The Philippine Online Chronicles

People with sensitive, intolerant or problematic skin can breathe a sigh of relief with today’s selection of skin care products. From custom-fit skincare to cosmeceutical alternatives, more and more companies are prioritizing healthy skin.

One of the major players in the skin care industry today is VMV Hypoallergenics. The company has been around since 1979, making it one of the first cosmeceutical brands worldwide. “Cosmeceutical” is a term that was coined for products that possess a combination of pharmaceutical and cosmetic ingredients, which claim to contain biologically active ingredients which are purported to work better than traditional formulations.

The idea behind VMV Hypoallergenics

VMV was founded by a renowned dermatologist-dermatopathologist who encountered so many patients suffering from contact acne and contact allergies, and found herself unable to recommend products that contained little or no comedogens or allergens. At that time, there weren’t any substantial studies available regarding cosmetics as they were largely dismissed by the dermatological community, so she had to do research on her own in order to offer the best possible alternatives to her patients.

More research and experimentation had led to the creation of the now patented, first ever VMV product – the Retinoic Acid-Cindamycin Toner. One of her patients who had to deal with his history of allergies and acne, responded well to this particular toner and thus urged her to sell it commercially. The patient later then became her husband and started the business with her.

VMV Hypoallergenics, as it is later called, is now managed by the founder’s daughters, Laura and CC . Both literally grew up around VMV, and were “guinea pigs” for the brand’s new products. According to Pamela Garcia, SPMI Marketing Coordinator of VMV Group, “This included Laura sneaking into her prep school’s dorm’s bathroom at 5 a.m to do dandruff shampoo ‘masks’ for her acne. CC was put on prophylactic care with a SuperSkin regimen at age 9 when our founding physician saw that her skin might go the route of her dad’s cystic acne (CC still uses the same regimen now)”.

Laura, together with her husband, Juan Pablo Bertotto now runs VMV’s global business. While CC runs the North American operations of VMV.

Start-up woes

As with any business, VMV Hypoallergenics had to deal with numerous hurdles in order to get their name out there. As Pamela explains, “There were many, many, many hurdles, chief among them was not being able to use our founding physician to market the brand! In order not to violate local requirements and international standards, she insisted on not marketing the products. Considering she was so accomplished as a doctor, this was a huge hurdle for the brand and forced us to come up with other ways to market the scientific validity of the products. The journal publications helped with that.

Another big hurdle was how different the brand was from its inception. Early on, it wasn't normal for many cosmetics to take a pharmaceutical approach, with expensive and tedious randomized, double-blind clinical studies. But our founder insisted. This resulted in a much more costly and time-consuming developmental process.”

Most health and beauty brands are so focused on the aesthetics, so VMV had to rely on their research and scientific data to make a difference. “We prioritized on offering products that were safe and scientific, two very important factors that were not addressed by other brands. Many people still think reactions (acne, darkening, aging, rashes) from cosmetics are rare. But research is showing ranges of 5% to 21% in the USA for people who react to ingredients commonly used in cosmetics and personal care, to as high as 44% among children. In terms of aesthetics, what we did was to focus more on bringing in the brand's families' legacies into its visuals—to communicate warmth, legacy, and its kinder, softer esthetic, ” says Pamela. This strategy is quite evident in their InSkin Magazines and their newest product line, Grandma Minnie.

Why VMV Hypoallergenics?

With so many clinical brands out there all clamoring for your attention, you may be asking, What makes VMV Hypoallergenics different? VMV’s Pamela Garcia proudly shares that they are the only brand in the world with a validation system to prove hypoallergenicity. “VMV's VH-Rating System is published in one of the leading journals of dermatitis in the world. The same study shows its efficacy: less than 0.1% reactions to VMV products in 30 years.

Secondly, not many brands do randomized, double-blind clinical testing, and we have over 75 published in peer-reviewed medical journals internationally and presented (even awarded) in dermatological conventions. We're also the only brand created by a dermatologist who is also a dermatopathologist, a highly specialized field, so we have a unique, microscopic understanding of skin and skin diseases (from a microscopic, cellular level). Our founding physician does not license out her name to factories as she creates our formulations (which we manufacture ourselves) and does all our clinical studies.

Lastly, as far as hypoallergenic, clinically-valid, doctor brands go, we're the only one with products for men, women and children of all ages, spanning prevention to basic daily care, advanced treatments to mom and baby, and beauty.”

For those with ultra-sensitive skin who would really like to follow a strict allergen-free regimen, it’s good to know that VMV is now tweaking its packaging. “We try to use glass or PCW plastics. We use packaging that is not lined with allergens. We use 100% post-consumer-waste, recycled, chlorine-free paper and soy-based ink, and try to forego glue whenever possible. We also provide messages urging customers to just take what they need (if they already have a box and instructions from a previous purchase to leave the box from their new purchase, for example) and give perks to customers who forego shop bags when shopping,” muses Pamela.

What to try:

The brand has been around for decades and here are some classic favorites and new releases worth checking out:

Image from Shen’s Addiction, used with permission

Skin-the-Bluff Concealer (P800.00) is their newest release. As with all VMV products, it is non-comedogenic, 100% Free of  All-Types-Of-Fragrance-Dye-Phthalate-Paraben + Preservative and contains skin-friendly VCO. It comes in four creamy shades and can cover dark under eye circles and blemishes efficiently. If you have extremely oily skin though, it may crease after two to three hours so a primer or an extra dusting of powder is necessary.

Tarte-a-Tan Antioxidant Bronzing Coco Powder (P1,490.00) is a “whisper-light bronzer” that will enhance and illuminate all skin tones.

The Armada Face Cover 30 (P1,280.00) is a watery and very light UVA/UVB sunscreen that is absorbed well  by the skin and dries clear, thus it can double duty as a great makeup base as well.

Grandma Minnie's The Big, Brave Boo-Boo Balm (P1020) is considered as a cult favorite with Selma Blair and Jennifer Garner as fans. It helps heal and treat insect bites, infections, minor burns, etc.

Final thoughts

It’s been said numerous times that good skin supersedes good makeup. The price increment of VMV Hypoallergenics may have increased substantially over the last couple of years, and may have prompted some to look for more affordable alternatives elsewhere, but having clear, healthy skin is priceless at any age and may be worth the extra cost. Before trying any new product, however, VMV suggests conducting a patch test or to have your skin evaluated by their in-house dermatologist and to follow the instructions printed on the accompanying leaflet to minimize negative reactions.

For more information visit http://www.vmvhypoallergenics.com/ and follow them on Facebook.