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Combat-ready: new skincare line is fit for military personnel

09 Jan 2020 The US military has helped develop a skincare line designed to meet the needs of the military personnel.

Founded in 2018, US-based BRAVO SIERRA claims to be the first military-native wellness company. Products were developed with the help of 1,000 people on active-duty, who engaged in field-testing and provided feedback.

The brand’s range features eight items including products for the body, hair, and face, all of which are vegan, cruelty-free and formulated without parabens, phthalates, SLS/SLES or phenoxyethanol. All products are priced 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.

“We started BRAVO SIERRA with the mindset that the U.S. military established the original wellness lifestyle, with optimised mental and physical health,” said Bernet.

“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”.

BRAVO SIERRA was first made available to military patrons in a strategic partnership with military channel agency experts at Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy Exchanges worldwide and is also available to civilian consumers.

“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,” said Guilbert.

The brand kicked off by developing a shaving cream, asking people on active-duty how they shave and found most only had access to cold water or no water at all, making it especially difficult for those with sensitive skin or ingrown hairs.

In response, the brand created Sharper Shaver: a product suitable for sensitive skin with a foam-to-cream texture which can be used with or without water. The product was then sent into the field to be tested by military members, who were asked to provide feedback.

“We’re constantly engaging the military community in every aspect of our company,” said Guilbert. “We also operate with a revenue share model and contribute five per cent of our revenue to the Morale, Welfare and Recreation, which offers a complete range of community support programs to US service members, veterans, and their families”.

BRAVO SIERRA found support in a group of investment partners delivering a US$6.75m seed round of funding earlier this year, 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.