YOUR BODY IS A PLANET OR BACTERIA TALK WITH MARIE DRAGO, THE FOUNDER OF GALLINÉE

YOU ARE 50% BACTERIA*

*this is not an insult :)

you are made up of human cells and of billions of bacteria living together in perfect harmony.

if you look after them, they will look after you.

Tell us about why you decided to create GALLINÉE?

Since I was very little I always wanted to create beauty products. I always worked in beauty, but never for myself. One day my flatmate Tom told me that if I could stop talking about it and start working on a business plan, he will help me to make it a reality. He was my first investor! 

Maybe a strange question, but why bacteria? 

I was fascinated by the microbiome as soon as I was introduced to the subject. It’s a total change of perspective on how you see the human body, not something that exists by itself, but a full ecosystem that we barely understand. When I started to think about the possibilities that the skin microbiome was opening for skincare and beauty in general, it blew my mind. No one was working on it at that moment, so it was the perfect opportunity to create a brand based on the skin microbiome.

What does your daily business & behind the scenes look like?

We have a small team of nerds that are really passionate with beauty and skincare. We have a cool little office in London and all of us are immigrants. It’s a very nice atmosphere, which is very important for me. My favorite part of the week: every Friday we have “Microbiome Classes” so that everyone stays on top of the new science.

If you could change one thing, anything, what would you do differently today for GALLINÉE?

 I’d be too scared to change anything! If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. :)

What are your favorite products?

That’s such a hard question to answer. I love the Cleansing Bar because it was so challenging to make, we had to be very creative to be able to produce a ph5 cleansing bar. It’s a very special product. I also love our Face Vinegar because it looks like a normal toner, but the technology inside is so innovative. We have two patents on it and the fact that it can be used for both sensitive skin and oily skin is also quite rare.

Share with us your very special insider ritual.

I have a very minimalist routine, but what I prefer is to splash the Vinegar Toner on my face mornings and evenings. I never wear foundation, so I also like to put a bit of the toner on my face before a zoom call, it gives you the perfect healthy glow immediately.

What is the biggest challenge to create a brand and stay on top of things each day?

Overcoming my own impostor syndrome was interesting. I never thought I would ever achieve as much as we did! To stay on top of things each day is not always easy, but I am lucky as the Gallinée team is a lot better at organisation as I am.

What is inside of your products if you have to explain it to a kid?

So inside our products you have good bacteria, food for the good bacteria and lactic acid to make good bacteria feel at home. That helps them to help your skin.

What’s next? 

Any new ideas or products in the future? The future is bright for Gallinée, we want to take care of all the bacteria on and in our bodies, so there is a lot of work for the coming years!

What does matter for you the most?

Changing the world and making it a healthier, kinder place and keep learning and sharing the knowledge every day.