About this episode

Carmine Montalto interviews chemist Angel Olavarria about the science behind skincare and the challenges of building a brand focused on formulation over marketing hype.

In this episode of The Skincarma Pod , Carmine sits down with Angel Olavarria — chemist, founder, and formulator behind Strive Skin — for a candid, deeply nerdy conversation about what actually makes skincare work. Angel didn’t enter beauty as a marketer chasing trends. He started as a DIY enthusiast reverse-engineering expensive vitamin C serums in his kitchen, eventually turning thousands of hours of experimentation into a science-led brand built on restraint, transparency, and real-world performance. Together, Carmine and Angel unpack: Why many men’s skincare brands underdose actives — or avoid listing concentrations altogether; The truth about retinaldehyde vs. retinol (and why Angel built a formula around it); Why niacinamide, alpha arbutin, and urea deserve more respect; The myth of “collagen serums” and what actually stimulates collagen; Whether glycolic acid is overrated for anti-aging; Why sensory experience can “buy time” for results-driven actives to work; The psychological — not just biological — differences in how men approach skincare; And, what it’s really like to launch and bootstrap a science-driven skincare brand in today’s volatile market. Angel also shares the…

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