Chemist Confessions is as much about transparency and consumer education as it is about skin care. The brand not only includes the required ingredient list for each product on their ecommerce site but also the exact percentage of many key ingredients in their formulations. And their social content helps consumers connect skin care benefits and sensorial experiences back to the formulation choices. As a result, Chemist Confessions is a very community-based brand and one that knows that open dialog may be the very best sort of marketing.
Here, entrepreneurs Victoria Fu and Gloria Lu share a profile of themselves and the Chemist Confessions brand.
Name: Victoria Fu and Gloria Lu, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs
Indie Beauty Company: Chemist Confessions Inc.
Launched: January 2018
Headquarters: Alameda, California
Cash flow: Between the two of us, we own more than 51% of the business. When we started, we were self-funded and then did a small friends and family round to get formulas into production.
Indie how? We would classify an indie beauty brand as a brand that tries to go against the grain and is propelled by something the founder is passionate about.
Team work: 2 full-time
Distribution: Chemist Confessions Inc. products sell globally through our ecommerce site chemistconfessions.com, e-retailer Beautylish, and a few mom and pop shops and esthetician offices that we adore!
Years in beauty: To date, about seven years.
Years at Chemist Confessions Inc.: Just passed the 1.5 year mark. Time is flying!
Entrepreneurial experience: This is our first company. Never in our wildest dreams did we think this either of us would end up starting a company, let alone together!
The business: What started out as just a simple blog that shared the quirky, honest perspective of two chemists, ended up turning into a vision of a skincare company that could push the envelope in developing transparent, meaningful solutions without any marketing fluff.
The wow-factor: Our unique value is bringing our chemist know-how to create meaningful, efficacious solutions that are unlike what’s on the market. The goal is to create purposeful skincare tools that integrate seamlessly into anyone’s existing routine and ultimately elevates their skincare routine. The goal is to help everyone.
The consumer: Those who appreciate science, ingredients supported by third-party data, and a little bit of quirkiness.
Milestone moment: Fu’s milestone moment for the brand is when we were featured in ELLE. Never would have thought that we could be featured in press that I used to read as a teenager!
And for Lu it was the first time attending Indie Beauty Expo in LA. There were so many great people who recognized us just from our Instagram. It was pretty surreal!
Advice for fellow beauty entrepreneurs: Always be prepared to have a plan B, C, D or even E. Something will go wrong with almost everything that you do. But remember to keep your head up! There are going to be days where you really feel the chaos. Just take a moment to remind yourself of all the things you accomplished so far to help give yourself a much-needed dose of optimism and confidence.
Just one: Asked about their desert-island product, Fu says, the one I’d take to a desert island is Mr. Reliable Moisturizer from Chemist Confessions. Yeah, super biased but it covers all my bases (aside from sunscreen).
And Lu says, our Aquafix is an absolute staple in my routine now, but I would give it up for giant tub of sunscreen if we’re talking about a desert island.
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.