The Story Behind Renewal Calming Cream

As the founder and CEO of the Epionce skin care line, and a practicing dermatologist, it would seem that Dr. Carl Thornfeldt knows a thing or two about how the skin works. His 35 plus years of private dermatology practice and decades of skin research have led to breakthroughs that have been felt throughout the world of medicine. But, it all began with his own challenges with skin disease.

When Epionce recently introduced Renewal Calming Cream, the line’s first product formulated under the FDA’s Over-the-Counter Skin Protectant Monograph for eczema, it was not only the end of a rigorous research and development process, but also the culmination of a life-long journey for Dr. Thornfeldt. The inspiration came from his desire to find a solution to a problem he knew first-hand – the common condition known as eczema.

The Personal Side of Skin Disease

Growing up on a farm in rural Oregon, Dr. Thornfeldt was familiar with hard work and physical labor. But as a child, he developed what doctors believed to be an infection. Doctors made multiple efforts by putting him on a course of antibiotics or antifungal medicines, but with no success. Finally, it was determined he suffered from severe eczema, a chronic skin condition characterized by dry, sensitive or itchy skin and often red, scaly patches.

This began an excruciating process of managing his eczema, a condition that is mysterious in its origin but can be influenced by genetics or a compromised skin barrier. This experience would eventually shape his decision to pursue medicine and open a private dermatology practice.

With limited treatment options at the time, doctors could only provide the young child with ineffective and uncomfortable topicals like tar to help with scaling and dryness; and antihistamines for the itch. This proved unsuccessful at giving Dr. Thornfeldt the relief he hoped to achieve.

“Unfortunately, most primary care physicians look at it as a nuisance and tell patients, ‘Use more moisturizer and don’t scratch’,” he explained. “That’s very difficult to do, because eczema is the itch that rashes and it’s debilitating. It affects so many aspects of the quality of life,” he said. Eczema can often upset the sleep patterns of the entire family, as those who suffer from the condition are often unable to sleep at night due to discomfort from the itch.

As the eczema grew more severe, it began to affect his quality of life – compelling him to take some unconventional approaches to get his mind off the irritation. “To try to sleep, I would spend a lot of time memorizing telephone books to cope with the itching,” he said. “It was difficult to get comfortable, so I had poor sleep.”

In addition to physical discomfort, the condition carried a social stigma. “I remember one year I was the only kid in the class who did not get a Valentine from anyone,” he recalled. “I didn’t get invited to a lot of things.”

Possibly the silver lining in his experience was an enhanced ability to focus on his schoolwork. “If I buried myself in hard science and took hard courses, I was more distracted when I had to really focus on what I was reading. It was a mechanism to reduce the itch, to some degree,” he said.

Coupled with this love of science and heightened focus, Dr. Thornfeldt’s experience with eczema as a child and teenager gave him a desire to help others suffering from skin disease, and he set off to pursue medicine with a focus in dermatology.

The Finished Product — and a Dream Fulfilled

His understanding of eczema also fueled his passion to create a skin care line that was cosmetically elegant and would not hinder the quality of life for his patients, which became the starting point of the Epionce skin care line.

This included the development early on of Enriched Body Cream and Medical Barrier Cream, created to optimize hydration on various parts of the body and help those with dry or irritated skin. While Epionce barrier creams were effective for hands, feet and post-procedure healing, they did not address all of the concerns of eczema, mainly the debilitating itch.

He set out to create a new product similar to the ultra-hydrating Extreme and Medical Barrier Creams, but that would help mitigate the discomfort caused by the disease. The result was the newest product in the Epionce line—Renewal Calming Cream.

Colloidal oatmeal in Renewal Calming Cream is a well-known ingredient that helps soothe and calm skin by providing extra hydration, barrier repair and anti-inflammatory properties.

“I felt if we could do better at closing the barrier and have a product that’s going to turn down the itch, we should be able to do a better job with eczema,” Dr. Thornfeldt explained. “The colloidal oatmeal not only provides additional skin protectant effect, but it also has an anti-itch effect.”

Hope for A Better Quality of Life

Epionce Renewal Calming Cream is the latest product to come from Dr. Thornfeldt’s decades of research of the skin and is backed by clinical trials.

“Even if you’ve tried things in the past, it’s worth trying,” he encourages those who may be unsure about trying yet another eczema product. “It has efficacy and is safe to use. Because it’s cosmetically elegant, people like using it.”

The hydrating Renewal Calming Cream can be applied several times a day to affected areas, without staining clothing or the offensive smell often experienced with other treatments. This demonstrates that relief can be achieved without uncomfortable or embarrassing topical treatments.

“If you have any kind of itchy condition, or difficulty tolerating other products, you should find Renewal Calming Cream very beneficial,” Dr. Thornfeldt said.

To get help with your symptoms of eczema, talk to an Epionce professional near you.