The US military has helped develop a skincare line to meet the needs of military troops stationed in the harshest environments.
Founded in 2018, US-based Bravo Sierra worked with 1,000 people on active-duty, who engaged in field-testing and provided feedback.
The products were first made available to military patrons via Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy Exchanges worldwide but are now on sale to the general public at very affordable prices.
The eight items include products for the body, hair, and face, all of which are vegan, cruelty-free and made without parabens, phthalates, SLS/SLES or phenoxyethanol. The price point is between US$5 (€4, £4) and US$14 (€13, £11).
The most popular item is the 100 per cent biodegradable cloth wipe made with antibacterial agents that can clean an entire body.
Co-founded by Benjamin Bernet and Justin Guilbert, Bravo Sierra takes its name from the NATO phonetic alphabet and alludes to cutting through the BS.
Bernet previously worked for L’Oréal and Glossier and was also head of global marketing for Kiehl’s men’s care, while Guilbert is a former marketing executive from Garnier and Maybelline.
Bernet tells Spa Business: “These are men and women being the best version of themselves through their service to the country and we were inspired to take that unifying ethos and launch a company that develops products which reflect that message.”
Guilbert adds: “We believe that if our products are good enough for the men and women who go through extreme conditions to serve our country, then we’re confident they’ll outperform the expectations of high performance-seeking civilians.”
The duo contribute 5 per cent of company revenue to the Morale, Welfare and Recreation network, which offers a range of community support programmes to US service members, veterans, and their families.
Bravo Sierra found business support in a group of investment partners delivering a US$6.75m seed round of funding in early 2019, led by Global Founders Capital, with participation from Canaan Partners, Mousse Partners, BoxGroup, Redo Ventures and Grace Beauty Capital.
The brand has announced plans to enter the nutrition space, expand the product range and launch partnerships in 2020.
