New Brand Cool As A Cucumber Wants To Ease The Mental And Physical Burden Of Adult Acne

On her first day of business school at Northwestern University in 2019, an excited Eda Levent snapped a selfie to send to her sister Serra and spotted a giant zit on her chin. Horrified, she skipped class. “You see it more than anyone else,” says Eda, formerly product marketing manager at Zillow and co-founder of hospitality startup Carraway. “The emotional toll is huge.”

While many people assume the emotional toll and physical manifestation of acne ends when teenagehood is over, the Levents, both in their thirties, are living proof that it doesn’t—and they’re not alone. In a survey they conducted of about 1,000 Americans, one out of three aged 25 to 65 years old reported dealing with acne. And their acne persisted despite a range of options they sought to combat it, from prescription medications to pimple patches.

“We had tried every product elimination diet, visited countless derms, but we never really figured out how to stay clear consistently. We had periods of good skin and bad skin, but it was always this cycle that we couldn’t really break,” says Eda, referring to herself and Serra, a fellow acne sufferer. “And I decided to finally take back control and figure this out for once and for all.”

That decision was three years ago, and it led to Eda digging into the root causes of acne (genetics play an enormous role), identifying ingredients that address and conversely exacerbate acne, and concocting products based on her findings. Now, together with Serra, who previously worked in digital commerce at Tiffany, she’s launched Cool as a Cucumber, a brand that takes a complex approach to adult acne so people with it don’t have to.

“The skincare journey looks different for everyone, but the quick fixes, the miracle cures, the 15-step regimens haven’t made any of us any healthier or happier. So, we want to provide education and tools to help you understand your triggers and offer clinically proven formulas that lead to clear skin and clear minds,” says Eda, emphasizing, “Our mission is liberating people physically and mentally from acne’s burden.”

Talking about the derivation of the Cool as a Cucumber brand name, Serra chimes in, “Before this, we were coming at it from such a flustered and frustrated place, where you’re trying to throw so many things at the problem and see what sticks, and that never worked. We know cool heads prevail, but we never really applied it to this topic. The minute we were cool as a cucumber about our acne is when we got things under control. So, it really speaks to that approach.”

Cool as a Cucumber is starting with three products designed to dissipate adult acne: $36 cleanser Soothe Operator, $85 treatment serum Balancing Act and $75 gel serum Hydralixir. No matter what product it expands to in the future, whether it’s a serum for hyperpigmentation or scarring, for example, the plan is to make them suitable for people with acne. They much rather not inflame their acne even if they’re tackling other skin concerns.

“Our mission is liberating people physically and mentally from acne’s burden.”

“Acne treatment is not one step in your regimen,” says Eda. “Fundamentally, it’s a mindset shift of, how do I take care of my acne-prone skin in totality?”

Diving into Cool as a Cucumber’s debut products, the hydrating, silky sulfate-free cleanser Soothe Operator has rosemary, green tea, white tea, vitamin B5, gluconolactone and centella asiatica. It’s formulated to be gentle, but remove makeup and dirt to create a fresh canvas for subsequent skincare. The acne-clearing and -preventing treatment serum Balancing Act is similarly formulated to be gentle. It has mandelic acid, salicylic acid, milk thistle and lilac leaf.

“When you’re dealing with acne-prone skin, genetically you literally have a mutation that makes your skin cells shed five to 20 times faster than someone who doesn’t have this. What that means is you’re constantly shedding dead skin cells, which contribute to clogging your pores,” says Eda. “So, you have to stay on top of that by gently exfoliating frequently, but most exfoliating products out there are too harsh.”

The gel serum Hydralixir contains hyaluronic acid, beta-glucan, silver ear mushroom, mangosteen and aloe. “It brings hydration to your skin and helps you keep it,” says Eda. “We’ve boosted that with soothing botanicals because soothing and anti-inflammation is a huge pillar for acne. Mangosteen extract, which you can tell from its color, the rich purple, is a super potent antioxidant.”

Eda and Serra funded Cool as a Cucumber with an undisclosed amount of personal and family savings. They expect to soon begin fundraising to secure a target amount of roughly $2 million from friends, family members and angel investors to build the brand’s assortment, rev up marketing and support clinical trials. So far, the Levents estimate 60% of the funds for Cool as a Cucumber have gone to research and development.

The development process hasn’t been entirely without hiccups. Early on, the Levents blew $10,000 on an independent product developer that supplied them a product sample they compared to Windex. After that, three manufacturers essentially fired them, according to Eda. “We had lower MOQs and too many questions and were too demanding in the sense that we had very specific needs,” she says. “In the end, it’s about knowing where you take their expertise and sticking to our guns where it matters. We finally found great partners that get it, and they work with us, and here we are, but it’s been a rocky journey.”

“We believe there’s a huge white space in premium retail that’s not speaking to this audience as a whole person.”

The Levents have stuck to their guns about sourcing their own ingredients for Cool as a Cucumber. Eda explains that, because its formulas aren’t necessarily easy, “we can always go back to the raw ingredient suppliers, and they will help our chemists to make sure that we create the best formulas with their ingredients. So, it’s been a great investment. In fact, after the products are done, there’s been instances where we send the product back to them to test in their lab to make sure that the active ingredients are still intact and work.”

Cool as a Cucumber has also turned to external experts to advise it. Its medical advisory board consists of dermatologist Alok Vij, OB-GYN and hormone specialist Shamsah Amersi, aesthetician Lynne Shirvandehi, and psychotherapist and behavioral scientist Naomi Arbit. “We’re really mindful of the mental impact of acne,” says Serra. “Down the line, we’re going to start doing real life events and workshops with these experts.”

To educate consumers about acne, Cool as a Cucumber’s website has a Skindex Ingredient Checker with about 100 skincare ingredients that are aggravating for acne-prone skin. The Levents devised the checker, and consumers can deploy it to evaluate whether their existing products are appropriate for their skin. In addition, the site has what Cool as Cucumber calls the Trigger Diagnostic Assessment to identify consumers’ acne triggers. For a campaign rolling out this month, it will be showing the results from 25 people regularly applying its products.

The brand’s simple, black and white packaging is geared to adult consumers. “It’s to me personally kind of insulting to use products that are geared towards teenagers,” says Serra, elaborating, “It’s simple on purpose because it’s such convoluted and complicated space, and it takes so much head space. We wanted to bring a fresh breath of air, and it doesn’t scream acne very intentionally.”

Established in direct-to-consumer distribution, Cool as a Cucumber’s sales will depend on retail partnerships. It’s in the midst of discussions with retailers. Eventually, the Levents are interested in placing it in beauty specialty retailers like Ulta Beauty and Sephora.

Currently on acne product shelves, Serra says, “As an adult, it doesn’t speak to me as a person because I might want to work on my acne, and I am starting to get fine lines. So, what’s the right product for me? We believe there’s a huge white space in premium retail that’s not speaking to this audience as a whole person. Our goal is to keep your skin clear while helping you age in a healthy manner and keeping your skin looking the best to make you feel confident.”