Simple Sugars: What Happened To The Brand After Shark Tank?

Many TV-bound entrepreneurs have to fight for the chance to appear on "Shark Tank," only earning that valuable screen time after beating out countless other business-minded hopefuls. But with the aspirational story behind Lani Lazzari and her skincare brand, Simple Sugars, the show's producers were intrigued enough to reach out with an invitation to apply.

The tale goes something like this: Lazzari took her first steps into capitalism at the tender age of 11, when what began as prepping simple sugar scrubs as DIY holiday gifts bloomed into a genuine interest in skincare. Having dealt with her own eczema for years, Lazzari started creating chemical-free products ideal for sensitive complexions. These scrubs contained none of the common skincare ingredients people with eczema should avoid, like alcohol or lanolin, and soon proved popular with friends and family. As the word about her sugar scrubs spread, Lazzari's hobby segued into a flourishing online business.

By the time she appeared on "Shark Tank" at just 18 years old, Lazzari had already racked up a sales-forward online presence. This fledgling success and focus on skin-friendly products caught the eye of Mark Cuban, whose son also had eczema. Lazzari and Cuban struck a deal, and just like that, Simple Sugars entered the next phase of its enterprise. But that's hardly where the story ends — this skincare company has only continued to evolve since its 15 minutes of "Shark Tank" fame.

Lani Lazzari presented Simple Sugars to the Sharks way back in 2013, seeking $100,000 in exchange for a 10% stake in the company. She began her pitch by describing the benefits behind her all-natural sugar scrubs, from their hydrating oils to their suitability for individuals with eczema, psoriasis, and other sensitive skin types.

Lazzari had Lori Greiner come up for a practical demonstration, showing the businesswoman how to use a strawberry-scented body scrub. Then, she launched into the nitty-gritty, explaining that 60% of sales came via Simple Sugars' website at the time, while placing products in a regional grocery chain pulled in revenue as well. Lazzari outlined the company's year-to-date sales of $55,000 and projections to hit $100,000, along with its 75% to 80% profit margins. Lazzari also underscored the brand's recent growth. In just the prior three months, Simple Sugars had expanded its retail presence from six to 20 stores, earned the spot as the "top-selling specialty brand" in said grocery chain, and was negotiating with a "high-end online skincare retailer" for a sales deal that could be worth up to $400,000.

Ultimately, while all five Sharks expressed their admiration for Lazzari and her progress so far, four bowed out of the bidding war. However, Mark Cuban saw the brand's potential and offered up $100,000 in exchange for a 33% stake. After some consideration, Lazzari accepted the deal, and Simple Sugars was off to the races.

During her pitch, Lani Lazzari mentioned expectations to hit $100,000 in sales for the year, but her successful segment on "Shark Tank" quickly blew that projection out of the water. Simple Sugars hit $220,000 in sales in the first day following the episode's airing, and within six weeks, the company reached a whopping $1 million.

Even with this injection of capital and access to new expertise from investor Mark Cuban, however, Lazzari continued to approach her business strategically. To protect the brand's price point and image, the entrepreneur held her ground against tempting offers from major retailers like Target. "It would have been a lot of volume, but they wanted much lower prices than I was comfortable with," Lazzari later told Success. "We're a high-end prestige brand and need to be very careful about not undervaluing ourselves. The Target deal, which was very short-term, would have put us in a difficult position going forward when we approached other retailers."

Eventually, Lazzari looked at the increasing shift away from brick-and-mortar shopping and decided to focus on e-commerce. In 2017, Simple Sugars pulled its products from nearly all physical retailers — a move that incidentally left the company well-positioned when COVID-19 further altered the shopping landscape for department stores and grocery chains alike in 2020.

More than a decade has passed since Lani Lazzari brought her Simple Sugars pitch onto the set of "Shark Tank." So, where's the business now? Not only is Simple Sugars still operating, but this wholesome skincare company is also thriving. It's even been singled out by business publications like Inc. as one of the "most successful 'Shark Tank' companies of all time" alongside recognizable crowd favorites like Bombas socks and Scrub Daddy sponges.

Simple Sugars has also been cited as one of Mark Cuban's "most lucrative 'Shark Tank' investments" from outlets like GO Banking Rates, though the company's current worth isn't totally clear. In 2018, outlets like The Dallas Business Journal reported that Simple Sugars had evolved into a $10 million company, but other reports suggest that the brand only hit a $5 million valuation in 2021. Either way, this skincare business has clearly experienced significant growth since its early days and maintains a strong digital footprint. At the time of writing, Simple Sugars boasts more than 15,000 followers on Instagram and 47,000 followers on Facebook. That said, its TikTok account only has 89 followers, leaving plenty of room to grow and take over BeautyTok.

As many savvy entrepreneurs recognize, standing still can be a death sentence in today's competitive business arena. Fortunately, Simple Sugars has never been a brand to rest on its laurels. In keeping with the driven spirit of founder Lani Lazzari, the company continues to expand its offerings and explore new opportunities for growth. This includes consistently advertising new goods for sale on its website, from multi-item bundles and an entire range of men's Simple Sugars products to seasonally scented scrubs. For instance, the brand's fall lineup is known to feature scrubs like the Pumpkin Facial and the Spiced Apple Body. Likely looking to boost customer retention and repeat purchases, Simple Sugars has even introduced subscription-based shopping options to proactively fulfill consumers' skincare needs.

And, of course, the brand's marketing continues unabated. On top of its general social media presence, Simple Sugars can be seen trying to capture a slang-driven lifestyle movement reminiscent of the infamous anti-shampoo "no 'poo" trend, though, in this case, the phrase du jour is "no lo'," short for "no lotion." The concept? With the company-driven hashtag #GoNoLo in prominent use, Simple Sugars emphasizes how its ultra-hydrating, oil-based scrubs eliminate the need to apply lotion after a shower. While this may not turn into the next go-to catchphrase for beauty lovers, it does display one thing: Simple Sugars is still exploring every avenue to support its business growth, which is why we won't be too surprised if this brand sticks around for another 10 years — and beyond.