Why Gabrielle Requena’s wrinkle patch business stood out in the age of injectables

When Gabrielle Requena launched Wrinkles Schminkles in 2014, she was not trying to ride the wave of increasingly invasive beauty treatments. She was solving a problem of her own: the fine lines and wrinkles that appeared from side sleeping and natural ageing, and the lack of products that could do more than simply hydrate the skin. That frustration led her to create a reusable silicone patch that reduces wrinkles by holding the skin tight, locking hydration in and promoting blood flow. Today, the brand has grown from a kitchen table concept to one generating $20 in annual revenue.Bootstrapped to scaleRequena said the strength of the business came from the way it was built. “Bootstrapping is a discipline and not for the faint hearted nor the impatient,” she told Inside FMCG. Rather than chasing growth at any cost, she reinvested profits back into the business and let the market teach her what worked. “I built Wrinkles Schminkles profitability year on year and only grew off those profits.”That approach gave her something many founders never get: time. In the early years, she could observe consumer response, refine the product and better understand where the business had room to grow. “At first it’s slow and requires patience but then there is a compounding return and it’s fast,” she said. “You immediately benefit from the revenue growth and, importantly, profit.”The category she helped pioneer has since expanded well beyond wrinkle patches. Requena said the rise of transdermal and patch-based products shows she was early to a bigger consumer shift. “In 2026, what’s compelling is seeing where the patch category has gone since, and it’s clear it’s still early days with more innovation to go,” she said. “The whole idea of delivering an active ingredient through the skin instead of swallowing a pill has become its own wellness category.”That timing helped Wrinkles Schminkles resonate with a wider audience, especially as TikTok and social commerce accelerated discovery. The brand has now amassed more than 80 million views across social platforms, helping turn silicone patch skincare from niche curiosity into a mainstream beauty conversation. It also broadened the customer base for an idea that had once looked unusual on shelf.Scaling without fundingRequena’s growth story is notable not just for scale, but for how carefully she protected the economics. As the business expanded from e-commerce into major retail channels including Priceline, Myer, Ulta Marketplace, Anthropologie and Adore Beauty, she kept a close eye on margin, pricing and sell-through.That retail expansion was not always smooth. Requena explained one of her biggest lessons was that opening retail doors is only the beginning. “Selling through is what is essential,” she said. She learned early that entering the US retail market too soon, before the brand had sufficient awareness, led to sell-through problems.Her advice to founders is blunt: retail-ready expertise matters, but so does a fixed pricing strategy across markets. “Ensuring a robust enough margin to survive in big box retail is essential,” she said. She also stressed the need for an internal integrated marketing calendar so DTC and retail channels do not compete against each other.That operational discipline is part of why Wrinkles Schminkles became a durable brand rather than a short-lived viral hit. Requena built the business to serve both discovery and repeat purchasing, while staying focused on profitable growth.Exit-ready mindsetBy the time Requena decided to sell in 2023, she had already started preparing the company for a formal sales process. She spent a full year making the business “sale-ready”, elevating the brand, mapping a three-year plan, building proof points around international expansion and strengthening the systems that would allow the business to operate without her.“Demonstrating brand equity, an engaged and returning community, the future but realistic potential” mattered to buyers, she said. Just as important was showing that the company had infrastructure, processes and people strong enough to survive a founder exit.Her perspective is a useful reminder for beauty founders who may be focused on social buzz but not on durability. “Buyers are usually buying the ‘growth opportunity’,” Requena said, “but ensuring it’s actually achievable is where the additional excitement lies.”