You Don't Know Joe
Proof in the Product
The business model of Lewis and his business partner, Joe DiNardo, a toxicologist and former vice president of research and development for Revlon, might be unusual, but it's impressively scrupulous. The two invest about two years and up to a half million dollars to prove ingredient safety and effectiveness, then license their wares to top pharmaceutical and beauty companies. Because of this level of rigor, the Joes are known for skin-care ingredients with medical credibility. "We start at the top of the food chain, launch our ingredients within the dermatology community, and use real science to demonstrate real results," says Lewis. "We can't just say, 'This ingredient is the best. It works.' Doctors expect double-blind, third-party, clinical trials. So that's what we do." When the deal's been brokered, Lewis steps out of the picture, and the brand promotes the new product as if it were its own innovation.
Lewis's forte is anti-aging technologies. Two of his three hit ingredients are antioxidants. (They protect the skin from premature aging.) But the notion of slowing down time and preserving the past runs through Lewis's life. He and his wife, Sofi, collect Egyptian antiquities, particularly mummy cases, coffin boards, and afterlife statuary like scarabs. (They've given or loaned several pieces to Atlanta's Michael C. Carlos Museum and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.) Their Richmond, Virginia, home also contains dozens of flat files filled with bugs and butterflies meticulously classified by genus. Even Lewis himself seems remarkably well preserved, his boyish looks and boundless energy belying his age (52) and serious résumé.
