While treating patients in her Newport Beach, CA practice Dr. Zenovia began to see a correlation between her clients’ skin issues and their respective life stages. She noticed that many female clients came in after getting their period for the first time, during pregnancy and postpartum, as well as during perimenopause and menopause. While males do not have a regulated monthly cycle, they too deal with hormonal skin issues. Both women and men have progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen in their bloodstream at varying concentrations. Some even postulate that male hormones are regulated seasonally!

Hormonally Impacted Skin

These physiologic shifts are marked by hormonal fluctuations that can result in a range of skin issues including hormonal acne, melasma, psoriasis, rosacea, dryness, uneven tone, lack of elasticity, and premature aging. Our skin’s health is a reliable indicator of a hormonal imbalance because facial skin contains a high density of estrogen receptors, a hormone involved in reproduction and aging.

The interconnectedness between hormones and our skin’s appearance was a concept that was never thoroughly explored. This inspired Dr. Zenovia to spend several pivotal years closely examining the hormone-to-skin link. Through her studies, Dr. Zenovia developed expertise in hormonal dermatology, combatting leading skin issues by addressing hormonal-balancing at the skin level.

Dr. Zenovia is a board-certified dermatologist and does not claim to be an endocrinologist. “My goal is to educate and empower as many people as possible so they can be fully informed about what happens to their skin at the various stages of hormone development and know what to do if they experience any common skin issues such as acne, melasma, or accelerated aging,” Dr. Zenovia shares. “This was my inspiration in developing an expertise in hormonal dermatology and launching Dr. Zenovia Skincare.”

The Creation of Dr. Zenovia Skincare & Hormonal Dermatology

Fascinated by the science of cosmeceutical making and seeing that a lot of products on the market were full of marketing and hype, Dr. Zenovia and her team of chemists worked to formulate powerful, clinical-grade, results-driven topicals with mindful ingredients and chemistry that would help balance hormonally impacted skin.

The basis of the line is that we have hormone receptors everywhere in our bodies. “We have estrogen receptors in our brain, eyeballs, ovaries, testicles, and skin- they are essentially everywhere!”, Dr. Zenovia explains. “However, hormone receptors predominate in certain areas and the skin is one of the most common areas. Your brain (think PMS) and skin are massively hormonally regulated! Hormones have an impact on so many different organ systems in the body and have been misunderstood when it comes to their impact on the skin. And that’s what I wanted to unravel.”

All the Dr. Zenovia Skincare products are infused with the first-ever over-the-counter proprietary cocktail of medical-grade actives, the REG-ulate360 Complex™. This blend includes powerful antioxidants including Resveratrol, Vitamin E, Green Tea Polyphenols, Bakuchiol, and a cutting-edge, plant-derived phytoestrogen known as Geinstein. Geinstein is a purified protein of an isoflavone derived from soy. We have all heard of soy in skincare products, but the science is somewhat misunderstood. Soy molecules have estrogen-mimicking effects on the skin tissue. One of the most influential hormones on skin health and maintaining a youthful appearance, estrogen is a hydrating molecule responsible for maintaining fluid balance and the structural integrity of the skin. Estrogen keeps the skin moisturized and prevents collagen breakdown, giving the skin a firm, dewy appearance.

Scientific studies have demonstrated that fluctuations in estrogen levels directly correlate to fluctuations in collagen production. Decreasing estrogen levels with age or fluctuating estrogen levels during pregnancy and the teen years directly impact our collagen production and skin health.

The Power of Phytoestrogens 

Dr. Zenovia notes that while there are estrogen creams that can be used vaginally or in certain areas of the body for medical conditions, these are drugs that can have systemic effects on the body and can’t be applied directly onto the skin. To receive the skin benefits of estrogen without actually applying estrogen on the skin, Dr. Zenovia created the REG-ulate360 Complex™ with a phytoestrogen. Phytoestrogens are a natural compound found in some plants and plant-based foods. Their chemical compound structure is similar, but not identical to the human estrogen molecule. The phytoestrogen molecule mimics the effect of human estrogen on the skin without systemic effects.

Dr. Zenovia uncovered scientific data proving the power of phytoestrogens to bind to estrogen receptors and initiate important signal pathways in the skin. Phytoestrogens have proven to be safe to apply to the skin and work only locally- they do not get absorbed into the tissue. The REG-ulate360 Complex™ contains Geinstein, a safe, plant-based phytoestrogen in its pure form that has a very potent effect locally and doesn’t get absorbed into the tissue. In combination with a medical-grade blend of powerful antioxidants, this proprietary skin technology provides the skin with hormonal support.

The REG-ulate360 Complex™

By formulating all our topicals with Dr. Zenovia’s phytoestrogen skin technology, the skin is essentially regulated, getting constant hormonal support, and you won’t experience estrogen or hormonal fluctuations on the epidermis. The REG-ulate360 Complex™ is safe, doesn’t have any downstream effects, and will not get absorbed systemically. Regular use of our topicals results in less flaking, firmer skin, and increased hydration. From an acne standpoint, by bumping the estrogen-like effect up with our topicals, the milieu of hormones affecting the tissue from the inside gets balanced at the epidermis so you won’t experience a hyper-androgen acne flare. “I see amazing results with this line for people dealing with hormonal acne flare-ups," Dr. Zenovia shares. “The REG-ulate360 Complex™ supports the skin with an estrogen-like molecule to calm the hormonal effect down. When we are about to break out, our androgen hormone levels peak up so the phytoestrogen will help rebalance the skin to a healthy state”. 

Note from Dr. Zenovia: Please consult with your doctor or endocrinologist if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a history of breast cancer prior to using our topicals. 

Male Friendly Hormonal Skincare 

Estrogen is known as a female hormone, but Geinstein’s estrogen-like effects will not negatively affect men. “This molecule is not absorbed systemically. It will not go into your skin, down your bloodstream, and into your testicles”, Dr. Zenovia says. “This technology stays in the skin without any downstream effects. If we were to put a high dose, pharmaceutical-grade estrogen on a male’s skin, those molecules are made small enough to act on the bloodstream and have a hormone-like effect. Plant-based phytoestrogens, however, do not go systemically into the tissue”. Phytoestrogens are at the right concentration and do not have enough of an estrogen effect where they would cause downstream hormonal effects inside the body. It’s also important to note that men also have estrogen in their bloodstream. “I have seen so many men benefit from the REG-ulate360 Complex™ complex”, Dr. Zenovia shares. “If there were downstream effects, it wouldn’t be sold over-the-counter.”

Shop Dr. Zenovia Skincare at Sephora