Adjunct Associate Professor and Nurse Practitioner Elissa O’Keefe has developed a new range of breakthrough medical grade skincare Science Skincare, which includes home care ranges and a professional line of signature in-clinic treatment products.
Elissa is best known as Managing Director of Bravura Education and an expert clinician in the aesthetic medicine industry, but most recently she has “bottled” her 45-year quest for skincare and developed a range specifically for people with problem skin (you can read more about Elissa’s struggle with acne and skincare here).
We sat down with Elissa to get all the gold on Science Skincare.
What drove you to create Science Skincare?
I was driven by the need to develop a range that made clinical sense for skin specialists – one they can be confident in recommending to their patients, with results that fortify the trusting relationship they have with their patients.
There are so many options available for clinics (including white labelling their own brand), but often it is slick marketing and a quest for the highest profit margin that overshadows quality ingredients and patient results.
With so many mass-produced brands available and so many clinics creating their own home-brand lines, why would you even consider Science Skincare?
Science Skincare is made freshly and locally in small batches using native Australian botanicals and the best available ingredients (think Caviar Lime, Noni Fruit, Kakadu Plum, liposomal retinaldehyde and patented peptides).
Nothing has been skimped on here regarding active ingredient quality. These ingredients are evidence-based, stable and the results are reliable.
Science Skincare products are not tested on animals, have recyclable packaging and where possible the ingredients are organic. It’s what our patients expect. They expect that we are making ethical choices at every step of the supply chain.
What are the differentiating benefits of advanced medical grade skincare?
The evidence is in. In-clinic treatments have better outcomes when they are supported with good home care products and the dermatology journals are full of studies attesting to this, whether it be for rosacea, acne or laser skin resurfacing. Also, in-clinic treatments and home care contribute to the preservation of healthy skin and help slow the skin ageing process. Who doesn’t want that?
Patients are seeing real results, and in the short time since Science Skincare has been available (since October 2019), the feedback we’ve received has been humbling. In a world of ‘payment for comment’, the volume of positive testimonials has been a real surprise.
Part of the ethos of Science Skincare is to not to pay for influencers. What we want is to have diverse, smart, everyday women with problem skin using and loving our products.
Science Skincare’s before and after photos are a story in themselves, too. Before and after photos are usually carefully curated from tens or hundreds of patients. Our photos are literally from the first few people who used our products! When I saw these results coming in so early, I knew I was onto something, and the story is remaining the same.
White label home care range – a no-fuss routine with minimal steps that works
- Cleansers, moisturisers, exfoliants (AHA and BHA), vitamins A (0.25% & 0.5% liposomal retinaldehyde and retinyl palmitate), Vitamin B (10% niacinamide) and Vitamin C serums (10% ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, Kakadu Plum, 5% magnesium ascorbyl phosphate), plus a unique A & B combination and cosmetic sunscreens.
- Four kits to make choosing the right combinations for different skin presentations easy: Bye, Bye Blemishes, Clarity, Clear and Calm, Adios Aging, and For Him.
- Mineral-based cosmetic sunscreens SPF 15+ available in colourless versions and three tints that self-adjust to match your skin colour.
Black label home care range – specialist products only available in-clinic
- 1% Vitamin A (liposomal retinaldehyde, niacinamide, CoQ10, phenylethyl resorcinol, Willow Herb, Red Algae, ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, Aloe Vera)
- 1% Vitamin A and 3% Vitamin B (niacinamide, Manuka honey) combination
- Enlighten (eight patented skin lightening peptides, Vitamin C, Kakadu Plum)
- Eye Nourish (unique triple roller action for lymph drainage, SNAP 8, Mg, Zn and Cu, Vitamin K, arnica, mangosteen)
Professional bespoke in-clinic treatments
- Chemical peels: Jessner’s peel with the unique addition of calendula flower, noni fruit and sea buckthorn extracts to calm the skin, promote healing and reduce down time; plus three TCA peels and two strengths of lactic acid peel.
- Three fruit enzyme peels, one for blemishes (Blemish Rx), one for moisturising (Newskin Rx) and a pomegranate peel, perfect for a ‘lunchtime’ peel.
- Four custom fusion blends that can be combined with the HA + EGF (hyaluronic acid and epidermal growth factor) serum to treat pigment, breakouts, sensitive skin and ageing.
- Three masks, one for hormonal breakouts, one for congestion and one for sensitive skin.
- Two powerful infusions: one with 2.5% liposomal retinadehyde and the other with hyaluronic acid, peptides and epidermal growth factors.
Shop the range here or if you’re a clinician, get in touch with Elissa at hello@scienceskincare.com.au
