French DTC, genderless skincare brand Typology launches in the UK

Typology, the French direct-to-consumer, genderless skincare brand from the founder of Made.com, has today launched in the UK.

Founded by entrepreneur Ning Li, the brand sets out to provide accessibly priced skincare that demystifies the skincare process with a range of vegan products made from concentrated, natural ingredients.

The products are priced from approximately £10 to £20 for skincare with fragrance coming in at £32.50. Fragrance layering sets can also be purchased.

Consumers can shop for individual products – with categories covering lip care, hand care, hair care, serums, toners and hydrolates among others – or by skincare concern or by a routine. The routines feature six tailored products and are divided into different skin types including for instance, dull and tired, mature, oily, sensitive and blemished skin, are priced at £79.80 each.

The entrepreneur behind the brand, Ning Li, arrived in France at the age of 16 from the south of China. When he first arrived he could not speak French but financed his studies by working in a pastry shop in Chinatown, before graduating from the prestigious HEC Paris business school.

After graduating in 2006, he went on to co-found an e-commerce business for event sales called Myfab, which was sold to the PPR group. He then came to London to establish Made.com, a direct to consumer business selling furniture and interiors products at accessible prices.

Typology was founded in Paris in 2018 with the aim of being transparent, ethical and easy to understand. “When I had the opportunity to create an entirely new skincare brand, I assembled a team of experts with a single mission in mind: to radically change the industry’s rules," Li said.

As well as applying ethics to the products, the brand is also focused on sustainable packaging and has set out to eliminate the use of plastics. The delivery boxes have been designed to fit through letterboxes while product packaging is either produced from glass or recycled plastic with customers encouraged to re-use bottles.

Aluminium is used for all tubes as it’s the only material that can be continuously recycled without degrading itself or the product. The company is working on a plan to recover all packaging for it to be disinfected, re-filled and re-used.

The Typology range is divided into ranges including:

RAW - a range of clean, single-ingredient products that can be used alone or can be mixed balms, candles, scrubs, masks and serums.

LAB - effective serums with some of the highest and most concentrated active ingredients on the market. Each product contains a "hero" ingredient such as Hyaluronic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Bakuchiol, Activated Carbon or Ferulic Acid to target a particular skincare concern.

TEN - each product in this range, which includes a moisturiser, lip balm, hand balm, micellar water, cleansing oil, shampoo and conditioner, contains just 10 ingredients or fewer with no silicones or perfumes present.

WOMAN - products formulated to work at each of the four stages of woman's hormonal cycle.

SAF - four solid hydrating cleansing bars that have been handcrafted in the centre of France and designed for four specific skin types.

PRIMAIRE - a collection of natural eau de parfums made from essential oils and created in Provence. Typology has chosen to use notes that are 100% natural in its range of six fragrances, each combining two raw materials from perfumery to create a scent designed to be layered and customised.

TONE - this is the latest addition to the brand with toners that target a specific skincare concern.

Typology is one of a number of direct to consumer skincare brands finding success with a digital-first model as locked-down consumers turn to wellness and self-care during the pandemic.

The Typology UK website can be found here.