10.23.17
Co-created by scientists, dermatologists and “thousands of women,” Walgreens Boots Alliance is betting on its new YourGoodSkin to answer the needs of the modern skin care consumer. Happi chatted with Clare O’Connor, innovation R&D manager skin science, about this new line that’s formulated with a wide range of efficacious ingredients.
HAPPI: Tell us more about the key hero ingredients that your formulation team tapped for this line and what are their benefits?
Clare O’Connor: We have our unique (patent pending) antioxidant complex which combines the power of science and nature to protect the skin from all forms of oxidative stress caused by free radicals. The blend of green tea, vitamin C, Lipochroman and vitamin E works in harmony to protect the skin from the stressors that can lead to loss of radiance, uneven texture and uneven skin tone. To arrive at this complex, we completed extensive research, screening over 100 ingredients for their ability to protect against all the different free radicals that impact skin health. Vitamin C and vitamin E are well known to be highly potent.
Lipochroman is a unique, highly effective molecule that works in synergy with the other ingredients to provide a broad spectrum antioxidant complex to protect against all types of free radicals. Our star ingredient is green tea. Green tea has been a popular antioxidant and we assessed 12 different types of green tea in vitro to test their antioxidant activity and selected only the best. It is a pure green tea extract containing 95% active matter. It is grown and harvested with no agrotoxins or chemicals making the product pure. When harvested this is completed by hand and must meet a strict criterion before picked. We then moved onto testing the antioxidants at different levels vs. the positive control absorbic acid and we were off the charts. To accompany our antioxidant complex, we have sourced two key ingredients to tackle the two remaining signs of healthy skin: moisture levels and oiliness. The first ingredient was sphinganine, a unique ingredient to balance sebum production, reducing shine and oiliness. We assessed a number of different actives in vivo and found that sphinganine was the best performer. Our results showed a dramatic reduction in sebum content on the skin vs. a standard base. The final ingredient is Japanese Lily Turf. We were looking for an ingredient to not only boost moisture levels but also maintain a healthy skin barrier, trapping moisture. Japanese Lily Turf is a fascinating ingredient that captured our attention as it has an ability in nature to withstand drought by trapping water.
HAPPI: What was the role of the “team” approach to the development of this line—how did Walgreens Boots source the team of terms and scientists specially?
O’Connor: This development was a unique partnership that not only utilizes the expertise of our specialist skin scientists in researching and developing the most effective science to improve the visible health of the skin, but also excellent dermatologists, two of whom were completely immersed in the development of the products, ingredients and clinical studies, with a further two independently reviewing our extensive data and trials. The real richness of this team however was the vital element of the community of women. YourGoodSkin is an industry first, combining excellent science, dermatology and the thousands of women who want to use these products on their good-skin-for-life journey.
The community is integral to the YourGoodSkin brand and will continue to be moving forward. This community of 2,500 women, located in the US and the UK, has been involved in every stage of the development of the brand over the last three years including scoping and shaping the products, defining the packaging, choosing the brand name and guiding the launch. As the community evolved, the YourGoodSkin team found themselves talking to these women daily about the brand they were creating and getting their individual input into fundamental decisions including brand designs, colors, name, lineup and packaging. As the brand evolves and launches new products, the community will continue to influence and direct key decisions including getting their individual input, so YourGoodSkin will continue to always be co-created by thousands of women. Everyone is invited to join the thousands of women that have already started their journey to a life with visibly healthier skin as part of the YourGoodSkin.com community. New members can get involved by registering at YourGoodSkin.com. Not only will members be able to see how their peers are doing, they’ll be able to get advice from friends and experts on hand. After joining, members will receive answers to product queries, skin care advice, or any other need-to-know beauty tips as the online portal will be a gateway to achieving better skin for life. When women sign up for the YourGoodSkin Community, they have the opportunity to select their communication preference, between app, Facebook messenger or email. They will then receive communications direct via their selected method from their coach helping to educate, guide and support their journey. The community is instrumental in supporting its members in their pursuit of #goodskinforlife. Not only does it provide a forum for skincare experts to give guidance and tips, but it also allows like-minded women to support and encourage each other in their bid for more healthy skin days.
HAPPI: It seems that there have been some really positive results from the extensive clinical testing; why did Walgreens/Boots invest in this level of testing for this launch? Is it something that has become necessary in the competitive skin care market? Why or why not?
O’Connor: We performed over 70 consumer trials with over 7,500 volunteers and 30+ clinical trials. As a brand, we felt strongly that the skincare line had to be effective. We also received this feedback from the community of women. Women are constantly looking for skin care products that actually work so we wanted to offer something where the results speak for themselves. And we succeeded! YourGoodSkin Balancing Skin Concentrate is clinically proven to improve the five key signs of visibly healthy skin including skin texture, skin tone evenness, moisture levels, oiliness and radiance for visibly healthier skin in just 28 days. We also saw that results keep getting better over time as you use it twice a day, morning and night, between your cleanser and moisturizer.
HAPPI: This line has a hot cloth cleanser and manual facial brush—two products that seem somewhat low tech in comparison to some of the high-tech devices we have seen in the category (such as sonic brushes, LED light etc.). Can you share with us why these were included in the line and how they fit into the YourGoodSkin profile?
O’Connor: The community influenced all the products chosen to become part of the line. We formulated our cleansers to be suitable for all skin types, even sensitive. During our work with the community, they told us that they select their cleanser by the format they love. Most brands segment their cleansers by skin type meaning that if you have oily skin, you usually use a foaming wash and if you have dry skin, you use a lotion so very often they are using a cleanser that is not right for their skin. In fact, 31% of our women referenced that their current cleanser often causes tightness and dryness. Our range allows our consumers to select their favorite formats, including a nourishing hot cloth cleanser and a softening facial brush, without worrying about it damaging their skin.
HAPPI: Tell us more about the key hero ingredients that your formulation team tapped for this line and what are their benefits?
Clare O’Connor: We have our unique (patent pending) antioxidant complex which combines the power of science and nature to protect the skin from all forms of oxidative stress caused by free radicals. The blend of green tea, vitamin C, Lipochroman and vitamin E works in harmony to protect the skin from the stressors that can lead to loss of radiance, uneven texture and uneven skin tone. To arrive at this complex, we completed extensive research, screening over 100 ingredients for their ability to protect against all the different free radicals that impact skin health. Vitamin C and vitamin E are well known to be highly potent.
Lipochroman is a unique, highly effective molecule that works in synergy with the other ingredients to provide a broad spectrum antioxidant complex to protect against all types of free radicals. Our star ingredient is green tea. Green tea has been a popular antioxidant and we assessed 12 different types of green tea in vitro to test their antioxidant activity and selected only the best. It is a pure green tea extract containing 95% active matter. It is grown and harvested with no agrotoxins or chemicals making the product pure. When harvested this is completed by hand and must meet a strict criterion before picked. We then moved onto testing the antioxidants at different levels vs. the positive control absorbic acid and we were off the charts. To accompany our antioxidant complex, we have sourced two key ingredients to tackle the two remaining signs of healthy skin: moisture levels and oiliness. The first ingredient was sphinganine, a unique ingredient to balance sebum production, reducing shine and oiliness. We assessed a number of different actives in vivo and found that sphinganine was the best performer. Our results showed a dramatic reduction in sebum content on the skin vs. a standard base. The final ingredient is Japanese Lily Turf. We were looking for an ingredient to not only boost moisture levels but also maintain a healthy skin barrier, trapping moisture. Japanese Lily Turf is a fascinating ingredient that captured our attention as it has an ability in nature to withstand drought by trapping water.
HAPPI: What was the role of the “team” approach to the development of this line—how did Walgreens Boots source the team of terms and scientists specially?
O’Connor: This development was a unique partnership that not only utilizes the expertise of our specialist skin scientists in researching and developing the most effective science to improve the visible health of the skin, but also excellent dermatologists, two of whom were completely immersed in the development of the products, ingredients and clinical studies, with a further two independently reviewing our extensive data and trials. The real richness of this team however was the vital element of the community of women. YourGoodSkin is an industry first, combining excellent science, dermatology and the thousands of women who want to use these products on their good-skin-for-life journey.
The community is integral to the YourGoodSkin brand and will continue to be moving forward. This community of 2,500 women, located in the US and the UK, has been involved in every stage of the development of the brand over the last three years including scoping and shaping the products, defining the packaging, choosing the brand name and guiding the launch. As the community evolved, the YourGoodSkin team found themselves talking to these women daily about the brand they were creating and getting their individual input into fundamental decisions including brand designs, colors, name, lineup and packaging. As the brand evolves and launches new products, the community will continue to influence and direct key decisions including getting their individual input, so YourGoodSkin will continue to always be co-created by thousands of women. Everyone is invited to join the thousands of women that have already started their journey to a life with visibly healthier skin as part of the YourGoodSkin.com community. New members can get involved by registering at YourGoodSkin.com. Not only will members be able to see how their peers are doing, they’ll be able to get advice from friends and experts on hand. After joining, members will receive answers to product queries, skin care advice, or any other need-to-know beauty tips as the online portal will be a gateway to achieving better skin for life. When women sign up for the YourGoodSkin Community, they have the opportunity to select their communication preference, between app, Facebook messenger or email. They will then receive communications direct via their selected method from their coach helping to educate, guide and support their journey. The community is instrumental in supporting its members in their pursuit of #goodskinforlife. Not only does it provide a forum for skincare experts to give guidance and tips, but it also allows like-minded women to support and encourage each other in their bid for more healthy skin days.
HAPPI: It seems that there have been some really positive results from the extensive clinical testing; why did Walgreens/Boots invest in this level of testing for this launch? Is it something that has become necessary in the competitive skin care market? Why or why not?
O’Connor: We performed over 70 consumer trials with over 7,500 volunteers and 30+ clinical trials. As a brand, we felt strongly that the skincare line had to be effective. We also received this feedback from the community of women. Women are constantly looking for skin care products that actually work so we wanted to offer something where the results speak for themselves. And we succeeded! YourGoodSkin Balancing Skin Concentrate is clinically proven to improve the five key signs of visibly healthy skin including skin texture, skin tone evenness, moisture levels, oiliness and radiance for visibly healthier skin in just 28 days. We also saw that results keep getting better over time as you use it twice a day, morning and night, between your cleanser and moisturizer.
HAPPI: This line has a hot cloth cleanser and manual facial brush—two products that seem somewhat low tech in comparison to some of the high-tech devices we have seen in the category (such as sonic brushes, LED light etc.). Can you share with us why these were included in the line and how they fit into the YourGoodSkin profile?
O’Connor: The community influenced all the products chosen to become part of the line. We formulated our cleansers to be suitable for all skin types, even sensitive. During our work with the community, they told us that they select their cleanser by the format they love. Most brands segment their cleansers by skin type meaning that if you have oily skin, you usually use a foaming wash and if you have dry skin, you use a lotion so very often they are using a cleanser that is not right for their skin. In fact, 31% of our women referenced that their current cleanser often causes tightness and dryness. Our range allows our consumers to select their favorite formats, including a nourishing hot cloth cleanser and a softening facial brush, without worrying about it damaging their skin.