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Fundraising · Beauty and skincare

5 questions investors ask beauty and skincare founders

Investors who back beauty and skincare companies ask a familiar set of questions. Here are the five that come up most, why they ask, and what a strong answer looks like on a slide.

Write my investor story freeSee the questions
INVESTORWhat makes your formulation different?
SAARVA10% vitamin C with stabilised turmeric · dermatologist tested
INVESTORHow dependent are you on influencers?
SAARVAInfluencers drive 22% of sales, down from 60%

The five questions

Each answer is shown for our fictional beauty and skincare company, Saarva, which makes ayurvedic actives skincare. The numbers are illustrations. Swap in your own.

01

What makes your formulation different?

Why they askThe category is crowded with lookalikes.
A strong answer showsIngredient story, testing and what customers notice.
SAARVA

10% vitamin C with stabilised turmeric · dermatologist tested

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
02

How dependent are you on influencers?

Why they askInfluencer-led growth can stall fast.
A strong answer showsShare of sales from influencers and other channels.
SAARVA

Influencers drive 22% of sales, down from 60%

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
03

Can you hold margin in retail?

Why they askRetail margins are tighter than online.
A strong answer showsMargins online and in retail.
SAARVA

68% online gross margin · 52% in retail

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
04

What is your repeat rate?

Why they askRepeat shows the product works.
A strong answer showsRepeat by product.
SAARVA

Hero serum: 47% repeat within 90 days

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
05

What claims can you back up?

Why they askRegulators watch beauty claims.
A strong answer showsTesting behind each claim.
SAARVA

Claims backed by 8-week user trial on 60 people

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers

The four numbers they check first

Before the questions, investors scan for these. Show each one by month, with dates, so the trend is easy to read.

Metric 1Repeat purchase rate
Metric 2Average order value
Metric 3Hero product share of sales
Metric 4Return rate

The gap that costs beauty and skincare founders meetings

Gap

The most common gap in beauty and skincare decks is claims about results with no test data. Fix it before you send the deck.

Know your buyer

Your customers are people buying skincare, haircare or cosmetics. Name the first group you will win, and show why they pick you today.

Prepare the appendix

  • Monthly metrics for the last 12 months
  • Unit economics by customer group
  • Your answer to each question above, with sources

Questions

What do investors look for in a beauty and skincare startup?

They start with these metrics: repeat purchase rate, average order value, hero product share of sales, return rate. Then they test the five questions on this page.

What is the most common gap in beauty and skincare pitch decks?

Claims about results with no test data.

Are the numbers on this page real?

No. They are illustrations for a fictional company, Saarva, to show what a strong answer looks like. Use your own numbers.

Can Astitva build my pitch deck?

Yes. Astitva writes your investor story from a short brief, in the order investors expect, and designs every slide in your brand. The written story is free.

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Answer them before they ask

Astitva writes your investor story from a short brief, in the order investors expect, then designs every slide in your brand.

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