In early 2024, Clinique Laboratories made a donation of $5M to the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine to study and better understand healthy skin. The philanthropic partnership established the Mount Sinai-Clinique Healthy Skin Center, a virtual research enterprise with Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, Chair of the Waldman Department of Dermatology, as the inaugural director. One year later, we take a look at the unique story behind this special philanthropic partnership and what it has enabled in the Center’s first year of existence.
The story behind this donation is about two entities—a leading global prestige beauty brand and an academic medical research center—recognizing a kindred spirit in each other, despite some core differences. Since its origin in 1968, safety for sensitive skin has been the heart of Clinique’s mission. Dr. Norman Orentreich, the first President of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and Clinique’s Founding Dermatologist was highly invested in allergy science. He pioneered Clinique’s allergy testing program; to date, Clinique has conducted over 6 million allergy-testing applications.
Norman’s son, David S. Orentreich, MD is an Assistant Clinical Professor, Voluntary Attending for the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Together with his sister Catherine Orentreich, MD, he is also continuing his father’s legacy as Guiding Dermatologists for Clinique. Having a deep understanding of Clinique’s brand mission to support healthy skin research, Dr David Orentreich introduced Clinique’s head of Product Development to Dr. Emma Guttman, knowing she is a world-renowned expert in allergic and inflammatory skin diseases and was working on new and meaningful research at Mount Sinai. From the first conversation with Dr. Guttman, Clinique realized that a gift to establish a healthy skin center at Mount Sinai that would support this scientific research was a natural continuation of the Clinique brand mission to create great skin for all.
The Mount Sinai-Clinique Healthy Skin Center was announced in February 2024 with the ambitious aim of learning more about the aging process and how to best tackle it in different stages of life by examining healthy patients alongside those with inflammatory skin conditions like atopic dermatitis. Studying the impact of factors like diet, exercise, and stress on the skin of healthy people provided Mount Sinai’s scientists with key insights on how to turn back the clock on aging and the effects of inflammation on skin. The Department of Dermatology at Mount Sinai serves the world’s most diverse patient population, so this Center was well-positioned from the start to enroll participants from a broad range of backgrounds in research studies and clinical trials. With the launch of the Center, Mount Sinai moved into the next game-changing phase of research.
Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD
Helen He, MD
Here are highlights from the Center’s first year:
- Appointed Helen He, MD, Director of Lasers and Cosmetic Surgery, as Co-Director of the Mount Sinai-Clinique Healthy Skin Center.
- Introduced tape strip technology as a non-invasive method for collecting RNA to study and map skin aging and assess anti-aging treatments, applicable in both research and clinical settings.
- Proposed using eczema as a disease model to drive translational research and therapeutic innovation in skin aging.
- Shared preliminary findings on inflammation in skin and blood of adults over 60, with potential for monoclonal antibody treatments.
- Examined advanced cosmetic dermatology tools and treatments offered by the department, including injectables, lasers, and cutting-edge technologies.
- Introduced Sofwave, an ultrasound-based device that penetrates the dermis to stimulate collagen production, showing visible results after a single treatment, especially for chin, neck, and arms.
- Highlighted Ellacor, a Harvard-invented device performing micro-biopsies to remove 5-10% of skin, achieving great results, particularly for the jawline. It is exclusively offered at this academic center in NYC.
- Described the use of multiple lasers tailored for pigmentation treatment across diverse skin types, ensuring effective results for all phenotypes, including Asian and African-American skin.
- Obtained non-invasive imaging technologies like VISIA Skin Analysis, optical coherence tomography, confocal microscopy that may be integrated and correlated with molecular tape strip data, and also incorporated in the clinic for standardized clinical assessment and development of personalized anti-aging treatment regimens.
In its next years, the work of the Center will continue as it leverages its connections with other esteemed institutes throughout our health system, including the Precision Immunology Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine (PrIISM) and the Icahn Genomics Institute, to bring their innovative ideas to life. The team also works closely with Mount Sinai’s Skin of Color Center, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and specializes in diagnosing and treating skin conditions more common in people of color to understand how diseases manifest differently and ensure that treatments are both culturally sensitive and appropriate for differently pigmented skin.
These Year One accomplishments are possible thanks to the vital support and generosity of Clinique, which is grounded in a shared commitment to dermatological research that tangibly improves people’ lives. With a focus on actionable scientific discovery and leading-edge innovation, the Center is well on its way to transform allergy science and pioneer new solutions for skin conditions. Its first year reflects the shared vision between Clinique and Mount Sinai to deliver breakthrough advancements in dermatology that promote healthier skin for all.