An Interview with Dr. Friedman

In today’s blog, we revisit an interview with Dr Friedman. He had an incredible professional career in New York City. We know him as our founder, a truly respected dermatologist who had a significant impact on skin cancer prevention, treatment and education. He was also one of the brilliant minds at NYU Langone Medical Center who developed the ABCDEs of Melanoma, a skin cancer detection technique. Read on to learn his motivation behind starting the company.

SO, DR. FRIEDMAN, WHY DID YOU WANT TO START MDSOLARSCIENCES™?

The short answer is that I wanted to help people. I’m a dermatologic oncologist by profession, so I see more than my fair share of skin cancer. I’ve seen what it can do to someone’s life. I’ve seen the pain, the fear, the loss of confidence, even the loss of life that can follow a diagnosis. Many of my days have been spent helping people who already have skin cancer, but I wanted to do my part in decreasing the likelihood of the disease. I love telling people that they are cancer-free, so it seemed like the next logical step to fight skin cancer at its source. If I can put myself out of a job, I’ll be happy.

WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY THAT YOUR PATIENTS INSPIRED THE CREATION OF THE BRAND?

Absolutely! I made a deal with my patients: I’ll treat you, but you have to wear sunscreen every single day. I thought it would be an easy deal to make, but it was such a real struggle to get people to comply. I would constantly hear that sunscreen was too sticky, greasy or whitening. Eventually, I realized that they were right. I knew I could create a line of products with luxurious, high-end aesthetics that fit seamlessly into your everyday routine; all while providing safe, effective coverage. So that’s what I set out to do.

DO YOU THINK THERE IS A CERTAIN STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH SUN PROTECTION?

There are certainly a lot of preconceptions about sunscreen. Too many people view it as a chore to be done only when going to the beach, or playing tennis. They expect it to be greasy and heavy and gross. They think that a sunburn is the only price they will pay for overexposure, or that all sun protection products are interchangeable. That’s just not the case.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT SUN PROTECTION?

I want everyone to understand that sun protection is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle, and that it can be easily integrated into a daily routine. The sun is there every day… you should protect yourself every day.

The team at MDSolarSciences, led by CEO Renee Plato, carries on the vision of Dr Friedman. Visit our sunscreen page to learn more about our incredible formulas and texture, it is truly SPF you will want to wear every day and everywhere!