Luxury skincare brand Tronque has launched at high-end retailers across the US.
Luxury skincare brand Tronque has launched at high-end retailers across the US.
Tanne Snowden pioneered her company’s skincare formula in her kitchen after her battle with endometriosis, finally launching Tronque in November 2021. Snowden’s brand has since become Aotearoa’s first beauty brand to feature at luxury American retailers Neiman Marcus and Manhattan’s renowned Saks Fifth Avenue.
What does your business do?
Tronqueis a clean, high-performance body care brand from New Zealand that specialises in using ingredients typically found in face care. We use natural, organic, bio-tech, patented and rare ingredients in our products that are specifically formulated.
What was your motivation for starting Tronque?
After my second surgery for endometriosis, I started researching what else impacts this disease, aside from genetic causes. I learned about endocrine disruptors and their impacts on human health.
I was also left with five significant scars on my pelvis, and after trying everything available on the market targeted at removing scars, I quickly concluded that these weren’t changing the appearance and discoloration of my scars, and most of the products I was using were full of endocrine disruptors, synthetic dyes or silicones.
This led to me recreating my beauty routine and how I cared for my health. I began formulating and experimenting in my kitchen while recovering to develop a clean alternative to erase scars and a formulation that soon erased them completely.
The positive results with my own scars was the original catalyst for Tronque. My intent from the beginning has been to share what I’ve learned and help others heal.
My background is in film and fine art. I obtained a Bachelor of Arts with Honours at Auckland University and have been working in the creative field since. Tronque began as a personal project after my previous health battles. I was no stranger to the high demands of running a business after watching my parents running their own business from when I was very young.
Where does the name Tronque come from?
Tronque means your trunk, the core of your body.
What are your most popular products?
Our Scar Concentrate is very popular and was developed after my struggles with scarring post-surgery. It’s formulated with oil-soluble vitamin C, high-functioning bioactives and multiple green science actives that were developed to repair scarring and broken skin. Our Scar Concentrate helps ease eczema, psoriasis, inflamed skin and burns as well as scars, and it can be used on the face.
Our customers also adore Tronque Firming Butter, which is an intense long-lasting body moisturiser that deeply nourishes and repairs – it’s a particular favourite of mine as I have dry skin. The combination of actives delivers long-lasting hydration and nutrients to the skin.
What achievements at Tronque are you most proud of?
Gaining our partnerships with Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue as both stores’ first New Zealand beauty brand.
Achieving these partnerships with such established and discerning retailers so early on in our business has been a huge achievement. For Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue to take a risk on a relatively unknown brand in the US has been a huge honour, as they can see our potential to grow.
Receiving feedback, stories, and before-and-after images from our community has been the most rewarding and eye-opening part of the journey. Hearing vulnerable stories from our customers where we have helped to restore their self-esteem, confidence and scars is the reason why we launched Tronque.
What are your main challenges in business?
Supply chain and planning. Supply chain issues have taken a toll on all goods-based businesses. Lead times are lengthy, unreliable and expensive. Shipping and freight is an ongoing issue across the globe, and we have to work very far in advance to overcome these issues. Estimated dates of timings and completion are usually rough estimates, rather than confirmed dates.
Tronque's Scar Concentrate is one of their most popular products.
What are you looking to achieve this year?
We’re continuing to expand our business internationally with highly selective retailer partnerships in New Zealand, Australia and the United States.
We have an exclusive partnership with a large US retail partner to announce in the next couple of months. This retailer has a large door presence, which will contribute to our growing US base.
We’ll continue to nurture our retailer relationships, and launching into more stores with our retailers is our main focus.
And of course, we also have some exciting launches this year, which we can’t wait to talk about.
What do you hope for the future of the company?
That if customers have an issue with the skin of their body, we have a solution for them.
As we continue our rollout globally, we want to be considered the most effective body care brand.
What is your advice to others starting a business?
To start somewhere. Begin researching to see if there is a need. Ask yourself: “Can I do something differently, or how can I make a change?”
If you can answer these questions decisively, then start somewhere, anywhere. The first step is usually the toughest as you’re stepping into the abyss.
