Back to blog

Seen and Heard

Seen and Heard

SEEN HERE

Meet SEEN co-founder and resident skin whisperer Dr. Iris Rubin. Her main focus may be the health of our skin and hair, but her mission at SEEN is bigger than that: helping everyone feel seen. And with each purchase the brand gives back to be able to do just that.

What inspired you to pursue a career in skin?

“I always wanted to help people and always had a hard time seeing someone in pain or suffering. I remember telling my sister when we were lying in our bunk beds as kids that I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up. She said she wanted to find a cure for the common cold, and, funnily enough, she ended up going to Harvard Business School and co-founded a life sciences oriented VC fund who’s portfolio includes infectious disease businesses. And though I don’t think of myself as an entrepreneur, we actually both already had that spirit way back then, as evidenced by a very booming tie-dye business we ran out of our bedroom! I went to Harvard for Medical School with the idea of becoming a surgeon. I quickly realized that the surgeon hours weren’t for me (I value sleep too much!) so I switched to internal medicine because it was the broadest category I could think of.  But I eventually decided on dermatology instead because I’m so solution- and results-oriented and, really, I was interested in the idea of fixing things versus treating chronic diseases. My work at Children’s National Medical Center was focused on treating kids with disfiguring scars and birthmarks and I remain really passionate about it. I’ve also always been really motivated by innovation and how it can be used to make things better, and laser technology in the dermatology field was doing just that for these children. I trained with Dr. Rox Anderson at Harvard, and he is a pioneer in laser surgery having developed many lasers currently used in dermatology. He in part of an international laser clinic that travels to developing countries to treat kids with vascular birthmarks and scars. Even though my focus has now shifted to SEEN, I’m still so passionate about what lasers can do to help kids that the international laser clinic is part of our brand’s give-back mission.”

SEEN AND HEARD

What we’re watching and listening to right now

We came, we saw, we Kondo’d. In the spirit of a new year and new beginnings, this month we’re all about Netflix’s Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Even if you don’t embrace the world-renowned tidying expert’s minimalist philosophy wholeheartedly (her advice to keep no more than 30 books is a no-go for most hardcore bibliophiles), there is a nugget of organizational wisdom for everyone in there. Our takeaway: use the Kondo approach to thin out your beauty stash, keeping only what sparks joy (and gives you results).

SEEN APPROVED

Topping our wish list this month

The AirWrap Hair Styler is the latest piece of hair magic from the technical wizards at Dyson (purveyors of the most powerful vacuums and blowdryers) and will, with all its various attachments, replace every heat tool in your beauty stash and do its work without over-heating (and damaging) the hair… which makes the hefty pricetag ($500!) a bit easier to stomach. A bonus: it plays beautifully with our new SEEN Blow-Out Creme which protects against heat, UV, and pollution.

SEEN SHERO

We’re with her

The IG to follow right now: wildly talented New York-based illustrator Amber Vittoria. Her lush, brightly colored renderings of women are conceived to help us
collectively rethink how we see the female form. A concept we definitely
support.

SEEN NEWS

Brand new(s) from SEEN

Because all your hair products should be designed with your skin in mind, we are proud to introduce the follow-up to our groundbreaking Shampoo and Conditioner: a silky Blow-out Creme. Smoothed through from roots to ends it acts as armor against the damaging effects of the blowdryer and, like all SEEN products, it is totally skin-friendly.

SEEN SAYS

Our fan-mail corner!

“I am absolutely in love with these wonderful haircare products. My hair looks so beautiful and shiny. And I love the feeling of my hair after I use SEEN. Plus, I’m happy that it’s also healthy for my skin. I’ll definitely continue to use. Very satisfied with the results!” - Briela

Shop SEEN Hair Care