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Dr. Whitney Bowe Courtesy of Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty Welcome to “Unsung Heroes,” my new column that asks beauty brands about their respective hero products—their bestsellers, and often a product that embodies the brand’s identity—but also dives a little deeper into, as the column’s title suggests, its unsung heroes: products that may not be as out front and in the spotlight as others, but still pull their weight and deserve recognition. In this column, we’ll also delve into brand ethos, the why behind beauty brands and what’s next for the company. Dr. Whitney Bowe, in addition to being the founder and CEO of her eponymous brand, Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty, wears a lot of hats. As if being a brand founder wasn’t enough, she’s also a board-certified dermatologist whose practice has been booked at capacity for the last eight years. (Among her many clients? Famous faces in fashion, television and music.) She’s a graduate of both Yale and the University of Pennsylvania, a research scientist, has been published in 40 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has lectured internationally on her research. “It’s a very unique lens to be able to be an actively practicing dermatologist,” Bowe tells me. “I literally am talking to and engaging with my patients every day in the office, but then also thinking about product formulation and creating studies to prove that the product formulations really work through the lens of a research scientist.” Bowe founded her brand in 2022 after she’d already become a social media sensation, gaining followers for championing the three-dimensional skin-gut-mind connection that earned her the nickname “The 3D Derm” and, perhaps most notably, popularizing skin cycling, a concept that reached 3.5 billion people. Skin cycling, in the simplest terms, applies to a person’s nighttime skincare routine and involves using active ingredients only on certain days and following them with “rest” days, Dr. Alexis Granite explained to Vogue. “A four-day cycle is the most popular, which typically comprises using active ingredients for two nights of the week, followed by two nights of rest—and repeating,” Granite said. The goal is to keep the skin barrier from becoming compromised due to overuse of active ingredients, and Bowe is the one who came up with it. Night one is reserved for exfoliation, prepping skin to get the most out of night two, which includes the use of retinol. Nights three and four are recovery nights, where hydration and moisture are key (think hyaluronic acids, ceramides and glycerines). Bowe has said that results can be evident after just eight days, or two skin cycles. MORE FOR YOU Skin cycling “makes the use of active ingredients like chemical exfoliants and retinols more manageable for the skin while allowing for better consistency with applying these active-containing products,” Dr. Dendy Engleman told Harper’s Bazaar. “So this type of routine allows for better tolerance and compliance with the use of formulations that are known to powerfully improve the appearance and function of the skin.” When she launched Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty over three years ago, it was just with two products; since then, Bowe has kept her SKUs lean, with its product count still until 10 (and three sets, including, naturally, a Skin Cycling Program). Here I speak to Bowe about the why behind the brand, two pillars that she firmly stands behind and what’s ahead for the brand Bowe says she lives and breathes. Dr. Whitney Bowe and her lineup of Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty products. Courtesy of Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty : When you founded Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty, what was your why? And how have you stuck to that in the years since? Dr. Whitney Bowe: The why for me really comes down to “Proof over promises.” I knew that I was uniquely positioned as both a practicing dermatologist but also as a research scientist to actually formulate products from the ground up and put them to the test using some of the most rigorous testing protocols in the entire skincare industry—to develop products that I knew would have a visible, measurable impact on the skin and then actually demonstrate that through clinical testing. We take our science very seriously, and there are terms thrown around like “clinically proven” and “science-backed” and “medical grade”—those are not FDA-regulated terms. They’re really marketing terms, if anything. The level of science and integrity that I bring to the brand is one of an experienced research scientist who knows what it takes to get the science to be credible enough to be published in a peer-reviewed journal that’s respected by my peers and my colleagues. And that’s the way that I approach the product formulation and clinical testing side of the brand. We allocate a significant amount of the budget to developing the proprietary formulations, and sometimes it can take years to do that—to really make sure that it’s the right blend of ingredients, that they’re at the right active concentrations, that they’re synergistically working with one another. We have the right delivery mechanisms to have them actually penetrate into the skin and then actually put them to the test using actual instruments to quantify and measure the changes in the skin. This [brand] is a baby for me. I mean, I live and breathe the brand. I am the founder, but I’m also the CEO, so I’m deeply involved day-to-day—every single aspect of the brand. The part that I get the most excited about, the most passionate about is the product development and clinical testing side of it. But I’m also deeply involved in all aspects in terms of operations, the packaging—even the selection of packaging was incredibly deliberate. I wanted to make sure that the packaging was 100% airtight, a completely oxygen-free system, so your product is staying potent until the very, very last drop, and they’re also refillable. Something that was also important to me is to make sure that the brand is affordable for people. I wanted it to be refillable because it’s better for the wallet. They’re less expensive, but it’s also better for the planet. Each time that you buy a refill, the carbon footprint is lower, you’re using less material, it’s better for the wallet and better for the planet. Being involved in every single aspect of the brand has led to the quality, and that’s led to the customer loyalty over time. P46, which launched in September. Courtesy of Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty : What would you consider your “hero” product to be? WB: I would have to say the P46 peptide plus plumping serum. That is our most recent launch—we launched it in September, and it’s a two-in-one peptide plus hyaluronic acid serum. I, as a complete confession, don’t use hyaluronic acid as its own dedicated step in my skincare routine. Hyaluronic acid is an excellent ingredient and has a tremendous amount of science showing that it can hydrate the skin, but the results for the most part are transient—they’re temporary. And at my age—I’m 46—many of my patients and many of my customers are looking for products that are going to deliver longer term benefits in the skin, and so what I was able to do with my team was to create this two-in-one. What it uses is two different proprietary technologies—one of them is, we call it our amplification technology. It combines hyaluronic acid with an ingredient called polyglutamic acid, which studies show can actually bind five times the moisture of hyaluronic acid alone. So with that amplification technology, you get this immediate flood of hydration, but then over time, if you consistently use the serum, that’s when the four collagen complex really comes into play. This took us years to develop, and that’s actually why the P46 comes in this white, pearlescent packaging, which is different from our signature periwinkle packaging. It’s the most scientifically-advanced formula that we’ve ever developed. The before and afters that we got from our third party clinical testing center are just breathtaking. They’re really, really impressive. We were able to increase skin elasticity up to 33%, reduced fine lines, wrinkles, help with firming. I wouldn’t say it replaces an in-office procedure, but it’s the closest thing. The other main pillar of the brand is what I call “Care beyond the clinic,” which means that a lot of the products that we formulate are inspired by in-office procedures that I do with my patients every day, but are also designed to be used to enhance and compliment those procedures. And P46 is very much an example of that. I wanted to create a product that would essentially coach your own skin to behave as though it’s more youthful. And those peptides in the formulation, if you use them consistently over time, are actually able to really deliver those benefits that are very rare when it comes to a topical treatment—something that I can achieve in my office with procedures, but this is really the closest thing to what I can accomplish in the office, and you’re taking it home with you. We also tested it post-procedure. We have a multicenter clinical study going on right now with some of the top dermatologists across the country that are actually testing the P46 serum post-procedure, and we’ve done two separate clinical studies looking at P46 post-procedure to show that it expedites recovery, so you actually recover more quickly after the procedure. You’re less red, you’re less swollen, you can get back to your normal activities, your school, your job, your work, your social activities more quickly. And it also enhances the results that you would get from the procedure if you were to just do the procedure by itself, and we actually have data to support that. Bowe Glowe Cleanser Courtesy of Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty : What is an “unsung hero” that you’d like to spotlight? WB: The Bowe Glowe Cleanser is maybe an unsung hero primarily because I think cleansing is a step that’s often just not given as much attention. But in terms of your skincare routine, it gets almost the least amount of attention, but can have tremendous implications in your ability to reach your skincare goals. The cleansing step can literally make or break your skincare routine if you’re not cleansing the right way for your skin. And when I see patients, I see two main mistakes that they’re making—they’re either overcleansing or undercleansing. Overcleansing means that they’re using a cleanser that’s simply too harsh. It’s not only removing things like makeup and pollution, but it’s also stripping the skin of its natural oils and lipids, and that can damage the skin barrier over time. And the other biggest mistake that I’m seeing when it comes to cleansing is undercleansing, meaning that people are using cleansers that aren’t effectively removing the makeup, the sunscreen, the pollution. And what happens is it leaves a film or a residue on the skin, which can not only clog the pores and lead to breakouts in some people, but it can also prevent the effective penetration of all of the other products that you apply after that. So it’s almost like you’re investing time and money in a skincare routine, but you’re hitting a plateau. You’re not getting the full effects of that routine because you’re not really penetrating effectively. So finding that delicate balance—that Goldilocks of cleansers, if you will—is really key. [The Bowe Glowe Cleanser] is calming, soothing. It’s got this beautiful blend of ingredients that creates this silky microlather in the skin. And we did extensive clinical studies. I have patients who change their cleansing routine, and all of a sudden their skin is glowing and healthy and their irritation and perioral dermatitis goes away. So I knew how important a really good cleanser is. We actually invested heavily in clinical studies and we demonstrated that the cleanser was able to remove 100% of sunscreen, pollution and foundation makeup after just one 30-second cleanse. And we also showed that we were able to do that without stripping the skin barrier, without damaging the skin at all. Everyone who tested is obsessed with it. I just feel like the cleanser category is not given the kind of attention and the science behind the cleanser category, I feel, is just lacking. I think this one really just changed the whole category of cleansing. Exfoliation Night Courtesy of Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty : Any other products you’d like to mention? WB: The Exfoliation Night serum—I wouldn’t say it’s an unsung hero. I mean, both of these are two of our top sellers. Exfoliation Night is definitely getting love and attention, especially with the explosion of skin cycling and the awareness behind skin cycling. Exfoliation Night is a very unique formulation—it’s a blend of alpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids, polyhydroxy acids, and it’s in a very rich, luxurious formula. I think a lot of people are very worried and nervous about using exfoliating products. If they’ve had a bad experience in the past with one that’s feeling like it’s stinging, it’s burning. If they have sensitive skin, they’re worried, “Is it going to leave post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation?” And the Exfoliation Night serum has beautiful efficacy behind it. We did extensive clinical studies on it to show that it brightens dark spots, helps to firm fine lines and wrinkles, unclogs the pores, really clarifies the skin. The skin is absolutely radiant, even overnight after a single use, and just gets better over the couple of months that you’re using it. It’s incredibly well-tolerated, even by people who have the most sensitive skin. : What drives the work the brand does? WB: I would have to go back to those two pillars—“Proof over promises” and cutting through the noise. We don’t fall for fads, we’re not chasing after trends. It’s really about evidence, and that really comes down to my background as a dermatologist and a research scientist. When someone buys a Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty product, they can trust that we have done our homework. We’re very, very careful. Sometimes it takes us two to three years to actually go to market with a product, and that’s because we’re not going to come out with a product just for the sake of adding another product to your routine. It really has to be delivered strategically and thoughtfully. And I think the other thing that really makes us unique and that sort of why that drives us is this concept of “Care beyond the clinic,” trying to bridge the gap between results that you can get in the office with a professional—whether it’s with a dermatologist or at a med spa or with an esthetician—and what you can achieve at home using cutting-edge skincare. And so having products that are both inspired by in-office professional procedures but also tested to demonstrate that they can complement and enhance the results of those in-office procedures is something we really, deeply believe in and are continuing to do over time. : How will you keep that driver in mind going into the next year of the business? WB: I can’t give away too much, but I can say that we do have a very robust pipeline. We definitely have some very exciting launches that we’re actively working on, and being very, again, very, very thorough with the whole product development and clinical testing protocol, really investing the time to do that and to do it right. So we have a very exciting new launch that’s coming up, and we’re also going to continue to grow with our retail partners. We’ve had an incredible relationship with Derm Store and Blue Mercury, so it’s not just expanding our portfolio, but I think you’re going to be able to find Dr. Whitney Bowe Beauty more easily and in different places as well. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
