Launching GLOWAID: A Solo Founder’s Journey in Beauty
This interview series highlights real brand-launch journeys, from preparation to execution, with the aim of supporting aspiring beauty entrepreneurs. By sharing firsthand experiences, we hope to provide practical insights and actionable strategies for building a successful cosmetics brand.
Please introduce yourself and your brand.
Hello, I’m So-young Oh, CEO and founder of the beauty brand GLOWAID.
Before becoming a founder, I was simply a consumer who felt frustrated by how long it often took for skincare products to deliver visible results. That experience became the starting point for the brand—creating products focused on fast, noticeable improvement. After years of searching for solutions, I decided to develop products on my own to help consumers restore their skin condition more quickly and effectively.
What were the biggest challenges you faced before launching your brand?
The biggest challenge was managing the entire process on my own.
Launching a beauty brand requires careful attention to countless details, including planning, formulation, testing, regulatory compliance, clinical trials, packaging, logistics, and more. Each step is highly specialized, and handling everything simultaneously as a solo founder with limited resources was extremely demanding.
Beyond product development, I also needed to figure out how GLOWAID could establish a clear and differentiated identity in an already saturated beauty market. Defining the brand’s positioning took significant time and became one of the most challenging parts of the journey.
How did you overcome the challenges?
While exploring various cosmetic manufacturers, I discovered PLANIT 147, a platform that supports every stage of cosmetic development. Rather than functioning as a simple manufacturing intermediary, PLANIT 147 integrates branding, planning, formulation, production, and launch into one cohesive system.
As a solo founder, I found this turnkey approach invaluable. PLANIT 147 brought together tasks that small teams often struggle to manage independently—brand planning, formulation development, packaging sourcing, design, production scheduling, certifications, and clinical testing—into a single, structured workflow.
During the planning stage, discussions felt like professional consulting, with communication as close as working alongside an internal brand manager. Thanks to this streamlined support, GLOWAID was able to progress through planning, development, and launch efficiently, with greater stability and confidence.
Could you share a memorable moment from the brand launch process?
The product development phase involved countless critical decisions. From designing the formulation structure and selecting ingredient combinations aligned with the brand concept, to setting standards for texture and usability, every choice felt crucial.
What made the difference was guidance from experienced cosmetic experts. They didn’t just provide options—they explained why certain decisions were better suited to the brand’s goals and how they fit the overall direction. This clarity made it easier to move forward, even in uncertain situations.
With their support, I was able to make faster, more confident decisions and refine every stage of the process—from development and design to launch—with precision.
What are your key goals for the future growth of your brand?
Looking ahead, my goal is to collaborate actively with PLANIT 147 on distribution strategies to introduce GLOWAID to a wider audience. For new brands, finding the right distribution channels is often one of the biggest hurdles, and this partnership will be key to accelerating growth.
We are also developing new products that reflect an even higher level of refinement. Strengthening GLOWAID’s core identity of fast, visible results while expanding our product lineup in a stable and thoughtful way remains a top priority.
Ultimately, I hope to challenge the global market by leveraging PLANIT 147’s network and support system. I believe GLOWAID’s value proposition—ultra-fast skin improvement—is highly competitive internationally. My long-term goal is to establish GLOWAID as a globally recognized beauty brand.
So-young Oh’s journey demonstrates that a solo founder can transform a single vision into a successful beauty brand when supported by a clear structure and the right partnership.
Through its collaboration with PLANIT 147, GLOWAID navigated the complexities of brand development efficiently - offering an inspiring example for aspiring solo entrepreneurs ready to launch their own beauty brands.