From Botox to chemical peels, the pursuit for ageless skin is endless. But while many
treatments promise perfection, they often miss the mark on what people really want:
a refreshed, natural look.
“It looks flawless, but it doesn’t look natural,” said Tugba Ozdemir, Ph.D., assistant
professor of nanoscience and biomedical engineering at South Dakota Mines, referring to different medical-grade anti-aging treatments. That desire for natural
radiance inspired her creation of InovaSkin—a groundbreaking serum that uses a patent-pending
peptide to draw in the body’s own hyaluronic acid (HA), rejuvenating skin from within.
Earlier this year, Ozdemir’s innovation earned first place and $20,000 at the Governor’s Giant Vision Open Business Plan competition—funding her current space at the David Lust Accelerator Building and the beta launch of InovaSkin. She also received $10,000 from South Dakota’s FAST
Launch program to support market research and startup activities.
Ozdemir spent the summer validating the serum’s results through a customer perception
study and clinical testing. “The serum is enriched with HA-binding peptides as well
as silk fibroin, which is anticipated to increase skin’s natural HA levels and improve
collagen production, ultimately creating a skincare powerhouse,” she said.
Silk, long used in biomedical applications like sutures and bone grafts, is an ideal
ingredient due to its strength, elasticity and compatibility with the body’s healing
rate.
“We want to see if this improves fine lines and wrinkles, and if it’s going to improve
skin texture, especially in aging women,” she said. “If you apply this regularly to
your skin, your body will produce its own HA, and natural HA is much different than
synthetic HA products. We anticipate this serum will provide a natural glow and improve
the skin’s brightness without looking plastic – a new kind of glass-skin.”
InovaSkin stems from her research using HA-binding peptides for wound healing, tissue
regeneration, and prevention of fibrotic capsule building that happens with implants
like pacemakers, joint replacements and breast implants.
Her idea of a skin care product came last summer during a conference trip to Korea,
a hotbed for skin care innovations. While waiting for her flight, she saw a sign promoting
starting your own skin care company.
“I had all this wound healing research that I knew was working,” she said.
Back at Mines, she connected with Beth Lambeth, associate vice president for research,
who introduced her to Merle Symes—now CEO of InovaSkin. She also credits the Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) program, led by Joseph Wright, for coaching and support that helped bring her
vision to life. “The EIR program introduced me to a different side of Mines alumni,
an altruistic community that is willing to go above and beyond to give back to the
school that once was a cradle of growth for them,” Ozdemir said.
The company’s flagship product, InovaSerum, is just the beginning. Plans include a
personalized skincare device with app and advanced formulations for conditions like
acne scars and psoriasis.
“As our product validates itself, we will be hiring Mines graduates and researchers
to create new formulations, continue skin research, and develop advanced personalized
skincare technologies. These are all things I hope one day will be possible,” she
said.
For now, Ozdemir is focused on proving the power of her first product, InovaSerum,
a success that could not only transform the anti-aging market but also redefine what’s
possible when science, passion, and innovation meet in South Dakota.
