Acnemy

Acnemy is a Spanish skincare brand focused on acne and blemish-prone skin. It is one of three labels created by Niche Beauty Lab, a science-driven cosmetics company founded in 2018 in Canet de Mar, a coastal town near Barcelona [1][4]. The range centres on targeted treatments built around well-known acne actives such as salicylic acid, retinol and niacinamide, sold directly to consumers rather than through traditional retail.

Since January 2026 the brand has been part of the German beauty group cosnova, which acquired Niche Beauty Lab and its brands in a deal effective 14 January 2026 [5][6]. Niche Beauty Lab continues to operate from its original headquarters, and the brand remains actively sold internationally under the new ownership.

Acnemy traces back to Niche Beauty Lab, which the company says was "born in 2018 with the mission to change the rules in the cosmetic industry" [1]. The founder, Sergio Chorrero, serves as the company's chief executive [4]. Rather than positioning Acnemy as a standalone house, Niche Beauty Lab developed it as a dedicated acne line alongside its other labels, drawing on a shared in-house formulation lab.

The parent company frames its approach around a single idea it sums up as "from the lab, to you" — formulas developed internally and then sold, the company says, at prices lower than consumers are used to seeing. Niche Beauty Lab attributes this to controlling its own manufacturing processes, which it says lets it keep prices down.

Acnemy's catalogue is organised as a routine of step-by-step treatments rather than a single hero product, with many items carrying trademarked names. The range includes Adapazit, a retinoid night treatment for blemishes; Zitmask, a sulfur-based anti-blemish mask; Zitcontrol, a daily blemish treatment; and Zitpeel, an overnight exfoliant combining AHA, BHA and PHA acids. The line also covers hydrocolloid patches sold under the Zitproof name, cleansers, an SPF formula and body-focused products for blemish-prone skin.

The actives behind the range are familiar in acne care — salicylic acid, retinol, niacinamide and sulfur among them. Across its brands, Niche Beauty Lab promotes a proprietary "Nichosome" encapsulation technology, developed in its own research lab, which the trade publication BeautyMatter cited when naming the company to its Future50 list in 2025 [4].

The brand reflects Niche Beauty Lab's science-first outlook. The company states that "research always comes first in product development" and that it only trusts formulas studied in its own laboratory over long periods. Another of its stated principles is to improve proven ingredients rather than chase fast-moving trends — summarised in-house as "either improve what already exists, or don't do it at all."

Affordability sits at the centre of the positioning. The company describes its aim as democratising cosmetics, offering what it calls quality "at a real price." Acnemy is sold mainly through a direct-to-consumer model, and by 2025 Niche Beauty Lab reported a presence in more than 30 countries [4].

Niche Beauty Lab makes several environmental and ethics claims that apply across its brands, including Acnemy. The company states that all of its formulas are vegan and not tested on animals, and that it does not work with suppliers who test on animals. These are self-stated claims; no third-party certifications are named.

On packaging, the company says only 10% of its materials are plastic, with the remainder made of glass and recycled cardboard, and that 90% of its raw materials are sourced locally in Spain. It set a goal of reaching zero plastic in its packaging by 2025 and reports a partnership with the organisation Plastic Bank to help remove plastics from ocean waters.

Acnemy is owned by Niche Beauty Lab, which sits alongside the company's two other labels, Transparent Lab and Theramid. In January 2026, cosnova — the German group behind the essence and Catrice makeup brands — acquired Niche Beauty Lab, with the deal effective 14 January 2026 [5]. Trade coverage described the purchase as cosnova's entry into the skincare segment [6].

Under the agreement, founder Sergio Chorrero continues to lead Niche Beauty Lab as chief executive, and the company retains its headquarters in Canet de Mar [5].

In 2025, BeautyMatter named Niche Beauty Lab to its Future50 list, describing it as a beauty innovation hub and noting its encapsulation technology and direct-to-consumer reach across more than 30 countries [4]. The 2026 acquisition by cosnova drew further coverage in the beauty trade press [6].

Acnemy is an actively sold brand. Following the January 2026 acquisition, it operates as part of the cosnova group while continuing under its original leadership and from its existing base near Barcelona [5]. The brand is distributed internationally, primarily direct to consumers.