After a few ownership changes in quick succession, Skyn Iceland has finally landed somewhere that actually makes sense and is positioned for a reboot.
In October 2024, U.S. beauty distributor Amerikas acquired the vegan, cruelty-free brand from a group of French and Swiss investors—and both sides are framing it as a return to the brand’s original Nordic beauty positioning. Whether that’s spin or substance remains to be seen, but early signs are promising.
New Ownership, Same DNA (Hopefully)
Sarah Kugelman launched Skyn Iceland back in 2005 with a pretty specific mission: tackle what stress actually does to skin, using ingredients sourced from Iceland’s absurdly pristine environment. The brand changed hands to entrepreneur Antoine de Larocque in 2022, but now Amerikas is in the driver’s seat—and they bring something Skyn Iceland has arguably been missing: the distribution chops to actually get products in front of people.
Amerikas has made its name getting international beauty brands into the U.S. market through Amazon, TikTok Shop, and basically every channel where people actually shop now. The plan is to push Skyn Iceland into beauty retailers, pharmacies, department stores, and e-commerce platforms like Shopify—so if you’ve had to hunt for these products at random retailers with mixed results, your ability to find them easily will improve very soon.
The reassuring bit?
Kugelman, the founder behind the brand’s original concept, is still involved. So this looks less like random investors (not in the cosmetic space) gutting a brand to create better margins, and more like bringing in strategic financial partners who know how to scale and have the resources ($$$) to make it happen.
The Icelandic Complex: Actually Legit
Every Skyn Iceland formula centers on their proprietary Icelandic Complex, and here’s the thing—the ingredient story actually holds up, which doesn’t happen as often as brands want you to think.
We’re talking pollution-free Icelandic Glacial Water with 6 essential minerals, Arctic cloudberry and cranberry seed oils (the “super fruits of the Arctic,” and yes, that’s marketing-speak, but they genuinely are loaded with Omega fatty acids and antioxidants), plus pure molecular oxygen to deliver energy deep into skin.
That glacial water? It comes from ice formed thousands of years ago in Iceland’s Blue Mountains, filtered through volcanic lava rock over centuries, picking up minerals along the way. It’s not just pretty packaging copy—there’s actual provenance here.
The Products That Matter
Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels are the hero product for a reason. They combine Icelandic Glacial Water with Arctic Cranberry Seed Oil, Peptides, and Coenzyme Q10. Ten minutes, noticeable de-puffing, no weird residue. Professional makeup artists working in all formats (photo, video, film) have been reaching for these remarkable gel eye patches for years, long before disposable sheet masks and eye patches were “a thing”. And they remain one of the most reliable quick-fix eye treatments on the market.
Dissolving Microneedle Eye Patches are where Skyn Iceland flexes on the innovation front. These patches contain hundreds of microscopic needles (think K-Beauty “Reedle Shot”) that penetrate the skin’s surface and deliver anti-aging actives directly where wrinkles form. They dissolve overnight, smoothing wrinkles and plumping fine lines while you sleep.
Think of it as professional microneedling’s low-commitment, no-downtime alternative. Not a replacement for the real thing, but a solid maintenance option between appointments.
Arctic Repair Cream and Nordic Renewal Pre + Probiotic Cream round out the lineup of must-see items for the barrier-obsessed among us. If your skin is reactive (rosacea, eczema), you’ve over-exfoliated (it happens to the best of us), or you’re struggling with retinoid dryness and flaking - these are worth investigating.
#MyTwoCents
Amerikas seems genuinely aligned with letting Skyn Iceland evolve by following its original DNA - result-driven skincare that combines powerful natural ingredients with innovative cosmetic science. While they (Amerikas) work in the background, handling the unglamorous business of distribution and retail expansion.
There’s a certain poetry when a brand built around addressing skin STRESS finally finds a stable, nurturing home. Whether Amerikas can scale it without diluting what made it innovative in the first place is the real question.
But for now? Cautious optimism seems warranted.
What do you think? Can Skyn Iceland reclaim its former glory?
Add your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s have a conversation.
I’m super excited to see this. Truly hoping that it gets turned around. I remember when they first launched at Sephora and it was one of my initiatives as a lead to bring life to these exciting brands. I’ve used the eye patches for years, from the very beginning. The original Icelandic relief ice cream was always one of my favorites, then due to Covid ingredient/supply chain shortages, I wasn’t able to find it anywhere. The only place I could find it in brick-and-mortar and online for a while was Ulta and then it disappeared altogether so I really hope they’re able to bring it back to life with the original formulation that I love you so much.
I LOVED Skyn Iceland back in the day. I think it was 2005/2006 and a woman I was working as an assistant for gave me some she didn't want. It was way too pricey on assistant's wages, so I always scoured Ebay for it. This makes me want to try it again -- and agreed they need to get back to the original product promise and premise of pristine ingredients to destress skin.