postage.
Both the magnitude and the abruptness of cost spikes were shocking given we had already seen quite significant cost increases in 2021.
In response, a lot of my energy in 2022 had to be focused on controlling spiraling costs because I wanted to avoid price increases if at all possible. Our cost-saving measures included:
- Negotiating discounts with supply chain vendors in exchange for committing to annual volumes and prepaying large orders in full.
- Developing and Implementing our own productivity solutions to replace costly tools provided by third-party technology providers.
As a result, we’ve made zero compromises in the way we do our business. We still work with the same best-in-class ingredient providers and cosmetic labs. We still use an FDA-registered, food-grade storage facility with refrigeration, and we still manufacture all our products here in the USA.
This is because product quality and effectiveness is our number one priority.
Now, another one of our top priorities is providing excellent service.
In my 2020 year-end update, I mentioned that we started using our own trucks to transport packages to USPS in order to speed up delivery for our customers. Unfortunately, USPS stopped allowing this practice in 2021, but we were able to resume it this year.
As a result of running our own trucking schedule, we have been able to reduce package transit time by one business day, allowing our customers to receive their orders more quickly. Although the cost of our own trucking also increased significantly since early 2022, I believe that it is important to take every possible measure to ensure smooth and efficient package delivery to you, our customers.
Free shipping for Canadian customers
We are excited to announce that we have started shipping to Canada this year. Orders of $50 USD or more will receive free shipping to Canada (tax and duties are the responsibility of the buyer). If you have family or friends in Canada, please let them know that they can now purchase Maelove with free shipping and free returns.
Launching my personal favorite product - The Fade Away Brightening Serum
I believe that one of the most fortunate aspects of being a direct-to-consumer brand is being able to speak to customers directly and receive raw, unfiltered feedback on a daily basis (we crossed the 20,000 reviews mark this year!).
One of the top requested products for years has been a product to address hyperpigmentation and dark spots. This is actually my personal top skin concern, as I’ve dealt with hyperpigmentation and melasma for decades.
After years of research and development, we launched the Fade Away Brightening Serum in June 2022, and it quickly became one of our best-selling products. Within a week of its launch, we sold out and restocked it in September.
This serum is specifically designed to combat hyperpigmentation, fade existing dark spots and prevent new ones from forming. It has become an essential product for me, and I am thrilled to hear that our customers are seeing great results and enjoying it as much as I do.
At Maelove, we value your feedback because it helps us create the best products for you. If you have a dream product that you'd like us to create, please take a few minutes to fill out this questionnaire so that we can turn your ideas into reality.
In addition to gathering your feedback, we also have a number of new products that have been heavily requested by our customers and are planning to launch in 2023. However, please note that our research and development and quality assurance processes are quite thorough, so we cannot forecast specific launch dates at this time. Keep an eye out for our emails announcing when a product is available for purchase.
Seminars for dermatologists and nurses
We received numerous requests from dermatologists and nurse practitioners who wanted to learn more about Maelove, so we initiated a series of "derm seminars" where we host Zoom events for medical professionals such as dermatology residents at UC Davis, Stanford, and Mount Sinai.
During these seminars, we share Maelove's mission and our processes for research, development, and formulation, and answer general skincare-related questions. These events have been very successful, and if you are a medical professional who is interested in learning more about events, please email us at ppark@maelove.com with the subject line "Interested in derm seminar.”
Maelove’s own YouTube Channel
I’m super excited to let you in on a secret – Maelove will be launching its own YouTube channel on January 2, 2023! You can find us here, so subscribe and sign up for alerts now so you don’t miss a video!
This channel will be the place where you can find science-based, never-influenced-by-paid-sponsors educational content on all things related to beauty, health, and wellness.
We’ll be emailing you updates when the videos go live so you can check them out. Let us know your questions and what topics you’d like us to cover in the comments!
Thank you again for your continued support, and we’re excited to continue on this journey with you in 2023.
We wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy New Year!
- Jackie Kim (CEO) and Team Maelove
