At Skin Renewal’s 20th anniversary celebration in Waterfall, Midrand—a sleek and fast-growing business district—I caught up with CEO Victor Snyders in the midst of the festivities. With champagne flutes clinking and guests deep in conversation, his energy was unmistakable: confident, warm, and quietly proud of the legacy Skin Renewal has built.
When I congratulated him, he leaned in and reflected: “You know, there would be too many to mention, because…either you win or you learn, and I have learned more things than wins. So every single adversity, every challenge, has been a defining moment…Every day for us is really a defining moment.” He paused, smiling wryly. “That lady who chased us away from working in the apartment… none of this would have existed without that problem. We could have given up. But we took adversity…turned that into another clinic… that was wrong…then a third…wrong. But eventually you bring it here today.”
That story—of failure after failure, lesson after lesson—echoes in everything Skin Renewal has become. Victor joined 20 years ago as CEO alongside, co-founder Dr. Maureen Allem, and together they scaled a modest home practice into a national network of 20 physician-owned clinics, delivering over 8 million treatments to nearly 250,000 patients across Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu‑Natal.
“How old are you? 25? Okay, so four fifths of your life,” Victor joked after I marvelled at the 20-year timeline. Then he added: “You think of what has happened… in the last 20 years.”
When I asked how they’ve managed to pivot as technology and industry expectations shifted, his reply was grounded and strategic: “You have to embrace the concept of change. … the only constant is change. … when anything looks like it might be getting too routine, we just move it around so that everyone is always…” He described how staff rotate roles and clinics, nurturing adaptability internally. “Many of our people have worked at multiple branches, done multiple jobs. Keeps moving things around.”“We call it shaking the truth,” he said. “Every now and then, you just… shake the tree and see what falls out.”
That mindset helped them survive everything from fire damage at their Claremont branch (resolved in under a week) to the global disruption of COVID‑19. As Victor puts it: “Resilience is not just about weathering storms; it’s about having the foresight and flexibility to turn challenges into opportunities.”
The underlying principle, he reiterated, remains centered on patient care. “When a consumer or patient comes there are three things that drive the decision to purchase: safety, results and price. Now, safety and results has a price… If the price becomes negotiable, then safety and results are also negotiable. And to us, safety and results are not negotiable. The price is not negotiable.” His tone shifted softly: “We don’t make a massive amount of money. What we make goes back into growing the business…Maureen and I have only had two cars over the past 20 years. We still live in the same place as we did 20 years ago.”
That consistency, he believes, cements trust. With teams delivering repeatable excellence—and customer loyalty enhanced via a digital loyalty program and omnichannel support—clients now expect the same standard whether they visit Tshwane or Cape Town. Victor emphasised their bespoke communication approach: “We communicate with every patient in the manner which best suits them…open and transparent, personal experiences.”
Before acceptance of the brand’s evolving identity in 2022, Victor led a full rebrand to unify all clinics under the new logo and visual identity, symbolizing luxury anchored in science—not superficiality . He described each clinic as a tranquil sanctuary—waterfalls, golden domes, white-and-gold interiors—designed by him and Dr. Maureen to reflect their strategic commitment to aesthetics + science.
As for what excites him most moving forward? He admitted: “I have absolutely no idea, because we live in a world that is extremely uncertain… we may have 40 branches, but we may still have 20. It doesn’t matter… we grow to give our staff opportunity…” He encouraged ambitious leaders to always have multiple plans: “Have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and Plan D, then adapt as you go along.”
Victor’s Foolproof Plan for Running a Successful Skincare Business
• Embrace change as a constant: Shake things up when routine sets in.
• Build deep care into your processes: Safety and results are non‑negotiable.
• Price for value, not discount: Low prices can mean less safety or efficacy.
• Invest in people growth: Expanding creates promotion paths—don’t wait for attrition.
• Plan for uncertainty: Always run with Plan A, B, C, and D ready.
• Design with intention: Clinic architecture and décor reflect credibility and calm.
• Reinvest in the business: Profit fuels innovation, not lifestyle.
• Lead with passion: Love what you do and it won’t feel like work.
Victor’s story, and Skin Renewal’s journey, feels grounded in challenges—failures turned into frameworks, adversity into evolution. As he said: “Every day for us is really a divining moment.” For a brand that’s reshaped South Africa’s aesthetics industry, that mindset may be their greatest legacy of all.
