Nic Taylor started 47 Skin from a family kitchen in Yorkshire in 2018, determined to challenge a skincare industry he felt was driven more by marketing claims than by genuine results. As founder and chief executive, he has since grown the self-funded brand into an international business operating in one of beauty’s most competitive segments, the global acne and problem-skin market.
That achievement has made him a finalist for The Cazenove Capital Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 2026 Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards.
Science at the core
At the heart of the brand Taylor built is its proprietary Silver Chitoderm technology, a clinically developed antimicrobial compound designed to target the bacteria responsible for acne while remaining gentle on the skin barrier. That innovation, 47 Skin says, has allowed it to carve out a differentiated position and a new category of high-performance, science-led skincare focused on real results.
Disciplined, profitable growth
Taylor has scaled the company without external investment, and it reports having been profitable since launch. According to the business, 47 Skin has grown into a 15 million pound international business, with 25 million pounds forecast for its 2027 financial year, now serving over 600,000 customers worldwide alongside more than 25,000 active subscribers and over 20,000 five-star reviews. The brand operates an omnichannel model spanning direct-to-consumer ecommerce, Amazon and retail partnerships including Boots and Harrods. The company says Boots has identified it as one of the fastest-growing brands in its premium skincare category, with around 40 per cent year-on-year growth against category growth of roughly 1 per cent. International expansion, particularly in the United States, is now a central growth driver.
Changing how skincare speaks to customers
Beyond commercial success, Taylor has set out to change how skincare brands communicate with consumers, using real customers, unedited imagery and clinically credible claims to challenge industry norms and build trust at scale. That mix of scientific innovation, disciplined execution and customer focus is the kind of personal leadership the entrepreneur category is designed to celebrate. Finalists across the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards will hear the outcome at Grosvenor House, London on 10 November 2026.
