The Bacteria Solution: A cosmetics startup knows that live microbes are the secret to healthier skin. Will anyone believe that?
By Caroline Winter
"On a hunch in 2000, Whitlock began adding AOB to water and dousing himself daily. He dispensed with all modern hygiene, because soaps, even natural ones, kill the microbes, as do the preservatives in most products. As he suspected, the bacteria kept him clean and odor-free. It’s been about 12 years since Whitlock’s last shower. His skin looks great, and he smells perfectly fine.
He never intended to sell his tonic as a beauty product. But in 2010, he won a broad-ranging patent for all application of AOBs to the human body. Three years later, Whitlock co-founded AOBiome as a pharmaceutical company focused on getting U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for bacteria-based prescription therapies for acne, eczema, rosacea, wound healing, and more. The team raised two rounds of seed funding from more than a dozen angel investors for undisclosed sums. Then they began developing a cosmetic spray to test the concept outside the lab, reasoning that skin-care products are cheaper to get on the market than medications."
