Rachel Brown

United States

Editor-in-Chief at Beauty Independent

Editor in Chief, Beauty Independent

Articles

Science-Driven Professional Skincare Brand Epicutis Raises $10M In Series B Funding To Fuel Expansion

2 days ago | beautyindependent.com | Rachel Brown

Epicutis, the science-driven luxury professional skincare brand, has raised $10 million in series B funding to fuel its next phase of growth. The brand didn’t disclose the investor in its series B round, but described it as a single insider who’s a longstanding board member and was an original backer. The series B funding follows $3 million in series A funding it secured in October 2024, also from an insider, according to Epicutis.
HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS

3 days ago | rachelbrownauthor.medium.com | Rachel Brown

Never have I ever felt so powerless as an American citizen. The Constitutional laws that protect our democracy are being side-stepped, and no elected officials are stepping in; no Supreme Court justice is questioning the methods. Checks and balances are out the door. The American dream still lives if you are wealthy and white, a conservative Christian, and a heterosexual man. This is what we have come to in America. No longer can we just agree to disagree; no longer is there civil discourse.
Biotech Firm Cellugy Scores $9.25M Grant To Replace Petrochemicals In Beauty Products

4 days ago | beautyindependent.com | Rachel Brown

An eco-friendly alternative is no good if it can’t perform like the cheap, eco-unfriendly material it’s substituting. Cellugy is fully aware of that—and its goal is to replace xanthan and cellulose gums and petroleum-derived microplastics in cosmetics with lab-created ingredients that are equal in performance while being better for the earth.
Unilever And TSG Consumer Man Up With Dr. Squatch, Dude Wipes Deals

5 days ago | beautyindependent.com | Rachel Brown

The beauty and personal care mergers and acquisitions market got a double dose of testosterone Monday, when Unilever announced its acquisition of Dr. Squatch and TSG Consumer swiped a minority stake in Dude Wipes.
Has The End Of The Lipstick Index Been Greatly Exaggerated?

1 week ago | beautyindependent.com | Rachel Brown

The lipstick index has been declared over more than baggy jeans—and both have an endurable knack for sticking around. From Bloomberg to The Business of Fashion, articles have predicted peak beauty is here, consumers are tapped out, and beauty’s recession resilience is a relic. The data tells a more nuanced story. Sure, the beauty industry’s growth is slowing, but it’s not extinct.
Why Beauty M&A Isn’t Returning To Peak Form Anytime Soon

2 weeks ago | beautyindependent.com | Rachel Brown

The one-two punch of the billion-dollar Rhode and Medik8 deals in the space of less than a month has the beauty industry atwitter, but it doesn’t necessarily portend an upcoming flurry of deals by beauty conglomerates.
Pact Sees Beauty Shoppers Recycle Nearly 2.6X More Last Year

2 weeks ago | beautyindependent.com | Rachel Brown

After beauty product recycling through Pact declined in 2023, the tide of beauty waste turned last year, when the nonprofit saw both consumer engagement and the volume of beauty product empties it collected from consumers multiply nearly 2.6X.
L'Oréal Chooses Science Over Social Media Buzz With $1.1B Medik8 Acquisition

2 weeks ago | beautyindependent.com | Rachel Brown

When it comes to Medik8, L’Oréal interpreted CSA as “conduct strategic acquisition.”CSA, an acronym for the brand’s skincare philosophy of vitamin C and sunscreen by day and vitamin A by night, is also among the many reasons why the world’s biggest beauty company is buying a majority stake in Medik8.
Fragrance Decanting Is Growing. Is It Hurting Or Helping Brands?

2 weeks ago | beautyindependent.com | Rachel Brown

#PerfumeTok is engaged in a discussion about decanting by e-commerce websites that divide perfumes into smaller sizes for consumers to try at lower prices, with critics arguing that decants may be counterfeit and supporters countering that they’ve largely been reputable and enable consumers to affordably trial expensive perfumes.
A Small Beauty Brand Buyer On The Valuation Gap That’s Sinking Deals

3 weeks ago | beautyindependent.com | Rachel Brown

For the last two years, Thomas Winarick has been scouring the beauty landscape to buy a struggling brand that could be reinvigorated with capital and new management. He’s been in discussions with 10 brands, but, so far, the deals have fallen through. The big reason? There’s a disconnect between the price brand founders are seeking and the price he’s offering.