Born in 2019 from the belief that skin health comes from the inside before it comes from outside, Aeqium is the 100% Made in Italy brand that is revolutionizing the concept of skincare forever. A background in the world of healthcare is what binds the founders Nicola and Francesco Balestrieri and Alla Reitsma, three creative and professional minds in the sector, who have chosen to change the world of beauty by combining the universe of nutraceuticals (supplements) with that of dermocosmetics. The starting point is the search for skin health, identifying the latter as a barrier organ subject with time, stress, age and pollution to a loss of balance to be restored. Since skin is the border between two worlds, it is therefore essential to act on both fronts with a new In & Out approach to be discovered. To achieve this Aeqium has put together a team of specialists with different skills such as dermatologists, cosmetologists, nutritionists, cosmetic surgeons, oncology, chemists and biologists and phyto-culture experts. We have met for you the founders who, we are sure, will lead you to discover a world that will revolutionize your idea of skincare forever!
TBS: Hi and nice to meet you, do you want to introduce yourself to our audience?
Francesco Balestrieri: Absolutely yes! Health and well-being have always been at the center of our world. Me and Alla, my partner in this adventure, have worked for over 20 years in the world of pharmaceutical multinationals and Nicola, my brother, who works alongside us, is an oncoplastic doctor, passionate about his work.
Alla Reitsma: I would like to tell my personal story, because I think it can be helpful for many people. I have always been a true skincare addicted and I love everything that has to do with this world! I started suffering from couperose and acne, with redness all over my face and I spent my youth covering my skin with a lot of make-up to hide them. I relied on several experts to try to solve this problem but without success. Until I met a specialist who told me that I shouldn’t use any more products on my skin until I treated it from the inside. Treating the skin from the inside gives the products the opportunity to act, otherwise the desired results are not achieved. I started a three-month treatment with Aeqium Boost Purify supplements to be repeated every year, to detoxify the liver and intestines, the organs that are the main cause of skin problems, and my skin has finally changed forever! (Editor’s note: She has spectacular skin!)
TBS: How was Aeqium born, do you wanted to fill a market gap?
Francesco Balestrieri: Aeqium was born from a conversation with Nicola: he wondered how to answer the many questions of patients who wanted to take care of the skin in the best way. As a doctor, his approach is certainly different from what the market proposes, because he thinks in terms of health first and foremost. Hence Aeqium was born, which means balance precisely, because to be beautiful skin must be healthy, and to be healthy it must be balanced. When you think in terms of balance, thus preserving, maintaining and promoting the balance of the skin, you can only do it by working from the inside out. To answer the question, I would say that it was not born so much to fill a market vacuum, but more to offer a different, serious and scientific approach. For example: most dermocosmetic brands have products for every need, for example for acne-prone skin. This is the cause of acne, it does not depend on external factors, but is linked to a fatigued liver that does not function at its best, if you also act from the inside then symptoms and causes are treated.
TBS: The skin is the boundary between the external and internal world. What is the difference between dermocosmetics and nutraceuticals? Should they be used simultaneously to have the desired effects or does one of the two predominate over the other?
Francesco Balestrieri: Health is the gateway to the beauty of the skin, an external approach only resolves the symptoms but not the causes of a skin that is not beautiful, is problematic and ages more prematurely. It is a concept that transcends age and gender, basically the skin, as much as we do, regenerates itself and this depends only on internal causes; when our body is no longer able to regenerate the skin as it should, it must be helped from within. This is why Aeqium acts both from the outside with only 3 product references considered essential for us, and from the inside with two nutraceuticals, complex supplements, the Boost Purify and Genesis, the first to cleanse the liver and intestine and the second to integrate collagen, in a very high concentration that allows the skin to shine and regenerate faster. The procedure must take place step by step, to make sure that the products work you must prepare the skin from the inside, so we always recommend starting with Boost Purify for three months a year, to detoxify the body, then add Genesis and at the same time use dermocosmetic products. They are closely linked, without one the other cannot be effective.
TBS: Why has the supplement market in Mediterranean countries not yet spread out as in the Anglo-Saxon ones? Is there the belief that the Mediterranean diet is enough to satisfy all the needs of our body?
Francesco Balestrieri: It is absolutely true, the beauty supplement market is not as widespread in Italy as in other countries. Not supplements in general, because for example Italy is in first place in Europe for the consumption of Omega 3 or Probiotic supplements, but for beauty supplements it is far behind. I don’t think it has anything to do with the Mediterranean diet, I think more that there is less knowledge and awareness around this world. Nutraceuticals are not to be seen as a trend, as is happening lately, but they must be developed with a unique scientific rigor that acts where they need to act. Furthermore, it must be said that Italy is a country with a higher average age than other countries, and in the higher age groups there is still a lot of mistrust about their use. There is no reason to be distrustful of beauty supplements, I am obviously referring to ours that I know perfectly well, because they are all 100% clinically tested by the University of Ferrara, all our protocols are public and the products are safe and natural for the health, tested on all skin types.
TBS: Aeqium is a combination of science and nature, what are the products that you would recommend us to try, what do they contain and what functions do they perform?
Francesco Balestrieri: First of all you need to start with Boost Purify as I anticipated, three months of treatment for a real purification from within. Two capsules morning and evening that combine prebiotics and probiotics for the efficiency of the intestinal system, with the purifying and draining action of milk thistle, green tea and bamboo sap extracts. To their action is added the immunostimulating action of vitamin D, antioxidant of hydroxytyrosol, supporting hyaluronic acid and Ekina3, an extract of 3 varieties of Echinacea with immunomodulating, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory action. After this treatment you can proceed with Genesis, our second supplement, and dermocosmetic products. Genesis is rich in pure collagen, hyaluronic acid and a mix of antioxidants. The first two are raw materials that serve to strengthen the structure of the skin, which will appear regenerated. The antioxidant set (Antiox Matrix), developed by the brand – combining 8 plant extracts rich in polyphenols including three plants of Echinacea, Olive, Rosemary, Vine, Red Orange, Bergamot, Pomegranate, Red and Black Currant; 3 carotenoids such as Lycopeneda tomato, Lutein and Zeaxanthin from marigold and a flavonoid, the Japanese sofora quercetin – protect the skin from the aggression of the external environment and from the toxins that the body produces. One sachet for nine consecutive months. As for dermocosmetics, we have three references: Face Cleanser, a cleanser that respects the hydrolipidic film that cleanses by affinity, and not by contrast. This particular dermo-related formulation makes it suitable for all skin types, especially those sensitive, dehydrated and easily irritable. Contains Hydroxytyrosol, Vitamin PP and E, Nikkol VC, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera, Shea Butter, Allantoin, Squalane. Face Cream, a face cream that provides the skin with all the elements that allow it to regulate its hydration and regeneration process by itself. Multiple mechanisms of action, from moisturizing to antioxidant to soothing ones, high concentrations of active ingredients, and a formula suitable even for the most sensitive skin. Has a global action in the hydrophilic and lipophilic areas of the skin, thanks to the HLC4 complex, which combines the hydrophilic properties of hydroxytyrosol, double molecular weight hyaluronic acid and vitamin PP with the lipophilic properties of vitamin C. And finally Body Cream, a body cream formulated for the first time starting from a face cream that gives complete balance. Physiological balance of the hydrolipidic film to prevent dryness and dehydration, thanks to nourishing and moisturizing active ingredients. Balance of skin functions to give tone and beauty even to sensitive skin, thanks to skin-friendly emollients and antioxidant active ingredients. Thanks to a rich texture with very high concentrations of active ingredients and to the HLc4 complex based on Hydroxytyrosol, hyaluronic acid, Vitamin PP and Vitamin C, it develops a hydrophilic and lipophilic action that restores the skin of the body to a state of balance.