On the Line with Experiment's Lisa Guerrera

an exclusive interview + an exclusive giveaway

Welcome to On the Line! A new series from Hotline Skin, bringing you exclusive interviews with founders, formulators, strategists and other key players in beauty. I’ll ask the first round of questions and then turn it over to you.

I’ve been working on this project for a while and couldn’t be more excited to kick it off with an absolute banger of an interview. This week, Experiment launched their newest product, Molecular Mesh, a barrier strengthening moisturizer. Whether or not you’re already familiar with Experiment’s various neon colored goops and gadgets, I guarantee you’re in for a treat. Lisa was a literal beauty YouTube pioneer and is now at the forefront of re-imagining science-backed beauty, a trend she casually first predicted in her undergrad thesis.

Molecular Mesh. Photos Courtesy of Lisa Guerrera/Experiment

As part of this series, you also get the opportunity to ask your own questions! Ask Lisa anything in the comments and she’ll pop in over the next few days to answer.

Oh, and one more thing. Experiment always has the coolest PR boxes and I got them to agree to do a giveaway for one :) You can find entry details at the end.

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First things first, please introduce us to Lisa! Where are you from, what was your relationship to skin/beauty like growing up, what’s your professional background etc. etc.

• I'm Lisa, the Co-founder and CEO of Experiment. I’m born and raised in New York, specifically Long Island, (specifically specifically the 5 Towns IYKYK) but I moved to the city for college and never looked back! Now I live in Washington Heights, or as my friends like to say, “Upstate Manhattan” and I love it.
  
  Growing up, I was a total beauty YouTube kid. When I was 12 I was gifted a pink camcorder and I made beauty YouTube videos, I’m talking tips, rants, tutorials. These videos are unfortunately still up since I don’t know how to take them down... but for your viewing pleasure I linked my favorite one here. TBH I love that these videos still exist, a great addition to my lore… It was 2009 and I, a mere child, was talking about the importance of UV protection!

  

  Pure cinema. 100/10, no notes. (Courtesy of Lisa Guerrera)

  Around that time I started getting bad cystic acne which is why I got so into beauty and skincare. I’m an OG r/skincareaddiction member and it’s really where I learned so much. Oil cleansing, nano silver, salicylic acid, avoid drying alcohols, Tretinoin (remember PocketDerm before they were Curology??) and how effective doesn’t mean expensive!
  
  I was always into science so the natural merging of those two meant I wanted to be a cosmetic chemist. I got a chemistry degree and worked in organic chemistry labs in undergrad as a researcher for about 2 years. But I realized in my senior year that lab life just wasn’t for me… I loved teaching people about science (aka science communication) but not sitting by myself in a lab for 8+ hours a day.
  
  For my specific program I had to write a thesis to graduate, so I pitched my own topic: chemophobic marketing in the beauty industry and its impact on consumer perception of chemistry. The TLDR of my thesis findings: beauty marketing, by and large, uses fear around “chemicals” to sell you “natural” products that are supposedly better for you, but that’s mostly BS and it makes consumers more fearful of science and less equipped to make good purchasing decisions. This was 2016, before “clean” was really out there, but I predicted that “natural” marketing would eventually evolve into “clean” since natural is too general. But ultimately I said that the arc of product marketing bends towards science and the pendulum will swing back to the experts once again. And well… I was right!
  
  That thesis inspired my entire adult life’s work. That sounds heavy but it’s true. After I graduated I tried to go to grad school for chemical engineering but dropped out after my first year to pursue the first company I started based on my thesis work called See Thru! It was an ingredient translating software that brands could install on their sites to make their ingredient lists clickable and educational to help consumers shop for cosmetic products. I did that for about 2 years, then in early 2020 I joined Apostrophe (RIP) as their Head of Brand at 24 yrs old and helped them build out their entire brand marketing from social to influencer and beyond.

As you know, I’ve been an Experiment fan since the very beginning. I still have my original Avant Guard mask and if I remember correctly, there was a gap between releasing the original mask and releasing your next product. Can you talk about the evolution of Experiment?

• When I started my first business I had the opportunity to go through the Sephora Accelerate program in 2019. That’s where I met my now co-founder, and the person behind all of Experiment’s formulas, Emmy! At the time, she was a senior chemist at Benefit Cosmetics. She was the only other chemist I met there and we hit it off immediately. Over the months we really saw eye to eye on where skincare was going, the rise and fall of clean, and how science-backed beauty needed a serious reimagining.
  
  In 2020, Emmy and I seriously started working on the brand. We launched the OG Avant Guard in November 2020 with just money we pooled together from savings (less than $10k!) so needless to say we had no marketing budget. But I was gaining a following on TikTok and made a lot of friends in the skincare world so that helped propel the brand forward without ads or other marketing spend. Once we sold out we decided to redesign the mask based on feedback, bring manufacturing to the US (saves carbon emissions SIGNIFICANTLY) and we filed a patent for our current AG mask design :) Now Avant Guard is PATENTED!
  
  During this 10 month-ish hiatus between AG 1.0 and AG 2.0, Emmy and I knew Experiment could be so much more than just a reusable mask brand. We saw a whole skincare world in front of us that was science-backed but presented science in a fun, relatable way. During that time we worked on our now claim to fame product, Super Saturated, which took awhile to get the formula and manufacturing just right, which is why there was such a huge gap between Avant Guard and Super Saturated. I’m sure many of your readers know how you feel about our 30% glycerin serum but truly it was a risk in many ways for us to launch. It went against all the norms of what a hydrating serum is expected to be in the skincare industry. But going against industry norms to create something better and truly innovative is what we’re all about. Those risks paid off and people associated us with approaching skincare from a totally different perspective both formula wise and brand wise.

  

  

  Photos Courtesy of Lisa Guerrera/Experiment

Experiment has one of the most distinct brand voices I can think of. Your marketing team should teach a masterclass in email subject lines and your social media content regularly makes me laugh out loud. How would you describe Experiment to someone who has never heard of it?

• I’m gonna cry Jolie stoppppp 🥹We spend kind of an absurd amount of time on social and email subject/previews (I’m a big believer in their power!!) so it means the world to have you take note!
  
  I’m not gonna lie, this question of “who is Experiment?” has always been hard because the answer is so nuanced and always has been a challenge to distill. Which is crazy cause we’ve been thinking about this brand for 5 years at this point! But if I could sum up Experiment in a quick phrase it would be: “hot and smart.”

Ok, let’s talk Molecular Mesh. I know Experiment only comes out with products that don’t exist yet/offer something new to the skincare world. What makes Molecular Mesh a futuristic formula and why is it called Molecular Mesh?

• Molecular Mesh is seriously the best moisturizer I’ve ever used… no exaggeration. As an acne-prone girl with dry skin and a DEEP disdain for pilling, finding a holy grail barrier moisturizer has been a serious challenge. While there are many good barrier moisturizers on the market, many of them take the same approach to barrier care. It’s usually some kind of reinforcement story focusing on purely occlusion or ingredients, like ceramides, to add back in exactly what your skin is missing. But there are drawbacks to those approaches and we knew we could make something so much better.
  
  To us, Molecular Mesh represents the future of barrier care. Where we aren’t trying to heal our barrier after we eff’d it up, we are preempting potential disruption by making our barrier stronger in the long haul so it can withstand more, and bounce back faster without the need for heavy reinforcements. We take a more elegant approach by using biostimulating ingredients like phytosphingosine that help stimulate the barrier to better repair itself from the inside, out.
  
  Naming the product was difficult, we literally have the most insane list of potential names that's like 4-5 pages long… but in my gut I knew the ingredient story and the aura of the product was giving biochemistry. The texture was so inspiring too… the way it just stretches across the skin and enmeshes into it as it semi-sinks in… amazing. It’s breathable yet feels comfy and protective. So we landed on Molecular Mesh, and it felt so perfect.

At the beginning of 2025, I predicted that we are going to be seeing more of phytosphingosine and similar building-block type ingredients. Being right would have satisfied me enough, but seeing it as one of the featured ingredients in Molecular Mesh makes me feel particularly hot and smart, as you like to say. So, please tell us what phytosphingosine is and what it’s doing in your formula?

• When I saw your substack about phytosphingosine I literally sent it to the entire Experiment team. It was a clarifying moment for us too!
  
  Phytosphingosine isn’t just fun to say, it's naturally found in your stratum corneum and is the essential precursor to both ceramides (lipid-based) and NMFs (water-based hydrators) production in our skin. As opposed to directly adding specific types of ceramides to the skin, an approach most barrier products today will use, phytosphingosine has a much more holistic approach to barrier building by helping your skin produce better quality ceramides, in the right ratios, faster. That’s important because when skin is inflamed your repair process will kick into high gear, but it can lead to lower quality barrier production without additional precursor support. More, quality ceramides = healthier, bouncier skin that's better protected from damage.
  
  We also chose phytosphingosine because it's more acne-friendly and is shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.

When we first discussed this interview, you introduced me to the idea of phases or “eras” in barrier cream formulas. How does Molecular Mesh fit into this?

• When you look at the history of barrier care it’s very clear the eras/waves we’ve gone through in the skin barrier discussion and solutions.
  
  “First wave” barrier care formulas are basic occlusives + sealants… these are ingredients like petrolatum, mineral oil, dimethicone, and shea butter or even tools like Avant Guard, aka an occlusive mask. But the best example of this is slugging with petrolatum… a practice that’s been around basically forever, but then had a resurgence on TikTok during the pandemic. The focus of these formulas is pure TEWL (transepidermal water loss) reduction. When your barrier is disrupted, a major indicator is higher levels of TEWL, meaning your barrier is “broken” and more water is evaporating out of your skin, leaving it drier than it should be. By simply stopping water evaporation, you can halt part of the dry skin cycle and then your barrier can take a breather and work on recovery. The disadvantage to these formulas is usually cosmetic elegance… they tend to feel very waxy, greasy, or heavy. Plus they only target 1 part of the dry skin cycle, TEWL, but not the other aspects like inflammation and barrier structure regeneration.
  
  “Second wave” barrier care (where most modern barrier creams on the market sit) are primarily "additive" formulas meaning they are directly adding components of the barrier structure like ceramides, free fatty acids, NMFs, and cholesterol, to the skin. There are less drawbacks to cosmetic elegance with these formulas but most modern barrier creams still need more film formers and other ingredients that can tend to pill or have a waxy “cast” to the skin once it’s dried down. I personally have beef with ANY product that pills so even super popular barrier creams don’t usually impress me.
  
  Now, “Third wave” barrier care is being ushered in by biostimulating ingredients like phytosphingosine and centella liposomes (both in Molecular Mesh). They are effective at synthesizing important barrier ingredients like ceramides, collagen, and elastin and encouraging your skin to produce what it needs rather than trying to find the right formula that has the right ratio of alllll the building blocks you need for your unique skin issues (everyone is different!) Molecular Mesh is one of the first to utilize these types of biostimulating ingredients in a formula and it’s exciting to see the traction building around it.

  

  Photos Courtesy of Lisa Guerrera/Experiment

Moisturizer is Experiment’s most requested product ever. How long did it take to develop and how many iterations did it go through?

• So some of your readers may not know, but as a chemist founded brand, we have a real lab in our office in NYC where my cofounder Emmy cooks up all our new launches. We’ve been noodling on a moisturizer for years. Ever since we launched Super Saturated in 2022 we’ve had nonstop requests for a moisturizer. We landed on our 18th formula iteration and tested it with our Lab X beta testers (you can sign up on our site’s home page!) We kicked off the formula process in November of 2023 so it’s been almost a year a half from start to launch!

What kind of testing have you performed on it?

• We performed both instrumental and perception clinicals with a panel of more than 30 people. My fave stat is after two weeks of consistent use we saw an average of 10% TEWL reduction from baseline! That’s actually really hard to achieve and it shows we are making your barrier naturally stronger over time.
  
  We also performed many other tests (that typically don’t get talked about in marketing very regularly):

  • HRIPT testing: a test to measure potential for irritation. We used a 100 person test group with 50% of them having self-perceived sensitive skin.

  • SIU (Safety in Use) testing

  • Microbial testing

  • Ocular testing to ensure it’s eye safe!

  • Toxicology testing: this test screens all ingredients and their use levels in the formula to ensure non-toxicity!

Is it suitable for all skin types?

• Yes! I think what’s amazing about Molecular Mesh is the fact that it’s a midweight moisturizer and feels much more breathable than other barrier creams while still packing the same nourishing punch! So for very dry skin you’ll love using this morning and night, but for combo/oily types (including acne-prone!) this is your PM moisturizer for sure.

Super Saturated is in my product hall of fame. How does Molecular Mesh fit in with it and the rest of your barrier support lineup?

• Molecular Mesh can be used with any of our products. You’d use it after Super Saturated and any treatments as your moisturizer step (ofc). We also have Buffer Jelly, this is our “micro-slugging” oil that is extra helpful when your barrier is in distress. It’s more occlusive than Molecular Mesh so you’d use that after MM.

  But honestly my favorite way to use our products is to ~experiment~ with them! You can mix them in different ratios to modulate the texture and hydration levels based on your skin’s preferences, needs, and season! For example, in the winter I like to mix Buffer Jelly into Molecular Mesh to make it a bit heavier. But in the Summer I like to mix Super Saturated in with Molecular Mesh to lighten up the texture and add extra hydration.

Anything else we should know about Molecular Mesh?

• These questions were so thorough! I’ll leave you with this: since Molecular Mesh’s tube is 100% aluminum we also made a custom squeeze key to ensure you get every last drop of this moisturizer. I’m kind of obsessed with it because we fully customized the handle to be in the shape of our X logo and it’s surprisingly ergonomic!

Final questions. Favorite socks, favorite sandwich, favorite tv show, favorite toothpaste?

• Best socks: Muji (TRUST)

• Fave sandwich: chopped cheese

• Fave TV Show:
  - currently airing: Severance
  - all time… Spongebob :)

• Fave Toothpaste: Crest 3D White Advanced in Radiant Mint
  

Molecular Mesh retails for $30 and you can use the code JOLIE10 to save 10% sitewide.

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EXPERIMENT PR BOX GIVEAWAY

To enter:

• Make sure you are subscribed to Hotline Skin and “like” this post

• The winner will be randomly selected and notified via email on Wednesday, March 26th (the email you are subscribed to this newsletter with)

• Open to US shipping addresses only

• For an extra entry, refer a friend!

My PR box & the OG Sketch from Experiment

HAVE A QUESTION?

I have a million follow-up questions so I can only imagine you do too. Good thing it’s your turn! Be nice and ask away in the comments. Lisa will be answering directly over the next few days.

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xx,

Jolie