Maesa, the beauty incubator behind some of retail’s fastest-moving brands, is pushing deeper into skin care with the launch of Ontu, a premium body care line that brings facial-level actives, clinical claims, and sensorial luxury to the body category. Rolling out exclusively at Target nationwide and on Target.com, Ontu marks a strategic bet on an often-overlooked consumer: women 35+ who invest heavily in facial skin care and now expect the same results-driven performance for the rest of their skin.
- Category deep dive: The Rise of Face-Grade Body Care: a Skin Care Transformation
Positioned around skin longevity, Ontu blends high-performance ingredients—think niacinamide, urea, glycolic acid, vitamin C, and biomimetic lipids—with indulgent textures, elevated design, and a signature Vanilla Musk fragrance designed for layering. The range spans Cleanse & Prep, Moisturize & Nurture, and Target & Transform, anchored by hero SKUs like a 50% glycerin cleansing oil, a firming body butter with 24-hour hydration claims, and a glycolic- and urea-powered hands-and-heels treatment. All formulas are vegan, cruelty-free, dermatologist tested, and designed for all skin types and tones—premium cues, mass reach.
For Maesa, Ontu signals more than a category expansion: it’s a play at reframing body care as serious skin care—and doing it at scale through a mass retailer increasingly fluent in prestige sensibilities.
[Q&A] From Basic to Bougie: How This New Body Care Brand Is Giving Consumers' Skin a Glow-Up
In this Q&A, Molly Kennedy, VP of Marketing at Maesa, unpacks how Ontu was built to fill that white space, why Target is the right launch partner, and what the brand’s debut signals about the future of science-led, treatment-driven body care.
Body Care Gets a Glow-Up: Meeting the Demands of the 35+ Power Consumer
Kennedy: The body category is undergoing a significant transformation. Consumers no longer view body care as basic maintenance; they expect the same level of performance and active ingredients they get from their facial skin care. This shift is being driven by a longevity-minded consumer who is proactive about how she ages and as intentional about her body care as her face care.
At Maesa, we always start with the consumer first. We identified a major white space in serving the discerning 35+ woman who has been largely overlooked. She's invested in advanced facial treatments for years, but body care hasn't kept pace. She’s looking for not only the high performance formulas but also an indulgent experience. "
The Savvy Shopper’s New Obsession
Kennedy: This consumer has evolved significantly. She values smart investments and does her research before she buys: reading ingredient lists, looking for clinical claims, and is investing in her body care as well as her facial skin care.
She's also more willing to invest in products that deliver visible results – ones she can actually see and feel. The rise of medspas and longevity-focused skin care has raised her expectations. And she values the full experience: elevated packaging, indulgent textures, sophisticated scent. She's not just problem-solving; she wants to treat herself too.
A Match Made in Mass-tige Heaven
Kennedy: Target and Maesa have a great track record in launching prestige-quality brands at mass retail, including brands like Kristin Ess Hair, Being Frenshe and Fin’ery. Their commitment to elevating their beauty department aligns with what we're building at Maesa—innovation that delivers on luxury but remains accessible.
For Ontu, Target's beauty guest aligns well with our target demographic: a woman who expects quality and efficacy but also appreciates value. Our collaborative relationship allows us to create brands set up for success from day one.
Science-Backed Skin Care That Feels Like a Spa Day (For Less)
Kennedy: With Ontu, science and indulgence come together synergistically to convey a sense of luxury. We are delivering clinical efficacy paired with indulgent sensorials and elevated design.
We formulated with actives like niacinamide, urea, and glycolic acid—concentrations you'd find in premium facial skin care. Bringing the indulgence, our signature Vanilla Musk scent and luxurious textures transform daily body care into something you look forward to.
You shouldn't have to choose between products that work and products that feel amazing. We've delivered both at $14.99 to $22.99.
The Secret to Winning the Shelf
Kennedy: As body care becomes more result-oriented, our approach centers on what we call 'treatment menus'—curated regimens designed around specific concerns like dryness, crepiness, dullness, KP, and uneven tone. This gives consumers a clear roadmap to navigate the products.
At shelf, we're focused on communicating the results and the experience through compelling visuals and messaging — including before and afters, clinical claims, and beautiful images of sensorial textures. Online, we're leaning into engaging and educational storytelling, partnering with lifestyle influencers to show consumers how Ontu fits into their lives, and aestheticians and dermatologists for expert credibility. This is all coming through a marketing plan leaning into our own digital and social channels, including earned, owned, paid as well as Target digital channels. Overall, we are thrilled with how Target is supporting this launch.
