The Cheap Hack To Transform Your Skin | Active Skin Repair's Justin Gardner

Summary

Podcast Summary: “The Cheap Hack To Transform Your Skin | Active Skin Repair's Justin Gardner”

Podcast: Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark
Host: Alex Clark (Turning Point USA)
Guest: Justin Gardner, Founder of Active Skin Repair
Date: March 24, 2026
Theme: Exploring how modern, non-toxic remedies—especially the hypochlorous acid in Active Skin Repair—are replacing outdated, chemical-laden products for healing and supporting skin health.

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Episode Overview

This engaging episode takes a nostalgic and critical look at staple first-aid products, particularly Neosporin, and contrasts them with recent scientific advances in topical wound care. Alex Clark is joined by Justin Gardner, a veteran of the medical device industry, who discusses the breakthrough behind Active Skin Repair: hypochlorous acid, a molecule naturally produced by white blood cells. The conversation dispels myths about traditional ointments, explains the value of clean alternatives, and offers both scientific and practical insights for families, moms, and anyone interested in safer, more effective skin care.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Problems with Traditional Topical Antibiotics (Neosporin)

• Synthetic Antibiotics & Petroleum Base: Neosporin uses synthetic antibiotics and is petroleum-based.
• Allergy & Hormone Disruption: Up to 20% of people are allergic to its ingredients; petroleum can be a hormone disruptor.
  • “Up to 20% of people have an allergic reaction to the ingredients to the synthetic antibiotics.” – Justin Gardner [00:09, 02:26]
• Disrupts Skin Microbiome: Overuse can foster bacterial resistance and harms good bacteria on the skin.
• No Impact on Inflammation: Neglects the role of inflammation in wound healing.

2. The Magic of Hypochlorous Acid

• What Is It? A molecule our own white blood cells produce to fight infection and support healing.
  • “Your body’s natural immune response is to send white blood cells to that injury…inside the white blood cells is a molecule called hypochlorous acid.” – Justin Gardner [07:05]
• How It Works: Selective antimicrobial properties—kills bad bacteria, viruses, fungi, but spares beneficial skin flora [05:03].
• Hospital-Grade Ingredient: Previously reserved for surgical and hospital settings; now made accessible to consumers.

3. Why Active Skin Repair Stands Out

• Stable, Medical-Grade Formulation: Not all hypochlorous acid sprays are equal; pH matters.
  • “To get the best effects from hypochlorous acid, you want it to be at a certain parts per million, so a very certain percentage…stay around a 5 to 7 pH.” – Justin Gardner [13:06]
• Certification & Testing: Employs rigorous manufacturing and EWG verification to guarantee purity, stability, and safety [25:04–25:51].
• Shelf Stability: Two-year shelf life with proper pH—ensure an expiration date is listed [33:08–34:10].

4. Real-World Applications and Benefits

• Wound Healing: Cuts, scrapes, chronic wounds.
• Pediatric Uses: Neonatal ICUs, diaper rash, sensitive skin—proven safety and efficacy for all ages:
  • “It works amazing on pediatric skin issues. We actually use it in neonatal ICUs.” – Justin Gardner [23:15]
• Cosmetic & Dermatological Use: Acne, eczema, sunburn, bug bites, chapped skin, razor burn, even around eyes, ears, mouth.
• Pet Care: Safe for animals—no risk if licked, helps with skin and eye issues [35:55].
• Versatility: Referenced as the “WD-40 or Windex of skin repair” [16:13].

5. The Problem of “Greenwashing” in the Wellness Industry

• “Natural” ≠ “Safe” or “Non-Toxic”: Importance of scientific—and not just marketing—standards for non-toxic labeling [25:04–25:51].
• Third-Party Verification: EWG ratings and ingredient transparency [25:27–25:51].
  • “EWG scientists just eat up all your ingredients…If you can see that EWG verified mark…you know it’s gone through that scientific rigor.” – Justin Gardner [25:51]

6. Industry Innovations and Product Line Extensions

• Hydrogel & Spray: Different formats for varied needs.
• Hydrating Serum: High-quality hyaluronic acid as a companion product.
• Sunscreen: Mineral-based, EWG-verified sunscreen launching soon [38:46–39:19].
• Customer Praise: Over 5,000 5-star reviews on Amazon for Active Skin Repair [34:28].

7. Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “We joke it's the WD-40 of skin repair…you can just put it on everything.” – Justin Gardner [16:13]
• “If you don’t need to put [petroleum] on your skin, on your kid’s body, it’s a good thing to avoid.” – Justin Gardner [03:09]
• “If you’re using it for things like cuts and scrapes…you might not be using an antimicrobial, which really could be risky.” – Justin Gardner [15:45]
• “This is just one of those great products you can feel really safe about using, but also knowing there’s efficacy. It’s not just a balm—there’s actually something that is working here.” – Justin Gardner [23:15]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:26: Neosporin’s history, drawbacks, and the search for alternatives
• 03:05–05:29: Hormone disruption, importance of avoiding petroleum, impact on the skin’s microbiome
• 06:36–07:49: Introduction to hypochlorous acid and how it mimics the body’s natural healing
• 08:00–09:16: Origin of Active Skin Repair, hospital adoption, and making it accessible
• 11:08–12:18: Real-life healing outcomes (surfing, wounds, sunburns, bug bites)
• 13:06–15:45: The need for correct formulation and risks of cosmetic knockoffs
• 16:13–17:12: Hypochlorous acid as an all-around skin remedy; analogy to “WD-40” and “Windex”
• 23:03–24:19: Use in pediatric cases and neonatal ICUs, with specifics on diaper rash
• 25:04–25:51: Navigating “clean” vs. truly non-toxic products; EWG verification
• 32:10–33:08: Formulation challenges—why hypochlorous acid can’t be in all formats
• 33:08–34:10: Importance of shelf stability and expiration dating
• 34:28–35:26: Unusual uses, reviews, and efficacy anecdotes
• 35:55–36:27: Pet-safe applications
• 36:39–37:15: If you replace one thing: toss Neosporin for safer options
• 38:46–39:19: New sunscreen products and continued innovation

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Actionable Insights & Takeaways

• Ditch Outdated Ointments: Neosporin is outdated, potentially harmful, and unnecessary given safer, effective alternatives.
• Check Formulation and Verification: Don’t trust any hypochlorous spray—look for medical-grade pH, concentration, and third-party certification.
• First-Line Therapy: For acute and chronic skin issues in both children and adults, hypochlorous acid is safe, effective, and free from toxins.
• Great for Families & Kids: Especially valuable for the sensitive skin of babies, children, and even pets.
• Broader Impact: Part of a bigger movement to “heal culture” by modernizing our medicine cabinets and focusing on whole foods and non-toxic lifestyles.

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Final Remedy for “Healing Culture”

Justin’s Advice:
“Eat whole foods. The things that we put in our body matter so much, both inside and topically.” [39:28]

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For more information:

• Active Skin Repair: activeskinrepair.com (code: ALEX for 20% off)
• Follow: @ActiveSkinRepair on Instagram

“This is Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark. New expert guests every Monday and Thursday!”

Transcript

[Alex Clark]

As a 90s kid, anytime that we got hurt or scraped up, we were told, you gotta put Neosporin on it. What do we know now about a product like Neosporin that we didn't know then?

[Justin Gardner]

It uses synthetic antibiotics, it's petroleum based, and up to 20% of people have an allergic reaction to the ingredients to the synthetic antibiotics. It can be a hormone disruptor, I think is one of the big things. If you don't need to put that on your body, on your skin, on your kid's body, it's a good thing to avoid.

[Alex Clark]

It's by far one of the coolest things that I keep under my sink. Why are we still putting 1950s petroleum based antibiotic ointment on our kids? Cuts. I'm serious. Every time someone gets a scrape, we reach for something that was formulated decades ago that contains one of the most common contact allergens, disrupts the skin microbiome, and doesn't even address inflammation. Meanwhile, hospitals have been using a molecule for years that your body literally makes on its own to fight infection, bacteria, and heal wounds. And most people have, have never even heard of it. It's quickly becoming a silent threat in the beauty industry because of what it also does for acne. Joining me is Justin Gardner, founder of Active Skin Repair. Justin has spent over 20 years in the medical space working alongside hospitals and doctors on regenerative technologies. He's founded and sold multiple companies and helped bring more than 50 medical products to market. But when he discovered hypochlorous acid, a molecule produced by our own white blood cells to fight infection and support healing, he dropped everything to focus on making it accessible to people. Watch this episode on the real Alex Clark YouTube channel or culture Apothecary on Spotify. Please take a sec and leave a five star review for the show. Tell me the episode that you still can't stop thinking about. Please welcome Justin Gardner, founder of Active Skin Repair to culture apothecary. As a 90s kid, which is what I am, most of my audience is, anytime that we got hurt or scraped up, we were told you got to put Neosporin on it. What do we know now about a product like Neosporin that we didn't know then?

[Justin Gardner]

It uses synthetic antibiotics, it's petroleum based, and up to 20% of people have an allergic reaction to the ingredients to the synthetic antibiotics.

[Alex Clark]

When we use antibiotics on things that don't necessarily need them, what does that do to us?

[Justin Gardner]

Well, it can create a, a resistance, a bacterial resistance, but it's also just not necessary A lot of the times, I mean, with our product, we use a natural occurring molecule, hypochlorous acid. So you're getting all of that antimicrobial power. You're getting the ability to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi without having to use synthetic antibiotics, without having to risk that allergic reaction.

[Alex Clark]

What would be the downside of using products that have petroleum in them?

[Justin Gardner]

There's a lot of research now coming out on petroleum. And that it can be a hormone disruptor, I think, is one of the big things. It's not that I think it creates a huge health risk, but it's one of those things that if you can avoid, why not? At active skin repair, we have a liquid and a hydrogel. So that you get a hydrogel, you get that ointment feel, you can get that moisturization that you're looking without having to use of petroleum. So it's one of those things that I just. If you don't need to put that on your body, on your skin, on your kid's body, it's a good thing to avoid.

[Alex Clark]

Yeah, and I didn't really know any of that. I mean, I grew up in a Neosporin household. That's all we used. I had no idea that there were alternatives at all. And I had no idea that that was just slathering on more chemicals in an open wound and you're basically just allowing those chemicals to just enter your bloodstream.

[Justin Gardner]

I grew up with Neosporin too. We just didn't know at that time. And it was at that it was produced by Johnson and Johnson. Right. And so a multi billion dollar corporation with a lot of money to push out, you know, a lot of marketing messages around the product. And that's just what we defaulted to. I mean, I also grew up eating Fruit Loops and I would never, never feed my daughter Fruit Loops.

[Alex Clark]

Now there's also this ingredient called Neomycin in Neosporin. And I guess it's what you're talking about, which is one of the top allergens in the United States. So what is happening on kids that when we're putting that on their cuts, what's happening to.

[Justin Gardner]

They're actually getting a skin allergic reaction. In fact, you'll. If you talk to just about any dermatologist now, they'll tell you do not use Neosporin. They never recommend it after any type of procedure because of that high rate of allergic reaction to that neomycin. It's 20%, up to 20% of people have an allergic reaction to that ingredient. So it's just one of those that you really roll the dice that you could actually be creating more harm than you're doing good.

[Alex Clark]

What happens to our skin microbiome when we are constantly putting antibiotics on it?

[Justin Gardner]

When you're using really like harsh antisept. Right. Let's take like an alcohol, a peroxide, any of those. They're antibacterial and they're killing the bacteria, but they're also killing the good bacteria. Right. And so it can really throw off your skin microbiome with like a molecule, hypochlorous acid. What's really cool is it's actually selective so it's able to kill the bad bacteria without hurting the good bacteria.

[Alex Clark]

Do you think that most people when they're shopping down like the medicine aisle or the. Or the first aid aisle at Target know any of this?

[Justin Gardner]

No, I don't. I think we're all becoming as a society much more educated, having to take on. I think that's what you do great is being able to inform your followers on things that they might not know. If you're into the health and wellness community, I think, you know, you have to go out there and do your own research. So I think it started a lot in clean beauty, right. And I think a lot of people started to look at the cosmetics and the moisturizers and all these chemicals that they were putting on their body. And now I think, you know, when you're talking about a product like ours, active skin repair, where you're putting it into open skin, man, you don't want to be putting any harsh chemicals that you don't want to. And especially we get used a lot in the pediatric skin conditions also on little kids like just being able to be more cognizant of what you're putting on and around sensitive areas too.

[Alex Clark]

What would be a non toxic or clean ingredient alternative to petroleum based ointment?

[Justin Gardner]

Active skin repair is a. Or hydrogel would be a great alternative. It's got that same ointment feel to it. I also think manuka honey is really good too. So I. Manuka is if you get a medical grade topical manuka that is a antibacterial as well. So I think both of those provide really good options.

[Alex Clark]

And the main ingredient that's in active skin repair is this thing called hypochlorous acid. So. So what the heck is that in plain English? I mean it sounds like bleach.

[Justin Gardner]

Yeah, it doesn't sound great, but it's is actually the same molecule our white blood cells are producing. So the Simplest way to put it is if you get cut, scraped, any type of skin damage, your body's natural immune response is to send white blood cells to that injury. And inside the white blood cells is a molecule called hypochlorous acid. And so it's your body's natural mechanism to fight off any foreign pathogens, so to fight off any bacteria, viruses, fungi. And it's also your body's natural way to help reduce the inflammatory response from that injury that that condition. And so what we're able to do at active skin repair is replicate that same molecule. So you're applying topically the same way that your immune system's working internally.

[Alex Clark]

And you've worked with hospitals for over 20 years, right?

[Justin Gardner]

Yes, I have. Yeah.

[Alex Clark]

So when did you start noticing that hospitals were actually using hypochlorous acid in their settings?

[Justin Gardner]

So, previous to this, I owned an agency, and we've focus primarily in regenerative medicine products, and we help companies launch products into the hospital space. A lot of times there are really expensive biologic products like dermal engineered skin tissues for surgical procedures. If somebody has, like, if they're vascularly compromised, it could work there. And so this company, this medical device company came to me and they said, we want to launch this technology called hypochlorous acid into the hospital. And I said, great. And like always, I started to reading all the clinical evidence around it and reading the medical research, and I was like, this is so cool. This technology is amazing. And long story short, they said, oh, we really just want to focus on the hospital side, but we do have FDA clearance to be used over the counter. And the light bulb just went off in my head. And at that point, I was already taking samples, bringing in on all my surf trips and all my outdoor adventures, and just watched it kind of take off with my friends as well. And I said, I. I want to build a company around this. And that was about 10 years ago. We licensed the same medical grade formulation, same process that was being used in these surgical procedures in the hospitals, and just made it available to consumers over the counter.

[Alex Clark]

My mom is a chronic worrier and not about normal things. Her main obsession in life is parking. If we're going somewhere together, she immediately asks, what's the parking situation? Straight to parking logistics. Like, she's planning D day. One time I told her to pick me up at a hotel valet. She goes, goes, okay, but what do I do if someone starts honking at me? I said, mom, you keep driving. That's the whole system. And the best Part is, she doesn't even have to be there to worry about parking. None of this is fake. This year I told her that I was going to the Phoenix Symphony for New Year's Eve across the country from her. I live in Arizona. She lives in Indiana. Her only question was, well, where will you park? I had her meet me at the Governor's Mansion for an event recently in Indiana. She said, do you think our car is safe in this parking lot? Could someone break in? I said, mom, if someone is breaking into cars at the Governor's Mansion, this state has bigger issues than we real realize. I love her, but the woman runs on anxiety and iced tea. Which is why I told her she's got to start drinking Taylor Duke's Wellness Electrolytes because hydration actually matters way more than people realize. Taylor Duke's Wellness Electrolytes go beyond what water can do alone with the ideal ratio of sodium, magnesium, and potassium to support real hydration. And it's calming. Geez, Louise, stop functioning like you're on fight or flight all the time. They're made with unrefined sea salt, organic coconut water powder, and real fruit juice powder. No artificial flavors, no weird additives, no sugar alcohols. There's lime, grapefruit, strawberry lemonade, mango, orange, and lemon tea. Plus they contain more magnesium than most electrolyte mixes, which help support energy, brain power, and can help reduce headaches and cravings. Perfect for travel workouts, late nights, or recovering from your mother asking about parking for the 900th time. If you want clean hydration that actually works, try Taylor Dukes Wellness Electrolytes at Taylor Dukes wellness.com code Alex Clark. For 10 off, that's taylordukes wellness.com code Alex Clark. Sorry, mom. That's so cool. So wait, you're a surfer?

[Justin Gardner]

I am, yeah.

[Alex Clark]

So I'm just guessing you've probably had some gnarly, like, cuts and scrapes and surf injuries in that sense. So have you, like, noticed active skin repair and just using hypochlorous acid be really helpful compared to other things that you used in the past if you're

[Justin Gardner]

a surfer, especially if you're surfing in tropics and stuff like that. Staph infections are real. If you get cut on reef, it can get really bad. And so this was a product that we'd always take with us, and that was kind of the origin of it. If you go back 10 years ago when I was single and kidless at the time, and I'd surf a lot more, that's where we were using A lot. At the beginning we actually got the World Surf League, so the professional league took on the product in their medical tent. So they were using it on all the pro surfers as well if they ever got injured. So yeah, that was kind of the origin of it. But what was so funny is it also works amazing on things like bug bites and sunburns and stuff like that. And so that's where you really kind of watched people go, oh my God, like I got sunburned. And now, you know, I spray this on and the inflammation just comes down and it's just not nearly as bad. Or same thing with bug bites, they go away quicker, they don't itch as fast.

[Alex Clark]

It's by far one of the coolest things that I keep under my sink. And I mean my audience knows that I, I have had like horrific colds where my nose is, is, is chapped from blowing my nose. I just, I went through this a week ago and I'm spraying that, I'm like putting all these lotions and creams on and stuff. And then I realize I'm like, oh, I have active skin repair. I start doing that. It's like healed in, in a day. Dropped a knife blade down on my foot while cooking. My whole little sock filled with blood. That was awful. Used active skin repair that healed right up. Like it, it is just miraculous what this stuff does. And what's interesting is, is so there are, so there are multiple products that are hypochlorous acid products that are on the market. Right. But you say there's a difference between the products, that it has a lot to do with pH.

[Justin Gardner]

It does, yes. And it's been really cool to watch. Launched active skin repair about 10 years ago. We were really one of the first hypochlorous acids that you could buy over the counter. It was being adopted into the hospital side of things in the professional setting, but really hadn't been. Consumers just didn't know what the molecule was. So there is a lot of education now. It's become really popular and it's actually become really popular in a cosmetic side of things. So people using it as a facial spray post workout especially it works well with acne prone skin. It can kill p. Acne. So it's gotten a lot of traction, traction there. But what you find is there is a big difference in formulations. And so a lot of these cosmetic brands that are coming out, they don't have to go through a very stringent manufacturing process. They don't really have anything proprietary about their formulation. And what you don't get is a really stabilized hypochlorous. And so to get the best effects from hypochlorous acid, you want it to be at a certain parts per million, so a very certain percentage of hypochlorous. And then you want it to stay around a 5 to 7 ph. And what happens if you don't have a stabilized hypochlorous is it can drop down below that 5 pH, and that can actually become irritating. And a lot of times the hypochlorous just diminishes very quickly. And so you don't even have an active ingredient in there anymore. And so you're not getting the efficacy that you would from a medical grade formulation.

[Alex Clark]

So what happens if the ph shifts and it becomes hypochlorite? What does that do?

[Justin Gardner]

Well, it can become irritating to the skin. You wouldn't want it to shift to become a hypochlorite.

[Alex Clark]

So how many brands do you think are getting that wrong?

[Justin Gardner]

So we have our own internal research and development department. And every time now there's become so many that has come out in the cosmetic space. One is it's very easy also to come out in the cosmetic. You can use a contract manufacturer. The regulations aren't that tight. You're not having to really test your formulation. So for us, because we get used in the hospital side, every time we release any product, whether it's over the counter or into the hospital, we test it to make sure it's the right parts per million, the right pH, and we know it's gonna stay there for two years. A lot the cosmetic brands just don't have those regulations that they have to do. And what we have found is a lot of times another great example is the molecule's really finicky, so you can't recipe it with other ingredients. And every time we've tested any with added ingredients, there's no active hypochlorous in it. So it's just essentially water.

[Alex Clark]

Whoa. So that could be like a huge scam that, you know, people could find it in like, you know, in an Ulta or a Sephora, whatever, some product that says hypogloros acid, you just don't necessarily know.

[Justin Gardner]

You don't know. And that's a, you know, if you're using it just as a facial spray, not a huge deal. If it's not active. I mean, you want to buy something that works, right? But if you're using it for, you know, things like cuts and scrapes, anything open skin Then you might not be using an antimicrobial, which, you know, really could be risky.

[Alex Clark]

So hypochlorous acid is kind of like the beauty ingredient that is being completely overlooked right now.

[Justin Gardner]

I kind of likened it to hyaluronic acid, you know, that had its day and it went, you know, became really popular and now you see it in everything. I think hypochlorous acid is definitely riding its wave right now. Anytime you can harness the human body, Right. And utilize what the power of our own body is such a cool way to. And when you're talking about bacterial inflammation issues, think about how many skin issues deal with bacteria or inflammation. We get people who use it all the time on things like atop dermatitis with like an eczema because you're getting those flare up from eczema. And a lot of times that's a bacterial issue, it's an inflammation issue. So we just joke it's the WD40A skin repair. Because you can just put it on everything. Or if you've My Big Fat Greek Wedding, it's the Windex of that. Right. It just works on everything.

[Alex Clark]

No, literally, that's the perfect way to put it. And I mean it makes sense. Like if this is an ingredient that is so great for wound healing, it makes sense to me that this would be a bomb ingredient to use for acne.

[Justin Gardner]

Yeah. And I'll be honest, 10 years ago, when we were using it in like the worst of the worst wounds, a lot of the diabetic wounds, and, and that's how it was being. Never did. I think you know where this is going to catch on as a facial spray for acne. But it, it's non toxic. Right. So you don't. It's PH balanced. It's an amazing way to keep your skin clean and clear without having to use toxic and acceptance.

[Alex Clark]

Can we talk about cereal mascots for a second? Because when you look at them as an adult, it's honestly a little unsettling. You've got a rabbit committ theft, a leprechaun hiding from children who are essentially stalking him for marshmallows, a tiger screaming like he hasn't slept in 72 hours, and a bird having a full psychological breakdown over chocolate puffs. I think the reason those cereals needed cartoon animals screaming at you in the first place is because the ingredients are basically a lab experiment. Most cereals, even the ones pretending to be healthy with words like multigrain or a heart health sticker on the box, are full of synthetic pesticides refined Sugar, artificial dyes and ultra processed junk designed for big food to make big profits. Profits. So I buy Lovebird cereal. I keep so much on hand because it's my boyfriend's favorite snack with a 2 whole milk when he comes over or raw milk. It was started by a dad who left his big food job to make real cereal for his daughter. Think of it like your childhood cereal, went to therapy, cleaned up its life and started listening to culture apothecary. Gosh, I hope so. Lovebird removes the fake stuff, the pesticide soaked grains and all that sugar and instead uses organic whole food ingredients like prebiotic fiber, rich cassava from regenerative farms and honey for sweetness. Everything is third party tested. They donate 20% of profits to fight childhood cancer and they're 100 family owned and independent. I'm friends with the owner Parker and Parker will help K through 12 schools swap junk cereal for organic cereal at the same price. And so many of you have already gotten your kids schools to switch. If you want to do that, go to lovebirdfoods.com use code ALEX20 for 20 off your purchase. That's lovebirdfoods.com code ALEX20 for 20 off off. Simon, have you ever read the picture of Dorian Gray?

[Justin Gardner]

No.

[Alex Clark]

Well, you should, because it's about this guy who stays young and beautiful while hidden in a picture. And then that picture is slowly rotting in the attic. It's absorbing all the consequences of his lifestyle. My type. That's my type. Honestly, that's kind of how most modern homes work. You've got this like perfect Instagram aesthetic. Neutral couches, little throw blankets. Everything looks calm, but meanwhile the air quality inside the house is basically the portrait in the attic of Dorian Gray. Synthetic fragrances, weird chemical cleaning products, candles that smell like frosted sugar. Poop butt Magoo. The vibe is cozy, but the ingredients are what nightmares are made of. That's why I love natural sloth beeswax candles. They're made safe, certified, which means they're rigorously tested to make sure they're free from harmful chemicals. They're made with pure beeswax and wooden wicks, so when you light them you get this really soothing little crackling sound. And they burn clean and long. They're also handmade in Texas, small batch from a veteran owned company that's, that's obsessed with transparency. And everything is scented with pure essential oils. No synthetic fragrances, no toxic ingredients, no weird hormone disruptors floating around your living room. Natural sloth also makes soaps and room sprays, all with organic Ingredients for safer homes. Go to naturalslop.com use code Alex for 15 off. That's naturalsloth.com code Alex for 15 off. What does the Cleveland Clinic say about hypochlorous ac acid?

[Justin Gardner]

You know, it's a great article. If you go and you google the Cleveland Clinic hypochlorous acid and I think it just talks to one. The molecule has been incredibly well studied. I think there's well over 100 peer reviewed medical journals on the molecule. So this isn't just me saying it. You can go type into PubMed and do a bunch of research and go down that rabbit hole of mechanism of action and all the things. It has the same safety profile as saline solution. So you can spray it around eyes, ears, mouth. It's got a great safety profile, but then it works on all these different things. And the article kind of goes on to explain from acne to eczema to cuts and scrapes and all these different areas that it can be used on.

[Alex Clark]

So this one ingredient kills. Is it 99% of bacteria, fungi, viruses?

[Justin Gardner]

Yep.

[Alex Clark]

Is there a catch? Like, is there any risk, is there a side effect or anything to this that we should know about or like it really is just that pure and good.

[Justin Gardner]

One formulation does matter. So you want to make sure, sure that you're using it where it's within that right PH range. Because if it does get outside that PH range then I think there is a little risk there. It's also being used a lot in hard surface and you can actually buy at home generators to clean your countertops and stuff like that. And it works great as a disinfectant like that, but you never want to put that on your skin. So the molecule is an amazing molecule, but it needs to be in a stabilized formulation. So I would say say formulation's really important that you're using something that has been formulated to be used on skin, but it's innate to the immune system. So there is no, you know, we have no reported adverse events. We've sold this to over a million customers now and not one adverse event reported. Right. So it's just one of those that it is incredibly safe. I always say too, especially when you're talking about like fungus or some bacterial issues can be really tricky. And I say, you know, it might not work like it doesn't work 100% of the time, sometimes you might have to try another type of ointment. But it's amazing first line therapy because there's no risk to it before you start to Slather steroids on. Right. This is a great one to say, hey, maybe this can actually help my problem without having to go get a, you know, expensive prescription that's going to probably be using toxic materials.

[Alex Clark]

And that's a huge thing. Especially I know so many moms with, you know, babies that are struggling with eczema and stuff like that and active skin repair. I mean, is there an age range like you need to be this old to use it or anyone can, Anyone can.

[Justin Gardner]

Again, you come back to that same safety profile as saline solution. So it works amazing. On pediatric skin issues. We actually use it in neonatal ICUs. Right. So I mean, as early as, you know, life conception, it can, it can be used. The thing about pediatric and baby skin issues too is a lot of times they're in really sensitive area, you know, diaper rashes and stuff like that, eczema and all these those things that you just want to be so careful what you're putting on your baby, obviously. And so this is just a one of those great products that you can feel really safe about using, but also knowing that there's efficacy, it's not just a bomb. Right. There's actually something that is working here as an antimicrobial.

[Alex Clark]

My audience has been like singing its praises for diaper rash. I mean, just like you would not believe the situation we were dealing with. Active skin repair completely cleared it up within a matter of a couple days. And nothing else worked. Like they, they are like, this is my number one baby shower gift to give somebody. Do you hear that a lot?

[Justin Gardner]

Yeah, more and more.

[Alex Clark]

Yeah.

[Justin Gardner]

You know, when we started 10 years ago, when we were doing a lot in professional sports and stuff like that, it was all the moms who were like, you shouldn't be selling to athletes. Sell to the moms. And we're catching on. But we get amazing reviews there. The thing about diaper rash too, that's a bacterial issue, that's creating the rash. Right. And so it also works great preventatively. It kills 99.9% of bacteria within 15 seconds. So what we always say is spray it on, on, just let it sit for about 15 seconds, then you know, the molecule's gone to work. And then you can still apply any bombs or you know, if you're using like a zinc, you can still apply that after you apply our product. So you can still keep using. What you're using is just an additional

[Alex Clark]

tool to have what makes something truly non toxic versus just marketed as clean.

[Justin Gardner]

For us, we actually go through certification. So we send ours off to a lab, our hypochlorous acid formulation, to certify that it was non toxic. What we've been doing is we've been coming out with new products as well because I think there can be greenwashing. Right. Like just to say that it's non toxic also doesn't necessarily mean that it's free from bad ingredients.

[Alex Clark]

Oh, yeah, well, they'll say it's natural. The word natural is everywhere. That means nothing.

[Justin Gardner]

Yeah. So I mean, you definitely want non toxic. But what we've been doing with our products is putting it through a certification called the EWG verification program. So EWG's environmental working group, they go in and rate all the ingredients that we're using in our skincare products.

[Alex Clark]

What ratings do they give you?

[Justin Gardner]

Ours is A1 on hypochlorous acid. But then we're a medical device. So they're not doing medical devices through ewg. But for all of the new, we've come out with a hydrating serum, a sunscreen, a lip balm, and we're putting all of those through EWG verification program. And EWG scientists just eat up all your ingredients like they make you do all the lab reports. So what I think that really does is if you can see that EWG verified mark on a product, you know that it's gone through that rigor, that scientific rigor to know that those are clean, non toxic ingredients. That program's an amazing. And EWG just as a, as a resource to go in and type these ingredients into their database and see where they come up. Because a lot, I mean, I'm blown away all the time, we will look up ingredients that we're putting on our daughter and you're like, whoa, that was a four or five, right? Like you don't want to go outside. I would say everybody wants to stay within the 1 to 3 on the skincare of ratings through EWG.

[Alex Clark]

I didn't even know this existed. You have face and body hydrating serum?

[Justin Gardner]

Yep.

[Alex Clark]

Does this have hypochlorous acid in it?

[Justin Gardner]

No, it doesn't. And we would love to get it in there. But again, like I said, the molecule is so finicky, every time we try and recipe it and our research team does that, we lose that stability that we need.

[Alex Clark]

So what's special about this?

[Justin Gardner]

This is a imported hyaluronic acid from Italy. So it's a really high quality hyaluronic acid. And why we wanted to come out with a hyaluronic acid product is because when you use hypochlorous, what can happen is it can be a little drying and especially if you're using it on things like eczema and stuff like that. So what we wanted to do was have a product that could be complimentary and so you can use this with it, with it. So hypochlorous acid, like our spray would go first and then you apply the

[Alex Clark]

hydrating serum and that won't make it not work. Mixing it with this?

[Justin Gardner]

No, you just want to wait 15 seconds, molecule goes to work, and then you can apply it.

[Alex Clark]

Okay, that's a good tip. 15 seconds.

[Justin Gardner]

Yep.

[Alex Clark]

Okay. I'm obsessed with this because I have bone dry skin. So, yeah, I do like to use that, but it is drying by itself. I definitely always want to put lotion on or something after, so I want to try it with hyaluronic acid.

[Justin Gardner]

One of the things that we tried to do here when we formulated this and decided how to market it is, you know, we probably should have done a little two ounce bottle for, you know, $100. But we wanted to make it digestible from a price point and at a volume that you could use on your entire body. So especially because a lot of our customers are using hypochlorous acid for these kind of more chronic skin conditions. So we wanted something. And what you get is a, you know, a lot of hyaluronic acid, a really high quality, all clean ingredients, all EWG verified. So you can, you know, feel okay if you're using it on your body and not just your face.

[Alex Clark]

When I was a young warthog. No, when I was in Southern California recently, I booked California Mobile Acupuncture to come to my hotel room. And I'm not exaggerating, this woman comes in crystal and in 45 minutes, I had cosmetic acupuncture on my face, red light therapy, a foot reflexology massage, acupuncture and a face mask. I'm telling you, this woman is wearing Wizard. Well, not actually because she's a Christian, but seriously, I walked out of that session feeling like my entire nervous system had been reset. And what I love about California Mobile Acupuncture and Arizona Mobile Acupuncture, because you can do it in either state, is that they focus on something really important. Restore before you intervene. A lot of women get rushed straight into high intervention fertility treatments when sometimes the body just needs regulation and restoration first. Their treatments can help regulate hormones, improve circulation, reduce anxiety and cortisol, support ovarian and uterine health, and improve sleep. They also work alongside napro physicians and help women dealing with pcos, pms, painful or irregular cycles, and they support pregnancy and postpartum recovery, too. A few of you that listen have gotten pregnant after starting getting acupuncture with California Mobile Acupuncture. The best part is they can come to your home or your hotel. It is completely private and designed around your schedule. So if you live in California or Arizona, or even if you're just visiting one of those states, you should book a session. Your whole family can go. Even kids. Yes, kids can benefit from acupuncture. Crystal was on my show. She told this whole story about how a client of hers had a kid that drowned in a pool. They were in a coma. She went to the hospital. She started doing acupuncture on him. He finally woke up. You will never sleep better, especially if you're dealing with jet lag. If you're in California or Arizona and in your fertility era, mention my name, Alex Clark when you book and you'll get $50 off your first in home visit. This is for men, women and kids. Call or text 657-329-7301 or visit California mobile acu.com or Arizona mobile acu.com call or text 657-732-97301 or visit California mobile accu.com or Arizona mobile accuacu.com and mention Alex Clark or Culture Apothecary when you book. I have a confession. I actually hate beef sticks. I know that people really love them. You know, road trip, snack, gym snack, whatever. But to me, most bee sticks taste like a leathery shoe. They're dry. They're weirdly chewy. Half the time you feel like you're eating something that was discovered in a Civil War ration kit. And that's why it shocked me even that the only beef sticks that I've ever liked are from Paleo Valley. I was like, you know what? I probably won't like these. And I loved them. In fact, I brought a bunch of them on a trip with friends recently, and I didn't even have to ask them to try them because they were begging me. They're like, hey, do you have those Paleo Valley sticks that you always talk about? Because they've heard me rave about them. They wanted to try. Every single person had the same reaction. They were like, wait, these are completely different from every other beef steak I've ever had. What's going on here? And I was like, I know. That's why I like them. The texture is really soft. So it's not jerky like that's because Paleo Valley does something that no one else else does. Their 100 grass fed beef sticks are naturally fermented instead of preserved with weird additives. So that fermentation process not only makes them taste better, it's better for your gut health. The beef is 100 grass fed and grass finished, raised by family farmers here in the US and the sticks are made with organic spices, zero junk ingredients. So if you think that you hate beef sticks like I did, you might just hate bad beef sticks. Head to paleo valley.com use code Alex for 15 off. That's paleoval.com code Alex for 15 off. So you've got in a gel version and a spray version, just the pure hypochlorous acid. Will there ever be a time that it can be in a cream or a lotion version?

[Justin Gardner]

You get the question all the time. We are trying, I don't want to say our PhD on our team who is the, the kind of works on the formulation side, he's just brilliant. And so I, I do trust that if somebody's going to make this breakthrough, we're going to make the breakthrough. We also get a lot of can you make it in a smaller size? Like do you have a 1 ounce spray?

[Alex Clark]

Oh yeah.

[Justin Gardner]

The reason why we can't do do that is again, the molecule so finicky that when you reduce the plastic to hyperchlorisis ratio it destabilizes the molecule. So again we're just kind of. And even the plastic that you use has got to be this very specific plastic. So there's just so many constraints that you don't get with normal cosmetic ingredients.

[Alex Clark]

This is crazy stuff. You're like a mad scientist over here.

[Justin Gardner]

I don't know about that. Just mad.

[Alex Clark]

Yeah, just crazy. Is shelf stability something that consumers should be worried about when it comes to this?

[Justin Gardner]

Absolutely. What I would say too is one of the quickest things I can look at when I see a hypochlorous acid product. If you go into like a silver or something, does it have a expiration date on it? Does it have a lot number on it?

[Alex Clark]

Yeah. And yours do?

[Justin Gardner]

Yes. And so that tells me right away that somebody at least has sophistication to know and how they formulate what their expiration date is. Sometimes they'll just be a six month expiration, which isn't great. We have a two year shelf life. So we know from day one to day 720 that our product is going to work exactly how we tested it and say it works. So you have a full two years on that with an expiration date on the back. Some of them that just don't really understand the formulation, product, it might come off their line fine and be, you know, a 5.5 ph with 120 parts per million. That's great. And then three months later, the hyperchloris is just, you know, not even existent in there. And so it does shelf, shelf life absolutely does matter.

[Alex Clark]

This one ingredient is like a miracle for diaper rash. And it's completely all natural, non toxic. I don't think a lot of moms know that this exists. What are some of the other crazy purposes that you have heard of people using active skin repair? Hypochlorous acid and it's healing it. And you're like, I never even would have thought about that. But that's amazing.

[Justin Gardner]

If you go on Amazon, I always tell people this too is go look at our reviews. And there's well over 5,000 five star reviews now. But if you go read some of the ways that people are using, I'm like, ooh, that's not good. But they got great results. And so we've heard some crazy stuff. It works great in sensitive areas too. So things like razor burn, people use it on any type of thing. That's a bacterial issue. You can use it around your eyes, ears and mouth, which is really good. Especially in the wintertime. You're getting like those cold sores and the chap lips and stuff like that. You're saying with the nose thing too. Our daughter gets that as well. And it works great to kind of help that, that chase skin.

[Alex Clark]

You ever see those kids that have this like perpetual raw red ring around their mouth? Drives me freaking nuts and that, you know, I'm not, I, I'm not a mom yet. So like when I see kids like that, I'm like, oh my gosh, please do something about that. But I know that I'll probably feel different when it's my own kid. But now that I know about active skin repair, I'm like, I bet that helps with that thing.

[Justin Gardner]

It does, yeah. I mean that's the thing that kids are like, they just have hundreds of skin issues all the time, especially babies, right? They're always, you know, do you have hand, foot, mouth, you have baby acne, you can have eczema, you have all the rashes. And then they become kids and they start walking and you know, now you got the cuts and scrapes, now you've got all those, you know, rashes and chafing that are just coming up from being a kid playing outdoors, which we want.

[Alex Clark]

What about, like, pets?

[Justin Gardner]

One thing thing with pets is like a. You never want to put a Neosporin on a dog because a dog will lick. If they have a skin irritation, they'll lick it. So you never want them ingesting a Neosporin with our product completely safe if they're licking it. And so you get it. Again, pets just have a ton of skin issues, right? Especially eye issues. So it's completely safe to use around the eyes. So a lot of the bacterial eye issues with pets, hot spots, all of that stuff, it works in amazing on.

[Alex Clark]

If you had to replace one item in a family's home that's super outdated and toxic and basically is adding nothing to their life. With active skin repair, what product would it be?

[Justin Gardner]

It's just Neosporin. I know we keep coming back to it and it's, you know, it was invented in the 1950s. It's crazy that we're still using it. And it's crazy that, you know, we just kind of whatever our parents used on us, we, you know, kind of accept that and keep using it. And I just love, love more parents to know kind of all the downsides of Neosporin and that there's just better products out there. I mean, I believe our product is, but there's also other ones too. So it just, it would be one of those things that if you can get rid of it, get rid of it.

[Alex Clark]

I told you before we started recording, I can think of three items that I, you know, talk about on the show. They're sponsors of the show. Three products that I have never heard one bad review from my audience on. And I trust me, they let me know if they don't like something or have an issue. You never have. I heard one thing about active skin repair. You guys are consistently in top favorites. Just, just rave reviews. Being like, Alex, thank you so much, you know, for talking about this. I have loved this. This helped my, my, with my kids. Eczema or bug bites in summer or whatever it is, sunburn on. On spring break, like, it has just been tremendous for people's lives. It's been tremendous in my life. And I have been using active skin repair for a very long time before we ever talked about it on the show. So I, I have been a fan for a while. So we' you in the culture apothecary family. Where can people get active skin repair with code?

[Justin Gardner]

Alex, you go to activeskinrepair.com and if they use code Alex they'll get 20% off. So I would definitely go to our website so that they can use your

[Alex Clark]

code because that won't work on Amazon.

[Justin Gardner]

It will not work on Amazon. We are sold on Amazon so you can go to Amazon. The other thing is you can follow us at Active Skin Repair on Instagram. So also great resource to, you know, learn more about our brand and all the things that we're doing. But Definitely go to ActiveSkinrepair.com use code ALEX and higher order 20% off.

[Alex Clark]

We are in spring break season and then you know, before we know it we're going to be in summer. What is with the new sunscreen you have?

[Justin Gardner]

So we have a new hydrating sunscreen that's more of a daily use sunscreen, but we're really excited because we have two new ones coming out right around end of March. So there'll be a water resistant lotion and stick went through the full EWG process which we've been working on these now for a couple years. So we're pretty excited to finally have them fully formulated all the way through the EWG verification process and they'll be coming out this spring.

[Alex Clark]

Are they mineral based?

[Justin Gardner]

They are, yep.

[Alex Clark]

Cool. Okay, I'm going to love that. If you could offer one remedy to heal us at culture, physically, emotionally or spiritually, what would would it be?

[Justin Gardner]

Mine's gotta be really simple. It's just gonna be eat whole foods.

[Alex Clark]

That's great.

[Justin Gardner]

It's one of those that I think we're as a father now. I just the things that we put in our body matter so much, I think, both inside and topically. But just eat whole foods.

[Alex Clark]

Thank you so much Justin for creating Active Skin Repair and coming on Culture Apothecary.

[Justin Gardner]

Well, thank you Alex for having me.

[Alex Clark]

What are the most creative uses you've found for active skin repair? Skin Repair Share in the Cute Servatives Facebook group if you've tried it before and loved it, new episodes come out every Monday and Thursday at 6pm Pacific, 9pm Eastern with new expert guests Anywhere you get your podcasts, find the show on Instagram at Culture Apothecary and me at Real Alex Clark this content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be taken as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any questions or decisions related to your health or medical condition care. I'm Alex Clark and this is Culture Apothecary.