Latest / The Science of Skin / Why Do Dermatologists Love Cetaphil? The History, Science & New Reformulations Explained

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Why Do Dermatologists Love Cetaphil? The History, Science & New Reformulations Explained · The Science of Skin

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: This episode of the Science of Skin Podcast is sponsored by Ceta Phil.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, and welcome to the Science of Skin Podcast.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Dr.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Patty Ferris, your co-host for this episode, and I'm joined by my co-host, Dr.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Ted Lane.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, Patty.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: So we are going to do a really interesting sort of historical view of one of the really legendary brands in dermatology.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm going to start by asking Ted to sort of clear up one of the age-old mysteries of dermatology.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: How do you pronounce it?
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Is it cetophil or is it acetophil?
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's acetophil because it's the origin of the names, the name is from acetyl alcohol and fill, right?
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_02: So acetyl alcohol is derived from the Latin.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_02: I just did a deep dive on this, Patty, so I'm all about it.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_02: You must have.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're going to go into Latin, I'm getting worried.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: I literally am.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: So acetyl alcohol, right?
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: It was first discovered by a scientist in like the 1700 or 1800s who took whale oil in the the head of the whale, okay, and he heated it up with potash, and he got this waxy substance that was full of this fatty alcohol, and they called it acetyl alcohol.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: Why acetyl?
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_02: Because Ceta is is um it's Latin for whale oil.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, so that's where we're interesting.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_02: Uh-huh.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_02: So thank you, ChatGPT.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: So Cetyl Alcohol, then, and Phil just means love, right?
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_02: It is, it is um the the whatever, the origin of of love.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: So Ceta and Phil love um Cetyl alcohol, which is an interesting ingredient, isn't it?
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Super interesting.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: I think we should probably just mention that these alcohols are not the type of alcohols that people fear in skincare products.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I think a lot of times, particularly non-physicians who are looking at the back of products, see the word alcohol, and they immediately think of isopropyl alcohol or some of the drying forms of alcohol.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: But these are really more uh emulsifiers.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: They make the products richer and thicker.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: So they have a very important function in skin care formulation.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you're exactly right.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_02: So the the fatty alcohols are very long hydrocarbon chains with an alcohol at the end.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_02: That's why it's called an alcohol because it has that hydroxyl group.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: That OH, yeah.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but the shorter chain ones are more drying, the longer chain ones have a completely different uh use in the skin.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_02: And acetyl alcohol is so interesting because it acts as a moisturizer, so it helps to lock in hydration.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: It it acts as this um it actually acts as a hydrator as well.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: So it brings um hydration in as a humectin.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_02: And then there's there's an emollient aspect to it, so it makes the skin feel smoother.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_02: It's an emulsifier, so it brings it's it's amphipathic, so it brings oil and water together as an emulsification uh agent.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: So it is such an interesting ingredient, and certainly why it makes so much sense for it to be at the very core of a skincare brand meant for those with sensitive skin.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: So let's talk a little bit about that.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: I know you and I were chatting in our little pre-discussion that back in the day when I started practice, Cetophil was really the skincare line for sensitive skin patients.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: And we used it for the cleansers, the moisturizers, the lotion for patients with sensitive skin, patients with cosmetic intolerance.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Very widely used in our patients who had rosacea because that cleansing process, you know, it's really kind of a non-foaming cleanser.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: And that that cleansing process was just gentle.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: And we use it on patients with atopic dermatitis.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: It was really the go-to for a very long time for practicing dermatologists.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_02: It's got that micellar or micellar technology to it.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_02: And there it is essentially surfactant free.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um, uh, in the way that we think about surfactants, which are harsh cleansing agents.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and because of that, you can apply acetophyl cleanser and then you can take it off with a cotton swab.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh or a cotton ball.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: And it leaves a moisturizing acetyl alcohol-based moisturizer at the end.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_02: So it's both a moisturizer and a cleanser all in one.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's the revolutionary part of it, is that it didn't have those harsh surfactants.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I know you chat GPT'd away on this.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: So tell us about the pharmacist who started Cetophil.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's such an interesting story.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I don't know his or her name, but I know they're based in Texas, so um must be really smart.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_02: And so in 1947, this pharmacist said, you know, the acetyl alcohol or satirol alcohol, which is kind of a combination uh fatty alcohol, is a great ingredient.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_02: Let's include that in this acetophil cleansing lotion, which now today is called the acetophil uh gentle skin cleanser.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_02: And he launched it, and it started to kind of gain popularity, as you mentioned, in in around the mid-50s.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, he launched it in the in the late 40s, so it took some time, but started to gain some popularities in our dermatology colleagues and the healthcare professionals.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_02: And then word of mouth happened and it spread like wildfire in 1960.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_02: It was super um popular.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, in 95, it became uh more of an international brand.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_02: And then in 2021, there was some reformulation that happened to add a few new ingredients and just kind of reformulate and keep it up with the times.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and and I really think that that is maybe missed on some of the dermatology community is just the innovation that occurred back in the early 2021 reformulations, where they really started turning their eye on barrier function and make sure, making sure the barrier was maintained, better humectin ingredients.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: So they added, you know, I know they added glycerin, they added niacinamide to the formulation.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: And they were really looking, they also, as you mentioned, soteryl alcohol, which is a combination of acetyl alcohol and styryl alcohol.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: So two of these uh fatty alcohols together.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: They also added panthanol, which we know is a really good moisturizing and gentle um soothing ingredient for the skin.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: So they they sort of started looking for things that would enhance the OG formula, but also kind of a cleaner approach.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: I know they there were parabens that were taken out, um, you know, poor parabens, thrown under the bus, thrown under the bus.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: But everybody was doing it.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, as I hear so many formulators say, we we use we use preservatives that aren't even as good.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: But but still parabens I know were removed from this formulation.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: So it really became a cleaner, more hydrating, barrier-supporting formulation, both the cleansers and the moisturizing cream in the lotion.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_02: Certainly did.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I think uh as I mentioned, there was just some themes that were happening in the early 2020s that I think are continuing on today, where people want to, you know, clean skincare.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and and there was this big drive on social media to remove parabens, which doesn't make any sense as you just mentioned.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_02: Parabens are in blueberries, right?
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_02: They're such a natural product.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_02: But okay, you know, we can remove that.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_02: And and they certainly have the scientists and the formulators to do that.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_02: And um, unfortunately, anytime you have a water-based cleanser or water-based lotion, you're gonna need a preservative of some type.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_02: Otherwise, you're gonna get you're gonna grow all sorts of bacteria.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so preservatives are always gonna be needed.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, so they they had to, you know, reformulate.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_02: And when they started to reformulate, like you said, glycerin makes so much sense as a wonderful humectant to add, you know.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_02: I think what they did is they they bolted on ingredients to that acetyl alcohol as almost like an Iron Man suit just to make it better.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it just, you know, glycerin is a humectant, exactly what acetyl alcohol is, it just makes it better.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_02: Niacinamide, well, and uh as you meant, as you call it, Patty, I love this.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_02: The gentle giant of skin.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's such a good ingredient.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: It does so many things.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_02: So many things.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_02: So that makes a lot of sense at a low concentration.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_02: So make sure that it doesn't cause irritation.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_02: And then, you know, panthanol pro vitamin B5 is a skin protectant and an emollient.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_02: And so, again, just kind of adding on ingredients, reformulating to take away things that that the general population thought wasn't great.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and it just, in my view, it made the products just better and modernized the products.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_02: And and I think they're great now.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I couldn't agree more.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_01: This episode of the Science of Skin Podcast is sponsored by Ceta Phil.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: When we used to talk about Ceta Phil, we talked of it as a bland moisturizer.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: And as you know, it was very often used in studies for that reason.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: Because it was really, it was a go-to for people who were doing cosmetic studies because they could use it sort of with whatever their active was, with whatever their hero ingredient was they were testing.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: Because it was a bland moisturizer.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now I think we've transgressed above that.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: We've come to a place where Cetophil has so many actives, good active ingredients in it, that we really now are supporting the barrier.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: We're giving that added hydration.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: I know it's got long hydration studies showing long-term, more long-term hydration.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think it's it's it's a kind of should be a go-to for any conditions where barrier dysfunction is a problem.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: Our acne patients, patients on retinoids, our rosacea patients, of course, our atopic patients.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I love this good old cetophil cream, the big jar of cetophil cream, such a great product and has so many good ingredients for the patients who really are at risk for barrier dysfunction.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I agree with everything you just said.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_02: I I the more we learn about the barrier, Patty, don't you feel like I'm not even sure what a normal barrier is anymore?
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_02: Because I feel like almost everybody has an impaired barrier.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, every there's always an opportunity to opportunity to improve your barrier.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, using products, even if you feel like you have normal skin, using products like Cetophil, it's not a bad idea because there's always the opportunity to make your barrier happier, healthier, make it more resilient, so that if you do go skiing this winter and you're out with the sun and the wind and the cold, you won't get that prolonged redness and itching and inflammation, for example.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_02: Or in the summertime, if you're outside at the beach, and again, the the warmth and the and the wind and all that sun, it makes your skin more resilient.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, we talk about all these different conditions that have impaired barrier, but I'm pretty sure that we all have impaired barrier at one point or another.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's just a good idea to support it.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's true.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why we tell our patients with acne that they have to use moisturizers and you know how important it is, even though they think they shouldn't put a moisturizer on, how important that is.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I think we can't underestimate that so many of our medications, we mentioned retinoids, but there's plenty of other ones that can be irritating and compromise the barrier.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: So sometimes being proactive and being on these products over a period of time can help mitigate some of that retinoid dermatitis or uh post-acne treatment.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: Benzyl peroxide certainly can be irritating and lots of other things that we use on our patients.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: So I think being proactive is important.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: And you make a good point about the seasonal variations at certain times of year when the humidity gets low and you start losing more water to the environment, which we know happens.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Those are really good times this time of year to really pump up with some of these products like Cetophil that really can help you with barrier repair.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_02: I think there's, you know, we could even reframe it in terms of, you know, longevity and regenerative medicine, you know, which I think a lot of us are are really focused on now, consumer and and healthcare practitioner alike.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: 100%.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: If your barrier is impaired, you're probably gonna go, you're gonna lose your what's called redox homeostasis, which means that you're gonna lose the ability to quench all the free radicals in your skin.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_02: And when you are out of balance, then all these reactive oxygen species are are trying to grab um electrons and they're making more reactive oxygen species, which just lead to damage in so many ways.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_02: Um, one, collagen is damaged, but also your DNA can get damaged from reactive oxygen species.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: And you age.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you age because of an imbalance.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_02: So even if you want to think of it in terms of longevity and anti-aging or prevention of aging, treating aging as a disease, your barrier fits right into that.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and so again, another reason to focus on products that help support the barrier, especially with a gentle skin cleanser like Cetophil.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_02: And then I love the lotion and the moisturizing cream, but my goodness, you know, we could go on and on about all the different products they have in their portfolio.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they've got quite a large portfolio.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think the other thing to be said is when the barrier gets compromised, you trigger inflammation.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: And we talk so much about inflammation and also the notion that inflammation in the skin affects systemic you systemically as well.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: So this is so important.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: So I think barrier function is becoming, you know, it might have been years ago something we kind of talked about in passing and moisturizing, but now it's front and center.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: And it really is the interface between us and the environment.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: And anything that compromises that is going to cause problems in the epidermis, in the dermis, and probably even systemically.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_02: I love that idea of focusing on the inflammation and the fact that look, we're talking about anti-inflammatory diets and and you, you know, take these supplements to help decrease in inflammation and you meditate and you try and decrease your stress.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: Well, it all starts with the skin, let's just be honest.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_02: And and you could say it starts with the gut, which is fine, but the gut is just skin turned inside out.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: So I love that.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's so true.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: They're such a mirror image of each other, aren't they?
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: We also should should give a shout out to the peri and post-menopausal crowd, you know, because that is becoming also a really big uh group of patients that need guidance for barrier repair.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, your skin gets so dry in menopause, it is one of the most incredible things that happens.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes the first thing that people notice are skin changes with menopause.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: And so certainly some products that contain ingredients like glycerin, like niacinamide, like these alcohols that are, you know, fatty alcohols that are so moisturizing.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: This is a great product.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I love the price point of it too.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's so great if you can afford an uber expensive moisturizer, but half of what you're paying for, you and I both know is packaging and marketing.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: And look, you know, there's a lot of good products as we know at retail for very good price.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: And Cetophil is one of those lines.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_02: I was just at a conference and I was moderating a panel on professionally dispensed skincare.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_02: And I just I had to say at the beginning of the panel because we work so much with different companies and we know about all the technology behind these great, you know, great price point products and how much science is um underneath those, right?
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_02: Just acting as a foundation for their efficacy.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_02: And I kind of feel like the science that is underlying both the mass consumer brands and then the professionally dispensed brands, it's almost like a rising tide that lifts all boats, right?
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_02: They everybody is relying on the science now.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_02: And Cetophil, you like as we just mentioned, the reformulation that just happened, it's all about the science.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: And we'll tease some upcoming episodes where we're gonna dive into the science, um, looking at the studies, looking at the moisturization studies, looking at the studies and use of cetophil products in special populations.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: And uh we'll be coming to you with a couple more episodes on this subject because it's way more than we could cover in one episode.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: But I think it this is a good way to start, Ted, where we talk about the heritage of the line and why dermatologists still value this line, because it's been a go-to for us for so many years and it's been a star performer for so many years in the dermatologist's practice.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: And if it's part of your therapeutic armamentarium when you begin practice, I always say that's the time to get people, you know, engaged with your product and to show them the science behind it, because those products take you through your, you know, your life cycle of your practice.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I love that they've innovated over the years and and done all of these great upgrades to, you know, the OG formulas, which were good, but the new formulas are just embellished and better.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think there's so much focus on sensitive skin and the barrier now, as we've been discussing, and it all goes back to that 1947 introduction of the initial sensitive uh gentle skin cleanser.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: As much as I study sensitive skin, Ted, I still have questions as to why so many, over 50% of female patients coming into our doors will say they have sensitive skin.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: You don't hear it as much from the male population, but it is a huge complaint of female patients.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and we have that to, you know, we owe that form, I guess, that focus on sensitivity and trying to help those patients who do profess to have sensitive skin to this, yeah, to this pharmacist way back in 1947 who really who identified the need.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's a fascinating story.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's a really interesting story.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not sure he knew how many people were had sensitive skin at that time, but uh it certainly opened the doors to dermatologists understanding it better and much more research into it.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_02: And then we have all these new product lines and and competitors to Cetophil that came out focusing on the sensitive skin patients.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_02: So if there was ever a heyday for sensitive skin, it's right now.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and and certainly we we have the products in the Cetophil line to to focus on on those patients who have the sensitive skin to really help make your skin, as I said, I just love the idea of more resiliency with skin.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's what we're trying to do here, um, to repair the barrier.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, I I think you know, we just wanted to lay the foundation for for the brand and and make people understand the rich heritage here, uh, and then we'll we'll kind of move forward into a lot more uh science.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we're gonna focus on a few studies to support its use.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_02: And of course, the our last episode, you know, we're gonna answer questions, Patty.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_02: So if anybody here has questions about either cetophil or sensitive skin, send us an email, questions at scienceofskinsummit.com.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_02: That's questions at scienceofskinsummit.com.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_02: And um we'll get to your questions in our last episode.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_02: And you never know, we may call you up and and kind of ask you some to to give us your ideas behind the question, and we can talk through it on the podcast as well.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_02: So um go ahead and give us a shout with your emails and make sure we get your answer your questions answered.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: And thanks everybody for listening.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: We look forward to bringing you some more scientific information and uh exciting innovations from C to Phil.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: This episode of the Science of Skin podcast was sponsored by C to Phil.