Atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema, is a skin condition characterized by red, itchy bumps and dry, inflamed patches on the skin. Eczema affects over 200 million people worldwide, with over 72 million of those being children.
For many families, eczema brings about more than just itchy skin and redness. It entails sleepless nights spent scratching and moisturizing with over-the-counter lotions, hoping for relief. It’s the struggle of watching their children live with discomfort, not knowing what to do to bring them relief.
Dr. Barbara Paldus knows firsthand what it’s like to watch a child battle a pervasive skin issue. Watching her then-10-year-old son struggle with a skin allergy was the catalyst for the founding of Codex Labs. This science-based biotech company offers supplements to fortify the gut barrier and improve immune response, skin microbiome-supporting cleansers, and over-the-counter (OTC) skincare products designed to reduce itch, deeply re-hydrate, and replenish ceramides and structural proteins to help maintain the skin barrier.
Now, Codex Labs is stepping forward with a pioneering integrative teledermatology platform that offers expanded help for parents and children facing the same long journey to better skin health experienced by Dr. Paldus and her son. The journey to finding relief for her own child opened doors to deeper studies of how the gut microbiome can impact the skin and how science-backed probiotics and prebiotics can help.
Disrupting the skincare industry with scientifically backed skin barrier repair products
Parents can easily find themselves overwhelmed with treatment options when their child is struggling with eczema. Many doctors have long relied on topical corticosteroids, antibiotics, antihistamines, or expensive drug regimens in an attempt to treat pediatric eczema. The issue with this approach is the complete disregard of the root cause of eczema flare-ups: the skin-gut-brain-biome connection.
Dr. Paldus knew from experience that the OTC skincare industry was ripe for disruption. ” Over-the-counter skincare products for eczema hadn’t changed in years and were too focused on the surface,” she explains, recognizing that skin condition care needed to address the root cause of any skin issue, rather than just the symptoms. “In eczema, the skin and gut barriers need to be restored to quiet flares,” she adds.
Through research, Dr. Paldus and her team at Codex Labs discovered that the skin and gut barriers could be strengthened, allowing for the treatment of skin conditions without the need for continuous use of strong corticosteroids. Dr. Paldus and Codex have developed topical products that combine traditional dermo-cosmetic ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and ceramides, with novel plant-biotech actives that soothe itch and help rebuild the skin barrier. These products also incorporate supplementation with key amino acids, innovative antioxidants, and gut-supporting pre- and probiotics.
In this way, the skin’s lipid barrier and the gut’s mucosal lining are addressed simultaneously to minimize the penetration of allergens and toxins that trigger the immune system and lead to flare-ups.
The skin-gut-brain biome connection: soothing sensitive skin and repairing the damaged skin barrier
With Decode.Me, a new integrative teledermatology platform that aims to help people decipher and repair skin problems like eczema from the inside out, the skin-gut-brain-biome connections take center stage. While telehealth has been used by dermatologists for years, many visits often do not go beyond a quick assessment of symptoms based on a few photos and a brief survey, followed by a traditional prescription of topical steroids or oral antibiotics.
By integrating conventional dermatology with “whole-body” medicine and comprehensive diagnostics, Decode.Me is leveraging knowledge of the skin-gut-brain-biome axis to bring relief to those battling skin conditions, including pediatric eczema patients.
“Eczema is an interesting skin-gut disease because both the skin and gut barriers are compromised and therefore are more permeable or leaky,” Dr. Paldus says. “That actually means your body has an ongoing allergic assault from the environment, causing an unchecked feedback loop of inflammation and barrier disruption.”
With probiotic and prebiotic supplements, clinically validated OTC itch relief lotions, and gentle, unscented soaps, the skin barrier can be strengthened and restored. “For example, our daily Antu skin barrier supplement provides L-histidine, an essential amino acid for two key barrier building blocks — structural protein filaggrin & natural moisturization factor — while the M3+ antioxidant helps reduce oxidative stress in both the gut and skin,” Dr. Paldus explains.
This science-backed, integrative approach recommended by medical providers through Decode.Me can bring real relief to kids struggling with eczema: itch management to prevent scratching and bleeding at night, shedding of dead skin to enable deep hydration for skin comfort, and a revitalized skin barrier — all treated from the inside out.
“We are reframing eczema as the result of systemic imbalances in the body,” says Dr. Paldus, “especially within the gut microbiome.” This paradigm is included in every step of care with Decode.Me, setting the platform apart from other dermatology telehealth services.
Personalized, comprehensive skin-gut care that exfoliates, hydrates, and nourishes dry, itchy skin
Through services such as Decode.Me and the line of products offered by Codex Labs, children who have struggled with eczema for years are finally finding lasting relief. Dr. Paldus and her team are not just providing families with a quick, broad-stroke fix. Parents can finally discover the root cause of their child’s eczema, gain access to supplements that address that root cause, and track skin-gut health improvements with a dedicated dermatologist who approaches each patient individually.
For individuals who have faced eczema, especially children, having a clear understanding of why eczema flare-ups occur and a comprehensive, science-backed answer to restoring balance to the gut biome and a healthy skin barrier can be life-changing. For children who have already been using steroids for several years (if not more), this approach can taper down their dependency and either help avoid or manage the development of topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) syndrome.
By providing a deeper understanding of the link between gut health and skin health through its innovative products and Decode.Me platform, Codex Labs offers positive, lasting results for kids with eczema.
