OUR FOUNDER
Dr. Sheldon R. Pinnell, MD
Dr. Sheldon R. Pinnell, MD
As our founding scientist, Dr. Pinnell changed the face of topical antioxidants with his pivotal research. His quest for knowledge and dedication to skin science was paramount for establishing SkinCeuticals as the antioxidant authority. Although he passed away in 2013, his work will continue to inspire our research and promote our mission, which is to develop advanced skincare solutions backed by science.
A Life Dedicated to
Research
Research
Dr. Pinnell’s Duke Antioxidant patent has been a driving force at SkinCeuticals since the company’s inception, but his contributions to science did not stop there. His skin science research findings have been published in peer-reviewed journals and have since been universally accepted in the dermatological community.
Dr. Pinnell’s Achievements
Q+A with Dr. Pinnell
As SkinCeuticals founding scientist, Dr. Pinnell changed the face of topical antioxidants with his pivotal research. More than just a
dermatologist, professor, and skincare chemist, meet the man behind the lab coat and hear him explain his groundbreaking work.
Clinical Studies
Dr. Pinnell had 100 peer-reviewed publications, including many related directly to the topical antioxidant innovative technologies:
Distinguished Professor, Collagen Chemist + Dermatologist
A distinguished member of the Duke University Medical School faculty for almost 40 years, Dr.
Pinnell was a professor of dermatology, held the title of J. Lamar Callaway Professor Emeritus
of Dermatology, and also served as Chief of Dermatology at Duke University Medical Center for
15 years.
At Duke, he trained physicians from the United States and abroad, both as dermatologists and
research scientists. With almost four decades of experience in skin cancer, skin disease, and
skin aging research, Dr. Pinnell published more than 200 scientific articles about topical vitamin
C, antioxidants, collagen synthesis, and photodamage in peer-reviewed dermatology journals.
Academic Achievements
Dr. Pinnell received his Medical Degree from Yale University, conducted his medical internship and residency at the University Of Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and completed his dermatology training at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr. Pinnell conducted his research training as a collagen chemist at both the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland and also the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Munich, Germany. Dr. Pinnell earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry at Duke University, where he graduated with Phi Beta Kappa academic honors.
Patents
Dr. Pinnell’s skin science research has garnered him ten patents over the past three decades. The most important patent in SkinCeuticals history pertains to “A Stable Solution of L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).” The formulation standards put forth in this study are now known as the Duke Antioxidant patent.
Three additional patents supplement Dr. Pinnell’s initial patent, one for the formulation-specific application to protect the combination used in Skin Firming Cream and Eye Cream; another to protect the combination used in SkinCeuticals C+E skincare products; and a third to protect the formulation used in SkinCeuticals phloretin skincare products. Together, these patents provide a firm foundation for all SkinCeuticals antioxidant products.
Awards +
Recognition
Recognition
As one of the most well respected doctors and skin scientists of our time, Dr. Sheldon Pinnell has won countless awards and accolades. Among his key recognitions:
- J. Lamar Callaway Professor and Chief Emeritus of Dermatology at Duke University
- The Best Aesthetic Doctor in North America
- The Society for Investigative Dermatology, including honorary membership in 2012
- The Best Doctors in America
- The International Who’s Who in Medicine
- Who’s Who in Science and Engineering
- Who’s Who in America
- Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology
- Member of the American Academy of Dermatology
- Member of the American Dermatological Association
- Member of the Society of Investigative Dermatology
- Member of the Association of American Physicians
On October 15, 2013, Duke University School of Medicine and the Department of Dermatology established the Sheldon R. Pinnell, M.D. Center for Investigative Dermatology. The Pinnell Center is an enduring legacy of the faculty, staff and students’ appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Pinnell for his loyalty, mentoring, enthusiastic embrace of academic life, intellectual curiosity, and outstanding leadership that has positioned Duke University’s Department of Dermatology as a national and world leader. Dr. Pinnell’s honorary plaque at Duke University reads:
“Sheldon R. Pinnell, MD, T’59, a world-renowned scientist and pioneer in the field of Dermatology, joined the faculty in 1973. As the J. Lamar Callaway Professor of Dermatology, he discovered the critical role of vitamin C in collagen biology and the role of topical antioxidants for preventing cutaneous sun damage.
Through strategic initiatives, he facilitated the growth and prominence of Duke University’s Division of Dermatology, culminating in the establishment in 2009 of the nationally recognized Department of Dermatology.”
Our Scientific Methodology
Read more about our potent formulas, rigorous ethical standards, and recommendations for optimizing your skincare routine.
