ELLE Exclusive: Quiet Luxury Has A New Definition — And It’s Sitting On My Sink

The words “science-backed” have been used and abused too many times in skincare to keep count of. I’ve tested enough of it to know that most brands saying it, aren’t. Still, when Flout Beauty landed on my desk, in quiet packaging, and a luxe but clinical tone, I gave in to curiosity.

The first time I applied Own Time, their bi-retinoid serum, I wasn’t expecting anything revolutionary. But it felt different. Light yet substantial, and velvety without the silicone slip. Within days, there was less morning tightness, fewer dull patches, and none of the usual retinol struggles. I found myself staring at my skin in daylight, thinking, "This looks like I slept," which of course, I hadn’t.

Then came Boundless, their barrier-building hydrator. It melted in like second skin, the texture sitting somewhere between gel and cream; a formula that felt designed for Indian humidity and urban chaos. Two weeks later, I realised it had quietly replaced my heavy-on-the-pocket European moisturiser. It’s rare to find something that hydrates, protects, and feels expensive. Boundless did all three for me.

A Moonshot For Indian Skincare

The founder of Flout Beauty, Rachna Bahadur, isn’t your typical beauty entrepreneur. A Wharton MBA and ex-Bain & Co partner, she’s the kind of person who reads clinical studies the way most of us read Instagram captions. Her “Aha!” moment, she says, came during Chandrayaan-3’s launch in 2023. “I thought to myself, we just sent a mission to the moon. Surely, top-notch skincare science is worth attempting in India.” You can almost see her connecting the dots between lunar missions and biochemistry.

Flout launched with just two products. In an industry obsessed with launching 12 new products before breakfast, that restraint feels radical. “It was intentional,” Rachna tells me. “Minimal routines. Measurable results. True luxury is needing to do less to gain more.”

I love that sentiment. I’ve grown weary of ten-step routines masquerading as self-care. These two bottles—one creamy, one serum-thin—slot seamlessly between cleansing and sunscreen and do the work of six. It’s visible progress without having to push myself to take care of my skin.

Science You Can Feel

When I ask Rachna about the most underrated ingredient in skincare, she doesn’t miss a beat. “The ingredient isn’t underrated, the art of formulation is. Marketeers want you to believe a single ingredient can create magic. That’s absolute BS.”

I have to say, I found something deeply comforting about a founder who sounds more scientist than salesperson. Flout’s claim to fame isn’t a single hero ingredient. It’s biochemistry that lets ingredients amplify one another, like a well-conducted orchestra. And you feel that seriousness in the experience. Nothing in the line feels trendy; everything feels considered. Skin responds not with the high of instant glow, but with the quiet relief of balance restored.

Luxury That Doesn’t Shout

What I like most about Flout is what it isn’t. It’s not chasing K-beauty dew or French pharmacy minimalism. It’s carving its own lane: globally credible, locally relevant. “I wanted to build a brand you associate with luxurious science,” Rachna says. “When you’re ready to stop overpaying for foreign logos, we hope you think of us.”

It’s an audacious ask, but after a month of using both products, I get it. My skin looks and behaves better, yes, but more than that, it feels understood. The best formulas don’t promise miracles, they just promise sense. 

After years of products that over-promised and under-delivered, this duo lands squarely in the sweet spot for me. If skincare had a “quiet achiever” award, Flout would win it—twice.

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