A new skin-care line has launched in Canada—and can we just say it’s about time?! P{H}ASE SKIN offers women a solution to skin challenges caused by hormones. Developed by Toronto-based duo Stephanie Sharabura and Kristin Kurian, these products work in harmony with female hormones, whether they be menstrual, menopausal or somewhere in-between. We chatted with P{H}ASE SKIN’s founders to find out more (read on for your chance to win!). —Vita Daily
Hi Stephanie and Kristin! Please tell us a bit about yourselves to start.
S: I’ve always been a skin-care junkie, and before P{H}ASE SKIN, my background was in vitamin C skin care. In my personal routines, I’ve always gravitated toward clean and natural remedies, but tried to balance those remedies with products that harness science and research. After years in the skin-care industry, I noticed the market lacked a brand that specifically addressed the changes that occur in our skin during our monthly cycle. Then, as I became perimenopausal, I experienced first-hand how different these hormonal shifts made my skin look and feel. My business partner Kristin and I are longtime friends—we met through our daughters. Now teenagers, our daughters began experiencing hormonal shifts that were affecting their skin, too. That’s when we realized there was an opportunity to create something that could help people.
K: I love science and research, and have a background in medical laboratory science and biology. I’m also a breast cancer survivor. I went through treatment at 36, which put my skin and I in the throes of menopause far earlier than expected. While undergoing treatment, I started consuming everything I could find about menopause, acne flare ups and dry, irritated skin. One thing that was regularly discussed by dermatologists and industry professionals was hormones. During this time, my teenage daughter was also struggling with acne. What do adolescents and menopausal women have in common? Hormone fluctuations. Together, Stephanie and I mapped hormone shifts against skin symptoms, a clear pattern emerged, and the concept for the P{H}ASE SKIN Kit and Menopause Serum was born.
And now, about P{H}ASE SKIN: when and why did you launch, what is it and what makes it totally one-of-a-kind unique?!
We have spent about 18 months formulating the products and officially launched P{H}ASE SKIN in May of this year. Together, Stephanie and I identified a need in the marketplace through our personal experiences. As a scientist, I knew there was a strong connection between a woman’s skin and the cycle of her period, which is why we developed the P{H}ASE KIT—three products for 28 days of your menstrual cycle. Both having teenagers, we were familiar with skin-care products offering solutions to only one problem (oily skin, dry skin, anti-aging) but we wanted to create a product that tackled it all. We also knew there was a gaping hole in the market for menopause products. Both Stephanie and I experienced menopause at earlier than typical ages, myself as a breast cancer survivor and result of chemotherapy, and Stephanie as a result of personal trauma experienced in her life. We wanted to develop a product that not only worked for women entering or in menopause, but that didn’t speak to a certain age demographic or alienate women experiencing different phases of life. We wanted to create something that made all women feel seen.
We’re completely transfixed with the idea of skin care that syncs with hormonal changes! Can you delve a little but deeper into that to help us understand the concept, how the ingredients work … and the benefits? (Also keen to know: what are some of the skin issues tied to different hormonal changes/phases?)
Each of the three products in the P{H}ASE Kit is specifically formulated with product percentages that align with the needs of the skin based on your menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle is divided into three phases: Menstrual, follicular and luteal. During Phase 1 (days one to nine) of your cycle, levels of estrogen and progesterone are low. Your skin may look dull or dry, making fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable. To counteract these issues, Phase 1 of the P{H}ASE Kit contains algae for it’s healthy mineral content combined with ginger, echinacea, rosemary and ginseng for a more radiant appearance. A blend of certified-organic botanical extracts and vitamins C, B3 and B5 help to increase circulation around the wrinkle prone areas helping to reduce dark circles and puffiness and helps to protect the elasticity and suppleness of the skin. During Phase 2 (days 10 to 18), estrogen levels slowly rise and culminates with ovulation. Your skin is at its best, and you are less likely to have skin irritation thanks to increasing estrogen and serotonin levels. This is the glow phase. Rich levels of collagen and moisture will make your skin stronger and more elastic. Phase 2 of the Kit includes lactic, glycolic and citrus fruit acids help to naturally exfoliate, selected botanical extracts help to increase circulation and other natural ingredients like hemp seed, rosehip, flaxseed, borage and argan oils for their essential fatty acids, vitamins and gamma linoleic acid content. Phase 3, the luteal phase, starts the day after ovulation and ends with the first day of the menstrual phase (days 19 to 28). This is also the phase that the symptoms of PMS are noticeable; we experience a decrease in estrogen and an increase in testosterone that causes the skin to secrete excess sebum which can block pores resulting in acne. Phase 3 of the kit contains tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate—the most powerful form of vitamin C available today—combined with a potent clean peptide blend, which has been clinically proven to dramatically reduce wrinkles. We’ve added Australian tea tree oil, used to fight acne and blemishes. Hyaluronic acid and vegetable glycerin work together to keep your skin looking refreshed and hydrated throughout the day, and it galactoarabinan (larch tree extract) targets acneic skin conditions.
If you didn’t mention it above, what is skin mapping? Ditto with biochemistry? What do these science-sounding terms have to do with creating a (your) successful skin-care line?
Hormones are part of our biochemistry. Our hormones ebb and flow as we cycle each month and these ebbs and flows have an impact on our skin health. We mapped the fluctuations in hormones to the changes the skin experiences each month. Estrogen is the queen of hormones, and when she is high, our skin is glowing. When she is low, our skin can get angry, irritated, dry and acne-prone. Skin mapping shows us the fall in Estrogen levels during the luteal phase, the third phase of your cycle, can leave our skin defenceless to the effects of testosterone. All three phases of our P{H}ASE SKIN Kit are formulated to work with these ebbs and flows to give your skin what it needs, when it needs it.
So, as we enter or experience different hormonal phases, do the P{H}ASE SKIN products we use change, or are they universal?
P{H}ASE SKIN was formulated to work harmoniously with your hormones—whether you’re in the midst of your period or in the various stages of menopause. The P{H}ASE Kit is a three-product kit for women who are menstruating. The kit’s three products are used separately over the course of your cycle to sync with the changes in your hormones. The three products are used at different stages of your cycle; however, the kit itself is used universally while you are still at the phase of life in which you are menstruating. As women move onto the next hormonal phase of their lives, the P{H}ASE II Menopause Serum is available for perimenopausal and menopausal women.In our late 30s and early 40s women’s estrogen is on a steady decline while our androgens remain the same. Thirty per cent of collagen is lost in the first year of menopause. Decreased estrogen results in the loss of collagen, making our skin look wrinkled and saggy. This serum is developed to combat these and other effects for women of all stages menopause and perimenopause. Finally, we have a hydrating mist that can be used universally no matter your phase!
What can we expect to see with continued use of P{H}ASE SKIN?
Using the same skin-care routine throughout your cycle can mean being harsh when you need to be gentle, treating breakouts that could have been prevented and experiencing uncomfortable or even damaging flare-ups. By using the P{H}ASE Kit, you’re using products that actually sync with your hormones. These products align with your body and know when you’re producing more or less collagen, estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. Using the P{H}ASE Kit consistently means your skin will stay nourished and hydrated, balancing its natural chemicals. Skin is left smooth, without the appearance of wrinkles, and hydrated with fewer breakouts and a healthy, natural glow.
Win! A P{H}ASE SKIN Kit!
We have a winner! Congratulations Roseanne K. of Richmond, B.C., who won a P{H}ASE SKIN Kit, valued at $82!
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