Katey brings a biohacker-inspired mindset that’s reshaping skincare. From the rise of educated consumers demanding more from brands to the role of sleep, she shows how a science-backed approach can help anyone make smarter, more effective choices for their skin.
In this episode of The Augmented Life, I sat down with Katey Hassan, a pioneer in the beauty industry with over 15 years of experience at some of the most influential skincare brands in the world.
Katey and I go back over a decade—she’s married to my former co-founder, Tammer—which has given her valuable insights into both the beauty and tech industries. Now, with her own company, Nocturnal Skincare, she’s focused on breakthrough delivery systems and advanced ingredients, setting her brand apart in a crowded market.
Pushing boundaries has been a constant in Katey’s career. She was a leading force behind Tula Skincare’s probiotic approach, emphasizing the importance of the skin’s microbiome well before it became a trend.
In our conversation, Katey brings a biohacker-inspired mindset that’s reshaping skincare. From the rise of educated consumers demanding more from brands to the role of sleep, she shows how a science-backed approach can help anyone make smarter, more effective choices for their skin.
If you’re intrigued by Katey’s journey and want to dive deeper, check out the full episode of The Augmented Life. And keep reading for some key takeaways from our conversation.
“There’s such a passion for understanding the science, the ingredient percentages, breaking down ingredient lists… And I think it’s amazing, in a lot of ways it holds the industry to a much higher bar.”
Today’s skincare consumers are doing their homework, approaching products like biohackers with a focus on science, efficacy, and transparency. With consumers sharing what they learn through social media, the demand for honest, science-backed claims is reshaping how brands communicate and develop their products. For consumers, this movement brings confidence: they’re part of a smart, engaged group that values evidence and results, turning skincare into a more trustworthy and effective pursuit.
“There are really advanced technologies and machines to detect very small differences in the skin, but those are not arbitrary measurements. They are measured and they are some of the best information that we can have around product performance.”
While some brands rely on “consumer panel research,” where users share their subjective experiences, more rigorous brands, like hers, prioritize third-party clinical research. This involves using advanced technologies to objectively measure skin changes, such as elasticity and hydration, offering quantifiable insights into a product’s performance. This emphasis on scientific testing highlights the limitations of consumer-reported data, underscoring the need for measurable metrics in skincare evaluation. Brands that invest in clinical research can substantiate their claims, ensuring consumers receive products backed by solid evidence.
“What nobody is asking is whether that ingredient is actually getting delivered to your skin...that's where the delivery systems come in and they become so important in actually stabilizing and functionalizing some of these incredible ingredients that have been discovered.”
Active ingredients like peptides, which support collagen production, are highly unstable and can degrade quickly if they don’t have an effective delivery system. Techniques like encapsulation, microspheres, and hydrogels can protect these ingredients, controlling their release and ensuring they penetrate the skin deeply enough to deliver real results. It’s a sophisticated approach, transforming what could be a simple list of ingredients into a formula that actually delivers on its promises. For skincare enthusiasts, understanding this aspect of formulation opens up a new way to evaluate products.
“The measure of how healthy your skin's microbiome is, is a measure of diversity... It is different if you wash your face with a really strong and abrasive cleanser. You're going to be washing away a lot of good bacteria that you might be wishing to keep.”
Katey introduces the skin’s microbiome as an essential but delicate layer of protection, made up of diverse microorganisms that interact with everything from our environment to our skincare routines. This ecosystem not only guards against harmful bacteria but also plays a role in maintaining hydration, reducing inflammation, and supporting the skin’s natural barrier function. However, as Katey points out, even simple skincare habits—like using harsh cleansers—can disrupt this balance, stripping away beneficial bacteria that help keep the skin resilient. Her background with Tula Skincare, where she championed the role of probiotics, underscores the importance of choosing products that work with the skin’s microbiome instead of against it.
“The best thing that you can do for your skin is get a great night's sleep... And in all of my years, over 15 years in the beauty industry, the most interesting, exciting and surprising thing that I've learned about the skin is that it has its own circadian rhythm.”
Our skin operates on a natural 24-hour cycle of protection during the day and intensive repair at night. At night, cellular renewal ramps up, giving ingredients like peptides and retinoids their optimal window to work. This rhythm, however, can weaken with age, reducing the skin’s ability to repair itself and leaving it more vulnerable to stressors. Maintaining quality sleep aligns with this rhythm, enhancing the skin’s natural repair processes to delay visible aging. For skincare enthusiasts, this means treating sleep as an essential part of a skincare routine—one that bolsters the effects of well-timed products.
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