Julie's Story

Meet our customer, Julie.

Julie started experiencing breakouts 8 years ago and has been battling hormonal acne ever since. After an unsuccessful round of Accutane, Curology, and multiple topical products, she switched to Phyla.

You may share the same sentiments as Julie when it comes to experiencing acne and breakouts over the years:

“It’s been frustrating to say the least. It’s really difficult to know who to trust and where to invest. I am happy spending on products I am confident are the best for me - clean and effective. Although, those brands are rare. Phyla felt like it was offering an alternative I hadn’t seen yet, and was leaps and bounds ahead of the research and technology I saw at the dermatologist’s office.”

If you’re familiar with Accutane, this is often people’s last resort, not only because doctors aren’t supposed to prescribe it as a first line of treatment but also because of the harsh side effects. It’s an effective treatment to initially get rid of acne, but the relapse rate for Accutane can be as high as 60%. Julie is one of many who experienced a relapse after Accutane:

“It was incredibly effective to start and I was pleased, although only for about a year after I was done. It’s not a long-term solution. Birth control is the only other option most dermatologists provide. And it’s another bandaid fix with negative effects versus a healing solution.”

She is now 4 months into her journey with Phyla and seeing acne relief without the harsh side effects of traditional acne treatments:

“Phyla feels gentle and more curative. I think it takes patience and understanding that this product doesn’t feel like all of the others. It takes much less product than I expected as well. At first I was squeezing way too much out because it doesn’t lather. But my skin looks less splotchy and shiny and is visibly stronger today. Acne comes and goes but generally is better. I am looking forward to seeing how it continues to perform season to season.”

Consider Skincare With Your Skin Barrier in Mind

Since acne is an inflammatory condition of the skin, causing breakouts and pimples, there are multiple contributing factors that can potentially trigger it. However, the development of acne boils down to just one thing: how strong your skin is. Weak skin is dehydrated, under-nourished, and vulnerable to attacks by external factors. Meanwhile, strong skin comes with a strong barrier that provides protection against external aggressors. That’s where your skin microbiome comes into play.

Using skincare products that kill both good and bad skin bacteria, like antibiotics, can strip your skin of its first line of defense. When the skin microbiome is compromised, it’s open to attacks from external stressors (like harmful bacteria or UV rays) and internal stressors (like poor nutrition or your body's stress response). Not to mention, skincare products that dry out your skin and strip it of its natural oils can also affect the natural skin microbiome and lead to an acne relapse.

In contrast, if your skin barrier is strong and healthy, the good bacteria will fight the acne causing bacteria and kill it - preventing acne and breakouts. Julie notes that this is often ignored:

“People don’t talk about the wearing down of the skin barrier enough. I think it’s talked about some, but people are way more concerned about wrinkles and acne clearing that they double down and totally neglect that factor.”

Why Phyla Works

Since the overgrowth of C. acnes is the primary cause of acne, we identified phages that target and kill this specific bacteria. Each bottle of our Phortify Serum provides your skin with over a billion phages to kill the bad bacteria that’s causing unhealthy skin. Over time, your microbiome becomes more balanced with good bacteria. The result is healthy skin.

Don’t just take our word for it. Check out the data from our clinical trial, our customer testimonials, and Julie’s personal experience:

“I listened to a podcast about the research and technology of the product and am impressed. I have been a long time believer in probiotics, the mind-gut axis, and healing from within. They were already speaking my language, so it was an easy sell.”

The Takeaway

We bring hard scientific results to skincare and are going where no one has gone before because Phyla started off as a biotech company.

Traditional acne treatments are ineffective in the long term, causing endless cycles of relapse, and they can be incredibly damaging to the skin. With harsh acne solutions like benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics, and Accutane, your skin accumulates damage that is evident only years later. By using phages to recalibrate your skin microbiome, not only are we setting you up to have truly healthy skin for life, but you can do this without compromising your skin’s health.

Ready to get your story started? Begin the journey here.