THE CLEAN BEAUTY AISLE
She’s 15, Founder of an Instant-Hit PMS Company—and Obsessed With Clean Beauty
“Never too busy for a trip to MECCA,” laughs Zoe Leffler, a 15-year-old soccer star and high school student and the founder of a burgeoning new PMS-relief brand, Cycl. Her mom, Ronit Leffler, director at Cycl., agrees. Though the family toggles between Melbourne and Marin County, Melbourne is currently their base, and the sleek, chic MECCA store on High Street in Armadale is a deeply alluring distraction.
Balancing work and life can be challenging for both Zoe and Ronit. In just two years, Cycl., an herbal gummy supplement, has made it into 1,900 Target stores in the US; the business is a full-on family affair. “My mom, dad, and uncle are all deeply involved in the daily operations,” says Zoe. “They keep me grounded and supported.”
PMS cramps that were bad enough to interfere with soccer prompted Zoe—who got her period at age 10—to start looking for relief in a form that was easy to take and nonpharmaceutical. Made with chasteberry extract, dong quai, lemon balm, and vitamin B6, the soft Cycl. gummies have a delicious citrus-strawberry flavor. “They drastically ease my PMS symptoms,” says Zoe. As the brand has grown, it has donated 50 percent of its profits to SafiCycle, which delivers period support, education, and underwear to young women in Kenya. “The company is as much about making a positive impact as it is about period relief,” says Ronit.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, both mother and daughter are huge clean beauty fans. At MECCA, they stocked up on their favorites.
RONIT'S SHOPPING LIST
“As I’ve aged, my beauty routine has become more refined,” says Ronit. “I look for gentle, clean products—I’m sensitive to toxins—that work together for the best results.”
ZOE'S SHOPPING LIST
Zoe characterizes her routine as “straightforward,” but she loves color, especially on her lips.