Q+A with Droplette Founder Madhavi Gavini

Madhavi Gavini is co-founder of Droplette, a skincare device that replaces any step in your skincare routine where actives are applied to your skin. Yes, you read that right! Droplette is engineered to deliver actives into your skin — in, not just on — in a robust way; the device outputs a micro-mist that infuses the active ingredients your skin craves up to 20x more deeply than topical products. Read on to hear more from Madhavi on the inspiration behind the device, how Droplette plans to revolutionize skincare, and what's next for the brand!

Q: Madhavi, you have experience as a therapeutics designer; Rathi comes from a background in medical diagnostics development. What about each of your sets of experience has helped you the most in the development of Droplette?

Our backgrounds have really complemented each other through the development of Droplette. Since we initially invented Droplette as a medical drug & device combination, my experience in drug design, as well as my knowledge about skin diseases and wound-healing, were critical. I’m also a mathematician and have a deep understanding of the field of fluid physics, which Droplette is based on. Rathi is a chemical engineer, and her Ph.D. was based on building microfluidic systems. She has a lot of experience working with fluid dynamics in lab-on-a-chip hardware systems, as well as with various types of chemistries that help in formulation development.

All of our experience in life sciences and engineering led us to really consider Droplette as solving a fundamental biological and medical problem. In its development, we’ve always held ourselves to building a clinical-grade product and are thrilled to bring it to users for use at home.

Q: You drew inspiration for Droplette from a medical conference. What did you learn at the conference that encouraged you to get begin working on this device?

The medical conference we attended featured a rare and relatively unknown pediatric skin disorder called Epidermolysis Bullosa. EB is a devastating disease that affects children from birth. This is a rare genetic disorder where patients are missing a key gene. Without it, they are covered in slow or non-healing open wounds which are very painful and increase their susceptibility to infection. Coming from a drug development background, we were used to thinking of treating diseases as solved once you had developed a drug. In EB, this could be treated via gene therapy, but there is no way of delivering the gene back into the damaged skin cells. EB opened our eyes to the fact that making a drug is not enough — it actually needs to get to the right place in order to be effective. That’s what inspired us to develop Droplette, and we quickly realized that there are many other areas where this technology could be useful including foot ulcers, skin infections, pain relief, and skincare.

Q: The Droplette device has gone through several iterations and has evolved and been optimized to cater to several needs. Can you walk us through a bit about the production and development of the device, and what the process has been like to perfect it?

The user experience, efficacy, and ergonomics of the device are all things we’ve prioritized optimizing over the years. The components inside the device, their orientation, and settings have all been perfected to ensure consistent and effective delivery, which we’ve verified by conducting biological studies. We have also integrated feedback from dermatologists, estheticians, and end-users as we have engineered & iterated on the device design. We have definitely collected a number of prototypes in our Droplette engineering museum. Since Droplette is an electromechanical device, there have been challenges we’ve tackled and solved both from a mechanical design perspective and also on the electronics inside the device.

One of the most fulfilling engineering accomplishments was the integration of the capsules with the device; we explored over ten concepts on capsule insertion and formulation dispense, and are thrilled with the design that we are using today. In addition, a big part of the design process includes engineering the device for manufacturability. Our first devices were actually built in-house by our engineering team, but over the past year, we have completely outsourced and scaled up our manufacturing operation.

A lot of effort has also gone into our formulations. We’ve had to do extensive engineering to ensure that the mist from each formulation leads to robust delivery, as some of the actives we work with can be tricky to formulate. That being said, we have yet to meet an active that we haven’t been able to mist through Droplette effectively.

We’re always continuing to work on device hardware and software updates that will enhance the user experience with Droplette and also have some new ingredient capsules in the works.

Q: The Droplette system has two parts that work together to really give you the most out of your routine. Can you walk us through both parts and how they work in tandem?

The first piece is our patented Micro-Infuser device which can transform formulations into a high-velocity micro-mist to infuse ingredients 20X more deeply into the skin than topicals. There are two components inside the device that enable the deep delivery: a piezoelectric transducer that creates a mist (similar to a humidifier or a nebulizer), and a proprietary membrane pump system that accelerates the mist and leads to droplet size reduction on impact with the skin. It’s the pump that really enables delivery into the skin.

The device goes hand-in-hand with our ingredient capsules, which are water-based and only include ingredients that are good for your skin. We don’t use penetration enhancers or any of the other fluff that’s found in other topicals. Instead, we only use dermatologist-recommended ingredients that are known to be effective — if they are actually delivered. Since our technology allows ingredients to get past the skin’s barrier and end up in (not just on) your skin, we don’t need anything extra. One of the best benefits of our single-use capsules is that they keep formulations air-tight and stable so that they’re at their maximum potential when you infuse them into your skin using the device.

Q: There are currently three different Droplette capsules available that can be used to treat various skincare concerns. How can someone tell which one is best for their skin type?

Thank you for asking this question; we are actually debuting Droplette Prescriptive Regimens soon, which will help users answer this exact question. We worked with our dermatologist partners to design biweekly routines for specific skin conditions, to ensure our customers are making the most of their Droplette devices. Check back soon for our Ultra Hydrate, Wrinkle Repair, and Radiant Detox Regimens.

Today the capsules are marketed by lead ingredient, which was very much inspired by professional products our practitioner partners retail. While many of our subscribers use all three at different intervals each week, we generally recommend Collagen (with vitamin C and Argireline) to help the skin return to a youthful state of supple hydration, Retinol (with arbutin) to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and Glycolic (with salicylic acid and peptides) to reveal your skin’s natural luminosity and clear away blemishes.

Collagen is the most gentle of our formulations, which is suitable for all skin types, and also our most popular ingredient capsule. Our Retinol is unique since it doesn’t cause the irritation that’s often seen with traditional cream-based formulations; this is because, in addition to infusing retinol into your skin, Droplette also delivers hydration which prevents drying out or redness. Similarly, the Glycolic capsule is loaded with soothing ingredients that prevent irritation while providing potency.

Q: We would love for you to walk us through how to integrate Droplette treatments into our skincare routine!

Droplette replaces any step where active ingredients are applied to your skin (except sunscreen!). This means that you should absolutely still cleanse your face, and even moisturize after you’re finished with your routine to lock in any goodness that you’ve infused — and of course, wear sunscreen. But Droplette should replace every step in between — we’re talking serums, essences, toners, masks, and peels. After all, 90% of these formulas are just going to waste anyway because your skin is such an effective barrier. Your mileage may vary based on your skin type and concerns. We typically recommend that people use Droplette in the morning and evening. A favorite regimen in our team and among our customers is Collagen in the morning, and then alternating between Glycolic and Retinol in the evening for clear, luminous skin. We are rolling out specially-created skincare regimens (co-developed with our dermatology partners) for various skin types. Stay tuned!

Q: What sets Droplette apart from other skincare products on the market, specifically devices?

Droplette is unique in that it was designed to get skincare actives into the skin quickly and without causing inflammation or discomfort. This was originally designed for treating pediatric patients, so a lot of the key features there apply towards making this a seamless and easy experience for customers. We designed Droplette so that you can apply your skincare products in less time than it takes to brush your teeth, making it easy to integrate into a regimen and use every day. The device is portable, has a small footprint, and is easy to use. Additionally, since it began as a medical device, Droplette has gone through rigorous testing with partners including NIH, Walter Reed, and dermatologists and bioengineers from Harvard and MIT.

Q: What is next for you both, and the Droplette product line?

We are both committed to growing Droplette as a brand and company to introduce a paradigm shift in dermatology and the beauty industry forever. We hope Droplette will make topicals seem old-fashioned and somewhat pointless in a short period of time. We’re also excited to continue working on the medical side of Droplette with our collaborators at the NIH, WRAIR, MIT, and Harvard.

As for Droplette’s product line, watch for more device colors and accessories, as well as more professional strength capsule formulations. We’re even pondering some cool partnerships. Oh yeah, and Rathi just had a bouncing baby boy in July. Cheers to many exciting years ahead!