Founding list now open - Charleston, SC
See your tan change.
Mella is a pocket-sized reader that tracks your skin's visible color over time. No mirror guesses, no lighting tricks - just your change, made visible.
Launching at $129. The founding list gets first access to the first production run.
You're on the list.
Want first-run priority and the founding price locked in? Reserve with a $10 fully refundable deposit.
Optional, one tap: what made you sign up?
ILLUSTRATIVE - YOUR BASELINE STARTS FROM YOUR FIRST READING
The ritual
One second a week.
A quick check-in that feels as natural as tracking steps or sleep. Place, press, get on with your day.
01
Place
Set Mella flat against your skin. It seals out the room light and uses its own, so every reading starts equal.
02
Press
One button, one second. That's the entire check-in - no settings, no fuss.
03
Watch it change
The free app builds your personal baseline and shows your color story as it actually unfolds.
Why a device
Your camera is guessing.
Phone photos shift with lighting, filters, and auto white balance - the same arm looks different at noon and at 9pm. Mella brings its own light and reads color the same way every time, so the only thing that changes is you.
Beach, noon
Direct sun makes every photo look warmer. Which part is your tan? The camera can't say.
Bathroom, 9pm
Indoor light pulls everything cooler. Same arm, different story - that's lighting, not change.
Mella, every time
Same light, same reading, every time. When the number moves, it's actually you.
The device
Small device. Clear progress.
Pocketable, solid, and purpose-built. At home in a beach bag, on a bathroom counter, or beside the rest of your gear.
- Pocketable and satisfyingly solid - one obvious button, nothing else to learn.
- Built to live around sun, sand, and beach bags.
- Pairs with the free Mella app for your baseline, trends, and streaks.
- One device, whole household - everyone gets their own profile in the app.
Straight up
What Mella is. What it isn't.
Mella is
- A way to track how your skin's visible color changes over time.
- A personal baseline built from your own readings, across all skin tones.
- The difference between "I think I'm darker" and knowing.
Mella isn't
- A UV meter or a judge of sun safety.
- A skin health or medical tool of any kind.
- Here to grade you. It's your story, not a score.
Mella is an appearance and personal-progress product. It tracks visible color change. It does not evaluate UV exposure, sun protection, skin health, or medical risk.
First production run
Be first in line.
We're building Mella's first run now. Founding members get the launch price locked, first-run priority, and a vote on the fourth colorway.
Launch price
- Founding price locked - it won't be lower at launch.
- Priority from the first production run.
- A vote on colorway number four.
- Fully refundable, any time, one email.
Secured by Stripe. Your deposit is refunded in full if you cancel, for any reason, before your unit ships.
Questions
Fair questions.
When does Mella ship?
We're targeting next beach season (spring 2027). The founding list gets progress updates along the way, and deposits get first production units.
Is the deposit really refundable?
Yes - any time before your unit ships, for any reason. One email and it's back on your card.
Will it work on my skin tone?
Yes. Mella builds a personal baseline from your own readings rather than comparing you to a chart. It tracks your change, on your skin, across the full range of skin tones.
Is this a medical device?
No. Mella tracks visible color change for appearance and personal progress. It doesn't measure UV exposure, evaluate skin health, or make any medical claims.
Why not just use my phone camera?
Phone photos shift with lighting and auto processing, so week-to-week comparisons are unreliable. Mella uses its own light and reads color the same way every time - that's the whole point of the device.