What Merci Handy does

Merci Handy is a French direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand headquartered in Paris that designs, formulates, and sells personal care products across hand care (cleaning gels and sprays with 62% natural cassava-derived alcohol), body care (deodorants, freshness mists, body serums with dermatologically tested actives), face care (blemish patches, cleansers, detox masks), and makeup (lip oils, balms, blush, highlighter). Products are formulated with 96-99% natural origin ingredients, are vegan and cruelty-free, and are dermatologically and gynecologically tested. The company sells exclusively through its owned Shopify e-commerce storefront with multi-currency support (EUR, GBP, USD) and ships from France to customers in France, UK, EU, and the US. Pricing follows a unit/bundle model with promotional tiers (e.g., SOLEIL codes during seasonal sales), and free-shipping thresholds via Mondial Relay and Colissimo in France.

The business is built around a product-led growth motion anchored by social media. Merci Handy has accumulated 735,218 combined followers on TikTok and Instagram, maintains a UGC creator program, runs a gamified referral scheme, and operates a Klaviyo-powered newsletter with a 10% first-order incentive. Since founding, the company reports 9 million products sold and 4.6-4.8/5 ratings across 9,000+ verified reviews. The underlying technology stack is standard D2C commerce infrastructure: Shopify storefront, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and pixel integrations across Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and DoubleClick, with no disclosed proprietary AI or data flywheel mechanics.

Merci Handy is a privately held, founder-led business co-founded and led by CEO Marty Louis. The company has raised approximately €3.3M across two funding rounds (a 2016 seed led by Otium Capital with participation from The Family, and a 2021 round from Founders Future). Revenue, ownership structure, and headcount are partially disclosed: headcount is reported in the 11-50 range and no parent company, public listing, or wholesale/retail partnerships are identified, making the company an independent direct-to-consumer operator without third-party distribution channels.

Name

Merci Handy

Legal name

Merci Handy

Website

https://mercihandy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Merci Handy is a Paris-based direct-to-consumer French cosmetics brand selling vegan, cruelty-free hand care, body care, face care, and makeup through its own Shopify storefront, serving consumers in France, UK, EU, and the US via social-led acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Care & Cosmetics

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Health and Personal Care Retailers (4561)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Hand Sanitizers & Cleansing Sprays (CRABAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Deodorants & Antiperspirants (CRADANAA), Intimate & Personal Hygiene Washes (CRABAEAF), Personal Care Wipes & On-the-Go Hygiene (Non-medical) (CRADANAJ)

Keywords

• Clean beauty cosmetics
• Hand sanitizing gels
• Natural body serums
• Vegan personal care
• Direct-to-consumer beauty

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Primary revenue stream through owned Shopify e-commerce platform selling cosmetics and personal care products directly to consumers in France, UK, EU, and US markets with multi-currency support.
2. Product Bundles and Kits: Bundle pricing strategy offering multi-product packs (e.g., Summer Box collaboration, body serum packs, hand gel multi-packs) with discounted pricing compared to individual item purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Merci Handy formulates, manufactures, and sells a portfolio of clean beauty personal care products directly to consumers, including hand sanitizing gels and sprays, body serums, face care (patches, cleansers, masks), deodorants, bath products, and makeup, alongside limited-edition collaborations and a refillable Forever Bottle system. Products are 96-99% natural-origin, vegan, cruelty-free, and dermatologically tested, distributed primarily through the brand's owned Shopify e-commerce storefront across France, the UK, the EU, and the US.

Product overview

Merci Handy is a French cosmetics brand offering a diverse portfolio of personal care and beauty products. The core offerings span hand care (cleaning gels and sprays), body care (serums, deodorants, freshness mists, bath bombs), facial care (blemish patches, cleansers, masks), and makeup (lip care, blush, highlighter). The brand also features sustainable options like the Forever Bottle with a refill system and occasional limited edition collaborations such as the Summer Box with Mium Lab & Pulse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gels Mains Nettoyants (Hand Cleaning Gels) Hand cleaning gels for on-the-go sanitization and hand hygiene, sold individually and in multi-packs, including themed variants (e.g., SUN, zodiac).
• Sprays Mains Nettoyants (Hand Cleaning Sprays) Hand cleaning sprays for instant sanitization without greasy residue, formulated with 62% natural cassava-derived alcohol and enriched with centella asiatica and aloe vera; 440 sprays per 23ml bottle.
• Serums Corps (Body Serums) Body serums delivered via a spray diffuser that targets overlooked zones (back, buttocks, armpits, elbows, knees) using dermatologically tested actives including salicylic acid, zinc gluconate, and niacinamide for blemish, ingrown-hair, and sebum concerns.
• Boutique Visage (Face Care) Facial care range including 24 blemish patches, purifying cleansing gels, purifying lotions, mattifying creams, and detoxifying masks for everyday skincare.
• Boutique Maquillage (Makeup) Color cosmetics line including lip oils, lip balms, blush, and highlighter.
• Boutique Corps (Body Care) Body care range including single and TRIO deodorants, freshness mists, bath bombs, and a refillable Forever Bottle system designed for sustainable repeat use.
• Summer Box x Mium Lab & Pulse Limited-edition collaborative summer box bundling Merci Handy beauty products with Mium Lab solar gummies and Pulse Protein vegan protein products (water, bar, powder) for a combined outer beauty and inner wellness offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98%+ natural origin ingredients in formulations
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pulse ProteincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-development partnership for SUMMER BOX collaborative product. Pulse Protein provides 3 vegan protein products including protein water, protein bar (pistachio flavor), and protein powder. Joint product valued at €115 retail for €49.90, representing 55%+ savings.
• Mium LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-development partnership for SUMMER BOX collaborative product. Mium Lab provides solar gummies for skin preparation from within. Joint summer wellness box combining beauty care with inner health supplements.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Glossier: Iconic US-based DTC beauty brand selling skincare, body care and makeup with strong social-media-driven brand identity. Directly comparable to Merci Handy on vertical (multi-category beauty), channel (DTC), and target audience (young women seeking clean, design-led products).
• The Ordinary (DECIEM): Clean, ingredient-led beauty brand owned by Estée Lauder, selling serums, cleansers and body care at accessible price points. Comparable to Merci Handy on clean/natural formulation positioning, multi-category SKU strategy, and direct-to-consumer-led growth model.
• Drunk Elephant: Premium clean beauty brand built around biocompatible skincare, sold DTC and through Sephora. Directly comparable on the "clean / non-toxic" formulation positioning and on the social-media-led brand-building playbook that targets the same young female consumer.
• Necessaire: DTC personal care brand focused on body care (cleansers, serums, deodorants) with clean, minimalist formulations. Closely comparable to Merci Handy on the body-care portfolio emphasis, the clean-beauty positioning, and the direct-to-consumer-first distribution model.
• Herbivore Botanicals: Naturally-formulated skincare and body care brand sold DTC and through Sephora. Comparable to Merci Handy on natural-origin ingredient positioning, design-led packaging aimed at younger women, and a DTC-led go-to-market with selective retail expansion.
• Bubble Skincare: Gen-Z targeted DTC skincare brand selling cleansers, serums, masks, and spot treatments at accessible prices. Comparable to Merci Handy on social-media-first brand building (TikTok-heavy), product-aesthetic-led packaging, and the same 18-35 young female demographic.
• Versed Skincare: Affordable clean skincare brand sold primarily through Target and DTC, with vegan and cruelty-free credentials. Comparable to Merci Handy on clean formulation positioning, accessibility pricing, and multi-channel (DTC + selective retail) consumer reach.
• Milk Makeup: Clean, vegan multipurpose beauty brand sold DTC and through Sephora, with a strong social-first, design-led identity. Comparable to Merci Handy on makeup + skincare crossover portfolio, clean/vegan positioning, and Instagram-native brand storytelling.

Broad incumbents

• L'Occitane en Provence: Established French personal care and beauty group with broad portfolio spanning body, hand, face, fragrance and home care. Comparable to Merci Handy as a French-origin multi-category personal care brand, but operating globally through retail distribution at a much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Byoma: Fast-growing DTC skincare brand focused on barrier-repair products with clean, affordable positioning and a Gen Z / Millennial target. Comparable to Merci Handy on accessible price points, social-media-driven acquisition, and ingredient-conscious beauty positioning, though more concentrated on facial skincare.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mercihandy
• Instagraminstagram.com/mercihandy
• TikToktiktok.com/share/user/6651300827044544518
• Xx.com/mercihandy
• Facebookfacebook.com/MerciHandy

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merci Handy