Niche Beauty Lab

Niche Beauty Lab is a Spanish skincare company based in Canet de Mar, near Barcelona, that develops and manufactures its products in its own laboratory. It was founded in 2018 [1] with a stated goal of making science-led cosmetics available at affordable prices. The company runs several skincare lines rather than selling under a single name, and it positions itself around in-house formulation and ingredient transparency.

In 2026 the company was acquired by the German group Cosnova Beauty, the owner of the essence and Catrice makeup brands. Niche Beauty Lab continues to operate independently after the acquisition, with founder Sergio Chorrero remaining as chief executive [11].

According to the company, Niche Beauty Lab "was born in 2018 with the mission to 'change the rules in the cosmetic industry'." A single business-database listing records the founding year as 2016 [12], but the brand's own About page, the BeautyMatter profile and all three trade reports of the 2026 acquisition give 2018 [1][9][10], and BeautyMatter specifies August 2018.

The company describes its approach as "from the lab to you": every formula is developed in its own skin-science laboratory, and it says it controls the manufacturing process directly, which it presents as the reason it can keep prices low. Its stated philosophy leads with "science first" and a refusal to chase fast-moving trends, summarised in the principle "either improve what already exists, or don't do it at all." The brand frames this as democratising skincare rather than selling novelty. Describing the model after the 2026 acquisition, founder and chief executive Sergio Chorrero said the company had "pursued the goal of democratising beauty" since its founding, combining "scientific expertise, effective formulations and exceptional quality at affordable prices" [11].

Niche Beauty Lab's catalogue is organised into distinct skincare lines, each with its own focus. Theramid covers treatment serums and creams built around higher-concentration actives, with products such as the Tetramid C.E.F vitamin C treatment and the HAPCA Filler hyaluronic-acid treatment. Transparent Lab emphasises ingredient transparency and education, and centres on actives including retinal, which the line describes as the "ultimate evolution of retinol," alongside niacinamide. Acnemy is dedicated to acne and blemishes, with a range of spot treatments and patches such as Zitcontrol and Zitless.

Across these lines the company works with familiar dermatological actives, including retinal, niacinamide, ceramides, vitamin C, copper peptides, azelaic acid and hyaluronic acid. Pricing sits at the affordable end of the market, which matches the brand's "quality at a real price" positioning.

The company has sold primarily direct to consumers while expanding into retail. The BeautyMatter profile lists Primor, dm and Douglas among its retail partners and describes a geographic focus on Germany, Austria and Spain, with expansion toward further markets [9]. The same profile records skincare as the company's primary category and bodycare as a secondary one.

Niche Beauty Lab grew quickly after its 2018 launch as a self-funded business. By 2022 its sales had passed 15 million euros [10]. The company reported around 45 employees at the time of its 2026 acquisition [11]. That acquisition, by Cosnova Beauty, marked the most significant change in its ownership since founding.

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. On packaging, it says roughly 90 percent of its raw materials are sourced locally in Spain and that only about 10 percent of its packaging is plastic, favouring glass and recycled cardboard. It set a goal of eliminating plastic from its packaging, framed on its site as reaching "0% plastic consumption by 2025," and reports a partnership with the organisation Plastic Bank to remove plastic from the ocean.

Niche Beauty Lab was named to the trade publication BeautyMatter's Future50 list, which profiled it as a Barcelona-based skincare innovation hub and noted its self-funded, in-house model [9]. Its 2026 acquisition by Cosnova Beauty was covered by the trade press, including Cosmetics Business and Cosmetic Business.

Niche Beauty Lab is an active company that was acquired in 2026. The German group Cosnova Beauty, based in the Taunus region and known for its essence and Catrice brands, announced the purchase of the Spanish manufacturer that year. Reports of the announcement carry different dates: Cosmetics Business published its coverage on 30 January 2026 [10], while the German trade outlet Cosmetic Business dated its report 2 May 2026 [11]; both describe the same 2026 deal. Cosnova framed skincare as a strategic area it intended to develop further, and its co-founder Javier González described Niche Beauty Lab as "an ideal fit." Under the agreement, Niche Beauty Lab keeps its operational independence and its founder continues as chief executive, while gaining access to Cosnova's distribution network, which the trade coverage describes as spanning more than 90 markets [11].