BeautyStat, the skincare brand founded by cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, has inked a serious distribution deal to start out off the brand new yr.

The brand will likely be going into 260 Ulta Beauty doors and online, with a deluxe trial size of its top product, the Universal C Skin Refiner, in all doors.

Robinson, who launched the road in 2019 on Violet Grey, has slowly expanded distribution since then: his products are currently sold in BlueMercury and Nordstrom, amongst others. Ulta, though, is about breaking into recent consumer demographics. “Ulta is the right partner to assist us take that message, take our products to a bigger market and a bigger consumer base,” he told WWD.

For Ulta Beauty, the brand’s partnership has a couple of strategic benefits. For one, it expands its foothold in skincare, which has “been on fire and continues to be a top trending category,” said Monica Arnaudo, the retailer’s chief merchandising officer.

“Guests are maintaining the routine that they established during COVID[-19] and spending more time and using more products, in order that’s really essential for us,” she continued.

The products, which Robinson drew on his profession background as a chemist to formulate, draw appeal for his or her scientific and efficacy-based claims. “We’re all about showing everyone that our products work,” Robinson said.

That strategy has won Robinson a couple of different accolades, including being nominated into WWD Beauty Inc’s list of the best skincare products of all time, in addition to virality on TikTok.

The brand also goes hand-in-hand with a greater push from Ulta Beauty so as to add more Black-owned brands in its assortment. At first of last yr, the retailer pledged to double the quantity of the then 13 brands in its matrix with Black founders, a goal exceeded when it closed out 2021 with 28 brands.

“It’s not even an initiative, it’s a crucial strategic imperative that we’re focused on,” Arnaudo said, also nodding to Ulta signing the 15 Percent Pledge last yr. “It was really committing and leaning into our Black-owned brands and overall BIPOC brands to make sure that we’re offering an assortment that’s appealing to our full guest community, and that we’re showcasing underrepresented voices inside the industry.”

Arnaudo acknowledged the challenges of onboarding brands of various size, especially at Ulta’s scale, and said taking tailored approaches to every recent partner has been key to creating brand relationships with longevity.

“Every brand is at different points in their very own growth by way of what they’re capable of support, and so we take a really customized approach with every brand that we launch. If a brand is fairly recent, we’ll take a way more measured approach,” she said, adding that Ulta’s recent brands platform, Sparked, also helps to foster inclusivity.

“We’re meeting the brands where they’re. It’s not about quantity, it’s in regards to the quality of where the brand is at, and ensuring that we’re supporting them to achieve success,” Arnaudo continued. “Each day, we’re learning in order that we are able to proceed to be certain we’re investing and focusing our energy within the areas that may best support our Black-owned and BIPOC brands.”

For more from WWD.com, see:

Five Beauty Launches From Covey, Beautystat, Saie and More

Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell Bullish on Brick-and-mortar and Makeup

Ulta Beauty’s Monica Arnaudo on Pandemic Pivoting