Friends Turn Passion Into Rex Skin Care – Products “Saving Face” for Men

 Turning a passion into a profitable business is the epitome of the American Dream, and a pair of South Florida women is doing just that while answering the need for men who want a path toward healthier, better looking skin.

Rex Skin Care is a new line of easy-to-use men’s grooming products, scientifically formulated to combat the effects of sun damage, stress, age and the environment for men who want to protect their skin while looking and feeling their best.

Maria Gary and Monica Heftler, friends with an entrepreneurial spirit, savvy business sense and a desire to pursue their first love–the beauty business–teamed-up to fill what they saw as a growing need: simple to use, no-nonsense skin care specifically tailored for men.

After an internship with one of the world’s largest cosmetic companies, Gary took her degree in Finance from Fordham University and carved out a successful career on Wall Street. Upon completion of her M.B.A. and a second Masters in Accounting from University of Miami she worked for one of the world’s largest accounting firms. Yet despite her professional success, she felt unfulfilled, regretting that she didn’t pursue her passion in the beauty industry.

International philanthropist with experience in beauty pageants, Monica Heftler has been a force in the “world of beauty” and is deeply involved in the arts and a number of charitable endeavors. Seeking a new challenge, she contemplated buying an existing skin care company because of her affinity for one of its products. The friends dreamed about teaming up to pursue their ardor and live their dream, then fate fashioned the decision.

At a charity event, the women met actor Andres Garcia, Jr.  In the course of cocktail party small talk, they complimented him on his healthy looking skin. “I realized I had left work in a hurry and had forgotten to remove my on-screen makeup,” Garcia said.  As he shared his experience about repeatedly applying heavy makeup and the toll on his skin of the intense cleaning regimen that follows, the pair began to see their future in epiphany-like clarity. Combining their entrepreneurial zeal, financial expertise and social connections, along with input from a man who is the ideal client, Rex Skin Care was born. “Meeting Andres turned the Make-up mirror light on for us.  He insisted that men – all men – could use a skin cleansing and enhancing system, one that’s easy but still masculine.”

Developed in conjunction with leading medical specialists, using the highest quality ingredients and no harsh chemicals, Rex Skin Care products are designed and scientifically formulated, based on the biology of men’s skin. The products combat the effects of environmental toxins and leave skin looking healthier and younger. The line was released with three formulations, but other products are in development and nearing launch.

“We produce Rex Skin Care products in small quantities to assure maximum potency and freshness ,” Gary explains, “We achieved a balance between not compromising the product’s integrity and using minimal preservatives for the longer shelf life that major retailers require.”

Even the presentation was designed especially for men. The highly-concentrated Vitamin C Moisturizer, Matte Finish Serum and Instant Impact products are creatively and uniquely packaged in cigar tubes, making them extremely portable, convenient, masculine and discreet. While each can be used separately, The Elite Collection contains all three in a vintage-inspired cigar box and comes with a hand-crafted black leather and cedar-lined cigar case, easy to carry in a briefcase, carry-on or gym bag; it also makes an elegant gift.

When Heftler and Gary settled on their formulas, they went back to Garcia, for his professional opinions. A model and actor since the age of nine, the American-born Garcia–along with his brother and father–worked in the movies and television in Mexico, before returning to the States for access to the broader South Florida-based production industry.  His experiences of applying and removing heavy on-screen makeup, sometimes for days at a time, and the rigorous skin cleansing that went along with it, was utilized in the product design.

“Maria and Monica convinced me to try Rex Skin Care, and I did. I have access to the best skin care products in the world through my work, but now, I choose Rex and it is what I use every day,” Garcia explains. He was so impressed with the products, he agreed to serve as spokesman for the line.

While Rex Skin Care is currently available online at www.rexskincare.com,  the products are under consideration by boutique retail outlets as well as large international department stores. The company is developing a specially formulated body wash, shampoo, conditioner and sunscreen to expand the product line, expected to launch for Christmas 2012.

Product Information:

• §Vitamin C Moisturizer is oil-free, lightweight and includes acerola fruit extract, a plentiful source of vitamin C. This antioxidant-rich formula can help minimize the signs of aging.
• §Matte Finish Serum absorbs excess oils, eliminates facial shine and evens skin tone.
• §Instant Impact, a light concealer loaded with vitamins A, E and Alpha Lipoic Acid, eliminates under-eye circles or blemishes and diminishes pore size, fine lines, and wrinkles.

Industry Information:

• “Sales in the global men’s grooming market category grew 7.4% from 2009 to 2010 to reach $29.6 billion in US retail.”  Source: Euromonitor
  • Male-specific body wash, deodorant, hair gel, shaving cream, razors, moisturizer… now outpace the overall beauty/grooming retail markets in many countries of the world, despite economic recession. And…men also use grooming products that are non-male-specific – which raises the total value of male consumption to a colossal $61.3 billion in 2009, with $84.9 billion expected within five years.”
  • Source: Marketresearch.com “Men’s Grooming Products – A Global Analysis”
  • “While the overall Male Grooming category is poised to grow steadily over the next years, skin care appears as the most promising category in this market.”  Source: Premium Beauty News
  • “The number of men buying skin care products for women is up by 76%.”  Source: HauteLook