Skin care ranges from über chic wrinkle serums to basic body moisturizers. At Home – Where Healing Happens – Skin Care is neither; this new brand instead has been designed to serve customers who aren’t really interested in the former two options, anyway.
 
At Home formulas address specific skin conditions commonly faced by senior patients over the age of 65—think issues from diabetes, fragile skin or edema (swelling) and other medical concerns— using medical protocol practiced by hospitals, long-term care and home health agencies.
 
McCord Research and Product Quest Manufacturing banded together launch this new line, which has kits that manage advanced skin conditions while ensuring skin is properly cleansed, moisturized and protected too.
 
The products, which were developed by Elizabeth McCord, MD, are exclusively available in select CVS Pharmacy stores and online at CVS.com.
 
The idea came when Dr. McCord teamed up with Charles Gray, MD, the head of research and development for Ei Solutionworks.
 
“We had worked together for about three years in the manufacturing of my medical skin care products. My products are very successful in the hospital, long-term care and home health markets. Then, suddenly one day, he said he believed there was a real need for my hospital-grade products in the retail market.  It was an amazing moment for me.  I have always had a dream of healing people outside the institutional setting, but it was just a dream until that day.” 
 
Gray introduced McCord to a team of retail experts from Product Quest Manufacturing, headed by Bob Kwait and John Regan, and “from that point on the dream began to feel possible,” she told Happi.
 
The full range includes Diabetic Skin Care, Chronic Dry Skin Care, Antifungal Skin Care, Fragile Skin Bruising Skin Care, Venous Skin Care, Incontinent Skin Care, Radiation Skin Care and Edema Skin Care.
 
And while products seem very utilitarian, the formulations aren’t. Each kit includes Viniferamine, a scientifically-advanced blend of nutrient-rich small molecules carefully curated for their healing qualities. Viniferamine, originally developed by McCord in 2011, is a combination of organic extracts, including those of Vitis Vinifera.
 
“The tiny molecules enter the cells and work to restore cells back to a healthy state. The amazing process is quite scientifically advanced, however, all most people want, instead of a science lesson, is to see results,” she said.  “Viniferamine products heal when nothing else works.”
  
Two of the more unique offerings that come in the At Home kits are Silicone Skin Barrier and SkinMineralZ, according to McCord. 
 
“Silicone Skin Barrier,” she said, “has a one-of-a-kind polymer base that upon application forms a “second skin” protecting the patient from irritation caused by the rubbing of clothing or sheets on delicate skin.  Such rubbing leads to excessive moisture loss and increases the risk of skin tears.  The results associated with this product in the institutional setting are dramatic and for the ‘At Home- where healing happens’ patient, the effectiveness of the product will help them with dry skin and fragile skin. “
 
SkinMineralZ takes zinc oxide paste to a whole new level, according to McCord.
 
“The zinc oxide in Viniferamine is supported by three mineral-rich French clays. The clays combine to add all of the key minerals the skin needs to be restored to health. No other zinc oxide offers this balance of healing minerals.  The product both absorbs and adsorbs irritants and toxins for excellent results,” she noted.
 
 
The packaging is also a point of departure; the front sides of the carton depict actual medical issues that aren’t pretty, to be blunt.
 
“We show skin that has specific problems like radiation dermatitis, and foot ulcers. They are meant to allow patients to identify with their actual problem and we do not make any effort to give a ‘cosmetic’ view of a serious skin problem,” said McCord.
 
“In the beginning people are taken aback, but then they realize that the product packaging is designed to reach patients in a way with which they can identify,” continued McCord. “They are the exact customers we are trying to reach, and they can see there is something very different about what these products provide.  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we decided to tell our story in pictures.”
 
And there’s another difference that makes At Home’s range unique: the scent.
 
“For years it was thought that medical products had to have some terrible smell, and most of them did. But sense of smell is a very important part of healing.  It is associated with good memories.  The At Home-where healing happens products include the combination of orange blossoms and vanilla.  It is pleasant for caregivers and patients alike,” McCord noted.
 
The At Home range is a niche line for sure, but there’s no denying the potential.
 
 “The proportionate number of older adults in the United States is unprecedented, and as Baby Boomers continue to age, it is critical we make available treatments and remedies that address chronic skin conditions frequently faced by this population,” noted John Regan, president of Product Quest.