At 52, Molly Sims isn’t chasing her worth — she’s building balance. In 2023, she launched YSE Beauty, a fruit-driven skincare line aimed at women over 40, a demographic often overlooked in beauty today.
In less than three years, what could have been considered “another celebrity line” has launched 14 high-end products, won 14 major industry awards and expanded from direct to consumer to an exclusive national partnership with Sephora.
And then there are the performance and support metrics, which the most invested Sims can hack without hesitation. In December 2025, the brand closed a $15 million Series A funding round led by Silas Capital with participation from L Catterton, Willow Growth Partners and Halogen Ventures. This year, YSE will also welcome its first CEO, Doreen Arbel from Charlotte Tilbury, which Sims calls “great” and important for taking the line to the next level. He says: “We are no longer crawling—we are running.”
Sims admits that the brand had an unexpected start, born out of a personal need and desire for a different career. “I don’t know if it was hormones or having three young children, but I was ready for something new once I hit my 40s… this might sound strange, but I wanted to be a part of something that I did from the beginning.”
In her 30s, she struggled with cystic acne, and in her 40s, she struggled with hyperpigmentation and melasma caused by pregnancy, hormones and sun exposure. “I was a makeup queen—until I wasn’t,” she recalls. She tried aggressive actives, hydroquinone, peels and lasers, which left her skin still inflamed. Now he says: “More does not mean better. “There is a plateau of benefits. You strip, you shine, you shine, but if you don’t revive, you hit a down time. Don’t get me wrong, I still love it! Sometimes, we need very little! I plan to get my neck fixed, but sometimes our skin needs a break.”
In 2019, Sims says she “stopped everything” and created her own schedule, alternating stripping strategies with hydration and plumping, and sending boxes of unlabeled products with handwritten instructions to friends and neighbors. The plastic surgeon noticed, and asked: “What are you doing with her skin?” That became YSE.
She also said the origin was really based on what she saw as a gap in the market: Women in their 40s were being overlooked. “You were either a millennial in your teenage years or you were going through menopause,” she says. “I don’t want to sit here and just talk about menopause, and I don’t want 15 products. I’m a cult customer. If I buy something, it has to do a lot of different things.” His approach was to create multiple “favorites”, medically backed, pure and designed to simplify procedures while delivering results. Her vitamin C serum, Morning Cocktail, stays out under makeup, while her Skin Glow SPF is first, protecting and tanning. Problem Solver, another form of hydroquinone, treats darkening without dryness or irritation. “The 15-step skincare routine is complete,” says Sims. Women don’t have time.
He is also very proud of the heavy investment in clinics, compliance and stability testing. “I go into every detail,” he laughs. “When those clinics come back, I’m like a child!” That persistence paid off, but he admits that the pain was increasing: “You can think that selling is good, but running out of money is dangerous.
He says that it is a real thing to plan things that other people want.” I have never worked so hard in my life. I had to go to business school, marketing school, HR school—everything.”
Staying deeply involved in product development and focusing on clinical excellence and user experience are also important. “I’m already in 2028,” he says. “I’m not in a hurry, and I’m always looking ahead.” I think that’s why this did so well.
YSE continues to improve. In early 2026, the brand launched Wide Awake, a light and subtle eyeshadow palette available in four color-correcting shades designed to be worn alone or with makeup. “I wanted an eye cream that combined medical-grade skin care with instant payoff,” says Sims. The product became a hit at Sephora, embodying her philosophy that Gen X customers can experience success and pleasure. Sims is already preparing the next product, a multitasking product that combines the results of a mask-sheet with a pump serum. She tells us: “It’s like a glass of water for your face.
The founder also talks clearly about the learning process and the work it takes to create a brand that is serious enough to measure up. She admits: “If I knew then what I know now, I don’t know what I would have done. “It’s really very difficult.” But, she also shines when discussing what lies ahead. She is still working, determined to achieve medical success and guided by a clear vision for women like her. She says: “I wake up like it’s Christmas every day. Sometimes you get what you want, sometimes you don’t, but we’re still building the real thing.
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