Meet The Derm-Formulated Line Designed to Simplify Your Skincare Routine

It's tightly edited and highly efficient.

Fact: The skincare market is saturated. On brick and mortar and digital shelves, you'll find everything from account-depleting serums and social media sensations to drug store discoveries. The options truly feel endless. However, many people want to sift through the noise and find a simple, practical regimen comprised of clinical, effective, and affordable products. If the word "chic" is layered into your list of priorities, then Facile Dermatology's new eponymous line is up your alley.

The new range includes only eight SKUs worldwide to streamline your skincare routine, no matter your skin type. Ahead, we spoke to its founders about the brand's inception and why you won't need to look beyond this thoughtfully designed product range when shopping for skincare.

What the Marketplace Was Missing

According to Facile's team, the simplest skin concerns are often the ones that go unaddressed. "We knew we wanted to create something that people actually needed because it takes a lot to launch a skincare line that savvy people are willing to take a chance on," explains Facile's CEO Danielle Nadick Levy. Along with her partner, the company's Medical Director, Dr. Nancy Samolitis, she edited the non-negotiables of the brand into a tight list; it needed to be derm- formulated, non-toxic, fragrance-free, accessible, and inclusive.

Many skincare enthusiasts know that curating even the tightest routines can get expensive, often with a morning antioxidant and evening night cream clocking in as the priciest items. "Many lines have costly price points which force some consumers to have to choose only one or two products, potentially missing out on all of the other benefits the brand has to offer," says Dr. Samolitis. "We wanted to create a range that works harmoniously to provide real results for the most common skin complaints like acne, discoloration, signs of aging, and dry or stressed skin—all at an accessible price."

The "Core Four"

Instead of choosing a single ingredient that may or may not work for everyone's specific skin, the active serums in the line incorporate a combination of effective ingredients for specific concerns. The "Core Four" is the brand's go-basics designed to use alone or combined. The kit includes Facile's Bare Necessity Hyaluronic Acid Gel Cleanser, Barely There Moisturizer, Dew You Hyaluronic Acid Serum, and Lip Jelly Lip Moisturizer. Between the four products, Facile's founders say they can effectively target all of the common issues that they see daily in their practice.

Options For Every Concern

In addition to the Core Four, which could be considered the staples of a tailored skincare wardrobe, Facile has a handful of targeted serums that you can pick and choose based on your skin goals. For instance, The Clear Serum focuses on treating acne with lactic, glycolic, and salicylic acids that exfoliate away oil and clear out pores, along with niacinamide to reduce inflammation. The Brighten Serum targets red and brown discoloration from acne, melasma, and sun damage with ingredients like tranexamic and azelaic acids and niacinamide. Dr. Samolitis notes that these ingredients may be safe to use during pregnancy when discoloration may worsen due to hormone changes. Still, talk to your doctor or board-certified dermatologist before starting any new products you are unsure of.

For those who want to guard against environmental stressors, the De-Stress Serum has vitamin C, phytosphingosine (a barrier repairing molecule), ashwagandha (an adaptogen that reduces overactive immune cells), and niacinamide to protect the skin. Finally, Reverse Serum is a potent retinol designed to fight signs of aging such as fine lines and dullness. It's combined with —yes—the line's multi- use ingredient, niacinamide, which reduces irritation that you could potentially experience.

One of the goals for the line was to make sure it worked for everyone. "The Brighten Serum reduces excess pigmentation, which evens out skin without lightening one's natural tone," says Dr. Samolitis. "Some people don't realize that their natural skin tone is the color of any area that rarely sees the sun like the underside of the arm and the buttocks." Regardless of color, common skin conditions like acne typically respond to the same products. And while Facile created each product with intention and meaning, the star product is arguably Dew You, an incredibly nourishing hyaluronic acid that's silky, hydrating, and glow enhancing across all complexions.

The Value of Retinol in a Routine

Dr. Samolitis says she's always been a huge fan of retinol and knew she had to include one in the line. "When I first decided to go into dermatology, one of my mentors gave me tretinoin (a prescription form of retinol) and said, 'You'll thank me when you are 40.' I've used it religiously for over twenty years, and I do think it's a major contributor to how my skin looks now."

As with each of the Core Four Serums, niacinamide is included in the Reverse Serum for its versatile calming properties. Here it's used to balance the retinol, which is known to cause intense drying when it goes untempered. "Since many gentle retinols are too weak to produce actual stimulation of skin cell turnover, I wanted to include an effective amount," says Dr. Samolitis. She recommends that people use the product no more than twice a week, increasing it to daily use only if tolerated well.

Still, while it's not recommended for pregnant or nursing mothers, she strongly suggests retinol for everyone else. "There are very few skincare ingredients that are tried and truly effective in medical research since the 1970s," she says. Of course, Dr. Samoltis also says to make sure you're following up with sunscreen.

Powerful Ingredients You Might Not Know About

"I feel like the line has a lot of star ingredients, but if I could pick two of the most unique, one would be phytosphingosine, which is a molecule that makes up the walls of our cells and the wall of our skin barrier," says Dr. Samolitis. "It's safe, non-irritating, and already naturally present in our bodies. Plus, there are several articles in medical literature touting this ingredient as an effective in helping the skin protect itself from environmental stressors and inflammation."

Dr. Samoltis adds that there is even some data showing that it can assist in treating eczema and acne, making it a no-brainer when it comes to including it in her products. "The second is tranexamic acid which has become the gold standard for treating discoloration including pesky melasma and post- inflammatory pigmentation." Dr. Samoltis says that she prescribes it in oral form for stubborn cases. Still, it's been shown in several studies to be effective as a topical, so she wanted her serum to include a higher concentration than most on the market, which makes it a great alternative to an Rx.

"In the end, we wanted to create an effective line with ingredients that are non-toxic, fragrance and cruelty-free, is housed in sustainable, tree-free packaging, and that benefits people of all ages and colors," Dr. Samoltis says. "We just didn't see anything else that checked all those boxes."

Product Picks

Facile Clear Acne Serum

Facile Brighten Pigment Serum

Facile Reverse Anti-Aging Serum

Facile Core Four

Is any acne treatment safe to use during pregnancy?

Mukherjee S, Date A, Patravale V, Korting HC, Roeder A, Weindl G. Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety. Clin Interv Aging. 2006;1(4): 327-348.

Ebrahimi B, Naeini FF. Topical tranexamic acid as a promising treatment for melasma. J Res Med Sci. 2014;19(8): 753-757.

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