Here’s what the OmniDerm Founder has gained from this approach.
Originally published in Professional Beauty Magazine, January 2025.
When I decided to get into cosmetic, I want to make sure I didn’t go for another ‘me too’ product. To be honest, being male I was sceptical. Skin creams? Bleh.
In my research I came across a German publication called ‘Skin Care Forum’. An expert stated that ‘a water-in-oil emulsion provides better care for the skin than an oil-in-water emulsion. This statement got me curious, so I went looking for a supplier of oil-based creams. This proved to be a difficult task. Eventually I came across it via a boutique skin care provider, Doctor Horst Spiller in Bavaria.
Dr. Spiller’s explanation about water-based creams and their effect on the skin made it clear that I had truly stumbled onto something unique; something I could promote with pride. Our initial experience in our own salons and the positive reaction of our clients in Melbourne were our proof of concept.
I started OmniDerm in 1996. I hadn’t realised that a powerful new trend was in its early days: anti-aging skincare based on AHAs. It became clear very quickly that Australian beauty therapists were not really interested in our philosophy and our products, so I needed something to compete with the promised ‘anti-aging’ benefits of cosmeceuticals.
My lucky break – or strike of serendipity – came via a brochure on herbal peeling. At first, I didn’t believe the before-and-after results shown were plausible. On further thought, it became clear I could complement the treatment with Dr Spiller’s Biomimetic Skincare. Herbal Peeling provided rapid correction of all manner of skin concerns including anti-aging, and Dr. Spiller provided prevention, and to assist the skin in gaining and maintaining homeostasis, its healthy balance. I correctly saw this as a truly powerful combination.
Keeping my eye close on developments, I read literature that raised serious questions about the daily application of products containing AHAs. By 2009, I confidently published an article in Professional Beauty titled The Dark Side of Acids’ where I explained some of the concerns being raised by scientists at that time.
Whilst acids remain popular, we have seen increased interest in subjects such as the dangers of inflammation, the importance of the skin’s hydro-lipidic barrier, hydration of the skin and the skin’s microbiome. Despite raising these concerns since pre-2000, it’s only now we see trends moving in our direction.
Fundamentally it’s not about treating skin inflammation. It’s about creating an environment conducive to healthy skin, and about avoiding products, ingredients and processes that lead to inflammation. The two main causes of inflammation are:
- Ongoing daily exfoliation that compromises the skin barrier. No matter how hard the skin works, it will never reach the healthy balance it strives for, and
- Dehydration of the skin. Dehydration can lead to inflammation. Years ago, I was writing articles about the dangers of the ‘DIO Triangle’ – my personal invention. This refers to how dehydration of the skin will lead to damage and premature aging:
- a. Dehydration: as explained, leading to
- b. Inflammation: as explained by authors such as Carl Thornfeldt, MD and Mark Lees, PhD, leading to
- c. Oxidation: i.e. the formation of free radicals that will damage collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid.
None of OmniDerm’s product lines cause chronic inflammation because we do not work with modalities that are designed to continuously exfoliate or speed up the cycle of skin renewal. Dr. Spiller’s biomimetic creams are very effective at preventing dehydration of the skin. I know of two scientific tests comparing water-based and oil-based skincare, both of which found that oil-based creams offer superior and much longer lasting hydration of the skin.
The herbal C Peel (C = Corrective) WILL lead to inflammation, as does any other in-clinic treatment designed to signal a difference in the skin. This inflammation is of the acute type – the body’s short-term response to insult or injury.
The process of skin renewal with the C Peel lasts five days. Photographs show that on day five the new skin is calm and healthy-looking. The process of acute inflammation has done its job before it could turn to chronic inflammation.
This is a very important distinction.
In my case it would have been much easier to find another range based on AHAs, allowing us to rise with the tide of cosmeceuticals.
Instead we have focused on educating skin therapists on the benefits of being gentle with our skin, of focusing on hydration and the health of the skin barrier, and on the importance of a balanced microbiome.
I can truly say that both Dr. Horst Spiller and I took the high road. The production of oil-based creams is more expensive and more labour intensive than water-based creams. It took many years to create a formulation that is not only acceptable but welcomed by the consumer. Dr. Spiller clearly wasn’t primarily driven by making money, but was an idealist, looking to find the best solution for the care of his clients’ skins.
