Topicals

Olomide Ololwe was 23 years old and a Stanford biology graduate when she raised $2.6 million for a skincare brand, targeted specifically at inflammatory skin conditions most prestige cosmetics houses had ignored for decades. Oloe had lived with hyperpigmentation and keratosis Polaris her entire life, conditions that affect a disproportionate share of customers with melanin-rich skin. She spent her early 20s researching that the prestige skincare industry had never designed a brand specifically for chronic flare-ups, eczema, dark spots, and bumpy skin on the body. In 2020, she launched Topocles with a flagship product, Faded, a brightening serum priced at $38 and designed for hyperpigmentation on face and body simultaneously.