Christine Esposito, Managing Editor06.03.22
Direct-to-consumer skincare-meets-makeup beauty brand Iris & Romeo says Weekend Skin—its new mineral sunscreen that also delivers the benefits of vitamin C—is all about doing the minimum and getting maximum results. The 3-in-1 formulation combines a soft-focus filter, SPF 50 and time-release vitamin C.
Founder Michele Gough Baril contends Weekend Skin is the first product to put clinical levels of vitamin C with mineral SPF, combining two important steps in one’s daily skincare routine. .
“It’s called Weekend Skin because we believe that Saturday feeling—easy, well-rested, and glowing—should really last all week,” said Baril, who founded the San Francisco-based clean beauty company in 2019.
Happi asked Baril to share more details about the formulation.
HAPPI: How is the vitamin C in this formulation unique?
Baril: The problem with vitamin-C is once it’s exposed to daylight it oxidizes, becomes unstable and loses efficacy. The Vitamin C in Weekend Skin has a time-release delivery system which allows it to be metabolized more gradually into the skin than other Vitamin C actives, and having it supplied on a continuous, slow-release basis keeps the dose at fresh, potent levels. In commercial testing, it has been proven to have superior formulation stability to other Vitamin C materials on the market. It also allows you to reapply frequently without irritating the skin.
HAPPI: What is the role of the soft-focus filter and what ingredients provide this benefit?
Baril: The whole point of sunscreen is to get people to wear it, and so it has to look aesthetically pleasing on the skin. We wanted to create a blurring glow effect that was universal, meaning it worked for every skin tone. Up until now, brands have had to create at least two different shades to work for all skin tones – a cool tone and a warm tone. Not everybody knows their undertone and our ethos is to make products that are simple to use, so we set out to find a neutral pigment that would work for everyone and give a glowy, never glittery effect that is perfect for daytime. It truly looks like that fresh-from-the-facialist glow you get after visiting your esthetician. You can’t mess it up. We achieved this with the mica in the formula that is also ethically-sourced. We tested the shade on the Fitzpatrick scale and it looks gorgeous on everyone. We’ve made it really easy as no shade-matching is required.
HAPPI: When it comes to facial cosmetics—skincare and cosmetics are growing evermore intertwined. Why is this a good thing for consumers' skin health?
Baril: It’s good for consumers and it’s good for our planet. Combining skincare and makeup saves time, money and waste. It's good for skin health because it takes the guesswork out of expert skincare. We know what skincare actives work together. Often that’s hard for consumers to figure out — should I wear vitamin C with niacinamide, for example? Weekend Skin has niacinamide in at 2%, which is an active level. It’s important to understand this especially when you’re working with clinical doses as you could cause damage to your skin. When a formula is put together by an expert chemist they consider this. If we can combine multiple steps into one, it’s a win.
Founder Michele Gough Baril contends Weekend Skin is the first product to put clinical levels of vitamin C with mineral SPF, combining two important steps in one’s daily skincare routine. .
“It’s called Weekend Skin because we believe that Saturday feeling—easy, well-rested, and glowing—should really last all week,” said Baril, who founded the San Francisco-based clean beauty company in 2019.
Happi asked Baril to share more details about the formulation.
HAPPI: How is the vitamin C in this formulation unique?
Baril: The problem with vitamin-C is once it’s exposed to daylight it oxidizes, becomes unstable and loses efficacy. The Vitamin C in Weekend Skin has a time-release delivery system which allows it to be metabolized more gradually into the skin than other Vitamin C actives, and having it supplied on a continuous, slow-release basis keeps the dose at fresh, potent levels. In commercial testing, it has been proven to have superior formulation stability to other Vitamin C materials on the market. It also allows you to reapply frequently without irritating the skin.
HAPPI: What is the role of the soft-focus filter and what ingredients provide this benefit?
Baril: The whole point of sunscreen is to get people to wear it, and so it has to look aesthetically pleasing on the skin. We wanted to create a blurring glow effect that was universal, meaning it worked for every skin tone. Up until now, brands have had to create at least two different shades to work for all skin tones – a cool tone and a warm tone. Not everybody knows their undertone and our ethos is to make products that are simple to use, so we set out to find a neutral pigment that would work for everyone and give a glowy, never glittery effect that is perfect for daytime. It truly looks like that fresh-from-the-facialist glow you get after visiting your esthetician. You can’t mess it up. We achieved this with the mica in the formula that is also ethically-sourced. We tested the shade on the Fitzpatrick scale and it looks gorgeous on everyone. We’ve made it really easy as no shade-matching is required.
HAPPI: When it comes to facial cosmetics—skincare and cosmetics are growing evermore intertwined. Why is this a good thing for consumers' skin health?
Baril: It’s good for consumers and it’s good for our planet. Combining skincare and makeup saves time, money and waste. It's good for skin health because it takes the guesswork out of expert skincare. We know what skincare actives work together. Often that’s hard for consumers to figure out — should I wear vitamin C with niacinamide, for example? Weekend Skin has niacinamide in at 2%, which is an active level. It’s important to understand this especially when you’re working with clinical doses as you could cause damage to your skin. When a formula is put together by an expert chemist they consider this. If we can combine multiple steps into one, it’s a win.