Everyone, every now and then, can use an extra set of hands—especially when applying sunscreen or self-tanner. Not being able to reach certain areas of the body can lead to a splotchy, rather than sun-kissed look, for a night out on the town, or worse, a serious sunburn when SPF doesn’t hit everywhere the sun’s damaging rays do.
 
But PHD Skin Care has a solution; it offers products that come in a unique pack with a wand that helps consumers apply products to hard-to-reach areas.
 
The brand was founded by the “PHD Brothers” Dr. Michael Isaacman, Ph.D. and Dr. Steven Isaacman, Ph.D. They are chemists with an entrepreneurial spirit who recognized an all too common issue with sunscreen.
 
“My brother Steve likes to joke that he was sick of rubbing sunscreen on my back at the beach. However, the true aha moment came to us in the laboratory,” recalled Michael Isaacman. “We had developed these amazing sunscreen formulas that were far superior to competitive products, but realized the difficulty in applying the products to the harder-to-reach areas of the back and shoulders.”
 
According to Michael Isaacman, “a deep dive into the scientific literature, along with extensive consumer product research, confirmed our suspicion that there was no available technology that allowed users to easily self-apply topical formulas to their back and shoulders. That’s why we developed our Never Miss a Spot wand technology, which consists of a seven-inch long extension applicator that allows for effortless self-application of products anywhere on your body.”
 
With Never Miss A Spot, users unfold the wand, unlock the spray and press the nozzle for a continuous spray that works at any angle.
 
The wand—which can unfold all the way out to 180° to help people of different shapes, sizes and flexibility reach tough spots—is featured on the company’s SPF 50+ sunscreen and its two self tanner SKUs (dark and medium).
 
The duo said they spent years perfecting the Never Miss a Spot wand and the formulations, “which took countless tweaks and adjustments to get it them to work together seamlessly,” said Steven Isaacman.
 
The brothers are also proud of their products’ incredibly fine mist.
 
“Not only does this feel great, but also it allows for even application. This fine mist is one of the major reasons that our self tanning products produce streak free, natural looking results,” noted Steven Isaacman.
 
While the company’s Never Miss a Spot products are the heroes of the stable, the brothers also touted the benefits of their facial sunscreen UV Defense Daily Moisturizer.
 
“We designed this to be elegant and ultra hydrating for everyday use. The sun ages your skin even on cloudy days, so it is critical to wear SPF every day to keep that youthful look,” said Michael Isaacman.
 
For the Isaacmans, the combination pf smart packaging and effective ingredients set their line apart.
 
“PHD Skin Care uses cutting edge science and technology to develop products that give real results with maximum effectiveness, all in luxurious formulations,” said Michael Isaacman. “We hold the brand to very high standards, and don’t make outlandish and baseless claims. Our innovative delivery technologies are a crucial aspect of our brand, and we simply wanted our tagline to reflect this.”
 
Great aesthetics were also paramount in the product development process, according to Steven Isaacman.
 
“The real key to our sunscreens lies in the unique formulations, which were specifically designed to feel like no other sunscreen on the market. One of the major complaints with sunscreen is the tacky and sticky feeling they leave on your skin. People often cite this as a reason they don’t apply sunscreens daily, and not doing so can increase signs of early aging and even contribute to the development of skin cancer. To overcome this negative perception, we developed our formulas to be light, quick drying and pleasant feeling on your skin,” he said.
 
PHD uses a mixture of chemical UV filters including avobenzone, homosalate and octisalate. And, like stakeholders in the sun care category, the firm is anxious to see more options get green lighted by the FDA.
 
“Unfortunately, the FDA limits the active ingredients that are allowed in sunscreens. We therefore only use globally approved ingredients that are proven to be safe and effective. We are certainly excited about the possibility that new UV filters will be approved by the FDA,” noted Michael Isaacman.
 
The duo hopes to repeat the success PHD Skin had on HSN last year; last summer, PHD Skin Care’s sold out in just nine minutes in its debut on HSN’s Beauty Report, the said.
 
In addition, PHD Skin Care plans to extend the Never Miss a Spot brand with acne and pain relief, as well skin brighteners, moisturizers and more.