Ryan Reynolds might not be totally synonymous with cutting-edge skin care and acne solutions, but that doesn’t mean the actor can’t get behind backing something he deems as solid.
“At Maximum Effort, we look for stories that are ready to break out,” the 46-year-old co-founder of Maximum Effort and investor in Phyla exclusively told us. “Phyla and its phage technology are a breakthrough in skin care that almost makes me wish I was 14 again so I could use it. Almost.”
If you aren’t familiar with the off-the-radar Phyla, the three-step system—there’s a gel cleanser that contains salicylic acid and tea tree oil, a probiotic serum, and a super lightweight, yet supremely hydrating, moisturizer—boasts that it is “the first scientific breakthrough in acne treatment in 40 years.”
A Brand Powered by Science
Besides getting Reynolds rave reviews (he is a two-time investor in the brand and is leading the company’s current fundraising round) Phyla also hangs its hat on the fact that it has a lot of science behind it: Dr. Yug Varma, a Ph.D. bioorganic chemist who trained at Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, San Francisco, pioneered the key ingredient, and he is quick to call the project a biotech company, not a beauty brand.
When formulating the line, Dr. Varma and his team of scientists “isolated a naturally occurring probiotic (aka, the phages) that destroys acne-causing bacteria without the harsh side effects associated with traditional acne treatments, like drying and redness” (i.e., the products supporting a healthy microbiome, while fighting hormonal and cystic acne at the root, killing the bad bacteria and leaving behind the good).
Plus, the products are vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, non-comedogenic, dermatologist-tested, and pregnancy-safe and the line even offers users a personalized diet plan, video consults and skin-care check-ins. So, even if you aren’t 14, you can probably find some healthy-skin benefit associated with using the system.
