We don’t know about you, but doesn’t it seem like Byoma just popped up overnight? The eye-catching face products, whose packaging is inspired by Tetris and Legos, are impossible to miss on the shelves at Sephora.
Behind the gorgeous flatlays and colourful TikToks, is a brand that is serious about skin barrier health.We caught up with founder Marc Elrick to find out more about Byoma’s playful aesthetic and why the brand is such a hit with the GCC Gen Z girlies.
Cosmo ME: Byoma feels like it came out of nowhere. What gap were you trying to fill?
Marc Elrick: We saw customers completely by essentially playing chemist in their bathroom. When we looked into why, we realized people were damaging their skin barriers without understanding it. We were, quite frankly, over it.
They were mistaking the signs of a compromised barrier for skin concerns that needed even more treatment. So we built Byoma around one core idea, being skin health first.
We wanted to create a brand that was responsible and educated people to use products wisely and make informed choices.
Cosmo ME: Why focus so heavily on the skin barrier?
Marc Elrick: Most common skin concerns, like redness, breakouts and dehydration, are actually linked to a damaged skin barrier.
The problem is that people don’t associate those issues with barrier health, so they reach for stronger treatments, which only makes things worse.
For us, the barrier became our North Star, because if you fix that foundation, you fix the foundation of your skin.
Cosmo ME: Your packaging is bold, colourful, and very Gen Z. How intentional was that?
Marc Elrick: Very intentional. Skincare had become very clinical, sterile, and honestly quite intimidating.
We wanted to prove that serious, science-backed skincare could also be colourful, creative, and culturally relevant.
The colour-coding also makes it easier to shop, your cleanser is one colour and your serum another, so it simplifies the experience in a space that can often feel overwhelming.
Cosmo ME: You talk a lot about simplifying skincare. Do we actually need complicated routines?
Marc Elrick: No. We built everything around a simple five-step system- cleanse, treat, hydrate, repair, and protect. Every product fits into that structure.
It’s about simplifying how people shop and use skincare without compromising on the science behind it.
You don’t need a ten-step routine. You just need the right steps, done properly.
Cosmo ME: What makes your formulas different from other brands?
Marc Elrick: We focus heavily on clinical testing. A lot of brands build products around marketing claims or consumer perception, whereas we develop our formulas in Korea with a global team of experts.
We test the formulas in clinical environments until we know exactly what they’re doing. For us, efficacy is the new luxury, not price, and everyone deserves access to skincare that actually works.
Cosmo ME: Gen Z is clearly your audience. What makes them different as skincare consumers?
Marc Elrick: They’re incredibly informed. They’re not just buying based on price or branding, they want to know what’s in a product, how it works, and why.
They care about efficacy, transparency, and affordability, which is why education is such a big part of what we do. Our goal is to empower people to make better choices, whether they buy our products or not.
Cosmo ME: For climates like the GCC—heat, sun, and constant AC—what should people prioritise?
Marc Elrick: Sun protection is non-negotiable because sun exposure is the number one disruptor of the skin barrier. Beyond that, hydration and barrier support are essential. Products that strengthen the skin and help it retain moisture are particularly important in climates where the skin is constantly exposed to heat and air conditioning.
Cosmo ME: If someone does one thing to improve their skin, what should it be?
Marc Elrick: Focus on your skin barrier. When your barrier is healthy, everything else becomes easier. Your skin looks clearer, calmer, and far more resilient.
Purchase Byoma in the GCC here.