Dr. Muneeb Shah, TikTok’s most followed dermatologist with over 18 million followers on the platform, launches his new skincare line Remedy on March 19. The brand targets Gen Z and millennial consumers by addressing their top skin concerns at an affordable price point between $16 and $38.

Shah has opted for a standalone brand rather than a licensing model utilized by other influencers. “If I turned around and launched a $70 product or $100 product or a $200 product, we’d sell it, and maybe it would even be easier to sell because we would have better margins, but it would be disingenuous,” Shah has told Business of Fashion, adding that his “audience would see right through it.”

Remedy focuses on the “skinimalism” trend of streamlined routines, a shift from multi-step regimens. “I started to get more and more feedback from my audience where they’re like, ‘Well, I just bought seven products from The Ordinary because I need all these ingredients to solve my problems. But how do I layer these products?’,” Shah explains.

The initial launch highlights active ingredients like retinol, kojic acid, and mandelic acid to treat concerns such as dark spots, large pores, and dry lips. TikTok’s top derm estimates his followers are 80% female and 20% male.

Rather than pursuing influencer partnerships which have ended for some like Hyram Yarbro and Addison Rae, Shah takes the dermatologist-owned brand route proven more sustainable with recent acquisitions like Dr. Dennis Gross by Shiseido.

“I was presented with a lot of different models – incubation models, licensing models. I ended up not going that direction,” he says. The brand has one anonymous angel investor.

While in talks with retailers, Shah is developing future products targeting hair loss and dark circles based on audience feedback. His goal is for Remedy to outgrow its attachment to his personal brand within three to five years. 

It is important to him that his products are not considered part of an “influencer brand,” especially due to potential disruptions in TikTok’s operations with the latest U.S. ban affair.

“Hopefully, people think ‘Remedy’ and they don’t think ‘Dr. Shah.’ That would be a goal for me three to five years from now. If it’s still me that’s driving the brand, then I don’t think we’ve been successful solving people’s problems.”