Inside BeautiControl

by Gary Jones, BeautiControl

An Interview with Jim Tentler, Director of Quality Services and Regulatory Affairs

I thought it would be interesting to kick off my internal interviews with someone who plays a very critical role in our organization. While so many of you get an opportunity to meet some of us that are more visible in the company, there are so many that play crucial roles in the organization that you may not have had the chance to meet. As the Director of Regulatory and Quality Control, Jim Tentler is one of those people whose role in the company affects every one of us. BeautiControl is unsurpassed in this industry for product quality and consumer responsibility, and Jim leads a team that spend countless hours every day working to ensure that BeautiControl remains on the fore-front of this highly competitive industry in regards to product testing and quality control.

Jim, how long have you been with BeautiControl? I have been at BeautiControl for 7 years. I started as Director of Manufacturing for 3 years then spent an additional 3 years in Supply Chain Management. For the past year, I have been in Quality Services.

Wow. That is unusual that you have moved around so much within the company. I am sure that gives you a very broad understanding of how the business functions. Where were you prior to joining BC? I spent 5 ½ years in the beverage industry dealing with quality services, product testing, and consumer complaints. After that I moved into the health care industry and was responsible for International Quality Control.

Tell us exactly what it is that you do at BeautiControl ? I am responsible for the incoming quality and final product quality of all of our products. I support the transfer from R&D into product manufacturing and production.

What goes into testing the incoming quality? We conduct a chemical analysis of all raw materials as well as complete microbial testing on each ingredient.

So, every ingredient is tested? Yes, every ingredient is tested to ensure that it meets our quality standards. Every time we receive any ingredient through the door, they go through a complete clinical evaluation. Nothing here is used until is has passed inspection and has been released from quarantine.

How do you support the transfer from R&D and to production? We test the stability of the product as well as conduct a stability and microbial challenge to ensure that it meets the development requirements as the product will be shipped in the “real world”.

What do you mean in the “real world”? Typically, companies test under general stability guidelines to challenge the ingredients at a temperature that might cause them to break down. We test our finished products under the ICH Standards. This is the International standard for product testing that guarantees that we are putting the product under the most rigorous and demanding testing protocol to ensure that the product is not affected by temperatures and are free from microbial contamination. After-all, we ship our products to Minnesota in January and Phoenix in August. They are put through some pretty demanding heat and freeze conditions and we have to make sure that they can undergo these extremes and still ensure that they retain their guaranteed shelf life.

So, when a product is launched, is the testing over? No, not only do we continue to test each ingredient as it is received, we keep “real time” stability on our products to ensure that we have samples of each batch to guarantee the shelf life and continue the microbial challenge of every batch that is produced or has ever been produced.

In comparison to places that you have worked previously, how does BeautiControl measure up in regards to product quality and safety assurance? Actually, BeautiControl practices quality standard practices that are far superior and far more demanding and robust than many other companies in our industry. We are always making strides to improve. We test well above and beyond what is required by our industry standards.

What happens when we receive a returned product that a consumer feels did not meet our quality standards? The first thing we do is ask the consultant for the lot #. This is the number that is printed on each package that identifies the specifics of that formula. When we have this information, we check to confirm whether we are seeing the same things in our product retains. We check stability data and product retains. We research consumer feedback trends, then try to identify the root cause of the problem to determine if it is formula related, shipping related or packaging related. When we have assessed our data, we meet with the R&D Department and discuss the feedback, assess the situation and make changes if necessary.

So, is every customer complaint investigated? Yes. It is a laborious and time consuming process, but that’s what allows us to continually improve. Wow, is that typical in our industry? One thing about the cosmetic industry is how well it is monitored. We are an active member of the PCPC (formerly the CTFA), the organization that works hand in hand with the FDA to ensure the safety of our products and the accuracy of our claims. Last year we signed the Consumer Commitment Code. This is a document that we signed that guarantees our commitment to produce products that we know are safe for the consumer. It is a commitment to the PCPC (Personal Care Products Council, formerly the CTFA) to ensure that all the ingredients in our products are tested to be safe for consumer use. We follow strict documentation and processes to ensure this safety. We share this information with the FDA through the Voluntary Formula Registration Process (VFRP). Should there ever be any significant adverse events, these are reported to the FDA as well.

Not every company chooses to be this diligent. In fact, I would say that many do not, but that is what continuous improvement is all about. you talk a lot about “continuous improvement”, is this the mission of your department? We are ISO Certified (International Standards Organization) and FDA compliant. These were things that we didn’t have to do…we did it to make us a better organization. Continuous improvement initiatives are part of our day to day mission. We recently modified our quality policy. It reads, ”Our Mission is to produce and deliver a product that we would be proud to give or receive.” We post our policy around the building so every associate knows and understands why we are in business. We want something that is memorable and that each associate understands what they can do to affect the quality of our products.

That’s pretty cool. I have not seen that kind of statement anywhere. Basically, we are doing what we say we do….and we can show it! I want every person on my team to feel personally responsible to our Consultants and Directors out there working in the field. After all, these hard working men and women keep us in business and pay our salaries.

I can hear the pride in our voice…I like that. Ok, one last question, what would you like to tell our Consultants? Keep us busy and let us know how we are doing! Thanks, Jim. I know it was hard to sit down for this long. I appreciate your dedication to this company and your personal commitment for excellence that you pass along through your teams. You make BeautiControl a great place to work. I hope all of you have found this fun. I had a blast and love to hear the pride that exudes from Jim when he talks about what he does. This is a man that loves his job, and I think you will all agree that he is doing a great job.