ASDM Beverly Hills is a beauty brand located in the heart of Beverly Hills, California. Emphasizing on creating only the highest quality products at an affordable price, they offer everything from skin care to body care to even hair care and more. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Rafael Marquez, the CEO of the brand. Here is what he had to tell me…
(Q) Hello Rafael. How are you? Tell me a little more about ASDM Beverly Hills…
Hello Sarah, I’m doing very well! Thank you for asking. Hope you are having a wonderful week as well. ASDM Beverly Hills was actually inspired by my beautiful wife Alexandra. She had been suffering from melasma since she turned 35. She had just had a tumor removed which had caused her hormones to have a mind of their own. The difficult part of her skin condition was that it was a hormonal issue. When melasma is the result of sun and environmental damage, it can be more easily treated through exfoliation and pigment targeting actives.
With hormonal melasma, it is important to discuss with your physician or nutritionist a plan for balancing your hormones. This process can take time however once achieved, it will have more effective and permanent results when treating melasma. In my wife’s case she had trouble finding a good skin care regime that was effective in targeting the melasma. She was already working on balancing her hormones, but her skin issue remained. After countless prescriptions and over the counter potions, she was clearly frustrated and becoming more conscientious of her appearance. As a doting husband, I was always there offering her my support; however, this time she needed more than just a shoulder to lean on.
I decided to create a product that would help her situation. After months of research and trials, I finally felt that I had the right product for her. Excitedly, I urged her to give my product a try. Within a few weeks, she began to notice a gradual fading of the dark spots. After 3-4 months, they were completely gone! I was very happy that my creation had worked for her. And so ASDM Beverly Hills was founded. But it is important to keep in mind that how we started is not as equally as important as to how we became ASDM Beverly Hills. Our customers have made us who we are with their feedback, suggestions and support. We thank each and every one of them for their trust and loyalty!
(Q) What is the inspiration behind ASDM Beverly Hills? Tell me a little more about the inspiration behind the brand…
Our inspiration has always been the customer. When we create a product, we always ask ourselves: What ingredients are best for our customers? Are there any safety or allergy concerns we should consider? Our goal has always been to produce products that are made as close to nature as possible. The active ingredients we use are always carefully analyzed for effectiveness and safety (example: Their ability to cause developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies, and immunotoxicity). We always avoid harsh preservatives and synthetic ingredients wherever possible. All of our products are paraben free. If our family loves the product, then we know our customers will love it as well!
(Q) You sell everything from skin care to body care to even makeup, hair care, and more. Currently, what are your most popular products? Tell me a little more about your best sellers…
We like to offer our customers a variety of products. Our doors are always open to new suggestions! If you would like to see a certain type of product in our store, email or call us and we will do our best to create it. Some of our bestsellers include our pure hyaluronic acid serum, tepezcohuite cream, Arbutin skin lightening cream, skin lightening lotions, sunscreen, ultra firming cream, Glycolic peels, and microdermabrasion pro cream.
Our hyaluronic acid serum is a great skin hydrating product that will help to seal in moisture to prevent against trans-epidermal water loss. It can be applied both day and night our tepezcohuite Cream is a wonderful skin healing cream that helps to heal minor skin irritations, burns, inflammation. It contains pure tepezcohuite tree bark extract which is native to Mexico. This ingredient was especially useful during the 1986 earthquake which left many people suffering from burns. This miracle extract helped to accelerate the healing rate of burn wounds as well as protect skin from infection. Our skin lightening products are a great way to lightening your skin tone and reduce the appearance of existing sun damage. Since these products contain strong actives, we strongly suggest using sunscreen during the day and avoiding excessive sun exposure. The key to healthy, clear skin is avoiding sun exposure which can damage the integrity of the skin.
(Q) What is impressive is that you have a face cream that contains the Co-Enzyme Q10. I have to ask, how important is CoQ10 to the skin?
Coenzyme Q10 is a natural ingredient that already exists in our body! With age, the production of this enzyme is greatly reduced, resulting in a decrease of collagen and elastin in our skin cells. Lack of these peptides is directly correlated with the aging process. Skin repair and regeneration is compromised exposing skin to numerous damaging environmental factors. This makes Coenzyme Q10 a vital ingredient for healthy skin.
(Q) What are the benefits of using one of ASDM Beverly Hills in-home chemical peels? Tell me a little more about this…
Our in home peels are best performed during the winter season. It is vital to protect one’s skin from sun exposure especially after a peel, because your skin will be more sensitive and can easily be damaged if exposed to damaging sun rays, heat and strong skin care products or procedures. When performing a peel, we always recommend starting at the weakest ones before increasing every month or so to a higher strength peel. Our starter peels include our pumpkin glycolic mask and our glycolic lactic serum. You can then graduate to our pure lactic or glycolic peels starting from the lowest percentage.
Chemical peels can be performed a maximum of once a week for 8 weeks straight. After those 8 weeks, we recommend taking a few weeks break. Just like hair, skin has memory. For example, we all know that using the same shampoo and conditioner will cause build up in hair and what was once silky smooth, is no longer full of luster. Taking a break from that specific product will give hair time to breath. The same goes for skin, changing up your routine will keep your skin happy and glowing!
(Q) Why is it unhealthy to cleanse your face with hand and/or bar soaps?
Traditional bar soaps have a pH of up to 9. Bar soaps leave an alkaline residue on your skin, drying out your skin and leaving it vulnerable to damage. This high pH level strips your skin of its protective acid mantle exposing it to harmful environmental toxins. In a study published in British Journal of dermatology, Greg Hilledbrand showed that women with an alkaline stratum corneum (outermost layer of the skin), were more prone to develop fine lines and crow’s feet within an 8-year period, than those with acidic skin. It is a proven fact that alkaline skin is drier and more brittle than acidic skin. Not to mention that dry & brittle skin is the perfect home for wrinkles, fine lines and sun damage. Without moisture and a protective acid mantle, your skin is completely exposed to harsh toxins and free radicals. Always use a cleanser and toner specifically formulated for facial usage with a pH level that lies in between 3-6.
(Q) I have made a huge effort to exfoliate more and as a result, I have noticed results. In fact, I have noticed great ones. I have to ask, how important is exfoliating your skin?
Exfoliation is key to healthy skin, because you are removing the dead, dull skin that lies on the surface. Exfoliating every week will help to maintain skin healthy and fresh. Forgetting to exfoliate can cause dead skin build up as well as it can cause your skin to become more sensitive. If you have sensitive skin, it is important to start exfoliating because this could very well be the cause of your skin’s lack of resilience. Exfoliation helps to increase skin cell turnover, boosting collagen and elastic production. This equals healthy, younger skin. A word of caution, too much exfoliation can have negative effects.
Always exfoliate with moderation. If your skin becomes too red or irritated, you are either using a product too strong or exfoliating too often. Exfoliating more often is a great step towards healthy skin! Facial scrubs are great exfoliants you can use 1-3 times a week. As mentioned previously exfoliation not only removes dead skin, but it also helps to boost collagen and elastin fiber production. Word of caution, exfoliate with moderation. Too much can aggravate skin while too little won’t have much results. Learning how to listen to your skin and read its many signals is key to a healthy glow.
(Q) You offer an array of skin lightening products. Some of those products contain Hydroquinone and others do not. What is Hydroquinone? Tell me a little more about this ingredient…
Our skin lightening line is very popular, we carry 2 separate formulas, one with hydroquinone and one with arbutin and kojic acid. Not enough quality research has been performed to determine the safety of hydroquinone. Conflicting research makes it difficult to get a definite answer. Hydroquinone has been banned in some European countries because of studies that show a development of cancer in rats that consumed large amounts of it over an extended period of time. Keep in mind that it required copious amounts of internally digestedhydroquinone to have this effect on rats.
Currently, the FDA has announced that it will be re-examining the safety of hydroquinone, due to the lack of quality, convincing research. Even the American Academy of Dermatology stands firmly behind hydroquinone’s safety, stating that “Hydroquinone has been used over the last 40 years, and there has not been a single documented case of either skin cancer or internal cancer associated with it.” The key is to use hydroquinone as intended, for a finite amount of time. We recommend using any hydroquinone based product no more than twice daily, for 6 months continuously. Moderation is key for anything we consume or do in life. Same applies for skin care.
(Q) Everyone from celebrities to everyday people love your products. I have to ask, when someone approaches you and says that your products have changed their life, how does this kind of feedback make you feel?
It is always a satisfying feeling when we receive testimonials from our customers. We often get letters from our fans raving about how well our product worked for their skin even on those who have very difficult, sensitive skin. We have noticed that many customers are unsatisfied and losing hope in the beauty industry due to the many broken promises and lack of results; however, once they try our products, they always rave about the almost instantaneous results. These comments help us to reaffirm that we are working in the right direction towards happy, glowing skin.
(Q) For all of those beauty lovers, including skin care enthusiasts reading this interview, what would you like them to know? What is next for the brand?
At the moment we are working on new designs for our products. We are aiming for a more boutique, signature look. You will notice this difference in our packaging, custom printedbottles, jars and caps. We are giving skin care a new look that will look and feel great! Also, we will be opening a spa next year in Orange County. More information will be released once the plans have been approved.
For more information about ASDM Beverly Hills, please visit www.asdmbeverlyhills.com today.
