Beauty School : Lab Report - New Beauty.com
Working with in-house and independent creative chemists and scientists, iLABS is always in the midst of innovation. Read more about our feature in NewBeauty.
Lab Report
From the ever-evolving, always-innovative mind of serial entrepreneur David Chung—he’s the brains behind such brands Farmacy and 3Lab— comes iLABS, the very first “Airbnb” of beauty. —Liz Ritter
iLABS is the first company in the beauty industry that works with both in-house and independent creative chemists and scientists.
innovation/strategy
After the sale of his New Jersey–based Englewood Lab in 2018, Chung took time to regroup. “I wanted to incubate new brands in the market’s white space, but my production was running into issues,” he recalls. His solution: Start a “different” lab. “At the time, Uber was coming out with new services; Airbnb was transforming the hospitality industry. Why not do that for the beauty world? Then I had the idea for iLABS, an R&D company dedicated to launching new beauty brands. From things like texture to efficacy, the innovation process is key to the success of a brand and its products.”
After the sale of his New Jersey–based Englewood Lab in 2018, Chung took time to regroup. “I wanted to incubate new brands in the market’s white space, but my production was running into issues,” he recalls. His solution: Start a “different” lab. “At the time, Uber was coming out with new services; Airbnb was transforming the hospitality industry. Why not do that for the beauty world? Then I had the idea for iLABS, an R&D company dedicated to launching new beauty brands. From things like texture to efficacy, the innovation process is key to the success of a brand and its products.”
“Our focus is on beauty concepts that haven’t been done before.”
engines/on
Whether it’s skin, body, hair, or color cosmetics, Chung’s goal
is to incubate brands and help them succeed. “The focus is on indie brands that are just starting out,” he says. (The lab also works with established brands that want full customization and influencer-fueled launches.) “We are a collective of chemists who bring different ideas to the table. People have been waiting for this to happen—we are fulfilling the demands in the beauty industry.”
Whether it’s skin, body, hair, or color cosmetics, Chung’s goal
is to incubate brands and help them succeed. “The focus is on indie brands that are just starting out,” he says. (The lab also works with established brands that want full customization and influencer-fueled launches.) “We are a collective of chemists who bring different ideas to the table. People have been waiting for this to happen—we are fulfilling the demands in the beauty industry.”
