The global skincare market is set to reach $273 billion by 2031, a testament to the advancements made in skin health and the amount of companies developing a wide variety of products. However, one company is taking a different, more clinically-based route in the competitive skincare industry.
Codex Labs, founded by Dr. Barbara Paldus, is working on helping people who suffer from a wide range of skin conditions address their skin concerns from the inside out. By acknowledging the science-backed skin-gut-brain-biome connection, Codex Labs is disrupting a crowded industry with clinically proven solutions.
The skin-gut-brain connection
Dr. Paldus, a serial entrepreneur with over 50 patents to her name, entered the skincare space on a personal mission. Her son had suffered from allergic reactions and an irritating skin condition (contact and atopic dermatitis) since birth. After trying a litany of products with very few positive results, she went to work applying scientific research to the problem. What resulted was Codex Labs, a skincare company that considers the connection between the gut, the brain, and the skin.
“It’s essential that customers make fact-based decisions when caring for their skin,” says Dr. Paldus. In recent years, the connection between the gut microbiome and our skin has gained prominence in the skincare industry. Numerous studies have shown that the gut microbiome and gut leakiness/inflammation play a significant role in skin conditions. This direct correlation is known as the gut-skin axis and is the cornerstone of the Codex Labs skincare collections.
There are various factors at play within the gut-skin axis. Dietary triggers such as food intolerances — especially gluten and dairy — and a “leaky” gut can trigger an allergic reaction and cause skin irritation to rear its ugly head. An imbalance in the gut microbiome can manifest on the outside with rashes or acne. Even stress plays a role in the gut-skin axis by slowing digestion, increasing sensitivity to allergens, and changing the balance of gut bacteria.
Dr. Paldus knew that by leaning into this gut-skin connection, she could develop a line of products that could change the lives of people with skin conditions like eczema, acne, rosacea, and psoriasis.
The Codex Labs’ difference
As Dr. Paldus experienced with her son, recognizing skin conditions with a gut-health connection can be tricky. Codex Labs’ research-based approach attempts to eliminate confusion among skincare consumers.
One thing Dr. Paldus found lacking among the other skincare she had tried was efficacy and transparency. Through in-depth study, a robust efficacy panel, and a code of conduct, Codex Labs is data-driven — something that is evident in their results. By looking at various factors such as hydration, the strength of the skin barrier, and support of a healthy gut biome, Codex Labs has developed a line of products that hit all the gut-skin axis areas of concern.
For example, the Antu Collection focuses on repairing the natural skin moisture barrier, calming irritated skin, and reducing oxidative stress, thereby addressing some of the conditions that can crop up in aging skin — especially during menopause. The Bia Collection is excellent for eczema-prone skin, offering topical treatments and supplements that support a healthy gut and lead to moisture retention, skin barrier fortification, and less itching in the skin. Additionally, the Shaant Collection targets acne-prone skin with pore-purifying facial scrubs and biotech, plant-based formulations that help calm irritation and reduce oil production for people suffering from breakouts, such as those caused by female hormonal acne.
People seeking specific skincare help, whether for rosacea, psoriasis, or other concerns, can go to the Codex Labs site and get specific product recommendations for their unique needs.
A laudable mission
Dr. Paldus and her team have set out to make Codex Labs stand apart amid a crowded skincare market. Their Code of Conduct plays a significant role in their unique position as a leader in the clinically-backed skincare space.
Efficacy is first and foremost in their mission. “Our claims are not just fluff; they’re fact-based,” says Dr. Paldus, highlighting how Codex Labs’ clinical tests are rigorous and their published data is available to anyone researching solutions to their own skincare issues.
Codex Labs is also uncompromising when it comes to sustainability. They not only want to have a notable impact on the skincare industry but want to lessen their impact on the environment. The team is focused on remaining carbon neutral and protecting biodiversity by reducing waste through recyclability.
Patents and disruptive innovation are key to Codex Labs’ success. “Our plant-based biotech complexes are not only patented, they’re disruptive,” says Dr. Paldus. “And the more clinical trials we run, the more we see that an inside-out solution with supplements and skincare can provide up to three times the benefit of a skincare solution alone.”
Codex Labs’ hydration-targeting products — such as the BiaComplex™ line, their skin barrier protection line featuring AntuComplex™, their oil control line featuring ShaantComplex™, and their food-grade preservation system PreservX™ — are industry firsts. Each product makes Codex Labs a standout among other companies that may claim to be plant-based or clinically proven but are not as transparent with their research and development.
Through science and attention paid to the proven gut-skin axis, Codex Labs is changing the skincare landscape. Their mission is quality, authenticity, and transparency. With supplements, topical treatments, masks, serums, soaps, and soaks, the company is helping people suffering from skin conditions live healthier lives and helping spur on a skincare revolution that is changing how people view skin conditions going forward.
