Here's What Went Down With Love & Pebble Skincare After Shark Tank
We've seen a lot of beauty and skincare lines come across the stage of "Shark Tank." The ABC reality show for budding entrepreneurs attracts people with all sorts of clever ideas, but one of our favorite kinds of pitches has to do with the skincare industry. This is why the pitch for Love & Pebble was so compelling. Husband and wife Paul Tran and Lynda Truong graced the "Shark Tank" screen during Season 13, Episode 7 to share with the sharks their ingenious combination of ice therapy, or cryotherapy, and a facial in one. They created little ice pops made of aloe vera, turmeric, banana, and papaya. The couple, who hails from Atlanta, Georgia, explained that they came up with the name Love & Pebble because of penguins. A male penguin finds the perfect pebble to present to a female, and if all goes well, they mate for life. This was the inspiration behind their brand name.
We've seen other wellness and skincare lines share their own, unique stories on "Shark Tank." Curie, the aluminum-free deodorant, enjoyed the massive exposure that the reality show brought. PROVEN skincare came on the scene too, but didn't land a deal with the sharks. Glow Recipe got some attention from the sharks, but their deal ultimately fell through. Love & Pebble also had an interesting journey on "Shark Tank." While they didn't get exactly what they wanted, their brand is doing just fine.
What happened to Love & Pebble on Shark Tank
Paul Tran and Lynda Truong arrived on "Shark Tank" looking for $150,000 for a 10% stake in Love & Pebbles. The sharks were intrigued by the cute, popsicle-like face masks and Mark Cuban even tried eating his, since the product is technically edible. When Lori Greiner asked how the couple came up with this idea, Tran explained that he was a pharmacist and was able to use that knowledge to formulate the product. Truong is a lifelong entrepreneur and shared with the sharks that she struggled with acne throughout her life. Since she couldn't afford targeted skincare, she used kitchen supplies like honey or yogurt. The path to skincare was more circuitous for her; she had a clothing boutique at 21 and then met her husband, and it wasn't until they both came together that they decided to create Love & Pebble. They told the sharks that it costs them $9.20 to make a kit of beauty pops and they sell them for $46. Truong sold her home to finance the company, so the couple is clearly fully committed to their brand.
As compelling as their story was, and as high as their margins were, no one made them a deal. In the post-pitch interview, both Tran and Truong were crying, so it obviously really gutted them to get rejected. However, Love & Pebble seems to be doing just fine without the sharks after all.
Love & Pebble after Shark Tank
Mark Cuban relayed a really good point to Paul Tran and Lynda Truong when they pitched Love & Pebble on "Shark Tank." He warned them not to be too eager to jump into retail, which was their hope, because social media was the secret weapon of budding entrepreneurs. They took this to heart and have maintained a strong presence both on TikTok and Instagram. They also shared on both platforms how "Shark Tank" impacted their brand, and surprisingly, they lost a lot after their episode aired. But only momentarily.
In a video shared on TikTok, Truong said that Love & Pebble lost $50,000 after their episode aired, because sales went through the roof and the shipping team couldn't keep up with the unexpected surge of orders, leaving Truong and Tran to refund $50,000 worth of sales. But while narrating the video, Truong was grateful that many of these customers gave Love & Pebble another chance. Some people on TikTok roasted them a little for having such a "positive" problem. "[S]uffering from success I see," someone wrote in the comments, followed by cry-laughing emojis. Others chastised the brand for not being ready. "I'm sorry what? But what does Shark Tank have to do with you losing $50k? Sounds like you weren't prepared," another commented. But the couple also noted on social media that they learned a lot from the experience and are better prepared now for spikes in sales.
Love & Pebble is still in business
While we love "Shark Tank," it's also inspiring to see brands succeed on their own after missing out on the investment and guidance of a shark. As it turns out, Paul Tran and Lynda Truong didn't need a shark to make Love & Pebble thrive. For one, their strong social media presence seems to be driving that bus. They regularly post engaging updates on TikTok and Instagram, and post consumer videos. Not only that, but they get a ton of press coverage that amplifies their exposure well beyond "Shark Tank."
BuzzFeed included Love & Pebble in a piece on beauty products by Asian-owned brands, and Today included Love & Pebble in a piece on beauty hacks to beat the heat. Hey, ice pops that turn into facials sound like a perfect product for that piece. Beauty Insider created a YouTube video about their ice pops, with positive reviews from customers. "I've added ice to my daily face routine and it has helped so much with pimples!!" one person wrote in the comments. They've obviously earned a solid place in online conversations about skin care, particularly anything related to cryotherapy.
What keeps Love & Pebble so successful is their creative packaging and their use of happy customers engaging with social media. For instance, they created a TikTok Exclusive Combo Kit called the Glow and Soothe-Beauty Pops Exclusive bundle. Originally priced at $85, the bundle is on sale for $63. Clearly, they know how to keep customers engaged.
What's next for Love & Pebble?
Love & Pebble, under its founders Lynda Truong and Paul Tran, continues to thrive. According to Tran's LinkedIn, he quit being a pharmacist for Delta Air Lines in February 2022 and is exclusively working on Love & Pebble now. For Truong, her LinkedIn also shows that she is exclusively focused on her brand. They continue to do innovative things with their line, so there's nothing stagnant about Love & Pebble. On TikTok in July 2023, they posted that they traveled to Korea to "partner with the best cosmetic chemist in the world," since Korean skincare is all about cryotherapy.
They're constantly coming up with new things. On the Love & Pebble website, they have new products like the Soothing Barrier Frozen Serum, a serum that's meant to be frozen in the ice pop tray and used particularly for irritated skin. They also sell a Cryo Gua Sha Facial Tool and a Dermaroller Kit. So they're definitely expanding their products to maximize the facial market.
Truong and Tran are committed to expanding and increasing their line. In an interview on their website, when asked what was coming next for Love & Pebble, they said: "We are introducing more flavors of Beauty Pops and really excited to be launching more skincare products inspired by super-fruits and science-backed active ingredients." We can't wait to see what they do next!