In this brand profile series, we take a look at the companies leading the way. Find out more and register HERE to join us at the Cosmetics Design Summit 2019: Skin Microbiome Innovation.
This two-day conference is packed with expert speakers and groundbreaking research, and takes place in Amsterdam, 24-25 June.
Leading names dominate the speaker programme, with insights from L’Oréal, L’Occitane, Mintel, Asia Consumer Intelligence, academic researchers, regulatory experts, leading niche brands and more.
The exciting event is sponsored by DSM and Givaudan (Diamond sponsors); Solabia, and Sabinsa (Platinum sponsors); Mibelle Biochemistry and Atlantia (Gold sponsors), and Indena (supporter).
JooMo: brand in the spotlight
JooMo’s co-founder Kit Wallen Russell will be leading a session at our upcoming conference, and the brand has been one the forefront of this emerging trend.
We caught up with him on the story behind JooMo’s successes so far with working with the skin’s microbiome, and what’s next.
“The concept of the Skin Microbiome is now starting to become mainstream, and that’s a great opportunity for the cosmetics industry as a whole to become a science based, health giving industry!” Wallen Russell says.
Where has the demand for probiotics in skin care come from?
Firstly at JooMo we do NOT make probiotics!
Creating a healthy skin microbiome is a prerequisite for all third ‘third wave’ cosmetics, but there are currently two main camps of thought about how best to achieve this: Probiotics versus Biodiversity.
JooMo increases your skin's natural biodiversity by creating an environment that takes the skin back to its natural state. The probiotic lobby are interested in whether adding random, huge numbers of a single species can make the skin healthy. The two concepts are actually polar opposites of each other.
Blindly applying probiotics on the skin can actually reduce the diversity, and skin health, as explained below.
The potential danger of using probiotics is that by nature they will lead to an overgrowth of a normally ‘good’ species of bacteria and will consequently lead to dysbiosis: a microbial imbalance or maladaptation on or inside the body that has been linked to many dangerous health conditions.
What is the defining ethos behind JooMo?
The Skin Microbiome revolution has arrived, and JooMo are world-leaders. Why’s this important? Because a damaged microbiome has been linked with all common skin problems - acne, eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis - and even skin cancer!
And a Medical University of Graz study has proven that JooMo’s products restore the skin microbiome, leading to both healthy & hydrated skin in just two weeks.
How do we do it? As a research led modern ethical business, JooMo are the pioneers of the coming ‘third wave’ cosmetic era, and we’re leading the fightback against the skin allergy epidemic that’s raging across the Western world.
We’re here to transform the industry which is deceiving millions of consumers into one that is honestly-labelled, health-giving and based on thorough scientific research!
Can you describe a major high point in your story so far?
Discovering the first and only reliable way of measuring skin health. We discovered that, like all other ecosystems in nature, an increased microbial biodiversity means healthier skin.
This was the conclusion of our 2017 peer-reviewed research paper: the individual microbes themselves aren’t harmful, but can become so if your skin microbiome is weakened (lowers its biodiversity).
For the first time ever, this enabled us to test cosmetics products to see whether they are a main contributor to the skin allergy epidemic.
Using this research, and with The Medical University of Graz, an independent study was conducted and published in 2018, to start to answer this question.
The study indicated that synthetic chemicals have a negative effect on skin microbiome biodiversity, and, using our mechanism, on skin health.
Standout product?
We don’t have one! Every one of our products is formulated to be skin microbiome friendly and is tailored for body area and age group.
We are currently undertaking further research into different skin microbiomes and hope to customise future products even more specifically for age groups, gender, skin types and ethnicity.
Are you expecting any key challenges or opportunities in the coming period?
We are excited to be leading a revolution in skin care that’s focusing on bringing Third Wave Microbiome Friendly Cosmetics to consumers.
We have also just launched the ONLA (Open Natural Labelling Association) to transform the industry and help millions of consumers by acting as an independent standards and certification body.
Only products which are truly 100% natural and/or skin microbiome friendly will be awarded certification.
Quickfire facts & figures:
● Launch date
The JooMo 100% Truly Natural brand was launched in 2013, and our enhanced skin microbiome friendly products have been available since 2017.
● Products
We are pleased to announce the launch of next generation JooMo products.
Groundbreaking trials at the Medical University of Graz have enabled us to further enhance our world leading Skin Microbiome friendly technology, and allowed us to expand our product range.
Starting with our ‘Adult Vegan Face Wash’, this technology will provide the foundation for a new line of enhanced products that will be released over the next few months!
These products will initially complement, but then replace, our existing range of skin microbiome friendly products.
● Retail channels
Our products are available internationally through various distribution channels.
We’ve just launched Phase I of the internationalisation of our website so that JooMo customers around the world can be directed to their own localised sales channels.
We also have agents and distributors around the world and we’ve just established a new sales office in the USA.
These agents and distributors mostly sell to retail outlets, beauty salons and health spas.