Science of Beauty Collective — a community of female entrepreneurs empowering cosmetics through science
“Science of Beauty Collective” is an international community of 16 female entrepreneurs with backgrounds in science. We explore the circumstances that led to the community’s formation, riding the trends of the beauty industry, and take look at the brands of three of the founders that are focusing on microbiomes.
A group of female entrepreneurs working in the fields of beauty and wellness with a deep focus on scientific data has formed a community called the “Science of Beauty Collective” in San Francisco.
Currently, in the field of beauty and wellness, there’s no shortage of vague terms and phrases that don’t have clear definitions, such as “clean”, “natural”, “green”, formulas with “no harmful effects” on the body, and “anti-aging”. We also still see the marketing scheme of “greenwashing”, which leads consumers to easily make mistakes when choosing a product. On top of this, while regulations for cosmetics ingredients are controlled by the FDA (America’s Food and Drug Administration), the principles driving these regulations haven’t been updated in the past 80 years or more, leading to a situation where companies and independent organizations are taking it upon themselves to assess the safety of ingredients and decide on the standards.
With this being the situation, the number one aim of the Science of Beauty Collective is to report on the safety and performance of products based on clear and measurable scientific data in a bid to try to raise the level of transparency of the beauty and wellness industries.
The community provides four benefits to the industry. They mentor and support female entrepreneurs who’ve just begun their own companies, help network female entrepreneur leaders in the fields of beauty and wellness who have a focus on science, increase the value brought about by science and technology and the corresponding value recognition among the media and investors, and facilitate interaction among community members through mutual questioning and fact-checking.
The community’s aim for the future is to create their own standards based on scientific data in order to clearly define vague terms such as “clean” and enlighten not only consumers but also the industry as a whole.
One supporter of this community is the founder of the beauty and fashion entrepreneur community FaB (Fashion and Beauty Tech Community) and private investor herself, Odile Roujol. Roujol has played a large role in networking beauty startups around the world and generating investment opportunities.
Among the main members who established the Science of Beauty Collective are three entrepreneurs who are PhD-holding scientists based in Silicon Valley. While they each have multiple careers and experience in starting companies, their main common ground is that they deal in skincare that focuses on the microbiome that resides on the surface of the skin.
Dr. Elsa Jungman
Minimal, microbiome-friendly cosmetics for sensitive skin
Elsa Jungman is a dermatology researcher who, after building up a career in R&D at L’Oréal in France, moved to base herself in San Francisco. When she was 18, she showed symptoms of toxic shock syndrome and developed sensitive skin. After moving to the U.S., she began working on solutions for consumers with sensitive skin through clean beauty and personal cosmetics that focus on biotechnology and the microbiome.
In 2019, she founded Elsi Beauty to develop clean cosmetics for sensitive skin and in 2020 she launched a brand named after herself: “Dr. Elsa Jungman”.
The brand “Dr. Elsa Jungman” was the first in the U.S. to offer plant-based products that are recognized by the MyMicrobiome certifying body as ‘microbiome friendly’ skincare formulas that avoid damaging the bacterial flora residing in the skin and don’t ruin the skin’s natural barrier function. The brand’s basic care consists of the two steps of cleansing and using a serum for moisturizing, and there are no more than 5 different ingredients used. By only using the ingredients necessary for the skin, the formulas are optimized and the barrier function of the skin is improved. All their products have low levels of irritation due to being supervised by dermatologists, and the safety of the ingredients has also been certified by the U.S.’s nonprofit environmental group EWG.
Codex Beauty Labs
Biotech beauty committed to sustainability
Barbara Paldus, a scientist and investor, has founded two companies in Silicon Valley and has been involved in carbon cycle / natural gas pipeline monitoring and the development of vaccines and cancer treatment drugs. She also studied electrical engineering at Stanford University, has been granted 40 U.S. patents and has received numerous awards in the field of science.
Paldus launched Codex Beauty Labs, a company that introduces biotechnology to the world of beauty and that is using a plant-based formula proven to be highly effective through clinical research to support skin health and the microbiome. The brand has also acquired certification for being microbiome-friendly and is EWD certified, and on top of providing vegan formulas, it also refrains from animal testing. Furthermore, they’ve defined the core purpose of their brand as promoting and enlightening about sustainability and have declared their goals for 2025 as bringing their carbon footprint down to zero, respecting biological diversity, furthering fair trade, and have committed to concrete actions to realize these goals.
Ellis Day Skin Science
America’s first serum that includes bacteriophage
Carol Christopher is a chemical engineer with a career in developing new treatments that span 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry. She’s the co-founder of three companies and the inventor of a great many patented technologies related to drug delivery systems (or DDS).
Ellis Day Skin Science, which Christopher founded, is America’s first skincare brand based around bacteriophage. Their products try to rebalance the microbiome by removing bacteria that cause skin troubles and propagating good bacteria.
Research and technological innovation related to bacteria are especially advancing in the fields of medicine and food (diet therapy), and the field of disease prevention represents an enormous market. Christopher says that the reason she chose to start a business in the beauty field “is because of the possibility to have an impact on many people and change their lives. Also, because bringing about healthier skin can help to ease everyday anxieties, reduce stress and ultimately help to provide a life filled with more joy.”
Currently, there are 16 members of the Science of Beauty Collective, and they are all international female entrepreneurs based in San Francisco, New York, Washington, Paris, and London.
They all have the aim of providing services and products created with a high level of expertise and that have scientifically proven effectiveness. They place much more importance on transparency and have vegan and cruelty-free formulas. On top of this, they also develop their products with consideration to sustainability, through such actions as using packaging materials that can be recycled and respecting biodiversity.
Jungman emphasizes the importance of acting as a community: “It’s important to not see other members as rivals to compete with, but rather see them as true friends. Being able to raise each other and learn from each other’s experiences is a wonderful thing.” Additionally, with membership being strictly women-only, the community has a clear intention to empower women in the field of science where there remains a gender imbalance.
Text: Chig Li Tor
Original text (Japanese): Motoko Tani
