[2025 University of Seoul Campus Town Startup CEO] ‘REMELA,’ Developer of Cosmetics for Pigment Deficiency and Hyperpigmentation

JuHyun Kim, CEO of Bunnit

Helps normalize skin tone for people with vitiligo
Competitive advantage in coloring ingredients that react with the skin to produce a color close to the natural skin color

REMELA develops and sells makeup, sun care products, and basic skin care products for people who experience discomfort in their daily lives due to pigment deficiency and hyperpigmentation. It was founded in October 2022 by CEO JuHyun Kim (34).

Its representative product is ‘Skin Liquid Makeup Cover Concealer.’ This product helps match pigment-deficient areas of the skin to the natural skin tone, so it’s particularly helpful to individuals with vitiligo.

REMELA’s competitiveness in makeup products is its coloring ingredients, which react with the skin to produce a color close to the natural skin color. It naturally tones the skin like a garden balsam, lasts up to a week, and is waterproof, so it is resistant to water and sweat. In addition, while regular concealers come in powder form, which can easily smudge or get stuck in wrinkles, REMELA products come in liquid form, so they adhere evenly between wrinkles. This is a big advantage.

REMELA operates an official blog and social media accounts on Instagram, Threads, etc., and CEO Kim shares his own journey with vitiglio treatment on his personal YouTube channel. He also works as an administrator of a vitiligo community and communicates closely with the 14,000 members.

“Our products are available through all major domestic open-market channels, and we also operate an offline showroom. We plan to launch five new products at the end of the year and enter domestic pharmacies and online and offline stores overseas.”

What made CEO Kim decide to start a company? “I developed vitiglio on the backs of my hands when I was around 20, and just used general concealer to cover it up. But the product would smear easily and cake in skin creases, so it was always uncomfortable. Then I came across a Chinese product for vitiglio and found it very convenient. I shared this experience with the vitiligo community and received a great response. This led to group purchases, but purchasing directly from overseas was cumbersome and there were still many inconveniences. I had the idea that manufacturing and selling products domestically would be a great help, so I decided to start a business. For startup capital, I used money I had saved while working as a nurse for six years. We haven’t received any external investments to date, but we have received requests for IR materials from major domestic beauty companies. We plan to prepare the relevant materials and being actively pursuing investments this year.”

Following the launch of the startup, said CEO Kim, “I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I hear stories of customers who cried when they saw their skin tone had returned to normal after using the product, or who say that they can now confidently participate in school events or go swimming with their children,” and added, “I take great pride in the fact that our product can create real changes in people’s lives, beyond simple cosmetics.”

Regarding future plans, CEO Kim said, “REMELA plans to launch sun care products for pigment deficiency, basic care products, and products for hyperpigmentation, in that order, by the end of the year. The aim is to present a total solution that addresses all kinds of pigmentation issues,” and added, “Beyond that, our ultimate goal is to address the pigmentation concerns of people of various ethnicities, not just Koreans, and become a global pigmentation care brand based on K-beauty.”

Date of Establishment: October 2022
Main Business: Development and sale of cosmetic products for pigment deficiency and hyperpigmentation
Performance: Achieved KRW 100 million in sales in the first year following product launch

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com