Carrie Gross On Sun Protection, Samantha Jones’ Carpaccio Face and Launching Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare in The UAE
With a cult-like following and award-winning anti-aging staples, the celebrity dermatologist’s namesake skincare line makes its first foray into the region with Sephora Middle East; Bazaar Arabia sits down with CEO and co-founder Carrie Gross to talk acids, SPF and how she’s playing the long game in business
Like all great ideas, it started a problem. Years ago a pregnant Carrie Gross, wife of celebrity dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross, wanted to get a peel done before her due date, but couldn’t seem to find a free slot to book in for an appointment with her husband – the man was (and still is, to this day) constantly in demand, having founded the concept of the “lunchtime peel.” The solution? Figure out a way to bring it home. This moment sparked the idea for a skincare business and the rest is history.
20 years later Dr. Dennis Gross skincare is taking the Middle East by storm – starting with the UAE. The line has always been known for combining innovation with Dr. Gross’ professional expertise, quickly gaining a reputation as a brand that “works” when it comes to obtaining results at home, and regional fans of the brand will no longer have to venture stateside to stock up on their daily acids.
As CEO and co-founder of Dr. Dennis Gross, Carrie is the driving force behind the skincare brand. A powerhouse who is passionate and knowledgeable about skin health, sun protection, and anti-aging ingredients she spent time chatting Bazaar Arabia last winter about the line’s expansion into the region.
Naturally, we couldn’t help but ask why was now the right time to bring Dr. Dennis Gross skincare to town?
“Our brand has a strong relationship with many of the residents of the UAE. For many, many years Dennis’ practice serviced a lot of the royal families and I personally have enjoyed being invited to go to girls’ lunches with them. And they were begging us to come to the region,” Carrie says over coffee at Sephora University in Dubai’s CityWalk. “I love the intimacy that women share. Here, from my observation, the female energy is so powerful.”
When we meet it’s morning time and Carrie has brought along a trio of DRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro adorned with crystals; one is inspired by Marilyn Monroe, and there’s even a pink one for those who subscribed to a Barbiecore (i.e. pink) aesthetic.
“The way I approach the business is that I’m very consumer-centric. I’ve been CEO of the company for many years, but I make very long-term decisions,” Carrie highlights, noting how she’s always been playing the long game for the brand, and always had international expansion in the back of her mind. “I want our company to be iconic. I want it to be a heritage type of brand. In the back of my mind, I wanted us to have a global presence. if you have a purpose, and you lead with your heart that success follows. That’s my philosophy.”
“When he created the Alpha Beta Peel, that was a game changer and a reason to exist. We stepped into the market at a time when asking women to put acid on their face was unheard of,” she says, noting how the line benefited from the controversy and myths surrounding the idea of acids as result-driving ingredients. “Then, the year we launched in Sephora was the year that SATC aired the episode with Samantha Jones getting a face peel. And she called her face beef carpaccio.”
Carrie laughs as we remember one of television’s most iconic beauty disasters. “I thought this was perfect, right? Dennis was devastated. He’s like, ‘We’re going to fail. This is it.’ I said ‘No, it’s great. It’s good!’ and, sure enough, it really raised the conversation surrounding peeling.”
Ultimately, the beauty community trusted Dr. Dennis Gross and journalists began reaching out to him for quotes about peels and acids. Carrie reveals how he would explain the science behind them as he became a regular commentator on topics related to skincare, hair, and nail health for the glossy magazines.
“When we started, there was no Botox. There were no fillers. It was the early days of cosmetic dermatology. The only thing that was really available was retinol by prescription. The whole concept behind the brand was to bring active ingredients to the consumer,” she tells us. “Our philosophy, with every single thing we create, is to give you a very meaningful dose of actives blended with soothing botanicals, ingredients, and holistic medicine that can be applied topically.” Think CoQ10, evening primrose oil, green tea, and chamomile extracts, to name a few.
“Each formula is built from the ground up. There’s no base. There’s no filler. We’re clean, we’re vegan. Every single ingredient in our products has a skin benefit,” she says, touching on how each product is tested within a clinical setting – and across a variety of skincare regimes a consumer may subscribe to.
Since we’re talking skincare, the topic of SPF and skin cancer prevention naturally comes into the conversation.
It’s an important one that has played a key role in the brand’s values since Day One.
“It was really important to us that we had an all-physical sunscreen that can be used on all skin tones,” Carrie says, highlighting how sun protection has long been a priority for the line of products – and Dr. Gross himself. “Dennis started his medical career doing research on skin cancer with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and some of his published studies actually led to the prolonged lifespan of patients with melanoma. They’re still used to this day, 25 years later.”
Both Dr. Gross and the brand continue to work closely with Memorial Sloan Kettering, raising money and awareness for cancer research. “We have a very strong relationship with them and we brought into it as well. Sephora does a sun safety kit every year and we’ve been able to contribute a significant amount of money together,” she says.
Before we part ways, I can’t help but ask if there’s anything that’s surprised her throughout her journey.
“I never really realised how significant skin issues can be, how they can impact someone’s emotional health,” she answers. “It’s super surprising, but at the same time entirely motivating. My entire team that works for our company came to us because they found our products and it changed their life. We have this culture that is unique and special to us – and it just keeps me going.”
“We’ve over 20 years in and every day I wake up, and I have startup energy. It just never gets old,” she says, with a smile on her face.
For more information about Dr. Dennis Gross skincare or to shop the line, visit sephora.ae
