The History of Bubble
Gen Z shoppers are perhaps the most fluent in digital beauty culture, yet before Bubble entered the zeitgeist, much of the skincare landscape was speaking a language that didn’t quite belong to them. According to founder and CEO Shai Eisenman — the Israeli-born entrepreneur with a background in ad-tech and business development — the market was failing its youngest demographic. While younger consumers were evolving, she believed they were still being served products and branding that felt dated, generic, and uninspired.
That void became the catalyst for Bubble: a dermatologist-developed skincare brand that was designed to be modern, affordable, and genuinely relevant to younger consumers. The idea was not just to offer lower prices, but to raise the standard of what accessible skincare could look and feel like for a new generation.
Building a Gen Z Brand
Bubble didn’t just appear overnight. It was meticulously engineered, with Eisenman spending around two years shaping the business and stress-testing the concept through teen focus groups. This was community-led design in its purest form, with youth feedback dictating everything from the formulas to the punchy product names.
By November 2020, backing from investors including Joyance Partners, Bullish, Willow Growth Partners, IgniteXL Ventures, and FAB Ventures had provided the capital needed to launch Bubble with strong branding, social momentum, and a serious retail strategy.
A Digital-First Debut
On 19 November 2020, Bubble made its direct-to-consumer (DTC) debut with a curated seven-product range, all priced under $19. The lineup, which featured the now-iconic Slam Dunk Hydrating Moisturizer and Fresh Start Gel Cleanser, targeted sensitive, breakout-prone young skin. It hit the sweet spot between clinical credibility, accessible pricing, and fun, TikTok-ready packaging.
What truly set Bubble apart, however, was its feedback engine. In an era of top-down corporate beauty, Bubble was a democracy of sorts. To this day, the brand will only take a product to market if 90% of its community testers say they would buy it.
The Rapid Retail Rise
Bubble’s ascent from DTC newcomer to retail heavyweight was strategic and swift. In July 2021, less than a year after its debut, the brand secured its first major partner, launching in approximately 3,900 Walmart stores across the US.
The momentum continued through 2022: in July, the brand expanded into over 4,000 CVS stores, and by November, it made its first foray into specialty retail at Ulta Beauty, entering 665 locations.
By July 2023, the brand’s retail dominance was mirrored online, as it hit 1 million followers on TikTok — a milestone driven by unpolished, organic content and a robust ambassador program.
Bubble Goes Global
Once the domestic base was secured, Bubble set its sights on international territory. February 2023 marked its UK debut via Beauty Bay, swiftly followed by a high-profile brick-and-mortar launch at Boots Battersea Power Station, as well as boots.com. This partnership eventually scaled to over 500 Boots locations nationwide.
The global push accelerated through 2024 and 2025, with Bubble entering Priceline in Australia in October 2024, followed by a Canadian debut at Shoppers Drug Mart in February 2025.
Staying Power
Five years in, Bubble has become a bona fide beauty staple, with its Slam Dunk Hydrating Moisturizer emerging as its definitive cult favourite and all-time bestseller, reportedly selling one unit every five seconds.
A series of high-profile collaborations, spanning Poppi and Olive & June to Justin Jefferson and Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2, has further cemented its cultural relevance, while the appointment of Leighton Meester as global brand ambassador in September 2025 signals an ambition to extend beyond its Gen Z base.
Ultimately, Bubble’s trajectory is a masterclass in the power of radical listening. By treating its audience as collaborators rather than customers, Eisenman has transformed a community-led startup into a global skincare phenomenon.
Bubble is available at hellobubble.com, shipping to both the UK and US.