#BeautyBoss: Tera Peterson, Co-Founder & CEO of NuFACE
Tera Peterson.
This week’s #BeautyBoss is Tera Peterson, Co-Founder and CEO of NuFACE—the leading at-home microcurrent beauty device and skincare brand. Peterson and her esthetician mother Carol Cole launched the company 15 years ago in their family garage, and have gained a strong following among celebrities and endorsements from skincare professionals. Peterson led the brand’s successful launch in 2005 with the introduction of the NuFACE Classic—the first hand-held at-home microcurrent device cleared by the FDA.
NuFACE’s award-winning products are clinically shown to help tone, firm, and reduce the look of wrinkles, providing both visibly instant results and cumulative benefits. Peterson has taken the reigns of the company and continues to lead the global brand, which is inspired by the skincare concerns of real people and has built a reputation for providing uplifting results from the very first treatment.
Under Peterson’s leadership, NuFACE continues to lead the microcurrent innovation with state-of-the-art devices such as the NuFACE Trinity®, an FDA-cleared multi-solution device designed with interchangeable treatment attachments; NuBODY®, the first at-home microcurrent device for body; NuFACE FIX®, the first mascara-sized microcurrent device for on-the-go use that instantly treats fine lines and wrinkles; and FIX Serum, the first microcurrent skincare formula supercharged with minerals and peptides that brighten, tighten, and moisturizes.
We chatted with Peterson, who shares the inspiration behind the brand, favorite wellness and beauty tips, best advice, and more.
When was NuFACE founded and what does the name mean?
NuFACE was born in 2005 with the goal of giving clients a “NU,” advanced way to treat their beautiful faces to professional microcurrent results at home.
What inspired the creation of the brand?
I grew up in the skincare industry because of my mom, aesthetician and microcurrent pioneer Carol Cole. She started her career at the Golden Door Spa and has spent over 35 years specializing in microcurrent treatments. She was always educating me on how to take care of my skin—it was really ingrained in me from a young age.
As we started NuFACE, it was really important to me to gain more background in the industry. In 2002, I returned to school to further my knowledge of the beauty industry and to master aesthetics from the inside out! I received my license in aesthetics, working as a licensed aesthetician for several years and specializing in professional microcurrent technology—the “noninvasive facial-lift.”
We soon recognized our clients’ need for more frequent microcurrent treatments, so in 2005 we launched NuFACE for our clients to use at home in-between their professional microcurrent facials.
Does NuFACE have a hero product?
The Trinity® Facial Toning Device is definitely our best-selling hero device and was our first at-home device created with interchangeable treatment attachments. The three attachments include the Facial Trainer, a microcurrent attachment that is clinically proven to improve contour, tone and reduce wrinkles; ELE attachment, which is targeted microcurrent for the eyes and lips; and our Wrinkle Reducer attachment, which provides red light therapy for the treatment of full face wrinkles. The Trinity® delivers both instantly visible results and long-term benefits with continual use.
What are your favorite products from the brand?
While I love every product, most recently I’ve been loving the FIX Line Smoothing Device paired with the FIX Line Smoothing Serum. This mascara-sized device is designed for clients on-the-go. It’s a skin-firming, smoothing and tightening Microcurrent Skincare™ duo that instantly targets the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes, lips and forehead in just three minutes. Supercharged with active beauty ingredients, the FIX Serum is an ionized formula infused with our Pūre Energy™ blend. It recharges skin with bursts of energy, while the cutting-edge Smart Peptide System targets the look of expression lines for smoother, younger-looking skin.
Where are your products sold?
NuFACE is an omni-channel business with its products distributed across the professional, prestige and specialty retail, home shopping, direct-to-consumer, eCommerce and international channels (in addition to our website) to premium retailers such Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Ulta Beauty, Sephora, QVC, Dermstore, and SpaceNK. We are also in top spas and medical offices like Montage, Four Seasons, and Rosewood hotels, as well as the large and rapidly growing beauty markets of China and Korea.
Future plans for the brand?
More devices and skin care! I also love meeting clients face-to-face, so creating more experiences for our clients. After that, the world is our oyster!
The NuFACE Trinity® Facial Toning Device ($325) helps improve facial contour, facial tone, and reduces wrinkles in as little as five minutes a day.
Who inspires you?
Our beautiful clients! When we innovate, we are creating things we want and need, because we are the NuFACE client. Our company is 85 percent women and all product development is done by real women looking for amazing results and solutions. We don’t create products because a marketing paper says we should—we follow our gut, our inner voice, and ultimately our expertise as discerning beauty junkies who also happen to be microcurrent aestheticians.
Secret to success?
There is no technical secret to success, but I’ve found that passion, hard work and persistence are important facets to being successful in any aspect of life! Also, never take “no” for an answer!
Beauty secrets?
Of course, NuFACE is my main go-to. In just a few minutes, it smooths, firms and tightens your skin, giving you a refreshed glow. Microcurrent is the best preventative/anti-aging treatment, plus it’s a natural approach to anti-aging, which I love! I definitely go for the “no-makeup” makeup look, which takes me all of three minutes with just a few products.
Wellness tips?
I truly believe it is important to exercise regularly, eat healthy, and drink lots of water. And of course, lots of beauty sleep!
Best advice?
The best beauty advice ever given to me was to start taking care of your skin now! It's never too late to do anything, including turning back the hands of time.
How do you like to relax?
Brainless TV helps me mentally turn off. I love watching The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Bravo or E!
For more information, visit mynuface.com and follow them on Instagram: @mynuface
[Images courtesy of NuFACE]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk