Gen-Z skincare brand Topicals has appointed Sukiana Chancy as chief executive, the company told The Business of Beauty. Olamide Olowe, the line’s founder and erstwhile CEO will still be involved in day-to-day operations.

Olowe said the business was now at a point of scale where external expertise was needed to steward its growth.

“I wanted to partner with someone who has worked their way up through marketing, built a global brand, and managed a profit-and-loss sheet much larger than ours,” Olowe said, adding that she aspires to make the line the number-one skincare brand at Sephora. Chancy joins from Fenty Beauty, where she was general manager of its skin, hair and fragrance divisions. She previously worked at Cay Skin, Devacurl and the Estée Lauder Companies.

Skincare startup Topicals is among a cohort of Gen-Z-centric fashion and beauty brands carving out a niche in an increasingly crowded sector.
Skincare startup Topicals is among a cohort of Gen-Z-centric fashion and beauty brands carving out a niche in an increasingly crowded sector. (Topicals)

Founded in 2020, Topicals is known for its range of targeted skincare solutions for conditions like hyperpigmentation and acne, underpinned by slick, modern marketing. Suitable for all complexions but designed to cater to the needs of darker skin tones, the line is often cited as one of the most popular brands with young shoppers. Its most recent launch, Faded Dark Spot Peel Pads, is fronted by the American rapper JT, and in January, it announced investment from the WNBA star Angel Reese and Nigerian singer Rema. It has raised more $22 million in funding from investors including Cavu and MarcyPen; the brand declined to provide a revenue figure. (In April 2025, Olowe’s holding company, Cost of Doing Business, which she leads with Topicals president Sochi Mbadugha, acquired the Australian hair care line Bread.)

Chancy said she had been a longtime fan of the brand, and that many of the factors that drew her to Fenty Beauty, such as it being a “culturally resonant” line founded by a Black woman, also drew her to Topicals.

“My role is creating more infrastructure to help amplify [the message] and bring it to as many eyeballs and faces as possible,” said Chancy.

Topicals is also eyeing further global expansion. Available in Sephora stores in the US, Canada and UK as well as Beauty Hut in Nigeria, it hopes to launch in Europe and the Middle East via Sephora. Olowe said the executive reshuffle will allow her to be a more visible founder to promote the brand.

“Having a founder that people love is part of the game,” said Olowe.