Five years ago, two co-workers from a corporate background with an emphasis on employee healthcare found a small, family-owned skincare machinery manufacturer in a seemingly sleepy Philadelphia suburb, and embraced their entrepreneurial instincts, coupled with a desire to change the skincare industry from a topical beauty-focus to an overall, “whole-istic” approach incorporating skincare and nutrition.
Mark Pinsley and Ginger Hodulik acquired DermaMed Solutions in July 2011, and in the past five years the company has grown from its origins as a manufacturer and distributor of aesthetic equipment and professional skin care products, to a nationally-recognized provider of state-of-the-art Microdermabrasion and other aesthetic equipment, and grown what was a small professional skin care product line into the current dmSkincare™ line of professional and retail products which offer nutritious, botanically-based skincare to support and enhance microdermabrasion and other mechanical treatment protocols.
Under their leadership, DermaMed Solutions is one of America’s most innovative skincare and wellness companies, growing beyond aesthetics into total health and body care. And from their point of view, there is still room to grow.
“Where most come from the background of aesthetics and skincare, Ginger and I came from a nutrition and wellness background,” said Pinsley, the President of DermaMed Solutions. “Our goal has always been to make this company bigger, and broader, than just a beauty company and bring wellness, nutrition and overall healthcare to our customers and to the industry at large.”
When they acquired the firm, DermaMed Solutions key product was the MegaPeel Microdermabrasion system, which was developed in-house and sold to skincare professionals and dermatologists. There was also a line of skincare products, dmSkincare, which supported DermaMed Solutions’ equipment customers.
Under the leadership of Pinsley and Hodulik, DermaMed Solutions introduced a new generation of microdermabrasion equipment with the release of MegaPeel EX® in 2013. They also made significant changes and expanded the dmSkincare line of products, re-launching them as clean clinical products made with natural ingredients, and which do not contain harmful chemicals, preservatives and dyes.
“Mark and I were both looking for a business opportunity to work on together, and DermaMed Solutions was exactly what we were looking for in 2011, because we realized immediately the opportunity to bring ‘wellness” to an industry that did not have that mindset,” Hodulik, the company’s Vice President of Research and Development, said. “What was missing was nutrition. Gut health is reflected in your skin. We are building on the opportunity to bring nutrition to an industry, skincare and aesthetics, that was overlooking it.
“Our customer base, primarily spas and salons, is just beginning to realize the value of nutrition in skincare. Our challenge is educating our customers, and commercially delivering to them,” said Hodulik. “Over the past five years, we’ve begun to educate the industry through writing for trade publications, speaking at industry tradeshows and conferences, and creating intimate seminars for spa and salon owners in different regions. Our goal continues to be making wellness an integral part of the salon and spa experience.”
In addition to the improved MegaPeel EX and the enhanced dmSkincare line, during the past five years Pinsley and Hodulik have established the DermaMed Solutions Aesthetic Education Award. The company has recognized two students annually with its Aesthetic Education Award for the past four years. Applicants must be interested in attending or already enrolled at an accredited esthetic program, express their passion for the skincare industry, and share the core values of DermaMed Solutions. The winners each receive $500, with a bonus of an additional $500 if the selected student attends one of DermaMed Solutions' partner schools.
Adding to the DermaMed Solutions portfolio, the company became an Exclusive Distributor of geneO™+ technology and the OxyGeneO™ 3-in-1 Super Facial treatment products in the United States last year. As developed by Pollogen, Ltd. (Tel Aviv, Israel), a global leader in the medical aesthetic market, the OxyGeneO 3-in-1 Super Facial is a one-stop maintenance facial that softens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, minimizes pore size, and revitalizes dull complexions providing a balanced healthy look. It is a breakthrough skincare technology that performs three actions simultaneously: gentle skin exfoliation, infusion of essential revitalizing nutrients and natural skin oxygenation. Similar to the natural hot springs effect, the GeneO+ is the world’s first technology that naturally oxygenates the skin from within thus significantly accelerating the absorption and optimal utilization of nutrients both during and after treatment.
This summer, DermaMed Solutions entered into an agreement to become an Exclusive Distribution partner with Viora, a leading provider of medical aesthetic solutions, and their ReFit, ReLift, and ReAction products which reduce cellulite and wrinkles and offer skin tightening, among other benefits.
As DermaMed Solutions grows the company’s wellness offerings, it has added a series of aromatherapy products as well as nutritional supplements, Skin Health Omega 3, Raspberry Ketones and Skin Health Mega Probiotics, available through their web site, with additional nutritional offerings in the pipeline.
Hodulik has also spearheaded the launch of DermaMed Solutions Holistic Wellness Services, which include Nutritional and Lifestyle Training Programs as well as Educational Seminars that provide the perfect complement to mechanical and topical skin care treatments. In depth exploration of the following topics can help uncover keys to a greater understanding of how wellness can impact skin health.
“Our goal is to help skin care professionals offer customized, comprehensive and effective solutions for every client,” said Hodulik. “We follow a holistic philosophy which we refer to as being “whole-istic”. We feel that the attainment of healthy and glowing skin is best achieved when you consider the whole person vs. just one aspect of a person’s inputs to healthy skin.”
The ownership team has also led efforts at DermaMed Solutions to become a “green” company and achieving a level of sustainability, for the company, its products, and for its community. They consulted with Dr. Diane Phillips, an associate professor at Saint Joseph’s University, to speak to members of the team at DermaMed Solutions to inspire their creative input on how to make the company more “green.” Phillips has been writing, speaking and doing research on sustainability for more than 20 years, and is a certified member of Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corps. DermaMed Solutions is an active member of the CarbonFree® Partnership program. Operated by Carbonfund.org Foundation, the program helps individuals and businesses understand climate change and develop practical and cost-effective solutions to slow, stop and reduce the climate crisis. DermaMed Solutions has joined the CarbonFree Partnership program to neutralize their carbon footprint by supporting clean air technology and carbon reduction projects in the United States.
“Everything we have built over the past five years, and everything we will do at DermaMed Solutions in the future, is about helping our customers feel their best as well as look their best,” said Pinsley. “The changes we’ve made, such as changing our dmSkincare formulations are anti-inflammatory, are due to Ginger’s research and efforts. We wanted to sell personalized nutrition products, and we are getting closer to that. I do think that the MegaPeel EX now not only looks but works much better than it did before we acquired the company. Our team has helped, we’ve developed and grown together.
“This first five years, we’ve been shifting from a skin care machine company to a balance of the machines with skincare products, and nutrition. We increased our distribution of other healthcare products. In the future of DermaMed Solutions, skincare will be 50 percent of our revenue, with the machine revenue comprising the other 50 percent. We will increase the amount of education we provide, and we will continue to differentiate ourselves through our nutrition and wellness offerings.”
