Geologie

Back in 2017 at Northwestern Medicine, I was doing a lot of work advocating for evidence based sunscreens and moisturizers - publishing these studies in top academic journals. I was surprised and fortunate that the New York Times covered my work in both of these areas. (links to publications in comments) Nick Allen reached out via a cold email. He came back from South Korea and felt that the U.S. market for personal care products was lacking in skin care products that emphasized performance and clarity - particularly for men. I ignored him. But, he was persistent. We ended up spending an entire day together in Chicago brainstorming about how we could create a new kind of product that emphasized evidence-based ingredients, simplistic formulas that emphasized quality and tolerability, and build a brand that spoke truth to our customers. It's been amazing to see Geologie 's journey from that meeting and all the hardwork Nick and Dave Skaff have done. On Feb. 25th, the team reached an amazing milestone. Geologie's Clear System for acne was launched in Target nationwide to provide a benzoyl-free regimen that delivers results while also ensuring tolerability. I am so proud to be the "derm" behind this product - the three solution system hits acne in all of its dimensions with salicylic acid, azelaic acid, and a retinol all within amazing vehicles that moisturizes and protects. True to our origin story - we did a rigorous randomized controlled double-blinded split-face trial to prove effectiveness and tolerability of Clear System. Read more here and will be published in a peer-reviewed journal soon: https://lnkd.in/gzHD3DQ6 Acne is so much more than just pimples. I have had the honor of helping countless patients beat acne from milder cases where a great over the counter regimen works to the most severe cases that require oral medications and vigilant monitoring. Acne - particularly in younger individuals - increases the risk of depression, anxiety, self-confidence, and being bullied. In one study, 22% of acne sufferers had considered suicide as a result of their condition. Ra AG, Ho B, Bickerstaffe L, Bewley A. More than skin deep: a survey of real-life experiences of acne vulgaris. Br J Dermatol 2022; 186:191–3. It goes beyond being a skin deep condition. I'm proud of the Geologie team and the Clear System for providing an exciting option and available widely for our patients.

Looks like this issue with benzoyl peroxide (BPO) releasing benzene into popular acne treatments is picking up momentum. On Friday, a class action lawsuit was filed against many major producers of BPO based acne treatments. https://lnkd.in/gnfdkNxV At Geologie, we've never been a fan of benzoyl peroxide. It smells bad, it stains your clothes, burns your skin and now allegedly can release carcinogens. That's why we created Clear System and ran clinical trials against benzoyl peroxide to prove it's equally as effective, without the harsh side effects. It's such a big deal to us, we even stamp No Benzoyl Peroxide right on the front of the box. #healthyliving #skincare #skinhealth #acne #news #personalcare #skincaresolutions

I'm here in San Diego for the annual American Academy of Dermatology meeting. Right at the eve of the biggest meeting in Dermatology worldwide, I'm learning about a recent Citizens Petition from an independent testing laboratory Valisure on the presence of high levels of benzene - a known carcinogen - in a concerning range of very popular OTC benzyl peroxide (BPO) products for acne (e.g. Proactiv, Clearisil, PanOxyl). Read the full report here from Valisure: https://shorturl.at/fgM02 Some key hits: 1) 70 out of 76 of non-BPO products (92%) had no detectable benzene or values below 0.1 parts per million. 2) 90 out of 94 BPO products (94%) resulted in the detection of benzene often with values well above 2 ppm in an initial analysis. 3) Follow on stability testing at elevated temperatures showed even higher levels for a range of BPO products. These are products we as dermatologists recommend every single day to our patients and are used by millions of adolescents and adults worldwide. While the majority of the time, these products sit in a temperature controlled store or bathroom it is common to travel with these products or have them in a bag that can easily be exposed to elevated temperatures on a hot day (e.g. in a hot car). What is the most concerning to me is that this isn't about adulteration or a one off issue - it's more about how BPO can breakdown to benzene at alarming rates and concentrations. Of course, we need some time to make sure the findings are true, the testing methods sound, and there is still considerable uncertainty on the direct clinical harm. I've long advocated for greater regulation in the safety and performance of cosmetics all the way back in 2017 where we the first to report global adverse events attributed to personal care products in JAMA Internal Medicine: https://shorturl.at/iGITZ. We were highly supportive of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein and U.S. Senator Susan Collins work in introducing the Personal Care Products Safety Act which finally got passed into law in 2023: https://shorturl.at/jvMV3. We wrote again about our support for this bill all the way back in 2018: https://lnkd.in/gvChp2c4 is the first bill in 80 years that strengthens the FDA's oversight of this industry. As dermatologists, we need to continue to be a bigger voice in advocating for the safety and efficacy of all products used to address major skin problems - whether they require a prescription or not. Some press coverage: Dermatology Times https://lnkd.in/gp9Y2MPQ Reuters https://shorturl.at/lxOZ1