With period care becoming a less stigmatized subject, the category is experiencing steady growth, opening the door for new brands to enter the market. One of the newest brands comes from Zoe Leffler, a 15-year-old whose wellness brand Cycl launches exclusively in all Target doors and on Target.com on May 1.
Zoe Leffler’s founder journey began at 10 years old when she first started her period. “I had severe PMS, mood swings and period cramps, and being an athlete, that completely hindered my performance. I went to [my parents] and begged them to find a solution. That’s when we created Cycl,” she said.
Though there are plenty of other period relief brands on the market, Zoe Leffler said her dislike of pills crossed many options off her list. For others, the aesthetic and brand messaging was unrelatable. So, Zoe Leffler said, she sought to create products that were enjoyable while also being efficacious at every stage of the period cycle. With Cycl, she’s targeting young adolescents and aiming to introduce them to menstrual wellness.
With the help of her father, Ido Leffler, co-founder of personal care brand Yes To, Zoe Leffler began working with contracted scientists to formulate a clinically-backed blend of ingredients to address all of her concerns. Rounds of testing later, the team created Cycl’s first SKU, a strawberry-flavored PMS Symptom Relief gummy. The supplement consists of four key ingredients: dong quai, lemon balm, chasteberry extract and Vitamin B6. Sixty gummies, enough for one complete cycle, are packaged in a recyclable bottle and retail for $24.99.
Despite her father’s experience in beauty and personal care, Zoe Leffler said her company is currently self-funded through her own savings. However, her father’s existing relationship with Target did grant her the opportunity to pitch her brand to the retailer in 2022.
To sell her products to Target reps, Zoe Leffler said she highlighted what she saw as a “gap in the market for a PMS product or period product that helps with both mood support and cramps.” She also spoke about the brand’s partnership with the non-profit SafiCycle, a menstrual health and hygiene program providing adolescents in Kenya with resources and education. Fifty percent of Cycl’s profits are donated to the organization.
Cycl’s Target launch further builds on the retailer’s wellness expansion goals. In January, Target launched over 1,000 wellness-related products. In March, the retailer reported full-year 2023 earnings of $105.8 billion, down 1.7% year-over-year.
Preparing for Cycl’s Target launch, Zoe Leffler hired a GM and a social media coordinator earlier this year. To help navigate being a teen founder, she also created an advisory board that includes Josette Sheeran, the former head of the World Food Program; Michele Promaulayko, the former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan; and nutritionist Joanna Shinewell.
As the brand grows, Zoe Leffler says Cycl will continue to prioritize growing a presence and community on TikTok and Instagram, where it currently has under 100 followers across both platforms. After launching additional products throughout the year, the next area of focus will be on hosting in-person events and collaborating with Gen-Z influencers and athletes. Ido Leffler added that expanding internationally, specifically to Australia, is also a goal.
