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Jerrod Blandino, cofounder of Too Faced and now Polite Society, returns to Skin Anarchy to talk about building a beauty brand the hard way: self funded, formula first, and without celebrity hype. He unpacks what real success looks like, the private equity trap, and why the industry is overdue for a clearing out.
Why did Jerrod Blandino start Polite Society after Too Faced?
To get creative freedom back. After 24 years building Too Faced and selling it to Estee Lauder, Blandino found the final years creatively stifling, so he launched Polite Society within a day of his non compete ending. "It reinvigorated that fire under my ass to be creative again and be rebellious again," returning to the organic, fan first approach that built his first brand.
How do you build a beauty brand without celebrities?
By meeting the customer directly and letting the product prove itself. Blandino deliberately avoids big celebrity faces so the brand is not absorbed into someone else's personality. "We're creating a world that I want to live in... and together we can be happy here," building a relationship rather than renting someone's fame.
What does a formula first approach mean?
Letting the formula lead instead of the packaging or story. In his old life a theme or package might lead; at Polite Society the formula comes first. "When you pick a product up, it serves and it delivers on its promise," Blandino says, and when the payoff surprises you, it becomes something you repurchase.
Why do so many hyped products disappoint?
Because marketing outran the formula. Blandino says there is more great product than ever, but also more "crap," as private equity chased quick money over passion. "They promise you the world, and you get it home and you're like, is it me? Am I using this wrong?" The fix is formulas that genuinely deliver.
What makes a product a true staple?
Owning the formula from the beginning rather than relabeling a stock one. Blandino contrasts founders who develop from scratch with brands that buy an off the shelf formula and add a name. "You don't always have to invent it, but you have to put your own spin on it," he says, which is costlier but creates products rivals cannot reproduce.
Why did Blandino keep Polite Society self funded?
To never answer to anyone again. Having lived through both supportive and destructive private equity relationships, he and his partner funded the brand themselves to protect control. "It really is about maintaining control, artistic integrity, and keeping your vision tight," recalling an executive who once threatened to destroy everything they built.
Should beauty brands target teenagers?
Not with potent formulas, in his view. Blandino argues Wall Street turned beauty into entertainment for 14 year olds, but strong actives are not made for young skin. "Efficacious formulas are not made for fragile young skin," he says, noting Polite Society performs across Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z by pairing glamour with formulas that work.
What gives a brand lasting power?
A heartbeat that comes from the founder. Blandino says the thing customers feel, and keep coming back for, is authenticity that cannot be bought. "Your brand has to have a heartbeat... and if I see something that does not strengthen the heartbeat, it's gotta go," protecting that emotional connection above hype or logo.
Where is the beauty industry headed?
Toward a clearing out of the noise. Blandino believes distrust and oversaturation have made products stop hitting the way they used to, and that quality will rise as the clutter thins. "You're going to see quality rise and really unique individual, special brands strengthen," predicting more genuine creative moments will break through again.
Listen to the full episode with Jerrod Blandino of Polite Society on Skin Anarchy, available wherever you get your podcasts.
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In this episode of Skin Anarchy, Dr. Ekta Yadav sits down with Dr. Samuel Lynch, Founder and CEO of Lynch Regenerative Medicine (LRM) and a pioneer in regenerative medicine whose groundbreaking research helped establish the role of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in tissue healing and contributed to the development of FDA-approved regenerative therapies. Drawing from more than three decades of scientific research, Dr. Lynch explores the biological mechanisms behind tissue regeneration, the importance of growth factor signaling, and why the future of regenerative aesthetics must be grounded in clinical evidence rather than marketing claims.
Who is Dr. Samuel Lynch?
A regenerative medicine pioneer who spent 35 years studying how the body heals. Working beside the American Red Cross, he isolated the protein in platelets that signals injury and triggers repair. "I spent my whole career trying to answer two very simple questions. One, how does a body know that it's been injured... and two, how does it stimulate the healing process?"
What is PDGF?
Platelet derived growth factor, the protein released from a blood clot that kickstarts healing. Lynch isolated it, mapped its gene, and produced it in yeast cells as pure recombinant human PDGF. "It remains the only growth factor to have ever gotten FDA approval for tissue regeneration," he says, after treating over five million patients in dental and bone medicine.
Why is PDGF so effective for regeneration?
Because it is both the most potent and the most balanced growth factor. Unlike actives that force one type of collagen, PDGF raises types one, three, and six collagen, elastin, and natural hyaluronic acid, plus blood supply. "It gives you a really nice, balanced rejuvenative and regenerative response," Lynch says, taking healing capacity from how it is at 50 back toward 18.
What makes PDGF-BB different from other forms?
It is the only form that activates both PDGF receptor types. Other isoforms each reach only one receptor, limiting the response. "PDGF-BB... is the only type of PDGF that stimulates both isoforms of receptors in your body," Lynch explains, producing its whole body, holistic effect.
Do the growth factors in exosomes and PDRN actually work?
Rarely at meaningful levels, according to Lynch. Many products claim growth factors, but the amounts are tiny and, in his view, subtherapeutic. "To detect a growth factor on a laboratory bench... is a night and day difference from using it therapeutically," he says, stressing medicine requires consistent, reproducible doses like insulin.
Do topical growth factor serums work on intact skin?
Mostly unproven, Lynch says. A serum may deliver a short glow, but lasting regeneration needs the growth factor to reach past the surface. "To get the longer lasting true tissue regeneration... you need to do something to disrupt the surface of the skin," whether microneedling, peels, or lasers, so the molecule can penetrate.
How does PDGF reduce downtime after microneedling or laser?
By speeding you through the inflammatory phase of healing. PDGF modulates inflammation and upregulates the body's other growth factors, moving skin faster to repair. "Your redness, your swelling, your pain, the heat... after a laser or a microneedling treatment is significantly reduced," Lynch says of topical PDGF after a procedure.
What is the PDGF under eye trial?
A Phase 2B FDA trial injecting pure PDGF for under eye hollowing, which Lynch reports is the first pure growth factor to reach this stage with FDA approval, a randomized controlled study in up to 75 patients. "The safety of this molecule has been established beyond any other growth factor, period," built on two decades of injection studies.
Why is under eye hollowing so hard to treat?
Because it is multifactorial, and existing options fall short. Fillers can migrate or cause vascular problems, and PRP and PRF have underwhelmed, which is why Lynch sees heavy off label PDGF use there. Most patients, he argues, "would rather have their own tissue regenerated than... a filler injected."
Listen to the full episode with Dr. Samuel Lynch on Skin Anarchy, available wherever you get your podcasts.
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Cosmetic chemist Lei Smith, founder of Leitin Skincare, joins Skin Anarchy to pull back the curtain on formulation: what barrier repair really means, how to tell if an active is actually dosed to work, why price rarely signals quality, and why hyperpigmentation is so hard to treat.
How did Lei Smith get into cosmetic chemistry?
Through curiosity and a string of passions. A former banker turned landscape gardener, Smith started formulating as a hobby about six years ago after struggling to find skincare that worked for him. "It's like an endless, you can never know everything. And I love that about it," he says of the field that finally held his focus.
Why does he keep his brand out of retail?
To protect the quality of his formulas. Smith explains that retail forces formulations down to roughly 10 to 15 percent of the selling price, leaving little room for real ingredients. "In order for me to keep formulations where people get good value... I have to do it in house," running his cost of goods near 30 percent instead.
What does barrier repair really mean?
More than slathering on ceramides. Smith stresses that barrier health is tied to lifestyle, stress, and finding the right formula for your skin type, not a single hero ingredient. "It's not a specific set of ingredients," he says, noting a popular ceramide cream might dry his own skin out, and that skincare should be revised every decade.
How can you tell if an active is dosed to actually work?
Often by the math behind the price. Smith notes a $30 toner built on a 15 percent cost of goods contains under $4 of ingredients, which limits what can truly be inside. "Just because the cosmetic product is expensive... that is definitely not the case," he warns, since price misleads in both directions.
Does skincare need a penetration system to work?
For many actives, yes. Smith says peptides and other actives often struggle to cross the skin, so a serum should make its delivery method clear. "I wouldn't buy a peptide serum if it wasn't in some type of" penetration system, he says, pointing to encapsulation, liposomes, or carriers like urea as what separates a working formula from a hopeful one.
Can you use copper peptides with vitamin C or acids?
Keep them apart from pure vitamin C, with nuance. Smith explains that low pH acids can disassociate the copper and cause inflammation, and that the caution around vitamin C applies mainly to ascorbic acid. "I would definitely keep it away from ascorbic acid, but when it comes to derivatives, there is no data," he says, so he plays it safe given the cost.
Why is hyperpigmentation so hard to treat?
Because it runs across many pathways at once. Smith breaks it down: UV creates oxidative stress, inflammation degrades collagen, and melanocytes must be controlled at several steps, from tyrosinase to pigment transfer. "There's not a product really out there" that hits all of them, he says, which is why calming inflammation early matters as much as targeting melanocytes.
Does a higher price mean better skincare?
No, and the assumption costs consumers. Smith is blunt that expensive does not equal effective, and that cosmetic chemists formulating in house often beat retail on value. "If I was led by price, I wouldn't produce a good formula," he says, because he formulates for efficacy first and prices second.
How can consumers spot real value in skincare?
Look for a visible difference and read the label. Smith and the host agree good skincare should show a result, and that buzzy peptide names parked at the bottom of an ingredient list signal very low doses. His advice is to stop trusting brand prestige and start reading formulations, because efficacy, not packaging, is what delivers.
Listen to the full episode with Lei Smith of Leitin Skincare on Skin Anarchy, available wherever you get your podcasts.
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Cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Shino Bay Aguilera joins Skin Anarchy to reframe how we think about aging: the psychology behind aesthetic choices, why filler alone can backfire, how the face ages decade by decade, and why the future is about rescuing cells rather than replacing tissue.
Who is Dr. Shino Bay Aguilera?
A cosmetic dermatologist who grew up in poverty in Panama and knew his path at five. Childhood asthma and skin boils taught him how appearance shapes how people are treated. "The way my skin looked like it dictated the way I would feel that day. And how people would treat me," driving a mission to help patients physically and emotionally.
What is the psychology behind aesthetic treatments?
A primitive survival instinct reading skin for health. Aguilera says the reptilian brain scans skin, hair, and nails for genetic fitness signals, which is why beauty is a multibillion dollar industry. "Skin is so important... because it advertises youth, beauty, and fertility." We are judged by our skin, consciously or not.
Why can filler alone backfire over time?
Because replacing tissue with gel does not age naturally. Aguilera warns against what he calls transhumanism in aesthetics, using synthetic filler to replace every imploding tissue. "You cannot look human if all you have in your head is a synthetic gel to replace every single tissue." He uses filler for support and beautification, and collagen stimulators to preserve the bone.
How does the face age decade by decade?
In predictable, staged implosions: the skin loses hyaluronic acid and collagen first, then facial fat in the 40s, then bone in the 50s, then laxity in the 60s. "By the time you're 40, 45, you lost 25% of the collagen on your skin, and that's why you see saggy skin." He describes two rapid aging spurts, 40 to 45 and 60 to 65.
What should you do for your skin in your 20s?
Less than you think, and nothing aggressive. Aguilera cautions that being proactive does not mean starting filler early. "Don't think that being proactive means that you need to start doing fillers and sculptra... if you don't need it." Protect the skin, avoid sun and smoking, rest well, and treat breakouts with a dermatologist.
What are zombie cells, and why do they matter?
Senescent cells that accumulate when you overwork aging skin. Aguilera says forcing older fibroblasts to perform through constant lasers and injectables exhausts them into dysfunctional zombie cells, so skin keeps aging despite treatment. "I'm exhausting my fibroblasts, I'm contributing to zombie cells," he realized, shifting to cell centric treatment.
What skincare ingredients is he most excited about?
Those that rescue cells and support the matrix. Aguilera points to hyaluronic acid conjugated with alpha lipoic acid, needle like heparan sulfate for hydration, and new compounds that rescue cells from senescence. "I want bioregeneration," he says, meaning skin that looks like a healthy, younger version of itself rather than just more collagen.
How does a dermatologist vet skincare products?
With evidence, not marketing. Aguilera wants novel molecules backed by studies, histology, and gene analysis. "I don't just want to see a histological slide. Let me see what gene you upregulate." Before bringing anything into his clinic, he tests it on his own skin and interrogates the science.
Why does integrated skincare matter alongside procedures?
Because the right products protect the investment. Aguilera notes most patients otherwise buy the wrong things and risk reactions, so recommending skincare is part of good care. "That investment... is going to excel and perform and give them better results," framing the small added cost as what makes an expensive procedure deliver.
Listen to the full episode with Dr. Shino Bay Aguilera on Skin Anarchy, available wherever you get your podcasts.
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Jon DiNapoli, founder of creative agency JMD and designer behind fragrances for Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, and Tommy Hilfiger, joins Skin Anarchy to unpack how a brand comes alive: where creative direction starts, why packaging now sells the product, and how to balance art, cost, and commerce.
How did Jon DiNapoli get into beauty branding?
Through a newspaper ad his mother circled. A graphic design graduate, he answered an Estee Lauder listing 27 years ago and was mentored by industry figure Catherine Walsh. "It's this one little push from mom that kind of catapulted this career in a direction that I'm still pushing in," he says, having worked under Walsh over 15 years before founding JMD.
Where does creative direction for a brand start?
With questions, not sketches. DiNapoli's first move is extracting everything he can before designing, because a brand only works if it is true to itself. "Anyone can put a brand out on the market, but it's not going to work unless it's authentic to that brand itself." A Marc Jacobs fragrance has to feel like Marc Jacobs, not like him.
What white space led him to start JMD?
The gap between creative talent and business know how. As a creative lead at Coty, DiNapoli sat in sales, PR, and financial meetings, learning what sells and how products get made. "There were many agencies that were amazing... but they didn't have that back end knowledge," so he built JMD to pair design with years of brand side experience.
How important is sustainability in beauty packaging now?
It is no longer optional. DiNapoli says clean and sustainable design has shifted from a differentiator to a baseline expectation. "It used to be you stand out if you're sustainable... now it's the price of doing business. If you're not, you fail." His team revisits even launched products, like a Clean Reserve cap moved to fully wooden construction.
How do you design a brand that can grow?
By building expansion in from the first bottle, so a single launch can become a franchise. With Sabrina Carpenter's Sweet Tooth, the pink chocolate bar bottle was designed to extend into flavors. "When she launched... the song Espresso, we quickly did an espresso fragrance," because the brand had legs to grow with the artist.
What makes packaging rise above the noise?
A clear hook and a story that reads instantly. DiNapoli treats packaging as art you want to display, and tests it ruthlessly: picture only the box on a shelf. "Is that gonna tell the story? Are they gonna know what we're trying to say? And if not, we're not doing our job right." The constant is balancing commerce against art.
Why is packaging more important than ever?
Because people now buy fragrance without smelling it. With digital retail and social media replacing the store counter, the bottle is the first and often only point of entry. "People are buying fragrances now without knowing what they smell like," DiNapoli says, which magnified the role of packaging.
How do you balance packaging cost against the formula budget?
By knowing the budget before designing anything. DiNapoli says nothing frustrates him more than a brief with no real budget, because beautiful work that runs triple the cost is pointless. "If they're three times over the budget, what's the point?" Experience lets him design within the right price world from the start.
How does skincare branding differ from fragrance?
Efficacy comes first, packaging second. For skincare, DiNapoli says the clinical result matters most, and the design must still tell the story without overshadowing the science. He points to the Italian brand Aquium, created by an oncologist for dry, cracked skin, where "the two came together," pairing a proven formula with elevated design.
Listen to the full episode with Jon DiNapoli of JMD on Skin Anarchy, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Learn more about JMD Creative
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