The Skin Consult Founder Forges New Path For Women in Tech

The spark for an idea can come from anywhere. In the case of The Skin Consult, founder Dr. Sajani Barot was trying to stave off skin problems prompted by a move south. Having grown up in a family full of entrepreneurs, problem-solving runs through Dr. Barot’s veins. She knew that if she couldn’t find an existing solution to her hyper-pigmentation and acne issues, she could create one. 

The Skin Consult combines instant access to helpful professionals, the most cutting-edge retail technology, and products that address even the most stubborn skin issues. 

A fragmented market

When Dr. Barot set out to find the solution to her own skin issues, she discovered a very modern problem — beauty influencers were driving a bulk of sales of skincare products, but they were not always experts in skin care. The lack of regulation in the skincare industry was a problem because it led to a trial-and-error approach in purchasing products. This approach is not only costly, but often yields less-than-stellar results. 

“There are so many products on the market,” says Dr. Barot, “I came to understand that the skincare industry is far less regulated than pharmaceuticals. Given my background in clinical research, I felt a need to provide people with an evidence-based means of finding skincare solutions easily.”

Dr. Barot set out to give consumers access to expert advice, virtual consultations that could lead them in the right direction for skin-problem relief, and the recommended products available at the click of a button. The Skin Consult seeks to eliminate trial-and-error shopping and save consumers from having a medicine cabinet stocked with useless, pricey products. 

A Personalized and Professional Approach

What sets The Skin Consult apart from other skincare companies is its integration of state-of-the-art technology. Dr. Barot developed a proprietary algorithm that gathers user information and tailors recommendations to their specific needs. Users of The Skin Consult get aligned with the perfect skincare professional for their needs and the ideal products. 

“Visiting doctor after doctor to address your skincare needs is inconvenient and ineffective,” Dr. Barot mentions. “Our platform streamlines the process and makes it manageable.” 

Users of The Skin Consult can participate in virtual consultations with their assigned professional, making getting help for their skin issues easy and keeping their privacy in mind.

More and more companies are utilizing tech such as virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to serve their client base better. The Skin Consult has booking and e-commerce tools built into their platform that many consumers are accustomed to using. Their platform adds a bonus for skin care professionals, who are given broader access to potential patients and clients. 

The platform that Dr. Barot has created is truly revolutionary, not only for the skincare industry, but for women in the tech and e-commerce space as a whole. Currently, only 24% of all tech positions are held by women. An even smaller percentage of those women are listed as developers, business owners, or CEOs. For women of color in tech leadership positions, the disparities are worse, still. 

Rising Above the Rest

Beauty and e-commerce technology are not novel. However, with the pandemic changing the way people shop for and sell products and services, AI- and VR-enabled e-commerce sites have risen in popularity. When people had no choice but to shop online, they began gravitating toward sites that would offer a more personalized shopping experience. 

Dr. Barot has merged a need with the tech advancements people are clamoring for with The Skin Consult. Given her technical acumen and years of experience not only in the pharmaceutical industry, she is perfectly aligned to bring this service to the market. Within a highly-saturated beauty and skincare market, The Skin Consult is rising above the rest with what it can offer to both consumer and skincare experts. 

“Every day, there are new brands launching in a very crowded space,” says Dr. Barot. “A trusted platform can help the best of these brands stand out and continue to be available to the public.” 

The Skin Consult allows professionals to deliver specially-chosen products to a client’s door. It also offers a membership program to its clients that sends them curated boxes each month stocked with products that address skin issues identified during the client’s virtual consult. 

After experiencing her own skin issues, Dr. Barot feels bringing The Skin Consult to the market is a full-circle moment. 

“Just the other day, I went into a Sephora. There were so many products and women were looking around, but making uninformed decisions about products. Maybe they were just going by what the packaging looked like,” Dr. Barot shares, “but when it comes to skin or products we put on our face, it has to be a more science-based recommendation. We have been doing this in medicine for years, so skincare needs to have the same approach.”

By letting her experience and know-how inform her business journey, Dr. Barot has created a truly disruptive platform for the skincare and tech industries.