THE EVERYGIRL Interview: Acaderma as the Internet's Most Talked About Skincare Brand1
Skincare is a vital part of many of our lives, with the global cosmetic market set to be worth $429.8 billion by 2022, thanks to millennials. What makes the growth of the cosmetic market even more fascinating are the indie beauty brands run by millennial women that are making their mark. One of those innovative entrepreneurs is Dr. Shuting Hu of Acaderma, a skincare line that combines “academia and dermatology.”
Dr. Hu is one of the youngest cosmetic scientists to receive an award from the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists, according to Forbes. Not to mention in 2018, she was one of 13 women accepted into Sephora’s Accelerate Program, a six-month program that helps female founders gain the know-how to create successful beauty businesses through mentorship.
How did you come up with a name for your company, and what do you think sets your products apart?
The name combines ‘academia’ and ‘dermatology,’ which means we use technology discovered from academia to solve skin problems. What separates us from any other skincare brand on the market today are our pioneering technology and exclusive, high-quality ingredients that are rigorously tested and backed by independent clinical trials. Every formulation is clean and 9-free, meaning that all of our formulas are devoid of SLS/SLES, parabens, mineral oil, propylene glycol, synthetic dyes, hydroquinone, phthalates, fragrances, and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives.
We started from scientific research: screening, purifying, and identifying more than 1,000 compounds, studying their action mechanisms, and conducting clinical trials to find the best ingredients. Then came formulation design: a delivery system that made sure our active ingredients can penetrate your skin to the basal layer of the epidermis. Another challenge came from lab to production: our exclusive ingredients’ extraction and purification technology take another one year (from 1g per week to 10kg per day). On the other end, there’s brand and packaging design, marketing, building our own website, and selling direct-to-consumer that we had to execute. We participated in every step of the supply chain to make sure our scientific integrity is delivered to the final product in your beauty cabinet.
