Q+A with Good Science Beauty Founder Dr. Suzanne Saffie-Siebert

Dr. Suzanne Saffie-Siebert is a pharmaceutical scientist, drug delivery technology expert, and founder of skincare brand Good Science Beauty. In our newest blog feature, she talks to us about her biotech company SiSaf, how good ingredients alone are not enough to make a good product, and more about the scientific intricacies that set Good Science Beauty apart. Read on to learn more!

Q: First and foremost, we'd love to hear about your journey in medicine. How did you get started, and how did you get to where you are today?

I’m not a medical doctor, but a pharmaceutical scientist. I did my Ph.D. at the School of Pharmacy in London on the use of liposomes as a drug delivery system for gene therapy. That was 25 years ago, a long time before gene-based treatments and RNA vaccines became a reality. I later invented a range of drug delivery technologies that are based on a hybrid of lipid nanoparticles and bioabsorbable silicon. And I set up a biotech company, SiSaf Ltd, in the UK to develop medicines using my technology. Today, this company focuses on the use of my technology for RNA based therapies – which links back to my early academic work on gene therapy.

Q: What inspired you to create the Good Science Beauty brand?

Over the years, my R&D team and I generated a lot of data which show how our lipid-silicon hybrid can stabilize drug molecules and enhance their skin permeation. Having tried countless skincare products that had very little effect, I thought, “Why don’t I use my technology for cosmetic skincare ingredients to make them more effective?” This is how Good Science Beauty was born.

Q: What do you love the most about what you do?

I love blue sky thinking and inventing. I’ve invented and patented several drug delivery technologies, and nothing gives me a greater dopamine kick than those lightbulb moments when I find a solution to a problem. And when my team tests the idea in the lab and the data confirm the idea – that’s the most wonderful and gratifying feeling.

Q: In addition to Good Science Beauty, you also lead a bio-pharmaceutical company that focuses on drug delivery research, and both use a similar delivery technology. We'd love to hear more about this and how these two elements of your career overlap.

Good Science Beauty is a subsidiary of my biotech company, SiSaf. The Good Silicon+ technology that we use for our skincare products is based on one of the technologies that I developed at SiSaf for pharmaceutical products.

Q: What is a myth about skin care that you want to debunk?

Many people feel, intuitively, that “natural” ingredients are better or safer than chemical ingredients. In many cases, the contrary is true. Because chemicals can be produced to meet clearly defined specifications and production processes can be controlled, monitored and documented, synthetic ingredients are typically purer and “cleaner” than natural ingredients. And there are countless examples of natural ingredients that cause skin irritation or allergies – many essential oils, for example. ?

Q: What is one product everyone should be using, no matter what their skin type?

A cleanser.

Q: What sets Good Science Beauty apart from other skincare brands?

Most other brands focus on ingredients, but having good and right ingredients alone doesn’t make an effective product. Many ingredients are unstable, which means they degrade easily and lose their efficacy, or they can’t be absorbed by the skin, which protects our body against external threats such as pollutants or toxins. This is why for us, delivery technology is key. Our Good Silicon+ technology is designed to stabilize ingredients and improve their absorption and this technology really sets us apart from other brands.

Q: What is your best advice for someone who is struggling to find a skin routine that works for them?

Keep it simple. Don’t overcomplicate things and mix too many products. Use one product at a time and once you’ve found a product that works for your skin, stick to it. You can try adding other products, but always test only one new product at a time.

Q: What do you wish people were talking more about in skincare?

The art of formulation. People focus too much on ingredients without considering how these ingredients are formulated. Anyone can mix great-sounding ingredients with a cream base and call it a moisturizer, but this doesn’t mean that these great-sounding ingredients do anything for your skin. It all depends on how ingredients are formulated.

Rapid Fire Round

Q: Worth the splurge:

Good Science Beauty’s Firm Up Trio.

Q: Latest beauty empty (item you ran out of):

Olay Total Effects Day Cream SPF 30.

Q: Recent discovery:

Gucci Bloom.

Q: Product you can’t leave home without:

Good Science Beauty’s 003-Hy Hydrating Face Cream.

Q: Brand you wish more people knew about:

Good Science Beauty.