Founded in 2014, B&B Labs is an offshoot of Beaubelle Group, which also manufactures and distributes its eponymous Swiss-made brand.
As a cosmeceutical brand, B&B Lab has developed a range of professional-grade products that tackles skin issues like acne and skin sensitivity.
This year, the firm launched the CustoMask, which it claims to be the world’s first personalised microbiome sheet masks.
The sheet masks are customised based on an online AI-driven skin assessment test that will help to determine the type of activated concentrate and sheet mask material your skin needs.
Consumers will end up with a mask that is made up of one of five different activated concentrates that will be paired with one of six plant-based sheet mask materials.
The common factor in them all is E-cology Plus+, a company’s blend of prebiotic ingredients that include Biolin, Hyaluronic Acid, aloe vera, durian extract and mangosteen extract.
“The main reason we wanted to launch a product with microbiome enhancing ingredients is because of the need in the market at the moment. Many people are suddenly experiencing sensitivity with their skin and this could be due unhealthy lifestyle habits and other modern stressors,” CEO Julius Lim explained.
With COVID-19, Lim believes the demand from microbiome beauty products will grow as it can help to strengthen the skin and the defence against the virus.
“Things like disinfectants are aggressive products that kill everything, the bad organisms and the good organisms. All these will weaken the skin and create a conducive environment for the bad bacteria to grow,” said Lim.
He added: “I believe microbiome-enhancing ingredients are becoming increasingly important during this period as it helps to build up the defence to give you lasting protection.”
This may very well be the ‘new normal’ he added, which was why the company is planning to develop and launch more microbiome enhancing personal care products, one of which will be a hand care product.
“There’s much more use of alcohol-based hand sanitiser, and yes its important to kill all the germs but at the same time it strips away just as much, and we need to replenish and rebalance the skin,” Lim said.
The firm foresees that the demand for microbiome products will continue to rise even after COVID-19 has settled and sees the category as a growth driver for the brand.
“Our modern lifestyles are definitely not getting easier. If anything, stress levels are increasing. Also, all of us will continue to age regardless and that can affect the microbiota as well. This is the time for more microbiome-friendly products,” said Lim.
At-home treatments
Another area the firm has identified as a growth driver was the beauty device category.
“When the economy reopens, people may still reduce the need to go out. They will find more things to do at home, like DIY facials with beauty tech,” said Lim.
As such, the firm also launched the CustoMask Amplifier, a galvanic ion enhancer meant to be used in conjunction with the CustoMask.
“You wear it like a pair of headphones, but the probes sit under your cheekbones. You just need to wear it and go about your business and it will automatically shut off,” Lim explained.
The company claims that this device can enhance the overall absorption of the concentrating and boost the effects of the mask by 10 times and also provides firming action on the skin.
Lim said the company planned to expand its distribution channels for CustoMask and its future microbiome products.
“We are mainly a professional brand, but now we’re looking at the bigger picture and we want to get into TV shopping channels and online retailers to market our products.”