Fré wants to become the Lululemon of skincare

On the lawn of The Grove, adjacent to the historic Orignal Farmers Market of Los Angeles, the pop-up of Israeli skincare and suncare brand Fré has just opened. A sky-blue cube displaying ‘The G.O.A.T of SPF is here’ on its façade.

Founded in 2016 by Israeli Michael Azoulay and Mickael Bensadoun, the Fré brand was born with the trend of active lifestyle and the global craze for wellness. “We wanted to be the Lululemon of skincare,” said Azoulay. “Our original idea was to offer a skincare solution dedicated to active people or those with an active lifestyle, engaging in outdoor sports, enjoying beach activities or simply spending time in the sun, and who are heavily exposed to UV rays. Apart from the marketing positioning, our interest was to create a formula that could effectively treat UV damage and skin inflammation.”
 
To achieve this, the brand developed an exclusive patent based on argania active complexTm. “Fré has revolutionized suncare with clean, patented formulas that not only provide the most advanced protection against UV radiation, but also treat and repair skin from the long-lasting effects of UV damage, ensuring that your skin remains healthy, glowing and well-nourished. Our philosophy goes beyond traditional SPFs, treating the skin both before and after UV exposure with a range of lightweight and fast absorbing mineral SPF moisturizers and serums powered by our exclusive patent.”

Initially targeting the American and Israeli markets, the founders relied on social networks to recruit their ambassadors – athletes, yoga or pilates teachers, volleyball players – and offer them merchandise exchanges. A formula that worked and helped the brand growing.
 
After gaining its first stockists in Israel, at James Richardson, on the Revolve website, and in the 45 outlets of the April cosmetics chain, Fré’s founders signed a contract in 2021 with the American distributor Cosmoprof, then with the online division of Macy’s, which will be extended at the end of 2023 with the distribution of products in 50 Macy’s outlets, Erewhon stores, Goop and The Webster, and have just signed a partnership with Anthropologie for its online sales. 

Socially committed, Fré plants an argan ‘Tree of Life’ in Morocco for every skincare set purchased. “Planting trees has a multilayered impact by creating sustainable development, protecting the environment and empowering the women who harvest argan oil. We plant 1,000 times more trees than we use in our skincare” concluded Azoulay.