At the end of a start-up competition organized by Club 600, the start-up Elsi, which has just launched its first product on the American market, was awarded 1st prize by the jury, which praised its innovative, scientific and personalized approach to sensitive skin.
Born in California just over a year ago, Elsi targets sensitive skin, which accounts for over 50% of the US population.
The future of dermocosmetics
Elsi embodies a minimalist trend that advocates fewer, but high-quality ingredients, and greater transparency for consumers too. "Elsi was born of the realization that there are many innovations today that allow us to use cleaner ingredients, better for the environment and more respectful of the cutaneous microbiome, those good bacteria we have on our skin. Rather than adding more and more ingredients, we have decided to remove all superfluous ones and keep only the essential ones, in order to optimize our formulas as much as possible" comments Dr. Elsa Jungman, French entrepreneur based in San Francisco, Founder and CEO of Elsi, who is the first woman to receive this award. "Our first moisturizing serum, launched in May 2019, which contains just 3 ingredients, has already been ordered in over 40 US states. There's a real plebiscite for products that are gentler on the skin."
The Stitch Fix of beauty
Elsi's ambition is to become the "Stitch Fix of beauty". The startup plans to collect data, based on user feedback and the skin microbiome, which will enable it to offer subscription-based products tailored and optimized for sensitive skin. "We are in the midst of raising funds to develop a personalized subscription-based offering. This award marks a new stage in our development and is a great encouragement to continue this adventure "adds Elsa Jungman, who took part in The Refiners acceleration program at the end of 2018.
About Elsi :
Elsi offers a personalized, scientific solution for sensitive skin, developing products that are clean, minimalist (10 ingredients maximum), fragrance- and preservative-free, and based on formulas that respect the skin's microbiome. Founder Elsa Jungman holds a doctorate in cutaneous pharmacology, and has been involved for the past ten years in various research projects on the interaction of products with the skin, both in France and the United States. In particular, she has worked for L'Oréal in Advanced Research. A French entrepreneur based in San Francisco since 2015, Elsa took part in The Refiners accelerator program at the end of 2018. Founded a year ago, Elsi has just launched its first moisturizing serum in May 2019, available for the time being in the United States.
