Founded in 2023 by David Suissa, Byome Labs has been supporting beauty brands by providing tests and analyses regarding the safety and impact of formulas on the skin, oral, scalp, and vaginal mucosa microbiomes.
Apart from this business, the startup has been setting up an innovative project involving a microbiome analysis kit combined with AI to eventually make it possible for brands to recommend products 100% compatible with each person’s microbiome.
“We are working in a codevelopment partnership with beauty brands, so they can offer their customers the whole package, in particular at points of sale, to customize and best adapt skincare routines to their own skins,” explains Margaux Jeanmougin, Marketing & Communication Director.
Just like for a COVID antigen test, the kit contains a swab to be applied on the skin, even when wearing makeup, and then inserted into a tube with a buffer solution. Then, the solution is poured on antigen strips. The results are instantaneously interpreted by an application using Artificial Intelligence to offer bespoke recommendations.
A real benefit to choose the right products
According to the specialist, getting to know your microbiome is a determining factor when it comes to choosing a cosmetic product.
“One person out of two does not know their skin type, so they might wrongfully think they have acne-prone skin, and then use too aggressive products that are ill-adapted to sensitive skins and will increase inflammation, instead of calming it. Over 70% of cosmetic products are thrown away due to lack of compatibility with the actual skin condition,” she says.
The startup also intends to index the cosmetic products developed by all cosmetics and dermocosmetics brands.
“Once the test has been done and a questionnaire on lifestyle filled in, the person will have access through AI to a beauty routine recommendation customized according to the results, including moisturizers, masks, or even eye contours of the indexed brands,” explains Margaux Jeanmougin.
A scientific answer
With this innovation, which involves a dedicated reading system and an iPad app developed with dermatologists, Byome Labs highlights the value of an assessment based on scientific data and combined with shopping advice.
“There are diagnosis tools available, but they are based on skin observation, and there are also microbiome tests in Molecular Biology, but they need to be sent to laboratories, and then you have to wait for several weeks for them to be analysed. In the end, you get no recommendation of adapted products. With Smart Derma, we provide a scientific answer in less than five minutes, as well as a corresponding skincare solution,” emphasizes Margaux Jeanmougin.
Byome Labsis also working on a Smart Derma tool specially for healthcare professionals to substantiate dermatologists’ diagnosis with scientific evidence.
“It scientifically backs the professionals’ diagnoses, as consumers are increasingly eager to get scientific evidence,” she concludes.
The startup is now raising funds to speed up the project’s R&D and industrialisation. The first market launch is scheduled for late 2025.
