Meet The Founder

The DERMAdoctor Shares Her Infinite Skin Wisdom

If your skin’s temperamental or easily upset you need to make a date with DERMAdoctor. S.O.S. for complexion’s in crisis, these problem-solving products were developed by leading dermatologist Dr. Audrey Kunin – we asked her to share some of her infinite skin wisdom (and she willingly obliged)…

{Cult Beauty} Hi Dr. Audrey! Thank you so much for taking the time out to talk to us. First thing’s first – can you explain a little bit about your background and how the idea for ‘DERMAdoctor’ came about?

{Audrey Kunin} I am a board-certified dermatologist, clinician, author, educator and CEO of DERMAdoctor, Inc. As a practicing dermatologist, I recognised the need for skin care problem-solvers which did not exist in the industry. Also, access to dermatologists can be limited and treatments hard to find.

As a woman, I also realised that prestige clinical skin care products tended to be very sterile, masculine and unapproachable. Certainly not products I personally looked forward to using or enjoyed looking at on my vanity. Having a strong background in chemistry and compounding, I worked for four years to develop and formulate unique skin care solutions, and {DERMAdoctor} was born.

{CB} As a dermatologist, what are the most common skin concerns you’re tasked with combatting? Do you have any ‘one size suits all’ advice for your clients? A bit of skin care gospel you dispense to everyone?

{AK} The most common problems I come across as a dermatologist are acne, wrinkles, sensitive skin, and dullness/uneven skin texture. We have product lines aimed to treat each of these general problems, as well as targeted treatments for specific problems, like keratosis pilaris (chicken skin), hyperhidrosis and unwanted facial hair. Our products combine a customised blend of over-the-counter and cosmetic ingredients to provide a series of non-irritating, effective and pleasing skin treatments. Whenever possible, {DERMAdoctor} blends skin rejuvenation with problem solving remedies.

{CB} For those new to the range, which one product is guaranteed to get them ‘hooked’ – which is the DERMAdoctor ‘heroine’?

{AK} Being the creator of a patented formula to help you “say goodbye to chicken skin”, our cult classic {KP Duty Dermatologist Formulated AHA Moisturizing Therapy for Dry Skin} helps to improve the appearance of dry, rough, bumpy skin concerns (like keratosis pilaris). KP is extremely common; it affects approximately 50% of the world’s population.

Our {KP Duty} is an active body moisturiser that treats the cause of the condition by exfoliating and hydrating. Even if you don’t suffer from chicken skin bumps, KP Duty can drastically improve the texture of rough and dry skin., while the accompanying {KP Duty Dermatologist Formulated Body Scrub} – which combines a physical and chemical exfoliant – has been a bestseller since launch.

{CB} Pores are a consistent bugbear for so many. What’s the best way to tackle enlarged pores? We know they can’t be ‘shrunk’, so what do you advise?

{AK} Regular exfoliation is key to keeping pores clean and reducing their appearance. I recommend regularly using a toner or peel pad that contains alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), which go deep into skin cells and break up the bonds that hold them together for optimum exfoliation. You can also use a pore-refining serum, such as our {Picture Porefect Pore Minimizer} which contains retinol, AHA’s and patented ‘sebum sequestering micro-particles’ that soak up the excess oils produced by the sebaceous glands.

{CB} The product names are quirkily tongue-in-cheek. How do you conduct the naming process and what made you decide to take this ‘approachable’ stance (we LOVE it)?

{AK} Usually, naming the product comes naturally in the process of development. I know what I want the end result to be for the consumer’s skin, and that lends itself to creating the name. I typically will have several ideas and I will let them roll around for a few days before I come to the final name. It has to communicate what the benefit is to the consumer.

Skin care is something you use every day and should be a joy to use. We have a lot of fun naming our products because we want to make clinical skin care more approachable.

{CB} Your ‘Kakadu C’ capsule collection harnesses the potency of ‘kakadu plum’ extract. How did you alight upon this powerful ingredient and how is it skin beneficial?

{AK} I came across the kakadu plum while researching little-known super foods in various scientific journals. The kakadu plum has so many beneficial properties for skin, hair and overall health because it is one of the richest natural vitamin C sources known on earth. Ounce per ounce, kakadu plums contain an average 55 times more vitamin C than Florida oranges.*

Vitamin C protects against pollutants, oxidative stress and free radical damage and plays an essential role in supporting collagen production. It also assists in brightening and evening skin tone while leaving complexion smoother, softer and more radiant. The kakadu plum is a very unique ingredient because it only grows in the remote Australian bush and is sustainably wild harvested by the native Aboriginal people.

{CB} Which DERMAdoctor products do you personally swear by? What’s your daily skin care ritual, and which products do you stockpile?

{AK} I always make sure to cleanse my skin in the morning and evening to remove my make up and any excess oil. Our {Kakadu C Brightening Daily Cleanser} is a cleanser, toner and make up remover in one, so that’s a no-brainer for me. After cleansing, I either use the {Kakadu C 20% Vitamin C Serum} if my skin is lacking brightness, or the {Wrinkle Revenge Ultimate Hyaluronic Serum} if my skin is feeling dry. I follow up with a face crème and eye balm to lock in the moisture.

When I’m getting ready in the morning, I finish my skin care routine by using an SPF 30 and then get on with my day! On the weekends when I have more time, I will go in with the {Kakadu C Amethyst Clay Detox Mask} or do a full-body peel pre-shower with our {Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pads}.

{CB} Skin care seems increasingly to be moving away from ‘anti-ageing’ and instead, the industry is turning its attention to ‘prevention’. We’re seeing a lot more ‘anti-polluaging’ and detoxifying products, geared towards protecting against damage. With the right products/methods, can you really postpone the skin-ageing process? If so, what should we be doing?

{AK} There is no one method to postpone the signs of ageing. Antioxidants, like the vitamin C found in the Kakadu C range, are wonderful because they do double duty by protecting the skin from future free radical damage and repairing damage already done at the cellular level. Especially if you live in high-pollution urban areas, antioxidant serums are essential for preventing premature ageing. The gold standard for preventative anti-ageing methods however, is SPF – using an SPF daily protects the skin from sun damage, which is the number one cause of skin ageing (including collagen deterioration, uneven tone and wrinkles).

{CB} And finally, what’s next for DERMAdoctor? Any game-changing new products in development?

{AK} We have several very exciting new launches lined up for this year and next! I can’t give away the details, but I can say we are expanding upon some of our best-loved product ranges and upping the convenience factor for our customers. 

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Verity Douglas

Verity Douglas

Content Editor

Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...