Caudalie Founders Invest 1.5M Euros in Skin and Out
The natural anti-acne skin care brand, with topicals and ingestibles, was founded by sisters Fleur and Amélie Desazars.
BY
PARIS — Caudalie founders Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas have invested 1.5 million euros in natural acne care brand Skin and Out.
Skin and Out was launched four years ago in France by sisters Fleur and Amélie Desazars, who had suffered from acne and noted a lack of global and natural solutions to help with the condition.
Their brand takes a three-axes approach, including topical treatments, a range of food supplements imbibed with omega 3, probiotics, plants, vitamins and minerals, and personalized coaching with a naturopath or dietitian expert in acne.
The Thomas' investment is one of a growing number of deals done by family offices and individual investors, which are heating up already rife competition for strategics in the beauty space, which can offer great financial returns.
The couple's taking a stake in Skin and Out comes about a year after they invested an estimated 1 million euros into Talm, a high-end dermocosmetics brand in the maternity category.
Amélie Desazars honed her skills working beside Mathilde Thomas on Caudalie's range for acne-prone skin. Fleur Desazars has a passion for nutrition and worked at Pitaya l'Agence, a consultancy specialized in creating restaurant concepts.
In 2020, the sisters embarked on their own entrepreneurial adventure with one ambition — “to ensure that no one else has to experience acne like we did,” they said jointly in a statement Friday.
The Desazars' approach is to address the symptom, or pimple, and its cause from the inside and outside, with ultra-natural formulas that work over time. They also strive to break the taboo around acne.
That strategy has borne fruit. In 2023, Skin and Out generated more than 1 million euros in sales.
The Desazars raised funds after appearing on the show “Qui veut être mon associé,” France's equivalent of “Shark Tank” in the U.S.
“Imagining the next stages of our development with Mathilde and Bertrand as mentors is an invaluable opportunity — to know the market and refine our positioning,” the sisters said.
They aim to consolidate their strategy, with the priority to maximize the brand's retail presence in France, especially in pharmacies. The Desazars will also continue developing new products formulated and manufactured in France.
“Through this investment, Caudalie is committed to helping Skin and Out grow and underlines its desire to support the emergence of a dynamic ecosystem of talented women in cosmetics,” the statement said.
The Thomases founded Caudalie in 1995. In the 2022 edition of WWD Beauty Inc's list of top 100 brands globally — the most recent to be p published — Caudalie ranked 81st, with estimated sales of $341 million.