Former Nécessaire Exec Teams Up With Cancer Researchers To Launch Exosome-Driven Brand SickScience

Years of cancer research led molecular scientists Merve Yildirim and Polen Koçak to develop NX35, a proprietary exosome technology based on bioengineered plant cells and the key ingredient in their new beauty brand SickScience.

“We wanted to create formulations that are scientifically proven to work,” explains Koçak, adding, “The compound improves cell health and decline because it is a biomimetic exosome so that it can communicate between cells. Seeing how this compound was able to help people with cancer gave us the spark to explore entrepreneurship.”

One of the people exosome technology NX35 has helped is Yildirim’s mother, who used it as part of her treatment after being diagnosed with cancer. Exosomes are nanoparticles—they’re 1/1000th the size of a cell—secreted by every cell in the body that deliver messages to cells at a molecular level. Derived from human placenta in aesthetics treatments, exosomes are increasingly moving to skincare as scientists and formulators concoct stable versions from non-human sources.

For Yildirim and Koçak, lab-coat types with no previous beauty industry experience, it’s a significant leap from cancer research to beauty. They partnered with SickScience co-creator Tyler Heiden Jones, former SVP at Nécessaire, GM at Kosé Corp. and president at Intelligent Nutrients, to assist them in making that leap.

Powered by plant-based exosome ingredient technology NX35, SickScience’s first product is ShapeShift V-Line Jaw Defining Serum. Priced at $59 for a 30-ml. size, it will sell exclusively on the brand’s website to start.

Venturing into the skincare business wasn’t initially the plan for Yildirim and Koçak. “After they recognized the potential of NX35, they considered getting the ingredient out by starting a raw material business, and there is a credible raw material business model built into this for when we are ready in the future,” says Heiden Jones. Upon reviewing the numbers and the potential for their exosome technology in skincare, their perspective shifted.

Heiden Jones says SickScience’s debut product, ShapeShift V-Line Jaw Defining Serum, is a “jawline-defining gel-serum powered by NX35 [that] fulfills the longstanding desires of both the beauty industry and consumers.” Priced at $59 for a 30-ml. size, it’s launching exclusively on SickScience’s website. Heiden Jones, who figures Sick Science could price the product at $200, but has opted to cut out middlemen at the start to keep it reasonable, says the serum acts as a fat burner by targeting liquid reserves in fat cells and reducing them without damaging the fat cells for a more sculpted jawline, neck and chin. Wishful thinking? Heiden Jones believes otherwise.

“There is a market for fat reduction without side effects.”

“What blew my mind and excited me is that the product works fast and effectively and delivers results in as little as four weeks,” he says. “For example, most products are a temporary fix and use caffeine, but this is a new way of communicating with the cells. It’s also more affordable than in-office treatments, and there is a market for fat reduction without side effects.”

Science is at the core of SickScience, and it describes itself as initiating a “biohacking revolution” in beauty. Still, it tries not to come off as too science heavy. Heiden Jones says, “SickScience is high tech, but fun and accessible, and it resonates with someone who is 20, 40, or 60 because of the results and because it feels fresh and new, which we know younger customers are always looking for.”

SickScience co-founders Polen Koçak and Merve Yildirim

Heiden Jones recognizes SickScience’s exosome approach is pretty novel in the skincare realm, but he thinks it’s easy for consumers to grasp. “We looked at our clinical studies and found multiple steps of engagement with the consumers. It’s a double whammy because the product works effectively and fast with a difference in the jawline after four weeks, which can be seen in the before and after images that consumers will respond to,” he says. “Using these special exosomes to target this hard-to-tame area is a big breakthrough, which is why I’m 100% convinced that this innovative type of exosomes will be the next big wave in the cosmetic industry.”

To get its points across through branding, SickScience hired branding agency Nue24 to create custom packaging that looks like a pill. Heiden Jones notes that the brand’s name stemmed from conversations in which he repeatedly exclaimed that its technology is “sick,” in a good way. He says, “I was getting so excited, and our branding agency kept hearing me say that over and over, so it kind of just stuck. We think it shakes people’s attention.”

“We are not trying to be an old-school skincare brand. We want to shake things up.”

SickScience didn’t provide a sales projection, but industry sources told the publication Women’s Wear Daily that the brand could reach $2 million in sales in its first year on the market. It will kick off with paid media, partnerships with influencers, including Yildirim and Koçak, who are active on social media, and affiliate programs to spread the word. Beyond its website, the brand is mulling a retail and e-tail distribution strategy that could eventually encompass Ulta Beauty, Sephora and Amazon.

“It is better to learn before investing in a retail partnership. We want to be cautious, and although we have had some initial conversations, we know we are not ready yet,” says Heiden Jones. “Retailers want you to stay in your lane, but because we have a popcorn strategy for innovation, which will lead us to create future products, we don’t want to be boxed into just one category. We are not trying to be an old-school skincare brand. We want to shake things up and use more of a problem-solution strategy for the first two years of the brand.”

Next up for SickScience’s assortment is a scalp care product launching in April. After that, the brand could venture into body care and ingestible products.

SickScience received funding from a Turkish investment company and the Turkish government to get the ball rolling. The brand didn’t disclose the amount of funding or the name of the investment company. Now, it’s pursuing seed funding to support growth. Heiden Jones says, “From a business standpoint, we know we are sitting on a raw material component that can grow into a separate business, but we are not ready for that.”

Next up for SickScience’s assortment is scalp care. In April, it will introduce PowerCycle, a scalp treatment serum with NX35 to signal to hair follicle cells to regenerate, resulting in hair growth and strengthening. Body care and ingestible products are on the merchandise roadmap. The directions NX35 could head in are virtually limitless, according to Heiden Jones. He says, “We are also seeing reduction and circumference in areas like the thighs and abdomen and reduction of stretch marks and cellulite.”