Sunday Riley Is Changing The Price & The Formula Of Cult-Favorite Good Genes — EXCLUSIVE

Ask any skincare lover what products low-key changed their life, and Sunday Riley's Good Genes will come up quite a few times. Despite the originally hefty price point, the product quickly earned its cult-favorite status soon after it launched, and it remains a staple in many a skincare collection (mine included). However, it looks like the brand is taking everyone's favorite "new year, new me" tagline and running with it: Sunday Riley is lowering the cost of the Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment and altering the formula.

"2020 is about manifesting greater purpose and becoming a better version of self, both personally and as a company. The first thing I’m taking action on is price adjustment," Sunday Riley tells Elite Daily exclusively. "The cost of Good Genes hasn’t set well with me for years. I’ve talked about it in internal meetings and retailer meetings for a while. It’s a 10-year-old price tag and out of date with today’s economy and goals."

That said, beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, the brand will officially lower the price of the Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment from $105 for the 30mL product to $85, 20% off its original price. This price cut is also valid for the 50mL bottle, which drops from $158 to $122, and the cost of other kits and bundles containing Good Genes, like Power Couple and Flash Fix, will also be adjusted accordingly. The price drop will be reflected not only on the Sunday Riley website, but across every online and in-store retailer.

Riley says she understands the massive financial impact this move will have on the brand, particular as it relates to its retailers, but she feels it's what's best to do in this day and age.

"I haven’t run any financial analysis on what the impact will be to our revenue to reduce the price of each bottle by 20%, but I know at first it will be a huge hit to us. I know that we will start out 2020 probably owing hundreds of thousands of dollars to our retail partners, who bought into Good Genes at our previous wholesale price versus the new one," she says. "We’ll have to make that right. And with 20% less earnings per bottle, we’ll have less immediate cash to pay that difference off. But I think it’s the right thing to do, and it’s what we are going to do as a company."

The brand is also adjusting the long-adored formula of Good Genes, Riley said in a press release shared with Elite Daily. One major catalyst for the change had to do with her sister being diagnosed with breast cancer. "As we go into a new decade, keeping our formulas as sustainable and clean as possible has taken on an even greater, and more personal, importance," she said.

In terms of what that change looks like, the brand has decided to replace some ingredients in the formula, like the preservative DMDM hydantoin, with cleaner alternatives. "The triethanolamine (TEA) that’s necessary to adjust the pH (so you don’t get burned by the acid) has been replaced by a blend of greener pH adjusters: sodium phytate and potassium hydroxide," read the press release.

The new formula launches in tandem with the price drop and, again, will also be sold across all Sunday Riley retailers. Additionally, in an effort to increase the sustainability of Good Genes' packaging, the brand says it will also swap out the box's foam interiors with crushed paperboard.

Good Genes became a fan-favorite largely because of how effectively it exfoliates skin to reveal a brighter, smoother, more even-toned complexion. For ultra-dry skin that can handle an acid, you can leave a couple pumps on throughout the day or night, and you can also layer the product after Sunday Riley's Luna Sleeping Night Oil or before your favorite moisturizer. Since acids can sometimes be harsh on sensitive skin, it's best to use this product sparingly and rinse it off after about 15 minutes if you're prone to irritation, according to the brand.

As the need for clean, sustainable options in the beauty industry grows, it's crucial for brands to listen to that call and potentially adjust their tried-and-true methods. "I want to honor, support, and listen to the clients, both new and old, who have been such an integral part of the brand," says Riley, "whether that’s 10 years or 10 days." Here's to a new era of Good Genes.