“The biggest thing about creating a brand and becoming an entrepreneur is you can’t be afraid to fail,” says the actor, who founded Nutrl Skin
After nearly 30 years of spending his career in front of the camera, Jesse Metcalfe is asserting himself behind the scenes of something completely new: a skincare brand.
“This is my first entrepreneurial venture,” the actor, 46, tells PEOPLE just months after debuting Nutrl Skin, the unisex skincare brand he worked on for two years before launching it this past April.
Stepping into the beauty world with a Hollywood background, the Desperate Housewives alum was slightly “nervous,” but excited more than anything else. “The biggest thing about creating a brand and becoming an entrepreneur is you can’t be afraid to fail.”
On what inspired the entire line, Metcalfe explains: “I wanted to create something that was a gender-neutral, lab-grade, luxury product line, but at an accessible price point.” And that’s exactly what he did with the brand’s first releases — a four-step system with each of the products retailing for under $90.
Nutrl Skin’s debut lineup features a Daily Exfoliating Facial Cleanser ($60) which contains aloe vera, pomegranate, charcoal, eucalyptus and L-ascorbic acid (a form of Vitamin C) with the exfoliating power of glycolic acid to gently remove dead skin cells and debris.
It also consists of two serums: the Purifying Vitamin C Serum ($90) which brightens and evens the skin tone with 20% L-Ascorbic Acid, an ingredient that also delivers antioxidant protection and the Anti Aging Under Eye Serum ($90), a hydrating and moisturizing formula with Vitamin E, hyaluronic acid and Matrixyl 3000 to fight wrinkles and boost collagen by 350%. Completing the collection is the Restoring Moisturizer ($60) containing marine plant extract, jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid and argireline to replenish, nourish and reduce signs of aging.
When Metcalfe created the quad (Nutrl Skin debuted with four products because the company, so far, is entirely self-funded by Metcalfe), he focused on ingredients that provided “maximum hydration and anti-aging [benefits].” Plus, all the formulas are vegan and free of silicones, parabens and fragrance.
Metcalfe is also giving back to The Water Project, with a portion of each sale going to the nonprofit’s mission of providing clean water to communities around the world.
As he talks about creating the formulas, Metcalfe says he leaned on the skincare knowledge he’s acquired over the years.
“My first introduction was really as a teenager. I had acne like many of us do in our adolescence, and luckily I had a mom who really knew about skincare and educated me at an early age,” he says, adding that he put those valuable lessons into practice when he had to take care of his skin on set.
“When I first started working as an actor, my very first job was in daytime [television]. I was still struggling with my skin in my early 20s and they put the makeup on a lot heavier for daytime because the lights are a lot brighter. I dealt with a lot of breakouts in my early soap opera days. Then, I had another issue with my skin when I was working on this action show called Chase. It shot in the middle of the summer in Dallas, Texas and we were sweating profusely all day long. I’d wash my face completely in the middle of the day and have makeup reapplied.”
Metcalfe admits that dealing with acne “really did a number” on his self-worth.
“There’s a lot of pressure in the industry to look good all the time, to be perfect.” But now, he’s “a lot more confident and comfortable” in his skin thanks to his steady routine and healthy lifestyle (“I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t do any other recreational things,” he says). And no, he hasn’t touched any “invasive [cosmetic] procedures” yet, and he doesn’t plan to.
While working on Nutrl Skin, Metcalfe was also juggling his onscreen gigs. He guest starred on Law & Order’s 24th season this March and has two movies coming down the pipeline: Possession at Gladstone Manor, a horror film, and Boris is Dead, a comedy thriller.
“I’m actually really enjoying the process,” Metcalfe explains of how he’s balancing his various projects.
“When you have a lot to do, but you’re enjoying what you do, it doesn’t seem so arduous. It’s more of a labor of love, and I’m lucky. I do have an incredible partner in my life that really supports me and helps me with the brand, so we have fun working together.” (Metcalfe is currently dating real estate agent Helene Immel).
