Starting a brand from scratch isn’t new territory for Paul Schulick. This entrepreneur has had great success in the wellness space having founded, grown and sold (to Procter & Gamble) a leading vitamins and supplements company known as New Chapter. After parting ways with P&G,  Schulick and his wife Barbi are ready to unveil their next venture—a skin care brand that’s focused on the microbiome.
 
Schulick and his wife left P&G on July 1, 2018, citing essential differences in vision and strategy.  
 
No details of the sale in 2012, nor the Schulick’s departure last year have been released. A Wall Street Journal story last July detailed some internal issues stemming from the bureaucratic nature of working within a large, public-traded CPG firm.
 
Still, Schulick told Happi the time spent under the Procter & Gamble umbrella wasn’t all bad.
 
“I was charmed by the scientists at P&G…There are some that are very talented, and some potential for innovation that was interesting,” Schulick told Happi in a phone interview earlier this year.
 
Schulick, a Master Herbalist, was a true pioneer in vitamins, nutraceuticals and wellness. In fact, many contend New Chapter helped change the paradigm in the supplements space.
 
His new venture, For The Biome, could be in a similar position to transform the beauty category.
 
Since his departure from P&G, Schulick has been squarely focused on developing a skin care range, which is due out sometime this fall. The line, Sentient Skincare, includes products such as powder mask, powder cleanser, face and eye serums, and essence sprays. 
 
One of the tenants of this new venture is the “5-Kingdom Alchemy,” which is described in company literature as the “union of nature’s five kingdoms across the sentient plane of the skin and the microbiome.” 
 
Sentient Skincare formulations incorporate mushrooms (fungal kingdom), aromatic herbs (botanical kingdom), microalgae-derived astaxanthin (algal kingdom), honey (animal kingdom) and probiotic strains (microbial) kingdom. (For further details on the specific products in this new line, be sure to read the upcoming ‘Skin Microbiome’ feature in November.)
 
Schulick’s formulations are bolstered by two core technologies—CO2 volcanic extraction and dual-stage fermentation. He’s also invested in a number of standards, USDA Organic, Made Safe and Leaping Bunny are just three of the monikers Sentient Skincare will boast at launch. 
 
“The line is going to have as many or more as company in the industry. We will be standard setter,” he said.
 
Schulick has also embedded philanthropy into this new venture. Three percent of each product purchase will support three causes—sustainable housing, climate change reversal and empowering women. Buyers can even choose a specific cause if they wish at checkout, according to the company.
 
As For The Biome readies for launch this season, Schulick recognizes he’s venturing into a competitive category. But he’s bullish about the prospects.
 
“With all new adventures, it is all about timing,” Schulick said. “I think our timing is perfect.”