Los Angeles-based Dr. Ava Shamban has been a dermatologist for well over 30 years. In that time, she has served as the resident dermatologist on “Extreme Makeover,” opened med spas in Los Angeles and opened two dermatology practices, in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.
Now, Dr. Shamban is making her second foray into products, at a time when the expert-founded brand category is packed: In 2022, “derminfluencer” Dr. Whitney Bowe launched her namesake brand; in December 2023, Shiseido Americas acquired 23-year-old Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare for $450 million; and just a few weeks ago, Dr. Muneeb Shah launched his own brand, Remedy Skin.
Dr. Shamban first introduced a brand, called Radical Departure, in June 2006. After closing down the actives-based brand in 2012 due to the high costs of marketing and advertising and the brand’s limited distribution. She plans to incorporate those formulas into the Althaea range by 2025.
But first, this week, Dr. Shamban is introducing the premium skin-care brand Althaea Skin, made up of four topical products and one tool — the CARA Multi-Modal Tool, which combines blue and red LED, radio frequency energy and electro-muscular stimulation. Prices range from $50-$350, and the products are exclusively sold on the brand’s -e-commerce site.
“I came back to [launching a brand] because something important was not being addressed by other skin-care programs: the circadian rhythm of the skin,” Shamban said. “It’s a crowded field, but this is something that should be talked about and that a skin-care line should be developed around.”
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The brand was designed around the science of “clock genes,” which essentially help the skin understand what it is supposed to do when. Environmental stressors can disrupt these cycles, and the formulations in the collection seek to help the skin stay on task.
The brand’s proprietary formula, dubbed Solar Synq, is said to support these genes while also defending against environmental aggressors and providing antioxidant protection. Many of Althaea products’ ingredients, including meadowfoam seed oil and niacinamide, can be found in other products on the market. But, according to Dr. Shamban, the “magic” lies in the products’ precise formulations, not their ingredient lists. Shamban developed the formulas with veteran formulator John Garruto, who has also worked with brands including Alastin and SkinMedica.
Along with the circadian rhythm factor, Althaea products help defend the skin from inflammation, which can lead to aging and general poor skin health, Dr. Shamban said.
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Dr. Shamban self-funded Althaea’s launch, though she is planning to fundraise soon, she said. She listed the company’s current expenses, which include paying a team, including a chemist, as well as clinical trials for products.
On that note, in a third-party clinical trial of 30 healthy female participants who used the brand’s products over eight weeks, a 39% increase in luminosity and radiance was measured along with a 19% increase in firmness, and a 16% reduction in fine lines and wrinkles after eight weeks. Specifically, the participants used the brand’s night serum nightly, and the night serum in tandem with the CARA device three times a week. The results were assessed by technicians using Visia imaging and observation.
Dr. Shamban’s goal is to sell 8,000-10,000 units in the brand’s first year.
“Our key demographics are Gen X and millennial women looking for highly effective but understandable skin solutions,” said Louise Butler, the brand’s general manager. “We expect she is busy and looking for the most innovative treatments that fit into her lifestyle.”
The brand plans to reach this audience through digital ads driving to its e-commerce site, initially. The hope is to secure prestige retail partnerships in the next year.
