Maelove Skincare

What Maelove Skincare does

Maelove Skincare is a direct-to-consumer skincare brand founded in 2017/2018 by MIT graduates Jackie Kim and Brad Yim. The company is headquartered in San Francisco/Northern California and operates with 11-50 employees.

The product portfolio spans approximately 25+ SKUs across serums, creams, cleansers, oils, sunscreens, kits, and recent expansions into haircare and neck treatments. Pricing ranges from $22.95 to $79.95, with most products priced under $50. The flagship Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum ($32.95) has sold more than 1 million bottles and accumulated 15,522 reviews. Peptide Squad ($47.95), launched in 2024, emerged as a viral hit and now accounts for over 50% of returning customer orders; it carries 1,129 reviews.

The business model combines DTC e-commerce with a subscription program called "Jackie's Family Circle" serving 15,000+ members. The company emphasizes clinical-grade formulations endorsed by hundreds of dermatologists and uses AI tools to analyze customer reviews and clinical research. It has accumulated 20,000+ customer reviews across its catalog. Maelove is founder-owned and bootstrapped, with no funding rounds disclosed. Recent recognition includes Women's Health Best Beauty 2026, NY Post Best Peptide Serum 2026, and Skincare Anarchy Top Pick 2025.

Name

Maelove Skincare

Legal name

Maelove Skincare

Website

https://maelove.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maelove Skincare is a direct-to-consumer skincare brand founded by MIT graduates Jackie Kim and Brad Yim, offering clinical-grade serums, cleansers, and treatments priced $22.95-$79.95 via e-commerce and a subscription program serving 15,000+ members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Maelove generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of skincare products including serums, creams, cleansers, and hair care. All products are priced under $50, with most items between $22-$50. The brand operates a subscription program (Family Circle) offering up to 20% discount.
2. Subscription Revenue (Family Circle): Jackie's Family Circle subscription program provides recurring revenue with up to 20% off every order. Subscribers can build personalized bundles, swap products, adjust delivery intervals, and pause or cancel anytime.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Maelove is a skincare brand that formulates, manufactures, and sells serums, moisturizers, cleansers, hair oils, and sunscreen directly to consumers through its own online store. The brand markets science-backed, ingredient-focused formulas and runs a subscription program called Jackie's Family Circle for repeat purchase.

Product overview

Maelove Skincare is a direct-to-consumer skincare brand founded by MIT graduates Jackie Kim and Brad Yim in 2017, operating from Northern California. The brand formulates luxury-quality skincare products using the same cosmetics labs as premium brands like SkinCeuticals, keeping all products under $30. The company leverages AI analysis of user reviews and clinical research to develop formulations. The product portfolio spans serums (Peptide Squad Collagen Renewal Serum, Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum, Moonlight Advanced Retinal Night Serum, Hydrator Hyaluronic Acid B5 Serum, Fade Away Brightening Serum, Super Smooth AHA+BHA Serum, Stargaze Enhanced Retinol Serum, NIA 10 Niacinamide Serum), creams and moisturizers (Night Renewer Glycolic Acid Cream, Hydro Relief Peptides & Amino Acids Cream, Plush Cream Lightweight Moisturizer, Eye Enhancer Peptide Cream, Sun Protector SPF 30), hair care (Full Follicle Advanced Scalp Serum, Full Follicle Shampoo, Full Follicle Conditioner), cleansers (The Exfoliator BHA+Clay Scrub, The Refresher AHA Cleanser, Sheer Silk Ceramide Cleanser), and botanical oils (LOVE 31 Botanical Facial Oil). The brand offers curated treatment kits (Core Anti-Aging Routine, Intensive Wrinkle Treatment, Wrinkle Treatment Duo, Dark Spots Treatment, Dryness Treatment, Full Follicle Hair Routine) and Jackie's Family Circle subscription program with over 15,000 members offering up to 20% off.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum Vitamin C brightening serum formulated for daily facial use by skincare consumers seeking an even, radiant complexion.
• Hyaluronic Acid Serum Hydrating serum featuring hyaluronic acid, positioned for consumers seeking plumping, moisture-focused skincare.
• The Moisturizer Daily facial moisturizer designed as part of a minimal, science-led skincare routine for everyday consumers.
• Cleanser Facial cleanser for daily use, intended to anchor a streamlined skincare routine alongside the brand's serums and moisturizer.
• Sunscreen Daily facial sunscreen offering sun protection to complete the brand's end-to-end skincare routine.
• Hair Oil Hair oil product for consumers seeking shine and nourishment as part of a broader personal-care routine from the same brand.
• Jackie's Family Circle (Subscription) Subscription program that delivers Maelove skincare products on a recurring basis, providing convenience, repeat purchase cadence, and customer retention for the brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million bottles of Glow Maker sold since 2017
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Drunk Elephant: Premium DTC clinical skincare brand with a biocompatible-formulation philosophy. Comparable on science-backed positioning, active-ingredient-led serums (vitamin C, retinol, peptides), and strong dermatologist endorsement, though at a higher price band.
• Glossier: Direct-to-consumer beauty brand also categorized alongside Maelove in the 'moderately popular DTC beauty' tier. Comparable on DTC-first distribution, community-led marketing, and digitally native brand-building, though broader than skincare.
• The Ordinary (DECIEM): DECIEM's The Ordinary is the closest direct peer: science-backed, single-active-ingredient skincare sold DTC and through third-party retail at accessible price points. Targets the same ingredient-savvy, value-conscious consumer as Maelove and uses similar actives (vitamin C, peptides, retinoids, AHAs).
• The Inkey List: Ingredient-led, affordable skincare brand sold DTC and via Sephora. Closely comparable on affordable-clinical positioning, single-active serums, and a similar target customer seeking efficacy without luxury markups.
• Paula's Choice: Science-backed skincare brand with a similar BHA/AHA/vitamin-C-led portfolio, dermatologist-trusted positioning, and a focus on clinical efficacy at non-luxury prices — sold DTC and through Sephora/Ulta.
• Versed: DTC clean-clinical skincare brand at accessible price points, founded as a digitally native brand. Highly comparable on channel mix (DTC + retail), price band, and ingredient-led messaging.

Emerging players

• Necessaire: DTC personal-care brand expanding from body care into skincare and haircare with a clinical, ingredient-led positioning at premium-accessible prices. Comparable on DTC-plus-retail mix and adjacent category expansion (haircare), though smaller scale than Maelove's hero skincare line.

Broad incumbents

• CeraVe: Mass-market dermatologist-developed skincare brand owned by L'Oréal with deep retail penetration and broad product breadth. Overlaps Maelove on dermatologist-trusted, active-ingredient skincare but operates at much larger scale with broader distribution.
• SkinCeuticals: Premium clinical skincare brand that Maelove explicitly positions against (dermatologists describe Glow Maker as an effective substitute for SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic). Overlaps on vitamin C and clinical anti-aging serums, but at a much higher price band and with broader retail presence.
• La Roche-Posay: Dermatologist-recommended skincare brand (L'Oréal) with broad sensitive-skin and active-ingredient portfolio. Comparable on dermatologist endorsement and sensitive-skin positioning that Maelove emphasizes, but with significantly larger distribution and marketing scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@maeloveskincare
• Facebookfacebook.com/maeloveskincare
• Instagraminstagram.com/maeloveskincare
• TikToktiktok.com/@maeloveskincare
• Xx.com/maeloveskincare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Maelove Skincare