From Psoriasis to Phoilex: Sarina Pilaroscia's Entrepreneurial Journey

When Sarina Pilaroscia’s father received a doctor’s dismissive diagnosis of lifelong psoriasis with a directive to “just keep using steroids,” it ignited a spark. Unwilling to accept this as the final answer for her father’s severe, head-to-toe condition, Sarina embarked on a mission that would eventually transform a family struggle into Phoilex, a Toronto-based skincare company offering steroid-free, plant-based solutions for eczema, psoriasis, and hypersensitive skin. Her journey, chronicled on the Starter Girlz Podcast, offers powerful lessons on persistence, innovation, and turning personal challenges into a purpose-driven enterprise.

A Daughter's Mission: Challenging the Status Quo

Sarina grew up witnessing her father’s intense battle with psoriasis, a condition that deeply affected his physical and mental well-being. Coupled with her own milder experience with eczema, she instinctively gravitated towards natural products, learning early ways to manage her skin without medicine. As her father’s condition worsened into his later years, and conventional medical advice offered no new hope, Sarina’s frustration grew. She recounts a pivotal moment when a doctor’s response to her father's worsening skin, amidst other health conditions, was simply, “you have psoriasis, it’s a lifelong condition, just keep using steroids.” This answer, she explains, “drew me on this spiral path of, I hate that answer, I’m not happy with this doctor, and I want to get another opinion.”

Recognizing that her father’s generation often accepted a doctor’s word as final, Sarina refused to let it go. She started exploring alternatives, initially with natural balms that offered some soothing but little relief for severe cases. This led her down a “rabbit hole” of self-education, delving into skin conditions and ingredients, and ultimately shaping her holistic perspective that skin health is intricately linked to internal well-being, including liver, gut, and mental health. This “inside out approach” became a core philosophy for Phoilex.

Navigating Topical Steroid Withdrawal and Holistic Care

A critical discovery in Sarina’s research was Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW). Initially, her father used Phoilex products alongside his prescribed steroids, seeing a reduction in flare-ups and pain. When he finally felt ready to stop the steroids, he experienced a severe rebound flare. This alarming reaction led Sarina to understand TSW, realizing millions globally suffer similar side effects from abrupt steroid cessation. This experience profoundly shaped Phoilex's mission.

I’m not against Western medicine. I think that like, especially if you want to talk about somebody like my dad, like if you are severe, you got to do what you got to do, but we have to like, I believe that you can bring in these more holistic things and begin starting a new path for yourself.

Sarina emphasizes that Phoilex is not anti-Western medicine, but rather advocates for a combined approach, integrating holistic care to potentially reduce reliance on conventional treatments. Phoilex’s offerings, including a clinically proven steroid-free topical product and a supplement targeting sleep, stress, and liver detoxification, embody this inside-out healing philosophy. This approach aims to address the root causes of inflammation and help individuals navigate their conditions with fewer adverse side effects, recognizing that mental health is also deeply intertwined with skin conditions.

Building a Skincare Brand from Scratch: The Entrepreneurial Gauntlet

Sarina’s journey from idea to established brand was far from straightforward. She began with extensive self-research, creating a detailed “free from list” of desired and undesired ingredients. When approaching existing labs, she felt her vision for a medical-grade, purpose-driven brand was misunderstood, treated “like another cosmetic brand.” Undeterred, and with mentorship, she made a bold decision.

I think I’ve got to just hire my own chemist. I’ve got to do this from scratch.

This led to establishing a small in-house research and development lab, allowing Phoilex to own its formulation process entirely. Self-funding the venture meant slower progress, with tasks taking a year instead of months. Regulatory hurdles, such as securing Health Canada approval for a clinical trial, added another year and a half of waiting, testing her patience. Navigating cross-border CBD regulations in the U.S. also presented significant challenges. Despite these obstacles, Sarina’s belief in her mission propelled her forward, culminating in Phoilex's official launch in Q3 2024 and securing distribution with Ulta Beauty.

The Plant Meets Science Philosophy: Beyond 'Natural'