Beekman 1802 has entered the exosomes but has not deviated from the goat milk infused MO.
The skincare brand is launching Milk RX, a “better ageing” cream formulated with Renexosomes, a combination of goat milk exosomes and Reneseed, a gentler, plant-based alternative to retinol that is said to be four times more effective at improving collagen production and skin texture.
The $66 moisturizer is Beekman 1802’s “most premium, cutting-edge product to date,” said CEO Jill Scalamandre, adding that the brand has “always promoted the science of anti-inflammatory goat milk, and now we’re taking it to the longevity stage.”
Often extracted from plant, animal, or human stem cells, exosomes are microscopic carriers that transport molecules like RNA, proteins, and lipids and facilitate communication between cells. When Beekman 1802 co-founder Brent Ridge, PhD, saw an in-depth study done in Italy on the use of goat milk exosomes to deliver chemotherapy to tumor cells, “I thought, ‘Wow, this could be a really novel way to penetrate active ingredients into the different layers of the skin,'” Ridge says.
While brands like Angela Caglia, Dr. Barbara Sturm, and newcomer Chic Science are increasingly harnessing the power of exosomes for cosmetic (as opposed to medical) purposes, Beekman 1802 is the first to turn to goat’s milk as a source of these powerful carriers.
“Goat’s milk is a cost-effective source of exosomes because once you identify them, you can extract them using a centrifuge. The hard part is just identifying them in the first place,” said Aisha Bouchero, vice president of creative and product development, adding that infusing them with polyglutamic acid further enhances the product’s moisturizing properties.
Provided by Beekman 1802 Milk RX
The product launch underwent the brand’s most extensive clinical trials to date, with six rounds of clinical trials, including three exosome tests to identify particle size and nutritional content, as well as a Visia scan to measure the cream’s effect on the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Industry sources estimate that Milk RX, available in all Ulta Beauty stores, could do $5 million to $10 million in sales in its first year, and while the brand wouldn’t comment on that estimate, Scalamandre expects the cream to account for 20% of Beekman 1802’s sales within two years of its launch.
“This is a groundbreaking event. [launch] “For us, it’s the culmination of years of science culminating in the next wave, or movement, of skin care that’s optimizing skin health and cellular activity,” she said, adding that the brand is exploring ways to incorporate exosomes into future innovations.
The brand has enlisted “multigenerational lifestyle influencer-dermatologist hybrids” to promote the cream, including reality TV star and TikTok user Bethenny Frankel and dermatologist Trisha Khanna, whose patients the brand recruited for pre-launch consumer perception testing.
“We work with some of the Gen Xers, some of the Baby Boomers and some of the Millennials — it varies by generation — because we know that everyone cares about the longevity of their skin, both from a prevention standpoint and from a visible results standpoint,” chief marketing officer Brad Farrell said.
“We think that exosomes will finally help people see just how powerful goat milk is as a super ingredient for maintaining skin health throughout life,” Ridge said.
