By: Shivani Persad, December 02 2024
Inspired by her personal struggle with acne and a transformative trip to her family’s homeland in Sicily, Melodie Padula turned to the natural remedies of her Italian heritage to create a product line that’s as effective as it is ethical. She has built a brand celebrated for its authenticity, sustainability, and unparalleled quality by sourcing ingredients directly from small harvesters in Italy’s renowned regions. In this interview, we explore her journey, her challenges, and her vision for Curù Skin’s future.
Can you tell us about what inspired you to create Curù Skin?
I created Curù Skin, a natural skincare product and brand inspired by my struggle with acne. During a visit to my family in Sicily, I experienced my worst acne breakout, along with a bad sunburn. This led me to research natural remedies from my cultural traditions. I created a formula for my skin and decided to help others with similar struggles. Before this, I worked (and still work) as a high school media teacher.
What were some of the key challenges you faced when starting Curù Skin?
The main challenge was needing more guidance and knowledge about starting a business, especially not coming from an entrepreneurial family. Finding suppliers and navigating regulatory requirements for cosmetics was also challenging. I spent considerable time researching and testing to find the purest ingredients from their natural origins.
What makes Curù Skin unique in the market?
The uniqueness comes from our ingredients’ sourcing and certification. Similar to wine region certifications, our ingredients come from specific regions known for their superior properties. We don’t source from big wholesalers or distributors; instead, we work with small harvesters in Italy. Many ingredients are upcycled, and we source from regions where plants naturally contain beneficial properties for skin care.
Certifications like DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) and DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) are all about ensuring quality and authenticity by connecting products to specific regions and traditional methods. While they’re best known in food and wine, these labels are making waves in skincare, guaranteeing top-notch standards and unique benefits from ingredients like olive oil and upcycled grape extracts.
How has Curù Skin evolved since its inception?
The company started with me building as I went along. Initially, I positioned the product as both an anti-acne and after-sun product. Based on customer feedback, we’ve evolved to focus on all-season sun care related to acne prevention and skin barrier protection. We’ve also developed a stronger focus on sustainability, using food and beverage industry waste products. I was awarded the BESTMADEGRAPE Project in Europe for working with wine industry waste for new product development.
What motivated you to join this program with Elevate and Moneris?
I joined because the program focused explicitly on e-commerce businesses, unlike many other accelerators focusing on tech or SaaS. Finding direct support for consumer packaged goods took time, and this program offered focused guidance and live feedback, along with the opportunity to learn from other founders.
How has the program helped you overcome specific challenges you faced as an entrepreneur?
The program particularly helped with marketing and SEO strategies. It provided valuable insights into organic search and marketing, helping me understand whether to invest in SEO and how to measure its effectiveness.
What are your future plans for Curù Skin?
Future plans include expanding product offerings and reaching new markets. The grant received through the program will be used to strengthen e-commerce tools, implementing feedback from the program to improve security, language options, shipping, and logistics for expansion into US and European markets.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting their journey?
While trends can be helpful, it’s essential to be passionate and truly understand the problem you’re trying to solve. Don’t just create products because they’re trending (like vitamin C serums or hyaluronic acid). I recommend having a genuine, authentic story, which is crucial, especially in a competitive market like skincare.
Melodie’s journey with Curù Skin reminds us that even if it is saturated in markets, sometimes the solution to our own struggles may not be readily available products. Sometimes, it’s essential to explore the ingredients our family or ancestors may have used and create our own solutions inspired by our roots.
If you’re an entrepreneur looking for a supportive environment to help bring your vision to life, consider joining Elevate’s next Innovator Challenge. Check out Curù Skin on Instagram and follow their journey in sharing Italy’s skincare secrets with the world.
