SkinLabo was Italy's first digital cosmetics brand — €100M valuation, €17M losses

SkinLabo was founded in Turin in 2016 as Italy's first true digital cosmetics brand, selling premium skincare and beauty products exclusively online through a direct-to-consumer model. The company attracted a roster of Italy's financial and entrepreneurial elite: the Moratti family (through Seven), Vertis SGR, Banca Generali, Immobiliare.it, and the Club degli Investitori, among others. At its peak, SkinLabo was valued at over €100 million and had raised approximately $39.5 million.

The pure e-commerce model that once promised high margins and rapid growth proved structurally unprofitable. Customer acquisition costs rose relentlessly as digital advertising became more expensive and global competition intensified. By 2023, SkinLabo's revenue had fallen to just €1.7 million against a loss of €4.6 million. The company had accumulated uncovered losses of nearly €17 million since its founding. Production was outsourced to laboratories in the Brescia area, but even low fixed costs could not offset the marketing spend needed to drive online sales.

On February 10, 2025, an extraordinary shareholders' meeting chaired by president Claudia Sgualdino resolved the company's dissolution, stating that despite financial efforts by some shareholders, there was no possibility of profitably continuing the business. The Tribunal of Turin opened judicial liquidation proceedings in March 2026. Seven remaining workers were suspended, prompting a regional political intervention to protect their positions.