Anne Charpentier, founder of Skinobs, a web platform dedicated to in vivo efficacy cosmetics testing

Premium Beauty News - What is the purpose of the new platform?

Anne Charpentier - Skinobs allows cosmeticians worldwide to identify for free the in vivo efficacy methods and the testing laboratories suitable for any product claim. It is a comprehensive and independent tool which optimizes the development of products in terms of performance, cost, speed, and innovation. It provides a 360-degree vision of in vivo efficacy testing.

Skinobs offers a unique vision on the skin biometrology indexing over 7,200 requests methods, 60 claims,55 devices, 45 global equipment manufacturers, 50 international testing laboratories, 25 methods and6 categories of product.

Premium Beauty News - Who’s by such issues?

Anne Charpentier - Quite a lot of people actually! The website targets R&D managers, formulators, marketers and regulatory authorities in charge of the products or ingredients evaluation and provides them with comprehensive answers on skin testing, the methods, devices, CROs … Complementary topics also enable them to deepen their research: method data sheet, directory, world map.

Premium Beauty News - How did this idea emerge?

Anne Charpentier - The idea of this database was born from a survey of the many actors within the cosmetics industry: active ingredients and finished products manufacturers, instrumentation developers, testing laboratories and associations. After careful data analysis, based on information from the devices manufacturers, CRO and testing laboratories, Skinobs brings together key information expected by cosmetics professionals.

Getting quick and efficient information on existing methods and a direct access to testing laboratories, are key assets in context where speed to market is accelerating.

Premium Beauty News - How did you create this tool?

Anne Charpentier - This first version of Skinobs platform is the result of a multidisciplinary team of 6 digital, technology and cosmetics-oriented people. The study of the project started in 2014 and was supported by two French entrepreneurship programs Start Business in Savoy and Innovizi in the Rhône-Alps region. With the aim to provide the best service to users, version 2 is already in preparation, building on our initial success and taking into account the feedback we have received, we will optimize and enhance the functionality of Skinobs.

Premium Beauty News - You offer a free access to the database; How do you fund its development?

Anne Charpentier - Prior to get unlimited access to the database, users need to register for free. Concerning suppliers (laboratories, equipment suppliers, …), we offer a basic listing for free to ensure that the most of appropriate companies are included. Indeed, the quality of the service is based on the fact that it is as comprehensive as possible. Beyond this basic formula, we offer a paid premium listing that allows a better ranking of the company in the results of users’ queries, as a well as more visibility on the website itself.