PurelyBiome is a skin health company using microbiome sequencing and clinical research to personalize skincare at the individual level. By mapping each person’s facial microbiome, PurelyBiome identifies bacterial imbalances and recommends targeted, evidence-backed ingredients to restore skin health. Their approach replaces one-size-fits-all skincare with biology-driven precision.
What drew you to entrepreneurship?
I’ve always been drawn to building things and solving problems creatively. Entrepreneurship felt like the natural path because it lets me turn ideas into something real that can actually help people. I don’t come from a family of entrepreneurs, but I’ve always been curious, creative, and motivated to create my own opportunities rather than follow a predefined path.
What problem are you solving, and what is your unique approach?
The core problem we’re addressing is that skincare today is largely trial and error. People spend months or years cycling through products without knowing the biological drivers behind their skin issues. Our approach is to shift skincare from guesswork to measurable biology. By leveraging microbiome data and clinical research, we identify the microbial imbalances that contribute to conditions like acne, sensitivity, or inflammation and translate those insights into targeted ingredient recommendations. Over time, as more users test and retest, we build a data layer that allows us to continuously refine recommendations and move toward truly personalized skincare.
How did you come across this problem and why did it appeal to you?
Flashback to puberty, I was about to go on a date with the love of my life but I had acne. Desperate for a fix, I tried every product from Shoppers Drug Mart, my friends’ routines, my mom’s routines, even the toothpaste but nothing worked. It felt like my own skin was a mystery I couldn’t solve, and I was exhausted from being a guinea pig for an industry driven more by marketing than biology.
Years later, while completing my Masters in physiology, I began learning about the skin microbiome. I realized that the reason those products failed wasn't because they were "bad,” but because they weren't made for my ecosystem. That realization led me to found PurelyBiome. By using DNA sequencing to map an individual’s skin microbiome, we’re moving skincare out of the trial-and-error era and into precision health, giving people the data-driven roadmap I wish I had years ago.
What are you hoping to accomplish for your start-up at the Western Accelerator?
At the Western Accelerator, we’re hoping to refine our go-to-market strategy, validate product–market fit, and build the partnerships needed to scale our testing platform. We want to use the program to stress-test our business model, learn from experienced founders and mentors, and accelerate our path from early pilot demand to a repeatable growth engine. Just as importantly, we’re looking to surround ourselves with a community of ambitious builders who can challenge our thinking and help us move faster.
What is the biggest lesson you've learned so far during your time at the Western Accelerator?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned at the Western Accelerator is the importance of launching sooner than you think you’re ready. As founders, it’s tempting to keep refining a product before putting it in front of users, but mentors consistently emphasized that real learning only happens once people start using it. Launching early lets you quickly test for product–market fit and gather real feedback. A line that stuck with me is that if you are not somewhat embarrassed by the first version you launch, you probably waited too long.
Discover more about PurelyBiome by visiting their website or following them on Instagram.