For more than 20 years, Circadia has been at the forefront of cutting-edge skin care formulations, product innovation and served as the brand for the skin care professional through accessible and immersive education, choosing to refrain from selling directly to consumers and for being an advocate for today’s esthetician by showing up when it counts.
Dr. Peter Pugliese, a physician in Pennsylvania, encountered an unexpected turn in his career when his patients, some of whom were dairy farmers complained about a disease called mastitis in their dairy cows. His curiosity sparked and he ventured into the field of formulation. He discovered how effective many cosmetic ingredients were, eventually creating a product to help treat this dreaded disease. He dove deep into the waters of cosmetic chemistry, kindling a profound fascination with the skin, leading him to the world of esthetics.
The Start of Circadia
While his primary mission was education and research, with the urging of his wife and many estheticians, he carefully crafted a few cosmetics products, and in 2001, Circadia by Dr. Pugliese was born. Little did he know that this journey would also ignite a passion with the skin’s circadian rhythms, which is the intricate oscillation that defines the skin’s daily journey between daytime and nighttime.
As the Circadia product line grew, his children and grandchildren were woven into the company’s fabric, each leaving their mark, charting their paths, and carrying on the ardent pursuit of optimal skin health and beauty. The Pugliese Family’s shared passion, talents, and commitment to excellence created a harmonious symphony that continues to echo through the brand’s DNA.
A Dynamic Duo
Working closely alongside Dr. Pugliese was Michael Q. Pugliese, Dr. Pugliese’s grandson, who, early on, embarked on his own journey that spanned from fulfilling orders to the formulation lab, student and assistant, and everything in between. Under the guidance of one of the skin care industry’s most legendary figures, Michael embraced his role as both apprentice and heir to the skin care legacy by learning everything he could from his highly respected and accomplished grandfather.
Circadia flourished with the dynamic duo often presenting lectures together at tradeshows, and working together to create incredible formulations. In 2006, Michael assumed the responsibility of CEO, ushering in a new era of streamlined operations, dynamic formulations, and the quest for bringing Circadia products to estheticians’ fingertips throughout the globe. While Dr. Pugliese passed the baton, his vision for high-performance skin care remained.
“When I took over as CEO, I knew the responsibility was immense. However, we both wanted the same thing—to create groundbreaking solutions to common skin care concerns and support today’s esthetician in the treatment room,” says Michael.
Circadia University
Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Michael, has become an inspirational leader in product development and has also been recognized as an internationally distinguished educator where he fills classrooms with standing-room only lectures, speaking on various technically complex topics that inspire today’s esthetician.
His belief in “we all rise by lifting each other” led to the birth of Circadia University in 2022, an online learning platform with a plethora of knowledge accessible to estheticians worldwide. Circadia’s commitment to education is proven once again, as it is open to all, regardless of their product lines. It embodies the dedication to the growth and elevation of the industry as a whole. With more nearly 300 video modules and counting, Circadia University has thousands of monthly visitors, and invites all skin care professionals to begin a journey with some of the industry’s brightest and best, free of charge at CircadiaU.com.
Innovative Formulations
Circadia stands at the forefront of innovation, continuously exploring opportunities for breakthroughs in skin care science. Their quest for perfection begins with raw ingredients, where they tirelessly seek the pinnacle of technology and performance. Some of their most powerful discoveries and formulations have been honored and acknowledged throughout the skin care industry and cosmetic chemistry field with top accolades.
Circadia’s formulations combine pure botanicals, stem cells, second-generation vitamins and innovative peptide technology to work toward optimal skin health and beauty. Among recent discoveries in product innovation are ingredients that shield the skin from the blue-light exposure, effectively adapting to the needs of the modern world (See High-Tech Ingredients Sidebar).
Past, Present, & Future
Dr. Pugliese was the first physician of his caliber to dedicate decades of research to cosmetic chemistry and the study of the skin. His pioneering spirit led him to conduct the initial clinical studies on the first-ever commercially available peptide for cosmetic use in the 1980s. He also conducted the first clinical study on topical Vitamin E and Beta Glucan. His work paved the way for copper peptides in skin care, as he discovered, assist in fibroblast activity and act as antioxidants.
In early 2023, Michael sought to create a product to honor the work of his late grandfather. While Dr. Pugliese’s contributions were immense, Michael knew exactly what he wanted to formulate to honor him.
He rekindled his grandfather’s novel discoveries with the original studies of the copper peptide and formulated a serum with his own passionate spin on it. Serum 71 features a next generation copper peptide that provides many of the original benefits his grandfather studied while taking away some of the more irritating ones.
Serum 71 also combines high-tech, nutrient-rich ingredients, including beta glucan, mandelic acid, tranexamic acid, and azelaic acid. It honors the past while embracing the future with breakthrough technology that works.
One of the newer acids to hit the market is tranexamic acid. It helps reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and brighten the skin, while improving the skin’s barrier function without hydroquinone’s irritation and potential cytocell toxicity.
Also added to the formulation is neodermyl, the ingredient known as the “needle-free” collagen and elastin filler, which is a pure source of bio-energy to recharge the skin’s beauty, boosting skin density and overall firmness.
As Michael aptly says, “We have many ingredients that have become standard in skin care formulations, but the history behind them is important too. It was an honor to create this product, a testament to Dr. Pugliese’s legacy while bridging the past and future of skincare innovation.”
Join the Family
In the end, Circadia’s story is not just one of skin care; it’s a tale of passion, family and relentless pursuit of excellence, where the past harmonizes with the future to continuously create innovative formulations that perform in the treatment room and home care.
From its inception, Circadia has been a part of a family dynasty. Part family, part business, Circadia invites you to become a part of the Circadia family and discover the Circadia difference, with Science and Nature in Perfect Rhythm™.
High-Tech Ingredients
B-Circadin.This appropriately named ingredient that resynchronizes the skin’s circadian rhythm. This particular ingredient excels at battling the effects of cellular disruption. B-Circadin helps to regulate rhythm-dependent biological functions such as Aquaporin channels. It improves rhythm-related detoxification pathway efficiency and reduces oxidative stress from blue light exposure.
Synchrolife.This is another new ingredient seen in Circadia’s formulations as it emerges as a guardian against digital pollution by counteracting the harmful effects of aging and skin fatigue. After blue light exposure, Synchrolife rebalances the production of critical circadian rhythm players needed to ensure a higher repair metabolism.
Sk-Influx.This takes on overall skin health as a concentrated lipid that restores the natural protective function of your skin by mimicking the structure of the lipid barrier. It contains a mix of ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids and phytosphingosine. It is an excellent ingredient for dry, aging, and sensitive skin because it restores and protects the skin like a guardian.
Timecode.This ingredient takes on another new modern concern, which addresses “inflamm’aging,” a concept that battles the aging markers. Aging can be attributed to chronic but “silent” or unseen inflammation. The inflamm’aging theory was described in the 2000s by Professor Franceschi’s Italian team. They believe silent inflammation is responsible for 80% of age-related diseases, including arthritis, osteoporosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. Scientists took this further and looked at what inflammation does to the skin. Inflamm’aging is characterized by a chronic presence of interleukin-6 (proinflammatory cytokine) in the body, and the concentration increases with age. It causes skin slackening, wrinkles, and a dull complexion. Timecode neutralizes inflamm’aging and targets the key aging markers while strengthening the skin’s architecture.
TECA. Also known as Titrated Extract of Centella Asiatica, this highly purified extract of Centella Asiatica. It is an ingredient dedicated to restoring the skin’s integrity, helping aid in healing, stimulating collagen synthesis, and extracellular matrix remodeling.
Royal-Tea IQ.A post-biotic powerhouse that supports the skin’s role in defending against environmental insults like UV, blue light and infrared rays, this ingredient also helps regulate circadian rhythms and maintain homeostasis in the skin. Circadia has introduced this ingredient to upcoming formulations because of its superior antioxidant activity and high-tech advantages.
The grand crescendo in this skin care collection is the newly launched Serum 71, a potent formulation of anti-aging ingredients that honors the legacy of Dr. Peter Pugliese by being named after the year Dr. Pugliese joined the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, setting in motion events that would shape the industry and change his life.
“We have many ingredients that have become standard in skin care formulations, but the history behind them is important too.” —Michael Q. Pugliese
Photos Courtesy of Circadia
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