Doctor-led skincare brand 111Skin’s co-founder on its formula to stimulate the production of glutathione for skin healing, and the power of sheet masks

Eva Alexandridis, CEO of 111Skin, explains how being surgeon-led makes it different from other skincare brands, and how it became ‘the authority on sheet masks’
She explains its formula to encourage the body to produce more of ‘master antioxidant’ glutathione, and the importance of sticking to a skincare routine

Fashion

Vincenzo La Torre

Published: 5:15pm, 20 Jun 2023

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Eva Alexandridis, CEO and co-founder of 111Skin, was recently in Hong Kong, where she talked about how she and her husband, Dr Yannis Alexandrides , built their skincare brand.

What makes 111Skin different from other skincare brands?

“We’ve been in this business for more than 15 years and the real point of difference is my husband, a practising plastic surgeon.

“He’s done over 12,000 surgeries and is an expert in skin rejuvenation. He cuts the skin and understands the three-dimensional healing of the skin, which is the body’s biggest organ.

“We’re the biggest experts in understanding how skin heals and the processes of skin turnover. He’s a US board-certified surgeon and always goes to conferences to update and innovate.”

111Skin co-founders Eva Alexandridis and Yannis Alexandrides.

How does skincare complement plastic surgery?

“When my husband performs a surgery, he prescribes skincare to patients beforehand. Surgery doesn’t fix skin. He wants people to come to the surgery with healthy skin to get better results, so everything is one holistic view of things.

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“If you want to have surgery, you have to wait and have healthy skin so that your skin on the day is hydrated and super healthy, and that’s when he cuts the skin and performs the surgery. After, you have to continue a good skincare routine for best results.

“Even though he’s amazing with his hands, if the skin isn’t in the best condition, he won’t do it. What skincare does is prolong the effects of surgery and treatments like lasers and fillers. So if you use the right products, even after Botox the effects will last.

“We have products that mimic the effects of Botox. We’re a scientific brand very much rooted in the medical field and want to deliver products that have a sensorial element because we know that clients like that beautiful feeling.

“Skincare is a ritual and self-care moment so the products have to look beautiful, but that’s not enough.”

111Skin Repair Serum NAC Y2 contains a powerful amino acid that stimulates the healing processes of your skin.

Tell us about NAC Y2, your proprietary technology.

“It’s a powerful amino acid that was never used in skincare before we introduced it.

“Let’s say you take too much paracetamol or some other pills and they make your liver stop functioning. When you go to the hospital they inject NAC into your liver, so it’s a very powerful antioxidant that my husband knew from his medical practice.

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“NAC is a proprietary formula so we didn’t go to a lab and ask for ingredients, we went there with this ingredient and asked scientists to integrate it into products.

“NAC speeds up skin healing and stimulates production of glutathione, a master antioxidant that decreases with age, which is often used for whitening but also for boosting immunity and energy.

“By infusing NAC, glutathione increases. We infuse it with vitamin C and other ingredients. It stimulates the healing processes of your skin.”

Alexandridis in Hong Kong in May 2023. She has been in the skincare business for more than 15 years.

Your sheet masks are very successful. What’s the story behind them?

“I used to travel to Asia, including South Korea and Hong Kong, for research and to attend fairs. Around 10 years ago, I discovered that sheet masks were becoming a trend but we didn’t have them in Europe. So, I bought masks [in Hong Kong] and in Seoul and I took them back to my husband and asked him if they were any good or just a gimmicky trend.

“He opened a few and threw some in the bin and then opened one that contained biocellulose technology, which is used in medicine for wound healing after surgery. He found the technology fantastic but not the ingredients, which had many nasties.

“He said, ‘If we can make these masks with the ingredients we want I’m behind it because it’s like a second skin.’ Now people say that we’re the authority on masks.”

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What do you think about skinimalism, using less but better skincare?

“I’m a firm believer in this and I hope that what’s happening in fashion, this movement against fast fashion and cheap things that you throw away, will happen in skincare.

“It needs to come to beauty even more quickly because skin is your best asset. You need to buy quality products that are tested instead of buying 10 low-quality products to get the same results.

Alexandridis suggests people be “respectful to your skin and stop using harsh ingredients”.

“I hope people change their mentality and stop having a wardrobe full of so many different products without continuing to use them and just stop trying new products.

“Your skin has a 28-day turnover process so you actually need to use a product for 28 days to see a difference. Be serious about skincare; it’s a science, so don’t bombard your skin and don’t overuse acids and peels and destroy a whole layer and then go to my husband with issues.

“You have to stick to your routine and not keep trying something new. You need to take care of your skin in a considerate and consistent manner. You have to be respectful to your skin and stop using harsh ingredients; it’s not OK to be red and to suffer.

“You need to preserve the balance and protect the barrier of your skin.”

111Skin is available in Hong Kong at Joyce Beauty.

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