Remembering Sara Fulton
We are deeply saddened to report that on June 1st, our beloved President and co-founder Sara Fulton passed away from complications following surgery. As a family run company, Vivant mourns not just a leader, but a mother, grandmother, and friend.
Sara Fulton was known affectionately as The Bee. The center of the hive of her family and her business, she was organizer, facilitator, authority, originator, visionary, thrower of the most lavish, fantastical Easter brunches and Christmas teas. Queen.
Sara delighted in spending time with her grandchildren. She knew how to fly a plane and hang wallpaper. She traveled the world and was proud of the fact that she once made gumbo with chef Paul Prudhomme. If you were pouring, she’d take a scotch.
A patron of the arts, a supporter of local charities, a board member of St. Thomas University, Sara enjoyed being active in her community.
Her influence in the skin care industry was profound. She was one of the first women to own and operate an FDA-approved manufacturing facility. She co-founded and managed some of the first acne clinics in the country and helped train the first aestheticians to work in a medical office. As a researcher and formulator, Sara worked alongside her husband Dr. James Fulton to develop a transformative line of skin care products that would become the Vivant line.
But it was the people who used the products that Sara cared about most. If you asked her what she loved about her work, she would tell you a story about clearing the skin of a teenager who’d never had a date because of her severe acne and then seeing that girl head off to prom with a radiant glow. She would talk about the success of the aestheticians she had helped to train.
One of her greatest joys was working alongside her husband. Sara Fulton and James Fulton were partners in work and life. They raised a family while they built a business. The two of them started Vivant with just four products that they blended in the back room of their first acne clinic. Together they changed nearly everything about the skin care industry, from gold standard product formulation to aesthetic practices and modalities, to the results people could expect from their skin care.
Sara grew up in a medical family. Her father, grandfather, and uncle were surgeons, and she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medical studies from Drexel University. She taught anatomy and physiology to student nurses at Philadelphia General Hospital while working as a researcher. Her love of medicine and people drove her work.
We are dedicated to continuing Sara’s legacy and that of Dr. Fulton. Vivant will remain a family business with the next generation of Fulton’s at the helm. Daughter Susan Fulton-Arregui, who has been Director and CEO, will remain in place. Sara’s two greatest loves—her family and her business—will continue to thrive.
In 2018, Sara told Dermascope Magazine, ”After more than forty years in the industry, I still love what I do.” She remained active in the company, still reviewing documents from her hospital bed.
When asked recently to describe in three words what Vivant meant to her, she answered, “My life.” And then added, laughing, “That’s only two words.”
We have one word to describe what Sara meant to Vivant: Everything.
