Podcast Summary: The Treatment Room

Episode: More than a moisturizer... introducing Safe-Glace!
Host: Tessa Zolli
Date: September 30, 2025

Overview

This episode marks a significant and personal milestone for host and licensed esthetician Tessa Zolli, as she unveils "SafeGlaze," a midweight, barrier-supportive clinical treatment/moisturizer under her brand Free Skin by Tessa. Tessa provides listeners—especially fellow estheticians and skincare enthusiasts—with an in-depth perspective on her process for creating SafeGlaze, the science behind its formulation (with a deep dive on the unique peptide, acetyl hexapeptide-8), and actionable guidance on integrating this product into morning and nighttime skincare routines.

Episode Breakdown

1. The Vision Behind SafeGlaze

Timestamp: 01:22 – 14:48

• Personal Motivation & Industry Gap:

  • Tessa shares her lifelong fascination with skincare products:
    “Ever since I was little I was obsessed with skincare products. …that was where my love for self care and skincare really started.” (03:11)
  • She stresses the crowded nature of the skincare market and high standards required:
    “If I’m going to introduce product, it really needs to be on par with these major results-driven lines.” (05:38)

• Client Feedback & Product Development:

  • Years of client feedback revealed a common dissatisfaction with moisturizers—either too light and not hydrating enough, or too rich and comedogenic.
  • The “white space”: Clients wanted a rich, lasting, yet acne-safe and non-clogging moisturizer that also supported barrier repair and offered some age-prevention benefits.
  • Tessa’s philosophy on product creation:
    “You want it to be something that improves somebody's everyday life. If it is just gimmicky...people just won’t use it on a daily basis.” (10:44)

• Formulation Standards & Industry Lessons:

  • She emphasizes the challenge of developing a non-clogging, luxurious-feeling moisturizer, noting:
    “I realized this is actually really difficult. …It takes a lot of trial and it takes really holding the product to a certain standard.” (13:01)
  • Advice for aspiring brand founders:
    “Don’t be afraid to be difficult. Stick to your standards, even if it means you have to try again and again and again.” (13:52)
  • Quote from her mentor Jan Marini:
    “I don’t want another product, I want a solution.” (12:09)

2. Science & Superstar Ingredient: Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Timestamp: 18:02 – 29:33

• Peptides 101:

  • Tessa breaks down what peptides are—“short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins… tiny messengers that tell your skin how to behave.” (18:19)

• What Makes Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 ("Chill Peptide") Special:

  • Line-relaxing: It helps relax micro-contractions underneath the skin from facial expressions, thereby softening fine lines (19:45).
    • “These are tiny muscle movements…that can lead to fine lines over time. …by calming these little tiny muscle contractions, this in turn helps to soften expression lines.” (20:04)
  • Neurotransmitter Action: Mimics part of SNAP25 protein and interferes with neurotransmitter release, lessening muscular intensity under the skin.
  • Cellular Youth Activation: Influences microRNA-145, encouraging basal skin cells to behave younger.
    • “By nudging this micro RNA switch, acetyl hexapeptide-8 helps these basal cells to behave in a younger manner. In other words, your skin starts to regenerate more efficiently.” (23:06)
  • Measurable Results:
    • Clinical studies: Skin treated with this peptide “behaved between 13 to 17 years younger” at a cellular level (24:24).
    • Up to 41% decrease in skin roughness and significant boost in radiance after 56 days of use (25:52).
  • “In simple terms, this peptide helps to calm the skin, soften lines, improve the barrier, and provide a radiant glow even without any type of exfoliation.” (26:18)

• Memorable Summary of Peptide's Role:

  1. Line-relaxing (“chill out” muscle contractions)
  2. Inducing youthful skin behavior (improved regeneration and elasticity)
  3. Radiance and texture improvement (even without exfoliation)

3. Naming & Brand Identity Process

Timestamp: 28:35 – 30:32

• How the Name "SafeGlaze" Came to Be:
  • Tessa always includes a hyphen and seeks originality. She combines “Safe” to emphasize acne safety, and “Glaze” (derived from “glacial”) to describe the luxurious consistency and finish.
  • Objective: Create a term and identity that stands out in a sea of cliché product names, targeting the demand for “glossy, dewy” skin effects without using hackneyed descriptors.
  • “I really wanted to almost create a new term—like us glazing ourselves, which implies glowy, dewy, just setting that foundation for flawless glass skin.” (29:45)

4. Integrating SafeGlaze into Skincare Routines

Timestamp: 30:32 – 35:10

• Daytime Routine:

  • Stepwise integration:
    1. Cleanse (recommendations for her own “Undo” or “Low Foam” cleansers; can be cocktailed for a custom texture)
    2. Serum (Eye, face, or lips)
    3. Eye treatment
    4. SafeGlaze as the moisturizing step (one pump for face, two for face/neck/chest)
    5. SPF (SafeGlaze is NOT a sunscreen; apply SPF after it absorbs)
  • Packaging feature: Airless pump (not a jar), based on client feedback about hygiene and dosing accuracy:
    “Feedback I heard over and over again was that you don't want to dig your fingers into jars.” (30:59)

• Nighttime Routine:

  • Double cleanse: Undo (on dry skin) then Low Foam (ensure very wet hands for proper frothing action)
  • Follow with treatment serums (e.g., retinoids, glycolic acid)
  • SafeGlaze as final step (unless using “Lip Slip,” which can go before or after)

• Compatibility:

  • SafeGlaze won’t interfere with mainstream actives—vitamin C, retinoids, acids.
  • Highly encouraged to use it morning AND night for cumulative benefits and to apply it to neck and décolleté for even skin aging.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Motivation for Thorough Formulation:
  “It’s better to be picky and be a little bit difficult…than to just launch something quick and…then you start to lose trust.” (13:44)

• Client-Driven Innovation:
  “All of this feedback, all of your feedback has really shaped every single decision in the making of SafeGlaze.” (09:44)

• What She Hopes For With the Launch:
  “The coolest part of launching product is seeing people interact with it, hearing what they like…please tag me on social media…all of the support and shout outs really mean a lot to me.” (34:02)

Key Timestamps & Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:22 | Introduction to SafeGlaze | | 05:38 | Recognizing marketplace challenges and standards | | 09:44 | Utilizing client feedback for product formulation | | 13:44 | Lessons learned: Picky standards & long-term trust | | 18:19 | What are peptides? Explaining the science | | 20:04 | How acetyl hexapeptide-8 works (“Chill Peptide”) | | 23:06 | Cellular youth activation via microRNA-145 | | 24:24 | Clinical anti-aging results of the peptide | | 26:18 | Summary: Multi-faceted benefits of acetyl hexapeptide-8 | | 29:45 | Naming the product: “SafeGlaze” and branding insights | | 30:32 | Instruction on incorporating SafeGlaze into routines | | 34:02 | Tessa’s call for engagement and ongoing support |

Final Thoughts

Tessa closes the episode with authentic gratitude for her community’s support and excitement for feedback and usage stories. SafeGlaze is now available for order at freeskinbytessa.com, officially launching with this episode.

Tone:
The episode carries an educational, supportive, and candid tone, providing practical wisdom for both skincare professionals and individual consumers. Tessa is transparent about the challenges, driven by client needs, and passionate about intentional product development that stands out as an “elevated everyday essential.”