Oddity launches telemedicine skincare platform Methodiq
Advertising for the Methodiq brand.
Courtesy: Methodiq
Parent company of Il Makiage curiosity With its new brand Methodiq, the company is entering medical skin care, with which the online retailer wants to compete Him and help fix what it called a “broken medical care system.”
Methodiq, four years in the making and launched on Tuesday, is a telehealth platform that will offer 28 new products, including creams, supplements and cosmetics, to treat acne, hyperpigmentation and eczema. The range is a mix of prescription and over-the-counter items, ranging in price from about $29 to about $59.
Methodiq combines Oddity’s investments in biotechnology, AI-based computational imaging and digital retail. This will allow the company to capture part of the emerging medical skin care market, which is expected to reach $113 billion this year, according to Research and Markets.
Methodiq products.
Courtesy: Methodiq
The company’s expansion into medical skin care is aimed squarely at Hims, which offers popular anti-acne medications and other prescriptions through a telehealth platform. The launch signals that Oddity could move deeper into healthcare in the future.
“We have these 60 million users on our platform. We know a lot about them. About half of them suffer from a combination of acne, eczema or hyperpigmentation. Many of them, of course, we already serve with Il Makiage complexion products or foundation concealers. We’ve never had the opportunity before … to actually treat the condition,” said Lindsay Drucker Mann, Oddity’s chief financial officer. “So dermatology is an obvious starting point for us. From there, there are many other medical areas we can expand into.”
Oddity, which will report third-quarter 2025 results on Wednesday, did not include Methodiq in its revenue forecasts for 2025 or 2026, primarily because the company expects the revenue to represent only a small portion of total sales, Drucker Mann said. However, she said the brand has “tremendous sales potential in the future,” particularly if Methodiq expands beyond just medical skin care.
She pointed to Hims’ goal of reaching $6.5 billion in annual revenue by 2030, saying it shows “the magnitude of what can be achieved with a successful telehealth platform.”
Still, the strategy is not without challenges. Pharmaceutical products are heavily regulated, the industry is becoming increasingly competitive and customer trust is difficult to gain.
Additionally, telehealth platforms can be difficult to scale securely. In March, the Wall Street Journal published an investigation into Hims that showed some patients experienced serious side effects after taking the company’s hair loss drugs. Most patients said they did not know the medications could cause these side effects, while others felt they had not been adequately warned.
The publication noted that unlike drugmakers, telehealth companies are not required to disclose side effects and other risks in advertising.
How Methodiq works
Oddity’s investments in computational imaging and biotechnology come to life in Methodiq.
In 2021, the company acquired Voyage81, an AI-based deep-tech computational imaging startup co-founded by the former head of research and development of one of the Israel Defense Forces’ elite technological units. Two years later, the company acquired biotech startup Revela and founded Oddity Labs. The unit is working to use artificial intelligence to develop brand new molecules that can be used in its cosmetic brands and future lines.
Voyage81’s imaging capabilities and Oddity Labs’ new molecules are both part of the Methodiq platform.
When consumers sign up for Methodiq, they enter information about their skin concerns and undergo a facial scan, which maps their face and determines what, if any, concerns they have. A doctor then reviews the information and recommends a series of products that are given to patients at regular intervals in a “kit.”
The kits can include widely used standard acne medications such as the oral antibiotic doxycycline, but also new approaches to anti-acne creams.
Methodiq products.
Courtesy: Methodiq
For example, Methodiq’s Clindalaq product contains tretinoin, a prescription topical retinoid used to treat acne and other skin problems, but also a mix of other ingredients intended to make it more attractive to consumers than the standard creams prescribed by doctors. It contains hydrocortisone to alleviate the side effects associated with strong retinols, as well as aloe vera extract and vitamin E to make the product more hydrating.
CNBC tested the product at Oddity’s New York headquarters earlier this month and found that both the texture and smell were different from the generic tretinoin cream available in pharmacies. While the generic was white and sticky, the Clindalaq was smooth and melted into the skin without leaving any visible residue. It also had no medicinal smell.
“We are able to deliver these very powerful acne-fighting ingredients, but in a formulation that is tolerated and can help actively combat side effects,” said Alex Kaplan, vice president of product development at Methodiq. “What we can offer is a true beauty experience in a prescription formula.”
Expanding access to dermatology
Oddity is expanding into medical skin care, in part because many people need it but don’t always have access to a dermatologist, creating a significant market opportunity.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne affects at least 50 million Americans and nearly one in ten suffers from the most common form of eczema, atopic dermatitis. However, according to a 2018 study published in JAMA Dermatology, more than 60% of U.S. states have no dermatologist at all.
Methodiq aims to meet this need by providing access to healthcare professionals and products that address common skin problems. Methodiq CEO Tom Amsterdam said a doctor will review each patient intake, recommend products and then stay in contact with the patient throughout the treatment period.
Although the platform is not set up for video or voice telehealth sessions between patients and doctors, patients can stay in touch with their doctor through a chat feature, keeping them updated on their progress and adjusting their treatment plan if necessary.
All doctors will be based in the U.S., but not all of them will be board-certified in dermatology, Amsterdam said.
Dr. Amy Wechsler, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City who is not affiliated with Methodiq, said having a broad range of physicians on staff prescribing treatments can help improve access to health care.
“In many parts of the country, patients do not have easy access to a dermatologist, which is why pediatricians, internists and other health care providers step in to prescribe treatments for acne, hyperpigmentation and eczema,” Wechsler said in an email to CNBC. “This can be safe as long as the doctor is knowledgeable about the medications they are prescribing, including proper use, possible side effects, and when a patient should be referred to a dermatologist.”
