Beauty Boss: Dr. Barbara Paldus, Founder of Codex Labs
Dr. Barbara Paldus.
Our latest Beauty Boss is Dr. Barbara Paldus, Founder of Codex Labs—a line of high-efficacy, plant-powered skincare products that support the microbiome for the healthiest skin. A Stanford biotech entrepreneur and researcher who holds more than 40 patents, Paldus drew on her experience in the biotech industry to drive the industry forward.
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Codex Labs is a Silicon Valley-based company that has proven clinical results and is founded on sustainability, from its formulations to its packaging. The company was conceived with dermatologists and ethnobotanists to deliver affordable, clinically-proven products for skin that supoort the microbiome without sacrificing sustainability.
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The brand offers several different product lines depending on one’s skin issues and desired results. The Antü collection protects the skin barrier against reactive oxidative stress with bioactives from the Patagonian rainforest; the Bia collection utilizes bioactives extracted from Ireland to target hydration; and the Shaant collection combats oil, acne=prone skin, reduces oil production, and soothes inflammation.
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We chatted with Paldus who shared her favorite beauty and wellness tips, secrets for success, best advice, and much more.
When was Codex Labs founded and what’s the meaning behind the name?
Codex Labs was founded in 2018 and the codex was an ancient manuscript from vellum or papyrus. These codices contained human knowledge: medicine, botany, astronomy, mathematics or philosophy. Today, the codex is digital and is a way to organize and store information.
So why did we call it Codex? We are collecting data about skin and plants. Our goal is to become the largest database of skin-gut-brain in order to solve the most challenging problems using plants.
What inspired the creation of the brand?
I have a now 12-year-old son who had a severe allergy to phenoxyethanol in baby products. This led me to try to ask questions of manufacturers, but I didn’t get very far as a consumer. I started questioning every claim on my products and wondering—having spent most of my career developing measurement tools—how the beauty industry quantified things.
This experience led me to start Codex Labs. I wanted to offer high-quality skincare that brings transparency, clinical proof of performance, and sustainability to the forefront to fundamentally change the industry.
Codex Labs’ Antü collection repairs and protects the skin barrier, soothes irritation, and combats oxidative stress.
Does Codex Labs have a hero product?
Right now, the product we can’t keep in stock is the Unscented Soap. It is a microbiome-friendly soap that does not strip moisture or sebum and is ideal for anyone with sensitive skin. It has the seal of approval from the National Eczema Association and we are now working to get the seal of approval from the National Psoriasis Foundation as well.
What are your favorite products from your brand?
I adore the Antü Barrier Repair Serum! It’s a serum with a wonderful texture that hydrates and delivers the powerful M3™ antioxidant combination through the skin barrier and into the epidermis. It helps rebuild collagen, which makes your skin plump and firm again. It contains hibiscus, which helps relax expression lines (like nature’s botox) and Cherimoya that supports the skin’s endocannabinoid system thereby calming, and rebalancing skin. The Milk Thistle Ester has soothing and redness-reducing properties—perfect for recovering from the beach.
At night, I love to pair the serum with the Antü Barrier Repair Night Cream. It’s a rich, nourishing cream that hydrates with hyaluronic acid, and leaves skin soft and radiant. Blackjack (aka bakuchiol) mimics retinoids to help improve skin elasticity and firmness, while daisy helps brighten and revitalize skin. The Cupuaçu butter is rich in vitamins A, E, and F, as well as hydrating fatty acids.
Where are your products sold?
We sell directly from our website and Amazon, but are also found on Skinstore, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bergdorf Goodman.
Codex Labs’ Bia line soothes dry, scaly skin with products awarded the Seal of Acceptance by the National Eczema Association.
Future plans for the brand?
We want to be a global brand that is recognized for providing consumers the best in plant-based biotech skin solutions. We want to be the go-to brand as well for anyone suffering from eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, acne or sun-damaged skin. We are determined to be completely plastic-free with a negative carbon footprint in five years, and also help document as well as preserve the enormous biodiversity of plant species on Earth.
Who inspires you?
There are so many incredible women who deserve recognition and haven’t received it. A great example is Alice Ball, who was an African-American chemist that developed the first successful treatment for leprosy.
During the 1900s, those diagnosed with leprosy faced severe social discrimination and banishment, so Ball’s work enabled thousands of outcasts to return home. Sadly, others took credit for her work so she was largely forgotten, but she deserves much more recognition for her work on leprosy and overcoming racial and gender barriers in science.
Secret to success?
Work hard and smart. And never stop questioning the status quo.
Beauty secrets?
Sleep, drinking lots of water, and applying moisturizer before bedtime.
Wellness tips?
Daily exercise, stretching, and spending time walking outdoors. It promotes balance and helps cope with stress.
Best advice?
No one is perfect, so stop wasting energy on comparing your face and body to influencers or movie stars and start enjoying who you are.
Favorite way to relax?
I love to walk outside, unplug from electronic devices, and just be.
For more information about Codex Labs, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @codexlabs
[Images courtesy of Codex Labs]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk