Science of Skin Awards 2025 - Explained & Winners

0:00Hey guys, welcome back to a very special episode of Skin Anarchy. Today's episode is dedicated to our award winners for the Science of Skin Awards Awards 2025. As many of you know, and those of you who have been following us for a few years now, we have these awards every year that are given to only 10 brands across the board. And the purpose is that we want to really highlight the brands that are leading the way when it comes to innovation in skin health. Science of Skin are awards that recognize scientific excellence across the board. They are given to 10 brands every year, and these brands represent true scientific and clinical efficacy when it comes to their skin health products.

0:41These awards go far beyond just one single skew in any line. They are representing an overall philosophy that brands should have or that they're upholding where they're putting results above all else. And so all of the award winners are the brands that are leading the way every year in terms of never compromising on the science, never compromising on efficacy, and making sure that there is data to back all of their claims. Let's dive in. The first brand on the board is Neutrogena. Neutrogena is such a tried and true brand. Oh my god, I have been obsessed with their products, I think, since I was a teenager.

1:17Neutrogena is a brand that is grounded in democratizing dermatological grade skincare through rigorous science. They're employing patented technologies such as their micropeptide technology and their natuosurf surfactants to minimize things like stratum corneum disruption, optimizing hydration through their hydro boost line and also enhancing barrier function for people who are experiencing pathology such as acne and sensitive skin or inflammation in their skin so there's going to be something here for everybody and the best part is that the entire line is formulated in a way that you can use their products every single day and establish a very concrete routine that is always going to be founded on very fundamental scientific principles that are going to rejuvenate your skin and help support it through all of the changes that it goes through.

2:10The next brand on our list is Timeline. Timeline is so innovative in what they're doing because they are bringing longevity to skin health. As many of you have probably seen everywhere, longevity is really trending right now. And it is rightfully so trending because the antithesis to the word anti-aging is longevity. And understanding longevity means that we're starting to understand how cells function on a day-to-day basis. One of the key fundamentals to understanding cellular health is to understand the role of mitochondria in the cells and what mitochondria do for supporting the everyday processes that our cell undergoes to maintain health and vitality.

2:49So Timeline, what they've done is they've created this proprietary technology known as MitoPure. And MitoPure is Timeline's urolithin A compound and that enhances mitophagy. The reason we want to enhance mitophagy, mitophagy means you're basically clearing out any damaged mitochondria that are inside of a cell and you're making way for healthy mitochondria. And this is very important because the goal is that we want to boost cellular energy and this will in turn boost skin resilience and that's the fundamental. So Timeline is approaching this from a topical standpoint where they're leaning on formulations that draw on cutting-edge research into cellular senescence.

3:31Cellular senescence has become very popular recently in the research space because everybody's trying to understand these things called zombie cells and what zombie cells actually do to their neighboring microenvironment. environment. One of the biggest breakthroughs in recent molecular research has been this understanding of the fact that the microenvironment in which cells exist dictates not only how they're functioning but how the rest of that tissue is going to function. So when you look at something like zombie cells what they do is they secrete so many factors that lead to the neighboring cells turning into like bad cells.

4:07Basically just dead space is what you're talking about and this will eventually bleed into the other healthy tissues, right? So we want to really get rid of that. We want to promote the idea of like regenerating our cells and our tissues so that we can minimize the damage that's being done over time and that we can truly target aging from the ground up. So I love that Timeline has really introduced this concept into the skincare space in a very novel way. They're really rooted in precision as well. So they employ advanced encapsulation to ensure active ingredients are penetrating deeper and they're going into the deeper tissues.

4:43This is really great when it comes to optimizing efficacy and really enhancing anti-aging effects overall. So I love Timeline. They're absolutely wonderful, wonderful in their approach. My favorite part is that everything is very much rooted in the science. It's very much rooted in clinical trials, understanding that things have to be done scientifically in the sense of like peer-reviewed studies that can demonstrate the true efficacy and Timeline's done that. So I'm a huge supporter of this brand and everything they're standing for right now in the longevity space. Next is Peace Out. Peace Out skincare is such an amazing amazing line.

5:19It's so cool because it actually received our safe seal. We were able to award Peace Out with not only our safe seal overall but then our teen seal as well for some of their products. They really are a brand to me that stands out because they're revolutionizing the way that every single age approaches acne especially the way that acne is it manifests so differently for everybody and so it's very important to have products and brands that are approachable when it comes to that so you know I love that they have things like their hydrocolloid dot technology which their acne patches are honestly in my opinion the best on the market they're phenomenal they're also very safe for everybody to use I'm a huge fan of the fact that they are always grounding themselves in clinical data they're always looking at things like we created an acne patch but does it actually work They've done the work.

6:06They've shown the studies. They're also working with things like retinol encapsulation. So they have this wonderful retinol stick that employs time release encapsulation. It minimizes things like irritation. Their products are really just tried and true ingredients. And so that's why I really love them is because they're not trying to like reinvent the wheel. They're trying to reinvent the way that you approach skincare in a really fun way. So a huge fan of Peace Out. I think all of their products serve a purpose. They have very solid ingredients in the mix, like, you know, the aloe vera that targets inflammation pathways, a niacinamide, again, that's really, really great overall for things like pore texture.

6:43They recently came out with a collagen mask, which is an amazing collagen mask, by the way. I've tried, like, all of them on the market. This is by far one of my favorites. So again, like, every single time Peace Out comes with a new product, it's always something that works. It's always something that's going to become some sort of a staple in your routine. I have quite a few in my own lineup that I use every single day so yeah this is a brand I think that's truly made for everybody and again it's also made for the younger demographic that's just discovering skincare but they want products that are meant for them you know that's the bottom line so I think that that's where I can really get behind Peace Out because if a teenager picks up you know something from the Peace Out line that's meant for like acne I'm not gonna be like oh my god like you know what are you doing because their products are genuinely made with a very targeted approach and they're genuinely safe.

7:30So love the brand. I love their approach and, you know, just the community they're building in a very eco-conscious way, eco-conscious science. It's very, very impactful. So yeah, check it out if you haven't. And also if you have a younger person in your family, you know, teenagers, definitely you guys can use some of their products. You know, like I said, the hydrocolloid patches have been approved as teen safe and they're very, very great solutions so next up is the inky list the inky list is a brand that is truly rooted in providing skin health options for everybody regardless of your budget regardless of what your skin need is there is something here for everyone so they have this single ingredient approach to a lot of their products so if you want a really great hyaluronic serum they've got one if you want a really great retinoid serum, they have one.

8:21So it's really about making skincare accessible and usable by everyone. I think that the products that are not single ingredient are also phenomenal because they're not utilizing too many actives. They're able to combine just a few key hero ingredients to deliver very straightforward approaches to results and it's very result driven. So the Inkey List is a phenomenal option for anyone that is trying to experiment with skincare, build your own routine, try to figure out what works for your skin. And I think that when you approach the line in this way, it allows for discovery in terms of what is going to actually benefit you in the long run.

9:01Next up is a skincare device company. I am a huge fan of this brand because people are always coming out with skincare devices, but I think the first brand to really revolutionize the way that we saw these devices was NuFace. NuFace introduced all of us to microcurrent technology and they were able to bring this front and center in the skin health space. I think it's very important to recognize what microcurrent can do for our skin when it comes to overall health. Obviously, you're going to see those toning effects where you're basically getting this five minute facelift effect at home. However, you can also see a lot of improvement in how your products penetrate into the skin after you utilize microcurrent treatment.

9:42And so what NuFace is doing is they're revolutionizing the use of microcurrent by having these different interchangeable heads on the device where you can target specific muscle groups in the face and get the exact results that you're looking for, whether you're trying to touch up during the day or you're doing this at night. It's a really great way to kind of prime your skin for whatever you're gonna put on top, whether it's your products and whatnot. So I recommend microcurrent technology to everybody. I think we can all benefit from it because it really contours the face. It allows for ATP synthesis, ATP production in the cells, and also enhances things like myofibril tone and upregulating things like collagen, elastin, mRNA expression.

10:26And so across the board, it's just a very healthy option for all of us. Next up is a brand that I think is so, so unique in the way that they're approaching skin health. I think that when it comes to what we target with skin aging, it's so hard to find new targets, right, when it comes to products and ingredients. And Definaj is definitely one of those brands that's just revolutionizing this space. Definaj's entire philosophy is around activating stem cells. So we have a technology called the Age Repair Defense technology, and it's their patented defense and peptides, right, in this technology that are going to then go and activate the dormant LGR6 stem cells in the skin.

11:04And what that does is by triggering these stem cells, you're then allowing them to then regenerate, and then you're going to see immediate signs of like skin rejuvenation, decreased signs of aging, that kind of thing. So it's really, really novel what they're doing. All their products are very heavy hitting. They have this eight-in-one approach method going on where they have a product called their eight-in-one bioserum, which is going to target multiple aging mechanisms. So you're not just dealing with like, okay this is one ingredient targeting one thing no like this is a really holistic topical solution that they're giving you you know so you're going to see improvements in your overall skin's performance with time i absolutely love all of their products that eight in one bio serum is a game changer like it is hands down one of the best serums in the market it's going to target all the things that we've been talking about so far with the other brands with collagen elastin but i think what sets Defanage apart is that they are really honed in on this idea that, you know what, stem cells are the frontier for understanding any field of medicine, because they're literally telling you what your cells actually, like, what the potential of a cell could really be, right?

12:14That's what stem cells truly represent, is, like, the maximum potential of a cell, and so when you're able to stimulate stem cells and, like, utilize them for all of the wonderful things that they secrete, kick them into gear that's optimal formulation in my opinion so i i think it's wonderful what they're doing they're really working with that whole idea of like you know defensive molecules and and what defensants can do and what they can trigger so huge fan check out the brand if you haven't they're definitely also a cult favorite the next brand is cell cosmet this is a swiss based brand and swiss technology when it comes to skincare is honestly just next level i've been a huge fan of everything that comes out of this part of the world just because they're so hyper focused on understanding the science of skin and understanding cellular science.

13:00Cellcosmet is rooted in Swiss technology. They have been around for a few decades now and they are truly pioneering the space of cytocosmetics. What this means is that they're using stabilized cellular extracts to enhance epidermal stem cell activity and also things like upregulating keratinocyte proliferation, collagen synthesis elastin synthesis and also the overall things that we want for anti-aging benefits i really really love this line because they're rooted in understanding the importance of bioactive ingredients and delivering them in concentrated forms so that they're reaching the deeper dermal layers and really having this overall effect in tissue regeneration next up is osmosis I am a personal fan of osmosis, I think that the way that Dr.

13:48Ben Johnson is approaching skin health is really grounded in major dermatological principles. Osmosis is a holistic skincare line that is focused on restoring cellular repair mechanisms. So they're integrating things like liposomal delivery systems and frequency enhanced actives to penetrate the dermis and modulate inflammatory cytokines that are then going to stimulate fibroblast activity for tissue remodeling. So osmosis is a really great solution for anyone looking for an inside out approach. They also have supplements in the line, which are really great for targeting the gut skin access, especially for those of you who are struggling with acne or any kind of inflammatory conditions.

14:27I think osmosis provides a very holistic and grounded approach to overall skin health and looking at the multifactorial components that feed into the different pathologies that we experience. So definitely check out Osmosis. It's a wonderful option. Next up is Cerisol. This is such a cool brand because they're really honing in on the power of cellular communication with their products. The big fundamental principle that we sometimes overlook is that cells communicate with each other. You know, whether it's their microenvironment or the other cells around them, they're always talking. They're always communicating.

15:01They're sharing different proteins. They're sending signals back and forth between each other. And so this is a very important principle to understand how the skin actually functions. And I think that the way that Serisol is approaching it is very novel because they're really honing in on the idea that the skin is a dynamic organ. It's constantly working. It's constantly trying to rebuild itself. So they have this wonderful technology in play, which is called their advanced dual cellular technology. it's very highly specialized in the fact that it incorporates things like growth factors peptides proteins other nutrients that are really engineered in a cocktail to work to kind of support yourselves from the inside out but then also help with their communication with their surrounding environment it's very very novel i think because you know when you're looking at things like collagen production elastin renewal like all of these things are very complex mechanisms and it's never just like one ingredient that does the job.

15:55It's really a combination in a cocktail. And you have to be able to understand what is it going to take for the cell to then be triggered to then responding in a very specific way. So I think that's where they're focused is that cellular level. And I'm a huge fan. Their clinical results are actually outstanding. If you go to their website, you'll see the difference that you see between the before and after is profound and really tell that something is happening here. So they've been able to show in clinical trials that their collagen levels were increased by 25 percent elastin increased about 27 percent skin structure improvements by 25 percent i mean you're seeing huge huge changes here with the routine use of this brand so they have some great products i think every single product is amazing i'm a huge fan of their kgf serum the kgf serum it stands for keratinocyte growth factor serum and it's really going to stimulate that epidermal cell proliferation it's going to accelerate things like wound healing.

16:49I know we talked about microtraumas before. I think microtraumas are very important principles to understand because every day when we're going out into the environment, we're getting some sort of microtrauma, whether that's through UV rays, whether that's the environment and pollution that we're encountering every day, it's damaging our skin. So it's important for us to utilize skincare that's grounded on wound healing principles and understands how wound healing actually works cellularly. So yeah, SerioCell is amazing. I love that they use things like biomimetic peptides in their formulations that can actually mimic the natural skin proteins and then restore the barrier function based on how your skin naturally physiologically works.

17:27So huge, huge fan, really great brand. So our last brand is Dr. Ivy Skin Care. Dr. Ivy Skin Care is founded by renowned aesthetic physician, Dr. Ivona Egrich, and she is truly a pioneer in regenerative skincare, regenerative aesthetics. You know, she's literally licensed in over 20 countries. She's really done her homework. Basically, you know, she went to Japan to create her line herself. You know, she was in the lab working with exosomes directly, making sure that whatever she put in her products was something she saw herself as being scientifically viable. So just to tell you guys a little bit, what Dr.

18:04Ivey is doing, she's using plant-derived exosome innovation. And so these are Japanese exosomes from, they're derived from Centella Asiatica, the plant, and the line is delivering 6 to 17.5 billion vesicles per product to boost collagen, reduce fine lines, enhance firmness, all of those anti-aging needs that we look for, but now through nanoparticles, which are known as exosomes. So I'm very, very careful about exosome products because not all of them are made equal. I think it's very important that you guys look to see if those products are made by actual clinicians and people who have done their research and they understand the science because this is a very tricky field.

18:47With Dr. Ivy's line, it's very rooted in the idea of true skin support and so the line is very tight. She has a cleanser, there's a serum, there's a moisturizer and all of them work very synergistically and so when you're approaching this line, you want to really use the whole routine and dive into the world of exosomes, you know. So this is a very very active lineup. Exosome products you will see they're going to be really range in the sense that there's going to be some products that are very on the light side with the amount of exosomes that are utilizing and the others are going to have like maybe too many.

19:19So she's really done her homework here. I think that by incorporating things like bioactive proteins, just the fundamentals that help reprogram your skin just to perform better and to focus on things like delaying collagen loss, delaying elasticity loss, you're able to then really utilize something like this delivery technology to work with tried and true ingredients to, you know, get the results that we want, but just get them faster and in a more robust way. So this is a line that really stands out because of this delivery technology that it's incorporating. And I think that we're gonna learn a lot from the way that, you know, she's formulated her products.

19:57And right now, There's a huge explosion happening in the skincare space where everybody is getting behind exosomes and they're trying to utilize them. But, you know, there needs to be a bar set. So that's exactly why Dr. Ivy Skincare made the cut for us because they are setting that bar. And that's it, guys. That's our 10 brands this year that are getting the Science of Skin Award. Congratulations to all of the winners. I hope all of you listening, if you are looking for a skincare brand right now that you can really just dive into and get your hands on to see real results, these are the top brands of the year.

20:32So check them out. Let us know what you guys think. If you've tried any of them, I would love to hear your feedback and your recommendations for what you think is really trending right now in skincare and what's really seems to be working. Again, these awards are designed to highlight efficacy in formulation. They're designed to highlight products and brands that are leading the way when it comes to really democratizing skincare, getting into the hands of people in the best way, in the most science forward way, imaginable and you know I really hope you guys will take some time to dive in and to explore for yourself let us know what you think and we will be back next year with 10 new winners thank you so much hey guys so I hope you love that episode please make sure to hit subscribe if you're tuning in to us on any podcast platform we are available on so many different platforms so wherever it is that you're tuning in just go hit subscribe you will be immediately notified when we publish new episodes.

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