News

The Luxury Spot posted “Hydroquinone Dangers You Need to Know About” featuring Dr. Purvisha Patel and Visha Skincare.

The article includes Dr. Patel‘s expert commentary on the risks associated with hydroquinone as well as alternatives including Visha Skincare brand products.

You could be doing even more damage.

In your race to erase sun damage and spots, hydroquinone probably looks like a pretty attractive ingredient, doesn’t it? It turns out that while popular, the many unspoken hydroquinone dangers could actually put your skin (and health) in a worse place than when you started.

“Hydroquinone is a common ingredient used in skincare to lighten the skin and get rid of dark spots or discoloration,” explains board certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare, Dr. Purvisha Patel. “As we age, people of all skin types get areas of discoloration of the skin either from the sun, or as a form of skin darkening from scarring. Hydroquinone has been used in strong percentages that are prescription, and in lower percentages over the counter, to lighten age spots, sun spots, and even scarring. The ingredient works on the pigment pathway in the pigment-producing cells or melanocytes in the skin.”

But, the doctor warns, there are several hydroquinone dangers people should know about before opting for this lightening method.

Wondering what to use instead of the hydroquinone?

“There are alternatives to risking the skin to hydroquinone. Visha Skincare was developed after Illuminotex was formulated. Illuminotex is a patented blend of natural ingredients/skin lighteners that are also tyrosinase inhibitors to increase their individual ability to lighten and work stronger like the prescription strength 4% hydroquinone. Illuminotex contains ingredients such as Licorice, kojic Acid, azeleic Acid and vitamin C. These ingredients all individually cause skin lightening — but together in Illuminotex work synergistically.”

Read the full article here.

HelloGiggles posted “The No-Razor-Burn Guide to Shaving Your Bikini Line” featuring Visha Skincare and Dr. Purvisha Patel.

The article includes Dr. Patel‘s expert commentary on how to eliminate irritation when shaving sensitive areas.

Shaving your bikini line isn’t hard. Shaving your bikini line without any irritation, razor burn, or post-shave bumps is near impossible. The hair-removal method is simple, cheap, and quick—which is why it’s so popular—but it also presents the most annoying side effects.

Improving your technique can make the whole experience a lot less irritating, literally and figuratively. That’s what we learned after following the tips of these skincare pros, below. Read on for our comprehensive no-razor-burn guide to shaving your bikini line.

Change Your Razor

Yes, that five-blade razor is actually worth it. “The razor should be sharp and preferably more than one blade, that makes the chances of getting a smooth shave with the least amount of passes better,” Dr. Purvisha Patel, a Memphis-based dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare, says. You should also make sure it’s a clean razor free of rust or mildew (those need to be tossed immediately). If the blade tugs at your skin instead of gliding smoothly over the surface, it’s a sign it needs to be replaced. We love the Venus Swirl Razor ($9; target.com) because it features a flexiball head that helps the blades maneuver hard-to-reach areas.

Read the full article here.

InStyle posted “How to Shave Your Bikini Line Without Razor Bumps” featuring Visha Skincare and Dr. Purvisha Patel.

The article includes Dr. Patel‘s expert commentary on how to eliminate irritation when shaving sensitive areas.

Shaving your bikini line isn’t hard. Shaving your bikini line without any irritation, razor burn, or post-shave bumps is near impossible. The hair-removal method is simple, cheap, and quick—which is why it’s so popular—but it also presents the most annoying side effects.

Improving your technique can make the whole experience a lot less irritating, literally and figuratively. That’s what we learned after following the tips of these skincare pros, below. Read on for our comprehensive no-razor-burn guide to shaving your bikini line.

Change Your Razor

Yes, that five-blade razor is actually worth it. “The razor should be sharp and preferably more than one blade, that makes the chances of getting a smooth shave with the least amount of passes better,” Dr. Purvisha Patel, a Memphis-based dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare, says. You should also make sure it’s a clean razor free of rust or mildew (those need to be tossed immediately). If the blade tugs at your skin instead of gliding smoothly over the surface, it’s a sign it needs to be replaced. We love the Venus Swirl Razor ($9; target.com) because it features a flexiball head that helps the blades maneuver hard-to-reach areas.

Read the full article here.

Refinery29 posted “15 Made-In-The-USA Beauty Brands You Should Shop This Fourth Of July” featuring Visha Skincare and Dr. Purvisha Patel.

The article highlights how Dr. Patel created Visha Skincare was created to provide a simple, safe, multi-use regimen that combats a wide range of skin-care issues from acne and scarring, to aging and hyper-pigmentation.

The Fourth of July is about more than just hot dogs, fireworks, and ample opportunities to accessorize with stars and stripes. The holiday is first and foremost the anniversary of the United States of America as its own nation, and its history and traditions in the two-and-a-half centuries since. Some people celebrate by hosting BBQs or family reunions; we prefer to do it by supporting beauty brands that honor our country’s core values by producing products that are 100% made in America.

This list of American manufacturing companies may surprise you, because it’s not just boutique-y, all-natural companies you’ve never heard of: There are also major global labels that are keeping their sourcing, formulation, product development, and manufacturing stateside, in an effort to maintain quality control of the products and provide jobs to the American workforce.

Ahead, a breakdown of beauty brands and products that are exclusively American-made — so you know exactly what to do with the rest of your cash after you’ve made hefty donations to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.

Visha Skincare

Founded by Tennessee-based dermatologist Dr. Purvisha Patel, Visha Skincare was created to address the need for a simple, safe, multi-use regimen that combats a wide range of skin-care issues from acne and scarring,to aging and hyper-pigmentation. Made and manufactured on a small scale, the whole line is formulated and produced in Texas. Visha Skincare Advanced Bright Eye Booster, $45.00, available at Visha Skincare.

Read the full article here.

Patch.com posted “Summer Beauty and Kitchen Roundup” featuring Visha Skincare Brand founder Dr. Purvisha Patel and the Advanced Bright Eye Booster and Sugar Shrink Body Scrub.

In the article, the Advanced Bright Eye Booster and  Sugar Shrink Body Scrub are featured as must-have summer beauty products created by dermatologist Dr. Purvisha Patel, and includes the key beauty benefits of each product.

What’s new in beauty and home goods this summer? Check out these items to keep you looking good in the kitchen and on the town.

Visha Skin and Body Care

Created by dermatologist Purvisha Patel, Visha Advanced Bright Eye Booster ($45) is a plant based skin brightener which reduces puffiness and minimizes under eye dark circles. The Visha Sugar Shrink Body Scrub ($36) reduces the look of cellulite and stretch marks while exfoliating, smoothing, shrinking and tightening skin. Available at www.vishaskincare.com.

Read the full article here.

Beauty Independent posted “The Doctor’s In: Visha Skincare Founder And Dermatologist Purvisha Patel Prescribes Multitasking Natural Products” featuring Visha Skincare Brand founder Dr. Purvisha Patel.

In the article, Dr. Purvisha Patel shares her background and expertise, how she started Visha Skincare, and her vision for the brand and what’s next from Visha Skincare.

Purvisha Patel, a veteran dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon, wasn’t trained to treat the skin with natural remedies. However, her interest piqued in them eight years ago when her patients, predominantly people of color, started looking for hydroquinone- and paraben-free products to rectify everything from melasma to basic dehydration. Around the same time, Patel’s daughter was born at 26 weeks, and she spent three months in an intensive care unit. Patel wondered if the synthetic chemical-laden products she’d been using on patients while pregnant could have played a part in the premature birth.

Sensing there was a gap in the market for effective natural products safe for pregnant women and nursing mothers, Patel teamed up with a chemist to patent a formula that would become Illuminotex, a skin-brightening complex for aging skin and hyperpigmentation. She initially sold the formula as a serum only to patients. Within two years, 4,000 of them were relying on the product, asking how they could buy it online and requesting additional offerings. Today, Patel‘s brand, Visha Skincare, encompasses 10 items. Beauty Independent checked in with the doctor to discuss the investment she’s put into her brand, turning down Walmart and Costco, not quite breaking even and what’s coming out soon for customers.

What was your early vision for the brand?

I wanted something my patients would use that would be safe for them and helpful for the skin. I also wanted it to be as easy to use as possible. There’s research about how multistep routines are harder for people to follow, so our products always help serve more than one purpose. We have a moisturizer that works on the face and vagina. We have a balm for pregnant women that helps with stretch marks and can prevent eczema on babies. And I wanted to make the products affordable.

How did you set Visha’s price point?

Product prices can get really get exorbitant. I was losing trust [from] clients [by] selling them expensive products, and recommending peels and treatments. Everyone thinks the doctor is trying to make a buck, and nobody likes being sold to all the time. The serum costs $65, and I was able to frame it to patients as, “Now, you have these affordable serums that will help your every day and the inexpensive price could free up money for a chemical peel down the line.”

What is Visha’s bestselling product?

Our RejuVenating Moisturizer. Our first product was the Advanced Correcting Serum with Illuminotex and, then, we made the Mommy Brightener with Illuminotex, a serum safe for pregnant women or nursing moms. But we couldn’t just have two serums, and patients were asking for a moisturizer. I think people are more aware of what they’re putting on their skin, and they see that these products are safe, and they trust that. They’re also coming from a doctor, and we’ve kept our packaging very clinical because this is a doctor’s office product.

How did you get the brand off the ground?

I’ve been using my own money. To launch locally for everything from the chemist work, production and advertising, it was about half million dollars. Since launching nationally, it’s in excess of a million.

When do you expect Visha to reach profitability?

I really hope to reach profitability soon. We haven’t gotten there yet. We’re still growing. We get great feedback. One great thing we’ve noticed is that whoever uses the products stays loyal. The majority of our sales are [repurchases]. We just launched this year, so we’re still at that [getting the] ball rolling stage, but I’m very optimistic. What makes me feel hopeful and puts me in a good mood is that the people buying it are using it. The month of May was the highest on record for sales.

What’s your distribution strategy?

We started just selling out of my office. Then, patients wanted a way to buy it online, so I got a Shopify account and started selling that way. Now, we have wholesale accounts like a local OBGYN that sells our mommy line, and we sell locally to spas and wellness centers. We have two international accounts and, then, the website, of course. We also have Amazon sales.

Why did you decide to put the brand on Amazon?

It was a big decision to sell on Amazon. Amazon is competition to a certain extent. Ultimately, I’m a doctor. I just take a lot of advice, do a little math and see the wisest way to maneuver. I looked up other brands, and underlying all of this is my goal to get this into as many people’s hands as process. Amazon wasn’t considered a hurdle.

What is your social media strategy?

We just hired the agency 5WPR in December. We have an organic influencer outreach program right now and we have 10 to 15 influencers post organically to influence. We’ve seen an increase in followers and engagement that way and, eventually, this will lead to more macro influencer programs.

Is there a dream retailer for your brand?

I think we’d be a good fit for retailers like Sephora and Ulta, which would be amazing for the brand. Target is working very hard on embracing all skin types and non-paraben and sulfate-free products, so I’m not opposed to target. I was asked by Walmart and Costco sell the brand, and I declined because I don’t think we’re there yet. Costco wants to package the products in boxes of threes, and sell the serums and everything in big packages. I don’t think it’s the right fit.

What have you found most challenging in building a beauty brand?

I had to step out of my comfort zone as a physician and a dermatologist. My goal is to make people’s skin better and, when I suggest something to my patients, I already develop that trust and rapport where they do what I say. Stepping into the beauty industry, a forum that’s so saturated, I’m a nobody. So, it doesn’t really matter what I say. It’s almost like it doesn’t matter that I know skin. I’ve had to get in the game, and learn the lingo and get to know the right people. Beauty is an ever-changing landscape, but medicine never changes. So, the brand messaging never changes, and I’m never going to stop being a dermatologist. I believe that people will get that.

Where is your brand headed?

Since we’ve started selling online, it’s really changed the game from when we were solely selling it out of the office. But the vision and message hasn’t really changed. The goal is help people get better skin with safe, natural products. People have cried to me in the grocery store about acne going away without needing expensive peels or laser treatments. We have all these testimonials from people, and that’s what motivates me to keep putting money into the company. We’ve got something that works. If enough people use it and realize it, it will be successful. I’m constantly excited by our results and by where we’re going. I have a fitness line in beta testing for people to use on jock itch and folliculitis, so it can be used on various parts of the body. We are coming up with new ideas and, hopefully, we’ll be profitable by the end of this year.

Read the full article here.

Dermstore.com posted “Dermatologist Answers: What Is Hydroquinone and Is It Safe to Use?” featuring Visha Skincare Brand founder Dr. Purvisha Patel.

In the article, Dr. Purvisha Patel shares her expertise on hydroquinone in skincare, including the key benefits and proper usage of the ingredient.

In the quest to lighten those dreaded dark spots on your face from hyperpigmentation, age spots, or freckles, you may have encountered an ingredient called hydroquinone. If you haven’t heard of or tried it before, it’s a synthetic organic compound and skin brightening agent present in many brightening serums and creams that promises to lighten dark patches. While some dermatologists recommend it as an effective way to address hyperpigmentation and even skin tone, it’s not without controversy. In fact, it’s already banned in the E.U., Japan, Australia and high concentrations of it are only available by prescription in the United States and Canada. So is hydroquinone your skin’s friend or foe? Read on.

Hydroquinone 101

What is hydroquinone, exactly? “Hydroquinone is a common ingredient used in skin care to lighten the skin or get rid of dark spots or discoloration,” explains Dr. Purvisha Patel, a board-certified dermatologist in Tennessee and founder of Visha Skincare. “As we age, people of all skin types get areas of discoloration either from the sun or as the form of skin darkening from scaring. Hydroquinone can be used in strong percentages that are prescription and in lower percentages over the counter to lighten age spots, sun spots and scarring,” she adds.

Proper Use and Safety

In the United States, you can find hydroquinone in products over the counter in two percent (low concentration) formulas and your dermatologist can write you a prescription for four percent formulas and higher. (Use of those higher concentrations need to be closely monitored by your doctor, though.) “It is safe to use in two percent and four percent formulations twice a day for 12 weeks max,” says Patel. “The skin then needs a break from the chemical,” she notes. Also, sunscreen with at least SPF 30 is a must every day you’re using it and even after receiving treatment to counter the skin from getting darker again, she warns.

Read the full article here.

Prevention.com posted “How to Get Rid of the Puffy Bags Under Your Eyes” featuring Visha Skincare Brand founder Dr. Purvisha Patel.

In the article, Dr. Purvisha Patel shares her expert commentary on the importance of choosing caffeine-infused products to deflate under-eye bags.

So, you finally clocked in eight hours of sleep—but the first comment you hear at work the next morning would make everyone think otherwise: “You look so tired.”

Everyone gets puffy, dark bags under their eyes once in a while, but what do you do when you look perpetually exhausted? Here’s everything you need to know about why your eyes get so swollen, and how to de-puff fast.

What causes puffy eyes?

Sometimes, dark circles and puffy eyes are simply out of your control. Having naturally poor circulation in your under-eye area (thanks, genetics!) allows blood and fluid to easily pool there. But there are many day-to-day habits and irritants that could be making that area look more inflated than it needs to be, including:

• Lack of sleep
• Allergies
• Loose skin
• Traveling
• Contact lenses
• Crying
• Certain medications
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Eating excess salt
• Underlying medical conditions

If you don’t typically suffer from puffy eyes, monitor the swelling closely. If it’s coming on in tandem with redness or irritation, you might be dealing with a scratch, stye, or even an infection like pink eye. If you notice any vision changes or discharge, that’s your cue to head to the eye doctor ASAP.

Choose the right gel

Caffeine-infused products work to deflate eye bags by constricting your blood vessels, says board-certified dermatologist Purvisha Patel, MD, owner of Advanced Dermatology & Skin Cancer Associates in Tennessee and Mississippi.

Read the full article here.