If you ever wondered why Verso´s products have a reversed number, look no further. In this journal, we talked to Nelli Trabucco, Verso Skincare´s Product Developer, about the methodology behind our product categories and their numbers.

Hi Nelli, can you tell us a little about yourself and what you do at Verso Skincare?

- I am a native Finnish living in Stockholm with my Italian husband Antonio, two kids-Francesco and Vera, and a Russian rescue dog called Doris. I have worked at Verso Skincare since 2014, and at the moment, as a Product Development Project Manager. In my free time I enjoy cooking, good friends’ company, and long walks in the forest.

Verso´s product categories have a number linked to them, e.g., N°1 Cleanse. Please, could you elaborate on the story behind the numbers?

- The numbers play an essential role and are very connected to the Verso brand and graphical identity. In the early days, we had one product per number. Still, as the range has grown, the product numbers became product categories to make it easier to understand the meaning behind when there were several products with the same number. Moreover, the numbers are closely linked to the brand name. Verso comes from Latin and is freely translated as “reversed”; the reversed numbers directly link to it.

So, in effect, the numbers represent individual categories, and there are 10 in total. To avoid misconceptions, am I to use Verso Skincare products in order 1 – 10, or can I mix as I see fit?

- That would be the first assumption, but no, the products should be mixed as desired depending on your skincare routine. A daytime routine could include numbers in the following order: 1-Cleanse, 4-Serum, 2-Day Cream.

Ok, I got it. You have an extensive background in product development at Verso Skincare; what would you say is the most exciting part of a product development journey?

- I love the creative part of the journey, from the product idea phase to sourcing ingredients and packaging. The team is very dedicated and talented with creative minds. It is a pleasure and satisfying to see when a great idea becomes a reality and is, most of all, appreciated and loved by our customers.

Perhaps this is an impossible question, but can you tell us a bit about the average time it takes to develop a new product from start to finish?

- With the present situation in the world, it would be very challenging to launch anything in less than 18 months. We also have learned in these years that anything can happen on the way, so it is good to have an extra couple of months in the planning.

Looking at the entire Verso Skincare product family, which product has taken the longest to develop?

- Most definitely, our newest launch - Verso Super Elixir with Verso’s novel molecule NEAR 1. It was a really bumpy ride to develop the NEAR 1 molecule. It took us several years, and after that, we also managed to launch our first-ever product containing this precious ingredient. 

Gazing at the future, anything you can tell us about potential new categories…and new numbers?

- We will see what the future brings, but as Verso is all about simplicity and we believe that “few products can make a difference,” there are no plans to launch several new categories and numbers.

Thank you, Nelli; we will check back with you further down the “Verso Skincare road” of product development.

For further information, see the overview of Verso Skincare categories here.