Ourself was founded by a trio of entrepreneurs—Scott Glenn, Lauren Otsuki, and Vimla Black-Gupta—who are passionate about creating new market opportunities that challenge the status quo. Together, Scott, Lauren, and Vimla are defining a new era of skincare with Ourself. By filling the market gap between topical skincare and cosmetic procedures, Ourself goes where no skincare has gone before, helping everyone look and feel like the best version of themself. We all want to look and feel like the best version of Ourself. Yet as time goes by, we watch the face we know start to change, separating us from the person we once saw in the mirror. Ourself believes in the power of seeing your favorite self again. No needles, no lasers. Controllable results that always look and feel like you.
Founder: Vimla Black-Gupta, Scott Glenn, Lauren Otsuki
Founded: February 2022
Leadership:
2023 Full Year Expected Revenue Range: $10MM to $20MM (estimated by industry experts)
Categories: Skincare
Distribution Channels: Prestige, Boutique, Department Store, Professional
Funding Rounds: Venture Capital
Total Funds Raised: $30MM
Notable Investors: Lightspeed Venture Partners
Notable Advisors: Nicole Quinn, Brent Saunders, Marla Beck, Dayna Quanbeck
What are some of your key business initiatives for 2023?
Building on the momentum in 2022, Ourself will launch with a number of premier retail and spa partners to bring the latest biotech beauty products to more consumers in 2023.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
Launched in February 2022 via direct-to-consumer (DTC) first, Ourself grew its retail footprint with Violet Grey, Bluemercury, Moda Operandi, Nordstrom, and Ever/Body. Ourself also has garnered numerous press features including Marie Claire, Elle, Harper's, Harpers Bazaar, Vogue, Byrdie, WWD, and received beauty awards such as Elle Future of Beauty 2022 for Lip Filler, and Ebony Beauty and Grooming Awards for Daily Dark Spot Intercept Serum.
What has been the biggest surprise since the brand was founded?
Our products appeal to people of all ages for both skin aging prevention and rejuvenation.
What aspect of your brand DNA fuels your competitive advantage?
Ourself is the first-ever Subtopical Skincare System that is leveraging biotechnology to define an entirely new category in the industry that goes where no other topical skincare brand has gone before. This new subtopical skincare category refers to a product that is applied topically and delivered to the layers of the skin that are otherwise only reachable by clinical/dermatological procedures like needles and lasers, where active ingredients need to penetrate in order to address the root cause of stubborn skincare concerns that have not been adequately addressed by any other topical products such as loss of volume, fine lines and wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation.
Please share your insight on the future of the beauty industry.
Science is back and more important than ever. Consumers are looking for science-backed, clinically tested, efficacious solutions for skin aging. There will be a very significant step change in the expectations on what skincare should deliver.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Do not clip your own wings … dream the impossible and achieve it; it’s the only way to make innovation happen.
Paying it forward, what advice would you give to someone contemplating launching a beauty brand?
Think long and hard about why you need to launch another beauty brand.
If you could change one thing in the beauty industry what would it be?
We should all make fewer but better products.
