Made in Canada: The Story Behind Skinfix

 
 

The backstory: More than 160 years ago, Brit chemist Thomas Dixon created a skin-healing ointment to sell in his Yorkshire, England, store. It became so popular for treating conditions like eczema, dermatitis and rashes that the top-secret recipe was passed down to his son, William, to keep up with demand. When William immigrated to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1871, he brought the formula with him, and it continued to be passed down from generation to generation. In 2006, Dixon’s great-great-great-granddaughter Karen Warner created Skinfix to bring the soothing skincare to a bigger market. The East Coast brand is sold at drugstores throughout Canada, and it’s also available stateside at Target, Rite Aid and Ulta Beauty.

The ingredients: Each product is formulated with natural, pharmaceutical-grade ingredients like colloidal oatmeal (a known itch-reliever for eczema sufferers), combined with emollient oils, botanicals and barrier-builders like nourishing jojoba, soothing aloe and rich shea butter. Unlike some eczema treatments, all the products are free of steroids, hydrocortisone, fragrance and known irritants.

The range: When current CEO Amy Gordinier-Regan (a beauty industry veteran who has held marketing roles at Jo Malone and Space NK) acquired Skinfix in 2012, she revamped Warner’s original seven-product line to include specialized ranges for adult eczema, babies and people with diabetes, as well as a hydration collection for everyone. The newest launch, Extra Strength Sheer Face Ointment, is a targeted treatment for eczema that relieves dry, flaky and irritated areas on the cheeks, around the mouth or even around the eyes.