How a Dermatologist and Her Brother Built Setú, a Modern Men’s Skincare Brand

Dr. Aranda: 

I think I was the one who first went to Ricardo and said, “I’m noticing something in my clinic.” I’ve been practicing dermatology for 20 years, and during the first 10 years, men rarely asked me about skincare. But over the last decade, I started seeing a huge shift. More and more men were either coming in specifically asking about skincare or bringing it up at the end of an appointment.

Whether it’s because of social media, friends, or partners, men are definitely more aware now. And I realized there was a lack of products specifically made for men that also felt simple and approachable. I didn’t want to recommend a complicated 12-step routine to someone who was just starting out and using basic soap every day. I wanted to make skincare feel accessible.

So I went to Ricardo and said, “What do you think?”

Ricardo Aranda:

The timing was perfect for both of us. We each came from backgrounds in which we had already spent more than 20 years becoming experts in our respective fields. I come from the consumer products world. I worked extensively in Venezuela and later in the U.S., which eventually led me into consulting. I worked with many startups, helping them develop ideas and apply the tools and strategies I had learned in consumer packaged goods.

Watching other entrepreneurs take risks and build businesses inspired me to want to create something of my own. I just didn’t know what idea I wanted to pursue yet. Then Jennifer came to me and said, “I’m seeing this growth in the market. I think there’s an opportunity here. What if we created something special together?”

That was really the beginning.

Ricardo:

We were definitely nervous because this was a completely new space for us. At this stage, the business is self-funded. Along the way, people advised us to seek outside funding, take out loans, or enter pitch competitions, but we felt comfortable keeping it close to home initially.

That said, we did extensive research before making a major investment. And research doesn’t always have to be a huge formal study. Sometimes it’s simply talking to people, validating the idea, and confirming that there’s a real opportunity. Once we saw how strong the concept was, we felt confident moving forward ourselves.

We’re also proud to be a family-owned company. Everyone is involved in some way, from Jennifer and me to our spouses and kids. They genuinely feel like part of the business. As the company grows, we may eventually work with banks or investors, but right now we can self-manage.

Dr. Aranda:

It was definitely inspired by our heritage. We wanted to create products using ingredients that meant something to us personally. We specifically source many of these ingredients from Latin American countries, which took time because we wanted to find the right partners and suppliers.

At the same time, I focused on ingredients with scientific research supporting them. For example, for our morning products, I wanted antioxidants with proven benefits. We use camu camu because it contains very high levels of vitamin C, which helps protect the skin against oxidative damage from sun exposure and pollutants.

The idea is that you apply antioxidants underneath sunscreen. Sunscreen is essential, but it’s never 100% protective. Ingredients like camu camu can help protect against the aging process and environmental damage.

I spent a lot of time reviewing studies, researching ingredients, and understanding what would work best. There’s also growing interest in natural ingredients in medicine and skincare, though the science sometimes still needs to catch up, as not all botanicals are backed by large pharmaceutical studies. So I had to really dig into the research.

Dr. Aranda:

One of the biggest challenges was perfecting the formulas. We went through many different versions and had people test products before we found what felt right.

We had to consider things like men having thicker or oilier skin, facial hair, and even preferences around fragrance. A lot of products marketed to men are still very similar to products traditionally designed for women, just packaged differently. We wanted something that genuinely felt different and approachable.

And every time you create a new formula, there’s financial investment involved. So even the testing process itself can become expensive.

Ricardo:

We definitely lost money along the way because some formulas didn’t meet expectations. Those become sunk costs.

In consumer products, there’s always risk because you’re dealing with inventory, regulations, manufacturing, and distribution. You have to test and learn constantly.

Marketing was another learning process for us. We had to figure out whether we should invest in influencers, social media, paid advertising, PR, or other strategies. We’re still learning, but now we’re finally starting to see momentum with interviews, customer engagement, and increased sales.

Ricardo:

Every dollar counts, and you have to treat every dollar like it’s your last dollar. Entrepreneurs can get distracted very easily by new packaging, new marketing ideas, or the next exciting thing, but you can’t lose sight of the financial side of the business.

Banks now provide tools that help you track spending, analyze trends, and understand where your money is going. Even outside of banking tools, there are resources like Excel and AI that can help you stay organized and monitor the business closely.

Credit cards can absolutely help with cash flow and payment timing, but they need to be used strategically. Holding onto cash early on is one of the most important principles when you’re building a business.

Ricardo Aranda:

To me, Setú is the first brand developed by a dermatologist using Latin American ingredients to make skincare routines simple and approachable for men.

There are really three pillars behind the brand. First, many skincare brands are dermatologist-tested or dermatologist-inspired, but this one was actually created by a dermatologist. That’s a huge advantage.

Second, there are the Latin American ingredients. There’s heritage, tradition, and generations of rituals behind many of these ingredients that often go overlooked in the industry. We wanted to highlight the richness of our region and bring that into modern skincare.

And third, simplicity. As a man, I know how difficult it can be to convince men to adopt skincare routines, so we worked hard to make everything feel straightforward, from the color coding to the language and instructions.

Dr. Aranda:

I was deeply involved in researching the ingredients and understanding exactly why we were including them and what benefits they could provide. At the same time, I wanted to make sure we avoided ingredients with a high risk of irritation or allergic reactions, since many products can cause unnecessary sensitivity.

The overall goal was to create something approachable and relatable. We wanted people, especially those with backgrounds similar to ours, to connect emotionally with the products. Whether it’s seeing ingredients like yerba mate or recognizing something that reminds them of home, we wanted the experience to feel personal, effective, and easy enough that people would actually stick with the routine.

Dr. Aranda:

Honestly, I think it works because we come from completely different backgrounds, which really complements each other. We also grew up with the same values around hard work and responsibility.

Our grandparents immigrated to Venezuela with nothing, and they worked incredibly hard to build a life for our family. We grew up seeing that discipline and determination firsthand. So we share a mentality of doing things the right way and being thoughtful in our decisions.

A lot of people say you shouldn’t work with family, but for us it’s been a very positive experience.

Ricardo:

I completely agree. It’s very much a yin-and-yang relationship. We’re very clear about our roles and responsibilities. I would never make decisions about formulation, ingredients, or product development because that’s Jennifer’s expertise. And when it comes to branding, business strategy, marketing execution, and finances, she fully trusts me.

What’s also interesting is that we bring different perspectives as a brother-and-sister team. I can relate directly to the experience of a man trying to adopt skincare, so I’m often able to help translate that perspective into the brand and products.

Dr. Aranda:

My advice to anyone starting a business is that you can’t always wait for the perfect moment. If you’ve identified a real need and done enough research to support your idea, sometimes you just have to go for it. 

And you can start conservatively. We didn’t start with 12 products. We started with four. I think that’s important too. Would I like to have sunscreen, beard products, and other things? Of course. But we have to do one thing at a time.

Ricardo:

The advice I’d give other entrepreneurs is to believe in yourself, surround yourself with experts, and take calculated risks. Lean into the opportunity and trust the process.