She loves solving problems and science has always been her go-to “tool” because it can be used to create solutions that help make people’s lives better. She loves the quote, “Science is like magic but real.”

This passion led her to Stanford University and Harvard Medical School before she performed her dermatology residency at the University of Chicago and Harvard, where she served as academic chief resident as well. (For the record, Dr. Rubin has five diplomas from Harvard Medical School.) From there, she completed her laser and cosmetic surgery fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) Wellman Center for Photomedicine.

Dr. Rubin was previously a faculty member at Harvard, where she began practicing dermatology at MGH. She also spent several years as Medical Director of the Dermatologic and Vascular Laser Surgery Program at Children’s National Medical Center in Maryland/Washington D.C., where she treated babies and children with disfiguring birthmarks and scars in the clinic and operating room. When she conceived the idea for SEEN, a good-for-skin haircare line, she made the difficult decision to resign from Children’s. She is also the mom of three wonderful kids.

All the while, Dr. Rubin was a “curly girl” who was layering on multiple products to fight her frizzy hair. Acne-prone since her teenage years, she personally understands the acne struggle, like so many teenagers and adult women. She noticed that whenever she would get her hair done at the salon or use certain hair care products, she would break out.

It turns out haircare products can contribute to a host of skin issues, including acne, eczema, sensitive skin, and dry scalp. As a Harvard-trained dermatologist, Dr. Rubin knew there had to be a better way. She decided to create SEEN to promote healthy hair AND healthy skin, with formulas that are clinically proven to be both non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) and safe for sensitive skin.

Dr. Rubin never planned to create a haircare brand, but creating hair products that respect the skin was an unmet need, and a problem worth solving. She is actually no stranger to business, thanks to her identical twin sister. As the children of first-generation immigrants, she and her twin sister, Sharon (who graduated from Harvard Business School), made extra money as kids as young entrepreneurs. They had many businesses, including making teddy-bear magnets, tie-dye outfits, and selling sodas at a local golf course. To this day, Dr. Rubin says Sharon, who is a trailblazer in business, is her business inspiration.

Dr. Rubin is actually a beauty minimalist. She believes in products that are backed by science and have proven results. In fact, well before SEEN, she was reprimanded for not selling enough products when she worked at a private dermatology practice! She only sells products she believes in and has tried personally herself. Having clean products is really important to Dr. Rubin after experiencing several auto-immune conditions herself.

When Dr. Rubin had acne and breakouts, like many of us, she felt like she wanted to hide her face. It’s especially challenging to have acne and breakouts as a dermatologist, since many people expect their dermatologist to have perfect skin. She decided to call the brand SEEN because she did not want others to feel like hiding because of their hair or skin.