A beauty therapist who once worked out of a suburban garage is spearheading a multimillion-dollar "cosmedics" push into the clinics and day spas of Europe.
Maria Enna-Cocciolone has become the first woman founder to win the backing of the Australian Business Growth Fund (ABGF) for a company expansion.
"I loved working on people's skin, not just for the change in their skin but the change in their confidence," the CEO told AAP.
What was once an import and distribution business in Five Dock in Sydney's inner west has grown over almost two decades to include a local manufacturing plant and international network that sells its own brands.
"I'm not a chemist but I know exactly what I want, so I choose the active ingredients that determine how quickly the product penetrates the skin, the sensory journey that it gives the client, and the tactile experience," she said.
Inskin Cosmedics also remains a family business but with a bigger "family" of workers.
"It's about making sure that the people you've got running your dream are getting what they need out of day-to-day activity and their career and that they are ultimately going to be happy," she said.
"That's been my core approach in building the business, and of course you have to have great products."
The cruelty-free, vegan skincare range is distributed to thousands of therapists in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. But they are not cosmetics or classified as prescription-range medical creams.
"The first thing I did was create a new category, which is cosmedics," Ms Enna-Cocciolone said.
The higher than usual dose of active ingredients, called peptides, work like a GPS tracking system to find a cell needing attention and trigger a response - smoothing a wrinkle or soothing the skin.
Ms Enna-Cocciolone avoids ingredients that would upset or irritate people, such as beeswax which is often used to thicken cosmetics and creams but gets a big no from vegans.
Her sister is allergic to gluten, so she is always in the test group for new products.
Some years ago, the benefits of emu oil emerged but surveys showed consumers did not want animals to be exploited.
Planning an export expansion, Ms Enna-Cocciolone says she listened to various men in suits who walked through her office and told her how to change the way the family business worked and make more money by cutting costs.
Ms Enna-Cocciolone said she "successfully failed" to strike a deal with them, but later made an instant connection with ABGF and the fund's co-head of investments Ghazaleh Lyari.
Her new mentor was all about heart, soul and energy and understanding this niche industry, she said.
The federal fund links Australia's six leading banks with small and medium-sized businesses that might otherwise miss out on capital.
Ms Lyari said the founder and her team brought something unique to the skincare market, which their network of loyal clinics, technicians and customers attest to.
The main brand is O Cosmedics for correcting serious skin conditions, anti-ageing and maintaining skin health.
A second brand, Ginger & Me is used for a chronic inflammatory skin concern called inflammaging that is a common side effect of ageing but can also be a stress response.
"Inflammaging has become even more concerning post-COVID. We're seeing more and more reactive skins - skins with eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis, Ms Enna-Cocciolone said.
The size of the capital injection has not been disclosed, but ABGF chips in up to $15 million for each business it backs and takes a seat on the board to guide expansion.
Next stop for the women-led Inskin team is Ireland and other markets in Europe.
