Key Takeaways:
Launching a beauty brand is never easy, but the quickest way to cut through the noise is by filling a gap that consumers genuinely need. Plenty of brands try and miss, but the ones that get it right usually see the impact almost immediately. Such is the case for Bubble Skincare, founded by Shai Eisenman in 2020.
When Eisenman first started working on the brand, she noticed two things. “Consumers who were looking to shop at more affordable places were stuck with the same things that I used 10 and 20 years ago, and that my mom used 30 years ago,” she said.
The second thing she noticed was that a lot of younger consumers were using products they trusted but weren't necessarily excited about, Eisenman said.
“It felt like there's no modern skincare catering to consumers who were looking for more affordable price points,” Eisenman told BeautyMatter.
With those two issues in mind, Bubble Skincare was formed.
In addition to affordable prices, Eisenman emphasizes that Bubble also prioritizes exciting packaging and efficacious formulations that have been clinically tested and dermatologist developed. “We have in-house chemists, an in-house clinician, and 10 advising dermatologists who help ensure formulas truly deliver.”
She added that products only move forward to production if the brand’s community gives them a 90% acceptance rate, a standard that has caused Bubble to delay launches—including a mineral sunscreen that testers said left a white cast—until formulas meet expectations.
That community-driven testing philosophy is not just a marketing claim but also one of the brand’s core pillars. Eisenman built Bubble alongside a community that began with 4,600 members and has now grown to over 100,000 people across age groups, regions, and engagement levels. “They choose the [product] names, the packaging, the mood board—everything,” she said.
Today, Bubble’s community team of 10 manages multiple community groups across multiple platforms, including email and a group chat, the latter of which has nearly 20,000 active members who discuss not just skincare but also relationships, school, holidays, and life. “Bubble is a small part of what they talk about. They build friendships [in these spaces],” she said.
Since its inception, the company has grown from a start-up to now netting over $100 million in sales annually. To date, Bubble Skincare has over 17,000 retail stores across the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada—and plans to expand into more locations in 2026. Bubble’s retail partners include Walmart, Ulta Beauty, Target, CVS, and Amazon.
One of the brand’s most pivotal decisions in its trajectory came early on: choosing Walmart as its first retail partner. “We were approached by most major retailers in the first four weeks [after our launch],” Eisenman said. “It was a hard decision—prestige or specialty made more sense for an indie brand—but Walmart’s accessibility aligned with our mission. Ninety percent of the US population lives within 30 minutes of a Walmart.” The strategic move paid off and helped accelerate Bubble’s reach while cementing its mass positioning as Walmart has become a beauty powerhouse.
Five years in, Eisenman says that throughout her journey as a founder and redefining what clinical skincare looks like for Gen Z and beyond: leaning into feedback and implementing; say no, even when the check is big; your team’s voice matters more than your ego; hire for what you don’t know; and joy as a KPI.
Joy, in particular, has become a measurable brand value. “We always say it’s clinically proven joy,” Eisenman said. From Bubble’s vibrant packaging to sensorial textures to community casting in photo shoots, delight has been ingrained into the product experience since day one. “Packaging formats like Cosmic Silk and CC Balm Secret Agent and Under Cover were tooled from scratch because we wanted them to create this ‘This is so cool,’ experience,” she said.
Looking ahead, Bubble is preparing for its next stage of growth. According to Eisenman, awareness remains at just 17%—a fraction compared to legacy competitors at 85%–90%— leaving significant runway for expansion. Plus, the brand is investing more heavily in international markets, including the Middle East and Mexico, which have already shown strong performance, she added.
Eisenman shared that Bubble will be using a 70/30 expansion method as it continues to expand globally. Which means, 70% of its core branding will remain intact while 30% of marketing, merchandising, and even seasonal sets need to be context-specific to the region Bubble operates in. “No snowflakes on holiday kits in Australia,” said Eisenman, for example.
The brand has also spent the last 18 months developing a proprietary community-driven technology platform—something Eisenman said Bubble will be “the only company in the world to have”—aimed at scaling one-on-one engagement with the goal of growing to more than 200,000 ambassadors in the first year. While Eisenman shared that further details are still under wraps, the move highlights Bubble’s commitment to maintaining intimacy with its community at scale.
As for Bubble’s five-year anniversary, it plans to celebrate the same way it built the brand: with community front and center. This will include a social campaign, a birthday sale, localized events, surprise-and-delight drops—and a few Wicked screenings as part two of the critically acclaimed film premieres the same week as Bubble’s birthday.
“The biggest thing I always tell myself and the team is: don’t assume you know best,” Eisenman said. “Ask the community. They will tell you exactly what they want.”
