What happens when ingredient innovation, premium skin care, and indie beauty converge?

Launched in 2006, the Wilton, Connecticut–based company makes skin care from what is colloquially know as first milk.

Just for context here, WebMD describes colostrum as “a milky fluid that comes from the breasts of humans, cows, and other mammals the first few days after giving birth, before true milk appears. It contains proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and...antibodies that fight disease-causing agents such as bacteria and viruses. Antibody levels in colostrums can be 100 times higher than levels in regular cow’s milk.”​

Now, in conversation with Cosmetics Design, Detlef Furhman, founder of Immupure makes it plain that “Raw colostrum is not suitable for skin care.”​

Proprietary science ​

Furhman is quick to point out however, that “colostrum contains natural ingredients that are similar to stem cells and are perfect for skin care.” ​So it follows then that “Immupure has developed a proprietary process to make colostrum usable for skin care and remain biologically fully available for the skin.”​

The company’s products, like cleanser, serum, moisturizer, and cream, are formulated with ingredients derived from the colostrum of “domestic US cows that are grass fed and raised without the use of steroids or hormones,”​ Furhman tells Cosmetics Design.

And today, the ingredient sourcing supply chain is crucial. So it’s quite savvy of Immupure to have “in place the possibility [of tracking] every gallon of colostrum back to the cow it came from.” ​

Marketing ingredients​

Ingredients don’t sell themselves and consumers very much want to know that what goes into a product is at the least genuinely beneficial. “​Many skincare brands offer unique ingredients that ‘sound’ interesting,” ​affirms Laureen Schroeder, principal consultant at Bespoke Beauty Partners, a health, beauty, and wellness consulting firm. “The key for success is to prove it!” ​she tells Cosmetics Design.

Brands need to be brave enough today to share real data with consumers: “The most important element for successfully marketing for a skincare brand that has unique ingredients is to tell the story and educate the consumer on the ingredient and what it does for the skin,” ​says Schroeder.

No smart brand is going to market based on supposition. "Clinical studies support [the] findings [of successful and viable brands] and should be available for consumers to view. Explaining why and how the ingredient works and the key benefits is important,” ​emphasizes Schroeder.