Skin plays a vital role in preventing allergens, irritants, and bacteria from entering our bodies and impacting our health. Science shows healthy skin starts with the skin barrier–the epidermis’ outermost layer. Made up of cells that are held together by vital lipids, its job is to keep water and electrolytes in and harmful microorganisms and pollutants out. Replenishing depleted lipids, caused by aging, harmful products, stress, and other factors, is fundamental to our skin health. That’s why we’ve prioritized supporting a healthy skin barrier as the foundational principle for all our products.
Skinfix is the first clean and clinically active skincare brand that is tested, recommended (and personally used), by unbiased dermatologists to promote optimal skin barrier health. We formulate powerful, non-irritating skincare products with a carefully curated combination of synergistic actives and other emollients, minerals and nutrients that provide exactly what the skin needs to directly help heal, replenish, and maintain the vital skin barrier. We use active pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical ingredients at their clinically validated active levels so that they are effective at targeting each skin concern that we treat.
“Clean” for Skinfix means avoiding a lengthy and ever evolving list of ingredients that are known to be toxic, controversial, irritating or are identified as skin allergens by our dermatologist community. We formulate for the most sensitive skin, so what we leave out of our products is as important to Skinfix as what we put in.
Many of our products are categorized as over-the-counter (OTC) medicinals, which means we use clean, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (aka APIs) that are approved by the FDA and Health Canada to help treat symptoms of skin disease or specific concerns, like eczema, dermatitis, chapping or burns. Active pharmaceutical ingredients must be used at specified concentrations to be considered medically effective by the FDA / Health Canada. For our clean pharmaceutical products, we are also required to do extra testing to ensure that the active ingredients are stable and active in the formula for the life of the product. We combine targeted, clean, pharmaceutical actives with other clinically validated active cosmeceutical ingredients, and other skin nutrients, to effectively target specific skin needs. For our clean pharmaceutical products, we are also required to do extra testing to ensure that the active ingredients are stable and active in the formula for the life of the product.
When we formulate at Skinfix, we use our condition-specific active pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical ingredients at the level at which they are most optimal for a particular skin goal. Sometimes we use actives at an even higher concentration than the clinically active level to help heal the skin as quickly and safely as possible. In our heritage eczema+ Targeted Body Balm, we use a whopping 4 clean, active ingredients at super-charged levels to help restore healthy skin to those suffering from eczema, dermatitis, or extreme dry skin.
Formulating is just one step. Our definition of “clinical” goes far beyond just choosing active pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical ingredients and using them at optimal levels. We put products through the rigors of clinical trials with some of the most celebrated dermatologists in North America, to prove that our products deliver clinically validated results, without irritation. All our products are reviewed and approved by an independent panel of unbiased dermatologists.
When it comes to formulating, our total focus is skin barrier repair, health, and wellness. Our approach starts with our active ingredients. We curate the combination of pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical actives that will tackle the symptoms we are looking to resolve. We call them our condition-specific actives, and they vary by formula depending on whether we are treating eczema, rosacea or optimizing the function of the skin barrier for improved wellness and radiance. We make sure to use these actives at their clinically validated active level.
Next, we create the appropriate balance of hydrating humectants that hold moisture in the skin, nourishing emollients that help replenish vital lipids and protective occlusives that create the optimal environment for skin repair and function. The balance of these three types of moisturizers varies with each formula. For instance, our balms and ointments contain the highest levels of occlusives because skin that is suffering from an active eczema flare up or is healing from a laser resurfacing needs more protection. Our rosacea products use lighter weight humectants and emollients to help pull our powerful actives into the skin barrier where they can address redness, inflammation, and spider veins.
Finally we identify other minerals and nutrients that will support the specific needs of skin based on concern.
For Skinfix, formulating is a purposeful process that contemplates the specific needs of skin in different circumstances. We put ourselves through the rigors of clinical testing to validate that our formulas do what they are made to do, without irritation.
