Oddity launches remote skincare platform Methodic

Parent company Il Makeage Strangeness It is branching out into medical-grade skincare products with its new Methodiq brand, as the online retailer looks to compete with it. to whisper And help address what she called a “broken medical care system.”

Methodic, which has been in the works for four years and launched on Tuesday, is a telehealth platform that will introduce 28 new products, including creams, supplements and cosmetics, that treat acne, hyperpigmentation and eczema. The assortment is a mix of prescription and over-the-counter items that range in price from about $29 to about $59.

Methodiq combines Oddity’s investments in biotechnology, AI-based computational imaging and digital retail. It will allow the company to get a slice of the booming medical skin care market, which is expected to reach $113 billion this year, according to Research and Markets.

The company’s expansion into medical skin care squarely targets Hims, which offers popular anti-acne medications and other prescription medications through its telehealth platform. The launch indicates that Oddity could delve deeper into the healthcare space in the future.

“We have 60 million users on our platform. We know a lot about them. About half of them suffer from a combination of acne, eczema and hyperpigmentation. We serve a lot of them, obviously, already with Il Makiage skin products or concealer foundation. We’ve never had the opportunity before…to actually treat this condition,” said Lindsay Drucker Mann, Oddity’s CFO. “That’s why dermatology is an obvious starting point for us. From there, there are many other medical areas we can expand into.”

Oddity, which is scheduled to report third-quarter 2025 results on Wednesday, did not include Methodic in its 2025 or 2026 revenue forecasts, primarily because it expects sales to make up only a small portion of total revenue, Drucker Mann said. However, she said the brand has “huge revenue potential in the future,” especially if Methodic expands beyond just medical skin care.

She pointed to Hims’ goal of reaching $6.5 billion in annual revenue by 2030, which she said showed “the scale of what you can do with a successful telehealth platform.”

However, the strategy is not without challenges. Pharmaceutical products are subject to strict control, the sector is becoming more competitive and it is difficult to gain customer trust.

Additionally, telehealth platforms can be difficult to scale securely. In March, The Wall Street Journal published an investigation into Hems showing how some patients experienced serious side effects after taking hair loss medications from the company. Most patients said they did not realize the medications could come with such side effects, while others felt they were not adequately warned.

The publication found that, unlike drug makers, telehealth companies are not required to disclose side effects and other risks in ads.

Oddity’s investments in computational imaging and biotechnology are coming to life at Methodiq.

In 2021, it acquired Voyage81, a deep-tech computational photography startup co-founded by the former head of R&D for one of the IDF’s elite technology units. Two years later, it acquired biotech startup Revela and created Oddity Labs. The unit is creating entirely new molecules using artificial intelligence that can be used in its future cosmetics brands and lines.

Voyage81’s imaging capabilities and new molecules from Oddity Labs are part of the Methodiq platform.

When consumers join Methodology, they fill out information about their skin problems and undergo a facial scan, which maps their faces and identifies what conditions they suffer from, if any. The doctor then reviews the information and recommends a combination of products that patients receive in a “bundle” at regular intervals.

These combinations can include standard, widely available acne medications, such as the oral antibiotic doxycycline, as well as new approaches to anti-acne creams.

For example, Methodiq’s Clindalaq product contains tretinoin, a prescription-strength topical retinoid used to treat acne and other skin problems, but it also contains a mix of other ingredients intended to make it more desirable to consumers. One of the standard creams prescribed by doctors. It contains hydrocortisone to relieve the side effects associated with powerful retinol, as well as aloe vera extract and vitamin E to make the product more hydrating.

CNBC tested the product at Oddity’s New York City headquarters earlier this month and found that the texture and smell were different from generic tretinoin cream distributed by pharmacies. While the general type was white and dull, the klindalak was smooth and blended into the skin without leaving a visible residue. It also did not have a medicinal smell.

“We’re able to offer these very powerful acne-fighting ingredients, but in a formula that’s tolerable and can effectively help combat side effects at once,” said Alex Kaplan, vice president of product development at Methodic. “What we are able to offer is a true beauty experience in a prescription formula.”

Oddity is expanding into medical skin care, in part because many people need it but don’t always have access to a dermatologist, opening up a huge market opportunity.

At least 50 million Americans suffer from acne, and nearly 1 in 10 have the most common form of eczema, atopic dermatitis, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. However, more than 60% of U.S. counties have no dermatologist at all, according to a 2018 study published in JAMA Dermatology.

Methodiq aims to meet this need by providing access to medical professionals and products that combat common skin concerns. Methodic The doctor will review each patient, recommend products and then stay in contact with the patient throughout the entire treatment period, CEO Tom Amsterdam said.

Although the platform is not set up to handle video or audio telehealth sessions between patients and doctors, patients can stay in touch with their doctor through the chat function where they can be updated on their progress and adjust their treatment plan as needed.

All of the doctors will be based in the United States, but not all of them will be board certified in dermatology, Amsterdam said.

Having a broad range of doctors on staff to prescribe treatments can help increase access to treatment, said Dr. Amy Wechsler, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City who is not affiliated with Methodiq.

“In many parts of the country, patients do not have easy access to a dermatologist, which is why pediatricians, internists and other health care providers are stepping in to prescribe treatments for acne, hyperpigmentation and eczema,” Wechsler said in an email to CNBC. “This can be safe as long as the provider is familiar with the medications they are prescribing, including proper use, potential side effects, and when to refer a patient to a dermatologist.”