THE KIVU STORY
Long-time friends and Kivu founders, Dr Benedetta Brazzini and Manuela Gabbai are both from Florence but met in London.
The combination of their skills and passion has brought to life their vision of clearer, younger-looking skin using the very best ingredients with their range of high-performance skincare, Kivu.
The origins of Kivu lie in a birthday gift that Manuela gave to Dr Brazzini several years ago.
Running out of ideas for something original to give her, Manuela was amused to find a face spray that contained ‘snail mucin’.
Dr Brazzini was in fact already prescribing products with snail secretion in her clinic and was finding them to be very effective due to the incredible anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating properties of Helix Aspersa secretion.
However, Manuela’s gift stimulated her curiosity. Dr Brazzini was intrigued by the spray and so decided to investigate further.
Dr Brazzini went deeper in her analysis and decided to re-formulate the product and add other medical grade ingredients to make it more effective, cosmetically appealing and with a much higher concentration of Helix Aspersa secretion.
She included peptides and other active ingredients, aimed at the skin issues and concerns of her patients. In partnership with Manuela, she developed Kivu, a range of four high-performance skincare products.
After years of being asked for recommendations for the best anti-ageing face products or the best skincare products for acne-prone skin, Dr Brazzini can now proudly recommend her own.
“In developing Kivu, I was focused on finding formulas that would be kind to the various skin conditions I treat but I was equally driven by results.” Dr. Benedetta Brazzini
OUR FOUNDERS
Kivu draws on Dr Brazzini’s years of skincare expertise as a dermatologist practising in London and Florence and as a brand, reflects Manuela Gabbai’s time and skills honed as a marketeer at major companies.
With an entrepreneurial mindset, Manuela Gabbai strongly believes in the power of consumer insight to deliver value and innovation to brands. She has worked extensively in the luxury and consumer sector.
Dr Brazzini is a qualified specialist in Dermatology with over fifteen years experience. She has private clinics in London and Florence; she also works for the NHS in London.
Over the years she has developed areas of special interest in her field. These include cosmetic dermatology (acne, and acne scarring, pigmentation disorders, melasma, ageing, rosacea, sensitive skin), laser surgery, skin cancer and dermatologic surgery.
She advocates a natural and minimalist approach to skincare as the best approach to looking after our skin. Kivu is a response to a real need seen by Dr Brazzini in her clinics for a skin product that combines simplicity and efficacy and most importantly, clean ingredients and cutting edge scientific research.
“I see a wide range of patients in my clinic - from young people with mild to severe acne to mature men and ladies with signs of ageing, pigmentation problems, localized and diffuse blemishes and sensitive skin. When advising what skincare regime to follow, I have always been extremely careful to ensure that it is one that is not only effective but one that won’t further irritate the skin."
