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Shane Evans, founder and CEO of Heights Wellness Retreat, joins Skin Anarchy's longevity series to cut through the noise: which wellness modalities actually work, why the basics beat biohacking, how beauty and wellness converge, and why community may matter as much as any treatment.
Who is Shane Evans, and how did Heights Wellness Retreat start?
A wellness entrepreneur who discovered massage therapy for her own back pain in her early 20s. After it got her walking in two days, she founded Massage Heights in 2004 on a membership model, later evolving it into Heights Wellness Retreat with over 100 locations. "Massage is not just a girl's day at the spa... it is actually therapeutic," she says.
Which longevity modalities actually work?
The best backed are red light therapy and sauna, Evans says, with cryotherapy less proven. Quality matters, since cheap red light devices may not reach the cellular level. "I think red light is one that everybody should be paying attention to. It's science backed," she says, while cryotherapy mostly gives an energy burst.
What matters most for longevity?
The basics, not biohacking. Evans reframes longevity as living well now rather than reaching 120, and insists the foundation is free. "The number one thing is sleep... you don't have to go anywhere or spend money to do that," she says, pointing to sleep, hydration, electrolytes, and calming your nervous system as what moves the needle.
Are peptides safe for longevity?
Only alongside a provider monitoring your biometrics, Evans cautions. She is wary of people stacking peptides bought offline, some with poor ingredients, without checking organ function. "You need to see a doctor and make sure that everything is functioning okay," she says, stressing peptides should be an addition after basics like blood work and hormones are handled.
How are beauty and wellness connected?
They are one and the same, Evans says. How your skin looks reflects your gut, stress, hydration, and nutrition, so no topical fixes a deeper problem. "No product you put on your face is going to solve the problem," she says, noting what we put on our skin enters the bloodstream, so we should feed skin as thoughtfully as we feed our bodies.
How does gut health affect your skin and brain?
Profoundly, through the gut brain connection. Evans calls the gut a second brain and says issues there ripple out to neurotransmitters and skin alike. "If there is something that's affecting the gut... it is going to have an effect on the brain," she says, urging people to truly pay attention to their gut.
Why does Heights stay out of IV therapy and peptides?
Because consistency and safety come first at scale. With over 100 locations, Evans keeps clinical services with medical professionals to avoid liability and uneven experiences. "The medical side of things should be left to the medical professionals," she says, positioning Heights as a partner for recovery, massage, red light, and lymphatic support instead.
Can you really rewire your brain?
Evans believes so, and points to neuroplasticity and the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza. His framework, she says, is "believe, behave, become," meaning consistent behaviors built on belief reshape who you become. She describes leaving a meditation retreat visibly changed, and sees brain retraining as a major frontier in wellness.
Why does community matter as much as treatment?
Because loneliness is a serious health risk, Evans says, citing research equating it with smoking. She built a lingering "fourth space" called The Well so people can simply come in and reset, no treatment required. "People are seeking that more than anything," she says, designing Heights to foster connection alongside its services.
Listen to the full episode with Shane Evans on Skin Anarchy, available wherever you get your podcasts.
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Model, entrepreneur, and skit founder Irene Kim joins Skin Anarchy from Seoul for a real world look at K beauty: why Korea innovates so fast, how Korean consumers decide what to trust, what sits beyond the glass skin trend, and what is actually in her makeup bag.
How did Irene Kim get into beauty?
Through years inside the industry, not a lab. A longtime model, Kim grew up in makeup chairs with access to artists, facialists, and dermatologists worldwide, and traces the spark to childhood. "My mom would tell me I would always be playing in her makeup vanity, trying on lipstick and stealing her best creams," describing beauty as part of her DNA long before it was her career.
Why does K beauty innovate so much faster?
Because the whole ecosystem is competitive and informed. Korean consumers hold high standards and know their ingredients, pushing formulators to reinvent quickly. "It's the quickness and the competitiveness around K beauty that really just innovates everything," she says, pointing from snail mucin to newer plant derived PDRN as proof of how fast the market moves.
How do Korean consumers decide what to trust?
Through trust built across the whole brand, not just a viral product. Kim says belief comes from a mix of innovative ingredients, marketing, and consistency over time. "It's really building the trust... having your audience believe that it works," she says, but adds that finding what works for your skin matters more than chasing whatever is trending.
Does PDRN actually work in topical skincare?
It depends on the formulation, Kim says. Injected PDRN is more effective, and topical results hinge on concentration and quality because the molecule is large. "It's like buying a sweater... the purest form maybe is the better quality," she explains, so the PPM and how it is formulated determine whether a topical PDRN product delivers.
How often should you really get skin procedures?
Less often than the trend suggests. Kim has very sensitive skin and does one treatment consistently, Thermage, about once a year, favoring restraint over frequency. "Just because you do a certain procedure at a doctor doesn't mean it makes your skin better," she says, stressing that aftercare matters more than how often you go in.
What actually matters more than chasing trends?
A healthy barrier and consistency. Kim says her definition of good skin shifted from perfection to resilience, built on a strong foundation before any actives. "It's really about resilient skin and a healthy barrier," she says, crediting the lesson to watching her grandmother, who at 88 still does her full routine daily.
Is glass skin all K beauty has to offer?
No, and Kim wants the world to see past it. She is proud of K beauty going global but says the trend only scratches the surface. "K beauty is more than that. It's more than the virality, it's more than the trends," she says, pointing to barrier care and ingredient innovation as the deeper story glass skin opened the door to.
Why did Irene Kim start Skit?
To prove K beauty is more than trends. Kim built skit around sustainability, barrier first formulas, and accessibility, spending a year and a half on a single product. "I always ask for the opposite... what's not trending," she says, designing for what works for her sensitive skin and her community, not the hottest ingredient.
Does skincare need to be different for different ethnicities?
No, skin is skin, Kim says. She pushes back on the idea that Korean skincare only suits Korean skin, framing it as a matter of skin condition, not ethnicity. "Just because you're Asian doesn't mean it's different," she says, arguing good formulas and barrier science translate across a global, increasingly diverse audience.
Listen to the full episode with Irene Kim on Skin Anarchy, available wherever you get your podcasts.
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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.
Learn more about Lynch Regenerative Medicine
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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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