Suzan Obagi, MD: Bringing Passion for Skincare to Obagi Medical

Why are you passionate about skincare?

Suzan Obagi, MD: The skin is everything. You can be lifted, plumped, relaxed. You can be treated for so many things with all the devices and innovations we have, but if your skin doesn't have that outward glow, that youthful appearance, then you haven't hit the pinnacle of rejuvenation.

No matter what my patients come in for, I listen to every one of their concerns. My philosophy has always been to direct them back to the importance of taking care of their skin, to repair sun damage, to maintain the results of what they're doing, and also to set the stage for better aging—especially for younger patients. When patients embrace that they become your partner and they walk down this road with you.

I've seen an evolution in the patient population. A larger number of older patients are coming in partly, I think, because they're living longer, healthier lives, and they want to reflect that on the outside. I also think that they realize now that there's something being offered for every patient, no matter what age group they're in.

I'm seeing younger patients coming into the market, saying, “I want to really be proactive, look the best that I can.” That might be driven by social media and the fact that our photos are now out there all the time.

Not only are patients diverse in age; they're diverse ethnically, as well, and that change is at the forefront of care. Additionally, patients want results-oriented products. They have very busy lifestyles and don't want prolonged recovery time, especially when they look good to begin with.

Consumers are increasingly savvy; they have an interest in ingredients and ingredient safety.

Why did you decide to develop a novel skincare line? Why work with Obagi Medical?

Dr. Obagi: I have spent a lot of my time focused on the academic aspect of my practice. I've lectured extensively and published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. I spent a lot of time educating peers and my patients, and I decided that I need to help drive evolution in skincare based on the knowledge I have.

Interestingly, I've been approached in the past by other large companies about collaborating. While that was enticing, they weren't aligned with my philosophy, which has always been in alignment with Obagi Medical and its philosophy on skincare.

Obagi Medical reaches physicians all over the world. That is my desire: To reach out and teach physicians from all over the world how to better care for our patients, how to better deliver skincare. Obagi has been the industry leader, and I want to help them maintain leadership in this exciting field. I think it's a great collaboration and I think that they're the gold standard. I'm really excited to be partnering with them.

At Obagi, the messaging has always been the same. They want to deliver good results. They want to deliver the best products for patients. They want to see physicians engaged. They want to see patients engaged.

What sets the new line apart?

Dr. Obagi: For all of the reasons noted already, as I was moving along in my plans to help develop a skincare line, I wanted to work with Obagi. This line of products is designed to first drive safety. We have an extensive list of ingredients that we will not put into our product line. Safety is first and foremost.

Next, and equally important is efficacy. The ingredients have been researched extensively, and they're designed to deliver results.

Third, we wanted a regimen that patients can use whether they have sensitive skin, older skin, younger skin, clinical evidence of melasma, dyschromia, or acne, for example. We're casting a wide net.

The products that we have launched are designed along a three step process to cleanse, protect, renew. The cleansers are designed not to strip the skin and to be tolerated by the most sensitive of skin.

Step 1 is to cleanse. Step 2 is to protect. Protecting the skin means more than simply protecting against ultraviolet radiation (UVR). We are now aware that our skin is exposed to radiation, be it infrared or visible light, that plays a role in skin aging, just as UVR does. Sun protection must be able to offer protection against these sources while arming the skin with antioxidants to further mitigate these effects.

One of the products that I'm very proud of is Soothing Complex, designed for either stand-alone use as a topical low SPF 25 tinted sunscreen agent for patients with sensitive skin or for use with other products. It's formulated with allantoin for hydrating properties, bromelain, and vitamin K to help minimize bruising, post-procedure. This is great for post-procedure skin, whether it's a laser procedure, a microdermabrasion procedure, a microneedling procedure. It will not clog pores; It will help hydrate fragile skin and allow the skin to recover much more quickly post-procedure.

Step 3 is to renew. We want to start building collagen no matter how old we are. If our skin produces one percent less collagen per year from the time we're 18 to the time we're 30, 40, 50, we can do the math. It doesn't look good.

So what do we do? We know that vitamin A derivatives build collagen. How do you get a patient to comply? How do you get enough of the product in that you actually can see a clinical improvement, and how can you demonstrate that to the patient?

The approach was to use a retinaldehyde, which is an intermediate between retinol and retinoic acid. Retinaldehyde only has to go through one more enzymatic change to become an active retinoid. That was one thought process behind our hallmark product, Retivance. It's been formulated in a base that feels very soothing when you apply it to the skin. It has certain fatty acids in there that really help to support the stratum corneum so that you're trying to combat some of that retinoid dermatitis as well.

The products also include polyhydroxy acids rather than alpha-hydroxy acids. Polyhydroxy acids can confer on the skin a great amount of antioxidant properties as they hydrate the skin and reduce the visible signs of aging by sloughing away dead skin cells through their exfoliative properties. There is also evidence that polyhydroxy acids provide procollagen activity.

You've emphasized the safety of products. What drives your focus on safety?

Dr. Obagi: All of the products are designed to be hypoallergenic and free of synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, and parabens. I wanted to be proactive and I wanted to be a leader in product safety.

Since Obagi already is the gold standard in skincare, it is great that they also share that vision with me.

I read the data and accumulated reports worldwide. I can't say that 100 percent of those questioned chemicals are not safe, but I'm not going to put them on me and I'm not going to put them on my family members. And if I collaborate on a product line, it's going to exclude those chemicals until they're proven safe.

Consider our sunscreens. Safety is unparalleled when it comes to mineral based products. Plus, they're formulated also to blend across many ethnic skin backgrounds. It's a very interesting paradox that patients claim to be using sunscreen a lot more, yet we're seeing the rates of skin cancer continue to skyrocket. Either sunscreens are really not offering the protection we think they are or something's happening in combination with the sunscreen and the sun. With that thought in mind, it's best to stick more with the zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

The goal with everything that we're doing is to minimize future or further damage.