????真自然本草公司（True Nature Botanicals）創(chuàng)始人兼首席執(zhí)行官希拉里?彼得森原本沒有什么打造系列護(hù)膚品的宏大規(guī)劃，更談不上要在臨床試驗(yàn)上戰(zhàn)勝高端品牌海藍(lán)之謎（la Mer）。這位前零售營銷專家只是想打造一些無毒高效的產(chǎn)品，它們既能撫平細(xì)紋和褶皺，又不會(huì)讓她的皮膚飽受化妝品中常見的工業(yè)化學(xué)品侵害。

????彼得森的職業(yè)生涯始于中間市場(chǎng)借貸。后來，和舊金山灣區(qū)多數(shù)投身創(chuàng)業(yè)的高管一樣，她去了李維斯公司工作，擔(dān)任501這個(gè)子品牌的零售營銷主管。她說：“我在李維斯公司的全部工作就是專注于了解并設(shè)法改善客戶體驗(yàn)。”

????在生下一對(duì)雙胞胎后，李維斯公司請(qǐng)她繼續(xù)留任顧問。她繼續(xù)工作了一段時(shí)間，隨后被診斷出患有甲狀腺癌，她將這一診斷稱為“天意”。彼得森很清楚，她必須放慢工作節(jié)奏，和孩子多相處，建立一種更健康的生活方式。

????她還考慮了到底該采取哪些預(yù)防措施，才能避免吸入日常家用品和普通化妝品中的毒素（她兒子也患有慢性疲勞綜合癥）。越是深入研究，她就越發(fā)意識(shí)到，使用基于石化產(chǎn)品、直接涂抹的潤膚霜，或是用那些號(hào)稱溫和、呵護(hù)嬰幼兒，實(shí)際卻含有甲醛的洗發(fā)水，都對(duì)健康危害甚大。

????彼得森不但逃過了甲狀腺癌這一劫，多年前還戰(zhàn)勝過黑色素瘤。當(dāng)時(shí)皮膚科醫(yī)生建議她多涂防曬霜。防嗮的重要性無需多言，但很多主流防嗮產(chǎn)品都含有氧苯酮、桂皮酸鹽這類化學(xué)品。在實(shí)驗(yàn)室研究中，這兩者都被證明可能會(huì)干擾內(nèi)分泌系統(tǒng)。她感嘆道：“看著這些成分我就想，這簡直就像是《蘇菲的抉擇》（譯注：一部著名電影，講述一位女子在兩位優(yōu)秀的男士之間難以取舍）啊。”

????彼得森知道如何向精明的消費(fèi)者營銷產(chǎn)品，也清楚公司融資的竅門。談及自己的職業(yè)生涯時(shí)，她說：“我就是個(gè)雜家，”隨后她笑道：“不過雜家最后都能成為大家！”

????為了尋找下一個(gè)職業(yè)機(jī)遇，同時(shí)也希望用上自己新獲得的知識(shí)和熱情，她創(chuàng)立了瑪麗?維羅妮卡有機(jī)化妝品公司（Marie Veronique Organics），這家位于伯克利市的企業(yè)專門生產(chǎn)高品質(zhì)的純天然產(chǎn)品。在彼得森和該公司聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人瑪麗?維羅妮卡?納多攜手奮斗的六年半中，這家公司的營業(yè)額每年都會(huì)翻一番。

????這對(duì)搭檔在2014年年底以專業(yè)的方式分道揚(yáng)鑣了，此后彼得森開始獨(dú)立創(chuàng)業(yè)，依靠該公司的一款名為“太平洋護(hù)膚”的系列產(chǎn)品建立了自己的品牌——“真自然本草”系列。

????“太平洋護(hù)膚”系列產(chǎn)品是一筆寶貴的資產(chǎn)，因?yàn)樗呀?jīng)經(jīng)受住了市場(chǎng)的檢驗(yàn)。在2013年于南佛羅里達(dá)州進(jìn)行的一項(xiàng)為期45天的隨機(jī)對(duì)照雙盲實(shí)驗(yàn)中，“真自然本草”系列產(chǎn)品直接對(duì)陣傳奇高端護(hù)膚品牌“海藍(lán)之謎”。這項(xiàng)實(shí)驗(yàn)讓一群40歲以上的女性（平均年齡為55歲）使用并對(duì)比真自然本草的“太平洋面油”和“臉部精華液”與“海藍(lán)之謎”的保濕霜，以檢驗(yàn)長期效果和皮膚改善狀況，比如臉部能否更好地吸收水分，更光滑等等。

????其結(jié)果令人震驚。“真自然本草”幾乎在每項(xiàng)實(shí)驗(yàn)檢測(cè)中的表現(xiàn)都優(yōu)于“海藍(lán)之謎”，如細(xì)紋和褶皺減少、毛孔大小和堵塞情況，以及泛紅和發(fā)炎等。

????彼得森還指出，盡管不是有意為之，但她的產(chǎn)品的確更具性價(jià)比。“真自然本草”面部精華液和面油套裝是兩瓶一盎司的小瓶，總價(jià)為230美元，而兩盎司一瓶的“海藍(lán)之謎”面霜零售價(jià)285美元。她笑道：“不過我們并不想標(biāo)榜真自然本草是一個(gè)低價(jià)的品牌。”

????True Nature Botanicals founder and CEO Hillary Peterson didn’t have any grandiose plans to create a skincare line that beat out Crème de la Mer in clinical trials. The former retail marketing professional just wanted non-toxic, high-performing products that would smooth lines and wrinkles without subjecting her skin to industrial chemicals typically found in cosmetics.

????Peterson began her career in middle market lending. Then, like a not-surprising number of Bay Area executives turned entrepreneurs, she moved into a role at Levi’s, where she headed up retail marketing for the 501 brand. “Everything I did at Levi’s was focused on looking at consumer experience, and how do you enhance it,” she says.

????Levi’s asked Peterson to stay on as a consultant after she gave birth to twins. She did, for a while. Then she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, a diagnosis she also calls “an epiphany.” Peterson knew she needed to slow down and spend more time with her kids in a way that supported radically healthy lifestyle choices.

????She also wondered what preventative measures she could take to avoid toxins in common household products and popular cosmetics. (Her son has also struggled with chronic fatigue.) The more research she did, the more she began to understand the health hazards of applying petroleum-based products like lotion directly to the skin or sudsing up with supposedly mild, infant-friendly shampoos that are actually formulated with formaldehyde.

????In addition to surviving thyroid cancer, Peterson had survived a melanoma diagnosis years before. Her dermatologist suggested she slather herself in sunscreen. Sun protection is a no-brainer, but many mainstream sunscreens are formulated with chemicals like oxybenzone and octinoxate, both of which have been identified in laboratory studies as potential hormone disruptors. “Looking at the ingredients, I thought, this feels like Sophie’s Choice,” she laments.

????Peterson knew how to market to savvy consumers. She also knew the ins and outs of financing a company. “I’m a bit of a mutt,” she says of her career experience. She adds with a laugh, “Mutts can end up being really great dogs!”

????Searching for her next career opportunity and hoping to apply her newfound knowledge and passion, she found Marie Veronique Organics, a company in Berkeley producing high-quality, all-natural products. Peterson and MVO founder Marie Veronique Nadeau joined forces, and for the six and a half years they worked together, MVO doubled its volume of the business year over year.

????When the duo parted ways professionally at the end of 2014, Peterson moved forward with one of the company’s product lines, Pacific Skin Care, to establish her own brand, True Nature Botanicals.

????The Pacific Skin Care line is a valuable asset, given its proven track record. In a 45-day randomized, comparative, double blind trial conducted in 2013, the TNB product line faced off against legendary high-end skincare brand Crème de la Mer. The independently conducted trial compared True Nature Botanicals Pacific Face Oil and Face Serum against La Mer Moisturizing Cream in women over 40 (with a mean age of 55) in South Florida and tested long-term impacts and improvements, such as increasing facial hydration and smoothness.

????The results are striking. True Nature Botanicals outperformed La Mer across nearly every test measurement, including a decrease in fine lines and wrinkles, pore size and congestion, and redness and inflammation.

????Peterson notes that while not by design, her products are also slightly more affordable. True Nature Botanicals Face Serum and Face Oil duet is packaged in two one-ounce bottles for a total price of $230, while a 2 oz. jar of La Mer cream retails for $285. “But we don’t want to represent ourselves as bargain brand,” she says with a laugh.