AWvi: The Future of Skin Health, Bridging Science and Biology
*AWvi
*AWvi
AWvi (pronounced AWE-vee) is a pioneering Health & Wellness concept designed to enhance life by unlocking the body and mind’s full potential through the transformative power of science. AWvi creates patented, clinically proven solutions that integrate scientific excellence with a comprehensive vision. Its integrative approach combines inside-out and outside-in strategies, tailored to the needs of each individual. By leveraging the skin’s natural physiological mechanisms, AWvi’s debut range of four products targets the root causes of skin health, delivering benefits that address a broad range of concerns, from the challenges of atopic skin to the signs of ageing. With biomimetic precision and meticulously dosed, medical-grade ingredients, AWvi's solutions ensure both safety and efficacy. By mimicking the body’s natural compounds, AWvi's formulations are seamlessly recognised and metabolised, transcending boundaries of gender, age, and skin type to harness the body’s innate wisdom.
Behind AWvi is a collective of experts in health and medicine, beauty and wellness, ingredients research and development, who all share a common vision and commitment to integrating advanced science into daily life.
The answers behind AWvi’s distinctive approach and solutions come from four distinct voices: Giacomo Santus, a veteran innovator with over 30 years of experience in ingredients research and development across both nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals; Dr Rachna Murthy, an esteemed expert in skin health and facial aesthetics, renowned for her innovative approach in bridging the gap between preventive care, aesthetic, and reconstructive medicine; Alexander Werz, a visionary in brand-building across beauty, lifestyle, and wellness; and Jean-Michel Vigneau, whose experience at LVMH has shaped some of the world’s most iconic brands.
What inspired you, as a team, to create AWvi, and what problem in beauty and wellness were you determined to solve?
Jean-Michel Vigneau: AWvi was born from a desire to bridge the gap between health, wellness, and beauty through science. AWvi's solutions are designed to address the root causes of health challenges, leveraging a deep understanding of intrinsic factors alongside environmental and lifestyle influences to provide scientifically grounded solutions. We launched with an inaugural skincare line that harnesses the pivotal role of the microbiome—both from the inside out and the outside in—to achieve transformative and lasting results. Our aim is to create intelligent products that genuinely support the body’s natural processes of defence and regeneration.
If you had to define AWvi’s core values in three words, what would they be and why?
Alexander Werz:
Integrity: We are committed to being transparent about how our solutions work. Every product is based on thorough research, and we strive to communicate its benefits honestly and clearly.
Awareness: We believe science should be accessible and practical. By explaining how the body works and how our solutions fit into everyday life, we aim to make scientific insights useful and empowering.
Respect: Respect guides everything we do—for both the body and its environment. Our solutions are designed to work naturally with the body’s processes, while we adopt sustainable practices that further enhance their safety and effectiveness.
The name AWvi is bold and intriguing. What does it stand for, and how does it encapsulate your brand’s mission and identity?
Alexander Werz: AWvi combines the ethos of ‘Act Well’, emphasising how intentional lifestyle choices play a defining role in shaping health and well-being, with the notion of living well, ‘vi’ standing for the Roman numeral for six, symbolising the interconnected elements of health and wellbeing at the heart of the brand: Sleep, Nutrition, Movement, Nature, Passions and Relationships.
These six pillars collectively reflect AWvi’s vision for holistic physical health and mental wellbeing: to empower individuals by addressing the complex interplay between internal and external factors that shape overall health.
Together, these six pillars form a comprehensive ecosystem that reflects AWvi’s belief: true wellness arises when the body, mind, and environment are in balance. By addressing each of these interconnected dimensions, AWvi offers a scientifically grounded, integrative approach to health and wellbeing.
AWvi connects supplements and topical products through The Skin Method. Why is this inside-out and outside-in synergy so transformative for skincare?
Dr Rachna Murthy: The skin is the body’s most exposed organ, constantly influenced by both internal factors and external stressors. AWvi’s inside-out and outside-in synergistic approach addresses the root causes of skin imbalances from within while supporting its protective and regenerative functions externally. By working on both pathways, AWvi fosters resilience and regeneration, redefining skincare as a science-led approach that supports the body’s natural physiology and interconnected systems.
The gut-skin axis is central to your formulations. Can you explain its role in skin health and how AWvi targets this connection?
Dr Rachna Murthy: The gut-skin axis represents the relationship between the gut microbiome and the skin, mediated through immune, metabolic, and inflammatory pathways. The gut microbiome—composed of trillions of microorganisms—plays a fundamental role in regulating inflammation, nutrient absorption, and the production of key metabolites like short-chain fatty acids, which influence skin homeostasis. When the gut microbiome is imbalanced (a state known as dysbiosis), it can trigger systemic inflammation, impair nutrient delivery, and disrupt the skin’s barrier function, leading to conditions such as dryness, sensitivity, acne, eczema, and premature ageing. AWvi targets this connection by delivering a scientifically formulated nutraceutical that specifically rebalances the gut microbiome, modulates immune responses to reduce systemic inflammation, enhances microbial diversity, and supports optimal nutrient metabolism and cellular function. This inside-out approach is paired with advanced cosmeceutical solutions that reinforce the skin's microbiome, promoting its defence and regenerative capacities. Together, AWvi’s formulations address skin health systemically and locally, offering a truly integrated and science-led solution.
The microbiologically pure fruit waters used in your products are a unique innovation. How do they elevate performance while maintaining your sustainability promise?
Giacomo Santus: The microbiologically pure active waters used in AWvi's topical solutions elevate performance by providing skin-friendly hydration while delivering natural bioactive compounds essential for cellular function. These purified waters, resulting from an ultrafiltration process, ensure both maximum safety and efficacy, free from contaminants that might disrupt the skin’s microbiome or barrier function. By replacing traditional demineralised water, which typically makes up over 80% of a topical solution but lacks active properties, AWvi enhances the bioavailability and effectiveness of its formulations, actively promoting deeper hydration and improved nutrient delivery. This innovation aligns seamlessly with AWvi's sustainability promise. Our waters are produced responsibly, using locally sourced, non-GM fruits, reducing reliance on processed water and optimising resource use by minimising water waste.
Creating products that work synergistically—internally and externally—can be challenging. What were the key scientific hurdles, and how did you overcome them?
Giacomo Santus: Creating products that work synergistically—internally and externally—posed significant scientific hurdles due to the complexity of the gut-skin axis and the need to address both pathways effectively. For the nutraceutical formulation, AWvi focused on identifying bioactives proven to modulate the gut microbiome while ensuring stability and delivery where needed. We leverage three proprietary probiotic strains from the Lactobacillus genus, whose specific DNA sequences have demonstrated the highest efficacy for skin health, combined with a prebiotic to enhance strains vitality and highly bioavailable vitamins that optimise cellular functions. For cosmeceutical solutions, the challenge was achieving deep bioavailability to regenerate the skin and maintain microbiome balance while preserving its barrier integrity. The synergy with the nutraceuticals stems from medical-grade ingredients—whose biomimetic properties align with the skin's unique physiological processes—including the Ectoin, a biotech molecule with postbiotic properties, enhances the skin's resident microbiome when applied locally. Synchronising the inside-out and outside-in pathways required extensive scientific research and clinical validation to ensure measurable, synergistic results. By integrating targeted research, advanced formulation techniques, and rigorous testing, AWvi has created a scientifically harmonised system where internal and external solutions work together, delivering sustainable and measurable improvements in skin health.
How do AWvi’s formulations address the root causes of skin ageing—like inflammation and weakened skin barriers—rather than just surface-level concerns?
Dr Rachna Murthy: AWvi’s formulations target key physiological processes—inflammation and weakened skin barriers—which are central drivers of premature ageing, rather than merely masking surface-level concerns. Chronic inflammation, often driven by imbalances in the gut microbiome and external stressors, accelerates skin ageing by breaking down collagen and elastin, weakening the skin’s structure. AWvi’s nutraceutical formulation rebalances the gut microbiome to reduce systemic inflammation, regulate immune responses, and restore internal balance, which in turn alleviates inflammatory triggers that impair skin health. The skin barrier is essential for protecting against environmental aggressors and retaining moisture. AWvi’s cosmeceutical solutions are designed to deliver bioactive ingredients that reinforce the stratum corneum, promote resident microbiome balance, and stimulate cellular regeneration. This strengthens the skin’s ability to repair itself, resist damage, and maintain hydration. AWvi’s inside-out and outside-in formulations work in synergy to address the root mechanisms of skin ageing. The result is improved cellular function, reduced inflammation, and enhanced skin resilience—delivering measurable, long-term improvements rather than temporary fixes.
AWvi promotes long-term skin health over short-term fixes. Why is this shift in focus critical for consumers today?
Jean-Michel Vigneau: At AWvi, we support long-term health by addressing the root causes rather than masking symptoms. Consumers today are increasingly aware and conscious, seeking solutions that improve their health proactively and preventively, not quick fixes that hide the problem. This shift reflects a deeper understanding: true health including skin health comes from working with the body’s natural systems. At AWvi, we combine science-led innovation with clear explanations of our mode of action to empower individuals with advanced solutions they can trust.
AWvi is designed to be a daily ritual, not just a routine. How do you envision your products fitting into users’ lives and transforming their approach to self-care?
Jean-Michel Vigneau: We believe self-care should be compact, effective, and deeply transformative, which is why we created a protocol of just four essential solutions. Each product has a specific, complementary function that works in synergy to support long-term skin health, addressing both internal and external needs. While each solution is powerful on its own, their combination becomes truly transformative. Our vision goes beyond making science accessible—we strive to make its application effortless. By integrating advanced, science-led formulations into a streamlined protocol, we empower individuals to integrate cutting-edge science effortlessly into their daily lives. As a B-Corp, AWvi is also committed to education. We emphasise that skin health is not solely dependent on skincare products but is intrinsically linked to lifestyle habits. Nutrition, sleep, physical activity, stress management, and time spent with others and with nature all play pivotal roles in overall health and skin resilience. By promoting a balanced lifestyle, we aim to support users in adopting a more holistic approach to self-care and skin-care—one that aligns with their journey toward healthier, more resilient skin and a healthier life overall.
Longevity is a core promise of AWvi. How do you define longevity in the context of skincare and wellness, and what does it mean for today’s consumers?
Dr Rachna Murthy: For us, longevity is not about living longer but living healthier for as long as possible. This shift reflects a fundamental understanding: true longevity requires a preventive and proactive approach that supports the body’s natural processes of defence and regeneration. Skincare is fundamental to longevity as the skin, the body’s largest and most exposed organ, plays a vital role in overall health while reflecting internal balance and resilience. For today’s consumers, longevity is about investing in solutions and lifestyle choices that shape sustained health and wellness. It requires an endless commitment, reason why it has also to become a playful and joyful journey aiming each individual at feeling and looking his best—not just today, but for the long term. In essence, longevity is about cultivating balance, resilience, and vitality throughout life.
How do you, as a team, foster collaboration to keep AWvi at the forefront of science and wellness?
Jean-Michel Vigneau: We foster collaboration through a shared commitment to curiosity, knowledge, and scientific rigour. At AWvi, staying at the forefront of science and wellness requires a deep understanding of the body’s systems and a constant drive to innovate. Our team thrives on continuous learning and adaptability, challenging assumptions and exploring emerging research develop science-led solutions that are both effective, safe, and impactful in everyday life.
What are your key priorities and ambitions for AWvi in 2025?
Jean-Michel Vigneau: In 2025, AWvi aims to reach a wider audience of health-aware and science-driven individuals seeking effective solutions for their skin, but more broadly for their overall health and wellness, as we will introduce solutions focusing on other areas beyond skin care, such as sleep and stress management, gut health, women’s health, and cognitive function. By addressing these essential pillars, we aim to empower individuals to proactively support their body’s natural processes.
What do you see as the next frontier for science-backed beauty and wellness, and how does AWvi plan to stay ahead of the curve?
Giacomo Santus: The next frontier for science-backed beauty and wellness lies in a deeper integration of precision biology, personalised solutions, and a holistic understanding of the body’s interconnected systems. As research advances, we are uncovering how individual genetics, microbiome composition, and lifestyle factors influence overall health. We plan to stay ahead of the curve by leveraging the latest developments in epigenetics, microbiome science, metabolic health research, bioactive molecules, and advanced delivery systems. Our approach focuses on leveraging the latest biotechnologies to create solutions that work synergistically with the body’s natural processes, addressing root causes rather than surface-level concerns.
If you could share one powerful message about AWvi and its vision, what would you want every consumer to understand?
Dr Rachna Murthy: If there’s one message to share about AWvi, it’s this: the true miracle lies within your body. AWvi empowers those who listen to their bodies, embracing prevention as the foundation of health. By blending cutting-edge science with trusted medical expertise, AWvi offers solutions that protect and regenerate your health capital. Designed for those seeking unparalleled efficacy and safety, AWvi supports a holistic journey toward balance—physically and mentally, from the inside out and outside in. It’s not just wellness; it’s a transformation powered by synergy, where science meets life to unlock your full potential.
Contributors:
Alexander Werz:
Image & Communication Strategy
CEO at Karla Otto, leading international brand-building agency, specialising in beauty, fashion, and lifestyle.
Giacomo Santus:
Science & Innovation Lead
A change-making health entrepreneur with over 30 years of R&D experience in the Nutraceutical and Cosmeceutical industries, he has been focusing on developing next-generation technologies and ingredients.
Dr Rachna Murthy:
Member of AWvi’s Medical Committee
Dr Rachna Murthy, an award-winning surgeon, is renowned for her unparalleled expertise in skin health and facial aesthetics. With an innovative approach, she bridges the gap between preventive care, aesthetic, and reconstructive medicine. She seamlessly integrates advanced medical and non-surgical techniques with a profound understanding of the intricate biological systems that govern skin structure and function, including the microbiome and hormonal regulation, to optimise skin health, rejuvenation, and beauty.
Jean-Michel Vigneau:
CEO
Former top executive at LVMH, with a strong background in developing and managing premium brands on an international scale.
