Skin First® : Five Years of Innovation and Community

From a passion for cosmetology to a thriving beauty brand, Dr. Maria Pia Priore’s Skin First is a testament to how science and social media can create winning synergies. Since its virtual debut, Skin First has consistently sold out online and is now expanding across Italy with pop-up events, gearing up for an international launch.

Skin First®, founded by Dr. Maria Pia Priore, is celebrating its fifth anniversary with notable accomplishments. What began as an educational Instagram profile sharing skincare truths has evolved into a beloved brand, thanks to its foundation of empathy, accessibility, and scientific rigor. Launched in 2019 with just four products, Skin First quickly gained a loyal following, driven by honest communication, quality formulations, and fair pricing.

Today, Skin First offers a comprehensive range of products catering to various skin needs, from acne to hypersensitivity. The brand’s success culminates in a vibrant pamphlet, The ABC of Skincare, distributed during Milan Fashion Week, embodying its educational and fun spirit.

As Skin First prepares for its next chapter, including international expansion and new product launches, it remains rooted in its core values, continuing to resonate with a community that has grown alongside it. Join us in celebrating this journey and look forward to what’s next for Skin First—because learning to care for your skin is also about learning to love yourself.

Happy anniversary! Can you tell us how your adventure started five years ago? What have been the most significant moments in this journey?

Thank you so much! My adventure with Skin First started five years ago, but my passion for cosmetology goes back much further. Since I was a child, I have always had a passion for scientific subjects, particularly biology and chemistry. My mother often told me that when asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?", I would always reply that I wanted to "work with test tubes."

After attending a scientific high school, I enrolled in Pharmacy at the University of Parma, where I graduated in 2017. It was during my studies that I literally fell in love with cosmetology, thanks to a course on "Cosmetic Products." This course ignited a deep passion in me for the world of cosmetology, especially for product formulation: ingredients, functional substances, and their benefits.

It was then that I realized I wanted to be a cosmetologist when I grew up. My strong passion for cosmetology and my thirst for knowledge about formulation led me to start studying on my own even before enrolling in the master's program. I bought the book "Manuale del Cosmetologo’’ (The Cosmetologist's Manual), and it became my daily bread. At the same time, that was the era of "DIY cosmetics," and I remember transforming one of the two kitchens at home into a small laboratory. It was full of ingredients and functional substances, and I enjoyed making various preparations, always striving to improve and create formulas that were increasingly sensorially pleasing.

After graduating in Pharmacy in July 2017 from the University of Pharmacy in Parma, I enrolled for the admission test for the Master's program in Cosmetic Science and Technology at the University of Ferrara, the oldest cosmetology center in Europe. The test also included a "motivational" section. To show the professors on the committee how passionate I was, I presented myself with a kit of creams and serums that I had prepared myself, thanks to my self-study in the preceding months. It was a complete mini skincare routine, all packaged, labeled, with an ingredient list included. The committee was amazed, positively incredulous: in 25 years (since the founding of the Master's program), it had never happened before.

So I started the Master's program in Cosmetic Science and Technology in February 2018. During this period, I began sharing my knowledge about skincare on my Instagram profile @dott.ssa_mariapiapriore. I wanted to clarify a landscape, that of 2018, where there was a lot of misinformation about cosmetics.

The originality of the content and the simplicity with which I explained complex topics quickly grew my profile, creating a passionate community. People wrote to me asking for advice and wanted to know more about the science behind facial products. This continuous exchange made me realize there was a gap in the market: a need for functional, scientific, and accessible skincare products.

In June 2019, after months of intense work, I launched Skin First with the first four products: Crema Viso Purificante, Crema Viso Preventiva, Crema Viso Antiage and Maschera Viso Purificante. Initially, I managed everything on my own: formulation, e-commerce site management, social media, and even packaging and shipping orders. I still remember the excitement and joy of those first orders, which soon increased to the point of requiring professional logistics.

Another significant moment was the opening of our first Temporary Store in Milan in November 2022. It was incredible to see around 400 visitors in just one afternoon! This event allowed us to connect directly with our customers and gather valuable feedback.

Today, Skin First has over 40 products and a dedicated team. These five years have been full of challenges but also immense satisfaction. Every step, every success, and every difficulty overcome has contributed to making Skin First what it is today: a scientific, accessible, and empathetic skincare brand, loved and supported by a wonderful community.

What are the core values that have guided Skin First Cosmetics from day one? How have they changed and grown over time?

The core values that have guided Skin First Cosmetics since day one are scientific rigor, accessibility, and empathy. These values have been the beating heart of the brand and have allowed us to create high-quality products that meet the real needs of our community.

Scientific Rigor: our mission has always been to base the formulation of our products on scientific evidence. Every ingredient we use is carefully selected and supported by scientific studies to ensure its effectiveness. This approach allows us to offer concrete solutions for all skin care needs.

Accessibility: from the beginning, we have aimed to make quality skincare accessible to everyone. Our products are formulated to be effective yet affordable because we believe that taking care of your skin should not be a luxury reserved for a few. We constantly work to keep prices competitive without compromising quality.

Empathy: SKIN FIRST® is committed to making people feel good. We conceive of the skincare routine not just as a daily care regimen but as a true act of self-care, a moment that promotes well-being for both the skin and the mind. We aim to be in constant active listening

mode with our community, making openness towards them one of our guiding principles. By putting ourselves on the same level, we seek to nurture a dialogue even in less obvious phases, such as before designing a product. The community itself is the reason for the brand's existence, and for this reason, it will always be part of the journeys SKIN FIRST® will decide (and has decided in the past) to undertake.

Over time, these values have not only remained unchanged but have also strengthened and expanded. Our community has grown, and with it, our responsibility and commitment.

These values guide us every day in our work and are the reason why Skin First has become a reference point for so many customers.

The name "Skin First" is very evocative. How did this name come about and what does it represent for you?

The name "Skin First" is very evocative, direct, clear, and precise. It immediately conveys the importance we place on taking care of our skin.

As I mentioned earlier, before founding the Skin First brand, my journey began in February 2018 with a project aimed at disseminating accurate information in the field of cosmetology through my Instagram profile @dott.ssa_mariapiapriore. This series was called the "Skin First Project."

When it came time to launch the brand, the idea to call it "Skin First" came almost naturally. For me, "Skin First" represents much more than just a name. It is a philosophy, a commitment to putting skincare first, not only through high-quality products but also by promoting greater awareness and education about skincare. It means taking care of oneself starting with the skin, our largest and most visible organ, and recognizing that healthy skin is the first step towards overall well-being.

We want everyone to feel good in their own skin, and we firmly believe that skincare should be a priority, not a luxury.

Can you share with us one of the biggest challenges you have faced as a skincare brand and how you overcame it?

Besides all the challenges I have had to face as an entrepreneur in building a company, when it comes to the specific challenges of Skin First as a skincare brand, I would undoubtedly say the extremely high level of competition in the sector and the presence of strong, well-established companies with wide distribution. How did we overcome this challenge? Five years ago, we started investing everything in communication through Instagram, a social network that, at the time, was still sparsely used by beauty brands in Italy, with very few exceptions. Starting earlier than others in an unexplored field with innovative communication allowed us to gain a significant competitive advantage.

What was the product that had the biggest impact on the market and why do you think it was so successful?

The products that have had the greatest impact on the market are: Detergente Viso Delicato, Crema Viso Purificante, Booster Niacinamide + Azeloglicina and Perfezionatore Cutaneo. These products form the routine for treating impurities.

Over the years, we have received many positive reviews on how Skin First products have resolved acne-related skin issues. Not only reviews, but also many before-and-after photos, spontaneously sent by people to share with us the joy of seeing their skin healthier.

We have received messages where people thank us for improving their lives. I particularly remember a message from a girl who wrote to us saying that, because of her acne, she used to hide her face behind her hair. After she started using our products, she no longer needed to do that and instead wore her hair tied back because she finally felt confident enough to show her face.

Recently, we have launched even more specific products for treating impurities, such as the Mousse Detergente Purificante and Lozione Pelli Impure.

What are the features that make your products unique compared to others in the skincare market?

Skin First operates in a highly competitive sector, where almost every month a new online cosmetics brand is born. The difference compared to all other brands is our scientific approach, my philosophy, and the absolute distance from momentary marketing trends that make other brands very similar to each other and without a clear identity.

We rely on scientific evidence, and there is a great deal of research and development work internally thanks to our Product Development team, consisting of a Chemist and a Pharmacist, both with a technical-scientific background. This allows us to develop our formulas in-house, following the entire formulation process with extreme precision and care, from development to market launch. We pay close attention to the formulation phase, conducting in-depth studies to choose the most effective functional substances based on scientific papers, creating synergy between them, and ensuring formulations with a very high quality standard.

We also believe that we offer a very attractive quality/quantity/price ratio, making our products accessible and affordable for everyone, especially the younger generation. The price of a cosmetic is not correlated with quality as it is in other product categories, and consumers are realizing this concept much faster than the market might think.

Additionally, Skin First is a completely digital cosmetics company, born on Instagram, directly among the people. Our community is at the heart of everything we do. We listen carefully to the feedback from our customers and often develop new products in response to their specific needs. This continuous dialogue allows us to constantly evolve and offer targeted and personalized solutions.

Many brands are constructed at the table and then launched on the market; we are different. Our organic origin and direct connection with the community allow us to maintain an authentic identity and truly respond to the needs of our customers.

How do you maintain the balance between innovation and quality in your products? Can you tell us about any recent innovations that you are particularly proud of?

We maintain the balance between innovation and quality in our products through a methodical and scientific approach to research and development. Our Product Development team, consisting of experts with a technical-scientific background, constantly works to identify new ingredients and technologies that can enhance the effectiveness of our products without compromising their safety and quality.

The key to our success is the combination of scientific rigor and careful listening to the needs of our community. Every new product is the result of an in-depth process of study and experimentation, supported by scientific evidence and customer feedback.

One of the recent innovations I am particularly proud of is the Mousse Detergente Purificante. This product was developed in response to our community's requests for a cleanser that is both effective and gentle, suitable for impure and sensitive skin. The formula includes innovative ingredients such as 2% salicylic acid, a prebiotic (Polylysine), and a postbiotic (Alteromonas Ferment Extract). These ingredients work synergistically to purify the skin, regulate sebum production, and maintain skin hydration, respecting the skin barrier and visibly improving skin texture.

Another recent innovation is the Lozione Pelli Impure, a specific treatment for those suffering from acne and imperfections. This lotion is formulated with active ingredients such as 2% salicylic acid, mandelic acid, tranexamic acid, and Polylysine. Salicylic acid provides a keratolytic action, refining pores and stimulating cell renewal. Mandelic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), gently exfoliates and offers antibacterial properties. Tranexamic acid reduces pigmentation by controlling melanin overproduction, and Polylysine, a prebiotic, decreases the bacterial proliferation of acne strains, reduces sebum production, and regulates the immune-inflammatory response.

These innovations perfectly represent our commitment to combining innovation and quality. We continue to invest in research and development to bring products to the market that meet the real needs of our customers, always maintaining high standards of quality and safety.

What does the future hold for Skin First Cosmetics? Do you have any new projects or products in the pipeline that you can tell us about?

The future of Skin First Cosmetics is filled with exciting new projects. We are constantly seeking innovations that can further improve our customers' skincare routines.

By the end of this year, we will be launching two new products. One of these is part of our makeup line, designed as a hybrid between skincare and makeup, ideal for quick application and a very natural look that enhances one's natural beauty. The other new product, highly requested by our community, belongs to the skincare line, and we can't wait to unveil it.

Additionally, later this year, we will be reopening a Temporary Store in an important Italian city where we have had positive experiences in the past. This time, the experience will last longer than previous ones, offering our customers even more opportunities to interact with our products and team.

Recently, we also opened our first Pop Up Skin First at Rome Termini Station, which will be open from May 28 to September 15. This new point of sale allows us to reach a wider audience, providing a direct and immediate experience for our customers.

The future of Skin First Cosmetics is bright and full of opportunities. We are determined to continue innovating and growing, always keeping the needs of our community at the forefront.

How do sustainability and ethics play a role in your production process and business practices?

We are very conscious of sustainability and strictly avoid so-called greenwashing practices that many companies unfortunately use today to attract attention. Our product packaging is essential, without frills, and very lightweight. For our shipments, we minimize the use of paper as much as possible (we do not print unnecessary and repetitive documents, favoring digital communication, for example) and use very simple boxes, limiting the use of ink for customization. Additionally, we use biodegradable materials as fillers, so we can essentially say that we do not use plastic in our packaging, except for the occasional necessary tape.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone about to embark on a similar path to yours in the world of skincare, what would it be?

Placing the quality and reliability of the cosmetic product at the center of the project and working with the goal of constantly improving the experience and life of the end customer.

Interview by @eleonoraapirisi

Images Courtesy of @skinfirstcosmetics.it

Special thanks to @es_pr_communication and @antonio.scaltrito

RED•EYE WORLD