
Biotech Brand Mother Science Puts A New Hyperpigmentation-Fighting Active Ingredient On The Skincare Map
Deep-rooted passions for music and science drew Mike Einziger, founding guitarist of the rock band Incubus who studied science and physics history at Harvard University, and his violinist wife, Ann Marie Simpson-Einziger, who studied biology at the University of Virginia, together.
After exploring their passion for music, the couple is now exploring their passion for science at Mother Science, a new skincare brand centered on malassezin, a first-to-market patented biotechnology-derived ingredient produced from malassezia furfur and other yeast that they promote as having 10 times the antioxidant power of vitamin C.
Einziger and Simpson-Einziger intended to make music together, not skincare, but the former accidentally ended up instigating the latter. While on tour in 2016, Simpson-Einziger developed a strange yet harmless skin condition resulting in light patches of skin on her back. Simpson-Einziger and Einziger became fascinated by the condition that doctors couldn’t fully understand. Einziger says, “We would go down this rabbit hole and scour over academic literature, and it totally piqued my curiosity in every aspect.”
Diving down the research rabbit hole caused the couple to discover malassezin. They were so intrigued by it they assembled a consulting team of scientists, dermatologists and chemists to study it. After six years analyzing the molecule and publishing several academic papers on it, Simpson-Einziger and Einziger decided it should be commercialized to bring its benefits to the public.

They tapped Jessica Goldin, former CEO of Shani Darden Skin Care and operating partner at Verity Venture Partners, to guide Mother Science and raised $6.2 million to support it in a pre-launch seed round last November. Female Founders Fund led the round, with participation from Defy Partners, KarpReilly, H Venture Partners, NewBound Ventures, BFG Partners, Tuesday Capital, Olive Capital, Liquid 2 Ventures and Hawktail.
Additional investors include Dropbox CEO and founder Drew Houston, Paul Mitchell co-founder John Paul DeJoria, Pressed Juicery co-founder Hedi Gores, Qualtrics co-founder Jared Smith and NYX Cosmetics founder Toni Ko. The seed capital has been allocated to inventory, marketing, employees and distribution.
In its coverage of Mother Science, Axios suggests the brand could be a skincare corollary to Olaplex, a haircare brand fueled by the patented hair repair ingredient bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate that successfully went public in 2021. The publication notes Simpson-Einziger and Einziger “have known Olaplex CEO JuE Wong for years.” The publication Women’s Wear Daily cites industry sources estimating Mother Science’s sales could hit $1 million to $5 million in its initial year in business.
Malassezin may be novel in beauty, but Simpson-Einziger mentions it has a longstanding presence in science. She explains, “It’s naturally found on human skin since birth, but has never been categorized for cosmetic or commercial use. So, we could patent it and recreate the molecule to improve hyperpigmentation, the skin barrier and provide antioxidant protection.”
“Every skincare brand uses the same actives, but we are making a big move with a new molecule.”
The main goals of Mother Science’s sole debut skincare product, $89 Molecular Hero Serum, are to brighten the skin and help reduce the appearance of dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles without discomfort or dryness. Unlike most pigment-reducing ingredients such as tranexamic acid, kojic acid and alpha arbutin, which are tyrosinase inhibitors preventing the formation of hyperpigmentation, malassezin slows the transport of melanin to the upper layers of the skin, decreases melanin production and stops the transfer of melanin from skin cell to skin cell.
Scientific evidence backs up Mother Science’s claims. Simpson-Einziger details the brand performed numerous skin assay procedures and in-vitro tests on Molecular Hero Serum, and conducted two clinical tests to assess the efficacy and safety of malassezin. She says, “We also did gene expression data where we tested the molecule to understand how the molecule works across desirable targets for skin health and beauty…Every skincare brand uses the same actives, but we are making a big move with a new molecule that’s gone through this rigor with dramatic clinical benefits.”
Some tried-and-true pigment- and wrinkle-reducing ingredients don’t always play nice in a formula, but Simpson-Einziger says malassezin doesn’t compete with tyrosinase inhibitors that can be highly irritating. Instead, it dampens the potential for irritation as it fosters the skin’s barrier function. Goldin says, “You can even use it to replace your vitamin C serum for brightening and smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.”
Mother Science’s packaging nods to cutting-edge science. British creative agency Made Thought incorporated surprise “Easter eggs” and “a lot of nerdy things” in the brand’s design, according to Simpson-Einziger. Mother Science’s reflective silver glass bottle, chosen for sustainability purposes, features a bell jar-shaped lid commonly found in biology and terrarium systems. Simpson-Einziger says, “The lettering bears dots underneath it from Lewis dot diagrams, which are ways of representing atomic structures and bonding pairs.”

The importance of science to Simpson-Einziger and Einziger is encapsulated in their brand’s name. “Everybody understands Mother Nature as an entity you look to for ancient wisdom and natural, good things. Mother Science is another entity we’ve never called out, but she’s ancient and wise just like Mother Nature,” says Simpson-Einziger. “And not many mothers in science go down in history, but times are changing. More women are interested in science, and we proudly call attention to the powerhouse women on our team, which includes chief dermatologist Dr. Pearl Grimes and chief formulation chemist Susan Goldsberry.”
At the outset, Mother Science is sticking to direct-to-consumer distribution, but it could enter retail and professional channels down the line. Simpson-Einziger says, “Dermatologists are desperate for something that comes into the pigmentation space with efficacy. So, for the thought leaders, this will be an exciting new tool for them.”
Education will be paramount for Mother Science to decipher malassezin for consumers unfamiliar with it. TikTok will be a go-to platform for brand and ingredient education, and the brand will partner with influencers sharing scientific knowledge when talking about beauty products. “I want people to play the role of citizen scientists and embrace the quick results when treating their hyperpigmentation,” says Simpson-Einziger. “We want people to spread the message of malassezin.”
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