Christine Esposito, Managing Editor02.08.23
In a sea of new brands, here are three new players that we will be watching closely in 2023—Cacaye, A.P Chem and Ourself. Their common denominator: each is leveraging the expertise of executives with serious beauty industry street cred and taking a tactical, performance-driven approach to formulation.
Obrecht’s resume includes time at Procter & Gamble and Revlon; Falso has worked across the beauty spectrum from Chanel and Revlon. They have the chops to weather the challenges that new players face as they vie for a share of consumers coveted beauty dollars.
“It is super saturated marketplace and there are brands that are being introduced every week,” Obrecht told Happi. He’s bullish about Cacaye’s future, noting that its parent company Evoq Labs, has total control of the brand—from the lab to manufacturing to distribution.
“This isn’t just a marketing house,” he said.
Cacaye is launching this year with three core products—Cacay + C Fermented Cleansing Oil, Superfruit Fermented Renewal Cream F and Cacay + C Fermented Brightening Oil—backed by impressive test data. Product performance is backed by consumer testing, officials say. Today’s more discerning skincare customer demands verified claims, asserted Falso.
For Falso, Cacaye’s power comes from its hero ingredient—cacay nut oil— which is bundled with fermentation and the brand’s proprietary ingredient blends. The blends include PurFerm Extract (angelica root and green tea seed), CitraC3 (a vitamin C and citrus complex), and FermenFruit, (kakadu plum, baobab fruit and avocado).
Obrecht and Falso told Happi that there are already new products in the pipeline (retinoids, for example, will bow in March), and they have a two-year plan as they go DTC and explore opportunities with retail partners.
Beauty industry executive Sandra Statz and New York City board-certified dermatologist Dr. Sherwin Parikh are out to fill the white space in skincare with their new brand, A.P. Chem.
Statz has more 15 years of experience in the beauty industry working with brands such as La Mer, Guerlain and Clinique; Parikh is the founder of Tribeca Skin Center. Doctor and patient before they were co-founders, their approach is fun, functional…and targeted. A.P. Chem is targeting discerning Xennials and Gen Xers.
A.P. Chem is designed for the consumer who finds herself between two categories in the beauty market— “disposable” skincare and pricey dermatologist brands, noted Parikh.
“We are skin science nerds at heart,” Statz told Happi in an interview late last year as the brand was ramping up after its first launch.
The duo didn’t want an off-the-shelf product, or to reverse engineer a competitive formula and “slap a logo on” according to Statz.
“We went down the rabbit hole on ingredients,” said Parikh.
The debut product, Microdose Magical Moisturizer ($75), includes adaptoGEN8, a blend of eight mushroom extracts and its proprietary KETAmino Acid Complex, a combination of naturally occurring neuropeptides and amino acids (like polyglutamic acid) that promote firmer, smoother and more even-toned skin.
Parikh, as a practicing dermatologist, stressed the need to solve a core issue: inflammation.
“So many skin problems and health problems are related to inflammation. If we can find ways to reduce inflammation from physical, environmental, emotional, stressful, psychological points-of-view, we can improve body function and even skin function,” he said.
Its mainstay anti-flammatory ingredient is baicalin. It helps strengthen the dermal barrier and neutralize free radicals, leading to lower levels of oxidative stress in the skin—creating a more optimal environment for skin renewal. Further, GABA, the naturally-occurring neuropeptide, helps relax tense facial muscles, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and improves elasticity so facial contours appear more defined. A powerful antioxidant, it also leaves skin looking smoother.
A.P. Chem intended to launch in 2022 with three products, but covid impacted the company’s supply chain, according to Statz. “The formulas were ready to go. The packaging wasn’t.” she said.
Those products—a serum and eye treatment—are expected out in March.
“Knock on all the wood we can find,” said Vimla Black-Gupta, CEO of Ourself. “The consumer is ready for science. Ready for products that work. We struck while the iron is hot.”
Debuting in late February 2022, Ourself entered the skincare category touting “subtopical” technology. The company taps into biotech to build products with unique ingredients that address specific skincare needs.
“As Vimla likes to say, we don’t go to the peptide mall. We look for new kinds of peptides that work,” said Lauren Otsuki, who heads R&D for Ourself. She’s the founder of Glo Pharma.
“We are an innovation company,” she asserted.
The brand’s initial plan was to use a contract manufacturer for bulk manufacturing. But during development and scale up, the team realized that “no one else” can do this, Black-Gupta said.
Ourself manufactures all hero SKUs internally at is San Diego, CA facility.
Initially launched DTC, Ourself inked some unique retail alliances in 2022 that have expanded its distribution with outlets such as Bluemercury, Every Body spa, and Moda Operandi.
Ourself’s Lip Filler—an Elle Future of Beauty Award winner in 2022—hit its sales projections for the year—and then some.
“We ran out of a year’s worth of inventory in two months,” said Black-Gupta, the former P&G and Estée Lauder executive who was promoted from president of Ourself to CEO in March.
Ourself moved beyond DTC in its first year. It was picked up by Violet Grey and Blue Mercury. Last month, luxury retailer Moda Operandi added beauty, including Ourself’s Lip Filler, Lip Conditioner, HA+ Replenishing Serum, Daily Renewal Cream, Daily Renewal Cream Rich, Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum, and Daily Dark Spot Intercept.
Black Gupta kept numbers close to the vest, but told Happi that investors have been “floored” with Ourself’s performance.
“They are pleased with the initial energy behind the brand,” she said.
And prospects look good for 2023, too. This month, Ourself enters 25 Nordstrom doors and and will also be sold by the retailer's website.
Cacaye
Pool together the expertise of industry veterans who have worked at P&G, Chanel and Revlon— any new brand would be starting out on solid footing. That’s the case at Cacaye; a new upscale skincare brand that has Karl Obrecht and Annette Falso at the helm as CEO and head of innovation and brand, respectively.Obrecht’s resume includes time at Procter & Gamble and Revlon; Falso has worked across the beauty spectrum from Chanel and Revlon. They have the chops to weather the challenges that new players face as they vie for a share of consumers coveted beauty dollars.
“It is super saturated marketplace and there are brands that are being introduced every week,” Obrecht told Happi. He’s bullish about Cacaye’s future, noting that its parent company Evoq Labs, has total control of the brand—from the lab to manufacturing to distribution.
“This isn’t just a marketing house,” he said.
Cacaye is launching this year with three core products—Cacay + C Fermented Cleansing Oil, Superfruit Fermented Renewal Cream F and Cacay + C Fermented Brightening Oil—backed by impressive test data. Product performance is backed by consumer testing, officials say. Today’s more discerning skincare customer demands verified claims, asserted Falso.
For Falso, Cacaye’s power comes from its hero ingredient—cacay nut oil— which is bundled with fermentation and the brand’s proprietary ingredient blends. The blends include PurFerm Extract (angelica root and green tea seed), CitraC3 (a vitamin C and citrus complex), and FermenFruit, (kakadu plum, baobab fruit and avocado).
Obrecht and Falso told Happi that there are already new products in the pipeline (retinoids, for example, will bow in March), and they have a two-year plan as they go DTC and explore opportunities with retail partners.
A.P. Chem
Beauty industry executive Sandra Statz and New York City board-certified dermatologist Dr. Sherwin Parikh are out to fill the white space in skincare with their new brand, A.P. Chem.
Statz has more 15 years of experience in the beauty industry working with brands such as La Mer, Guerlain and Clinique; Parikh is the founder of Tribeca Skin Center. Doctor and patient before they were co-founders, their approach is fun, functional…and targeted. A.P. Chem is targeting discerning Xennials and Gen Xers.
A.P. Chem is designed for the consumer who finds herself between two categories in the beauty market— “disposable” skincare and pricey dermatologist brands, noted Parikh.
“We are skin science nerds at heart,” Statz told Happi in an interview late last year as the brand was ramping up after its first launch.
The duo didn’t want an off-the-shelf product, or to reverse engineer a competitive formula and “slap a logo on” according to Statz.
“We went down the rabbit hole on ingredients,” said Parikh.
The debut product, Microdose Magical Moisturizer ($75), includes adaptoGEN8, a blend of eight mushroom extracts and its proprietary KETAmino Acid Complex, a combination of naturally occurring neuropeptides and amino acids (like polyglutamic acid) that promote firmer, smoother and more even-toned skin.
Parikh, as a practicing dermatologist, stressed the need to solve a core issue: inflammation.
“So many skin problems and health problems are related to inflammation. If we can find ways to reduce inflammation from physical, environmental, emotional, stressful, psychological points-of-view, we can improve body function and even skin function,” he said.
Its mainstay anti-flammatory ingredient is baicalin. It helps strengthen the dermal barrier and neutralize free radicals, leading to lower levels of oxidative stress in the skin—creating a more optimal environment for skin renewal. Further, GABA, the naturally-occurring neuropeptide, helps relax tense facial muscles, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and improves elasticity so facial contours appear more defined. A powerful antioxidant, it also leaves skin looking smoother.
A.P. Chem intended to launch in 2022 with three products, but covid impacted the company’s supply chain, according to Statz. “The formulas were ready to go. The packaging wasn’t.” she said.
Those products—a serum and eye treatment—are expected out in March.
Ourself
Ourself has marked a successful first 12 months in the competitive beauty space. Now the company is ready to grow further in 2023, officials told Happi in a Zoom call last month.“Knock on all the wood we can find,” said Vimla Black-Gupta, CEO of Ourself. “The consumer is ready for science. Ready for products that work. We struck while the iron is hot.”
Debuting in late February 2022, Ourself entered the skincare category touting “subtopical” technology. The company taps into biotech to build products with unique ingredients that address specific skincare needs.
“As Vimla likes to say, we don’t go to the peptide mall. We look for new kinds of peptides that work,” said Lauren Otsuki, who heads R&D for Ourself. She’s the founder of Glo Pharma.
“We are an innovation company,” she asserted.
The brand’s initial plan was to use a contract manufacturer for bulk manufacturing. But during development and scale up, the team realized that “no one else” can do this, Black-Gupta said.
Ourself manufactures all hero SKUs internally at is San Diego, CA facility.
Initially launched DTC, Ourself inked some unique retail alliances in 2022 that have expanded its distribution with outlets such as Bluemercury, Every Body spa, and Moda Operandi.
Ourself’s Lip Filler—an Elle Future of Beauty Award winner in 2022—hit its sales projections for the year—and then some.
“We ran out of a year’s worth of inventory in two months,” said Black-Gupta, the former P&G and Estée Lauder executive who was promoted from president of Ourself to CEO in March.
Ourself moved beyond DTC in its first year. It was picked up by Violet Grey and Blue Mercury. Last month, luxury retailer Moda Operandi added beauty, including Ourself’s Lip Filler, Lip Conditioner, HA+ Replenishing Serum, Daily Renewal Cream, Daily Renewal Cream Rich, Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum, and Daily Dark Spot Intercept.
Black Gupta kept numbers close to the vest, but told Happi that investors have been “floored” with Ourself’s performance.
“They are pleased with the initial energy behind the brand,” she said.
And prospects look good for 2023, too. This month, Ourself enters 25 Nordstrom doors and and will also be sold by the retailer's website.