Every beauty startup these days describes itself as a clean beauty brand, but skin-care brand Kopari was ahead of the curve.

"It's definitely table stakes now," said CEO Susan Kim.

But, it wasn't always that way. "The way I think about clean is that back in 2015, it was a differentiator," Kim said. And that's what helped Kopari -- which makes products including cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreen and deodorant -- grow into the profitable brand it is today, with revenue growing 45% in 2023.

Kim joined this week's Modern Retail Podcast and spoke about the company's rise, as well as how the company has evolved since she took on the role of CEO in 2020.

Before she joined the brand, she said, "I remember thinking: I have to keep tabs on this brand."

Cut to today and Kopari has launched into new areas like sunscreen, and has diversified its marketing to keep customer acquisition costs low. The company invests in performance media, earned media as well as other higher-funnel brand campaigns. "It's the harmony of all of those elements [coming] together that makes for a very efficient CAC," she said.

Another important differentiator for Kopari has been speaking directly to its customers. The company has a Slack channel, for example, where it frequently talks with its people who use the products every day. "That's instantaneous feedback that's consumer-centric," she said.

But beyond the feedback, Kim said these types of initiatives help the brand seem more human. "It allows us to have a community," she said. "That's really what it's about."