Corrective Makeup Helps Skin Disorders
Written by Mary Welch Sunday, June 27 2010
Snapshot: Lee Graff
Lee Graff, president and co-creator of Cover FX corrective makeup, began her career as a corrective makeup specialist at the CosMedic Clinic at Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada. Graff was dedicated to helping patients with a variety of skin disorders, as well as burns, scars, and discolorations to cover the flaws, which affected their self-esteem and kept them in social isolation. As patients observed the remarkable effects of corrective cosmetics on both their physical and psychological symptoms, Graff saw that they literally came alive again and were ready to face the world with confidence.
As a camouflage specialist at the clinic, Graff experimented with many commercially available products, but was dissatisfied with the results. She wanted to offer her patients products that would be free of irritants and suitable for even the most sensitive, intolerant skins. She wanted products that would offer her patients therapeutic benefits and environmental protection and be able to match each patient’s skin tone with a single shade.
Finding no existing products to meet these standards, Graff created her own line and so began the development of Cover FX. She created Cover FX in conjunction with Dr. Neil Shear, dermatologist, and chemical engineer Jenny Frankel, who is vice president and co-creator of Cover FX.
Graff continues her work at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and has been instrumental in the creation of similar clinics at NYU Medical Centre in New York City, Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich., and Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Cover FX supports many charities and hospitals, which are involved in helping people living with facial deformities.
Womenetics: Tell us about your concealer.
Lee Graff: Conceal FX is our amazing product for spot concealment of dark under-eye circles, brown patches, redness, etc. Launched in July 2009, it has been one of our most popular products in the foundation/concealing category.
Womenetics: How did the business grow?
Graff: Research and development of Cover FX began in a small lab in the dermatology department of Sunnybrook Hospital in 2000. My dream products for my patients were nowhere to be found so the creation of Cover FX began.
Womenetics: What is the secret to concealers?
Graff: Natural looking, long lasting, and perfect shade match on skin.
Womenetics: What should women know about concealers.
Graff: Select the proper shade that looks invisible on the skin but gives you the coverage you are looking for, and use a small amount.
Womenetics: Do you put foundation on and then concealer or the other way around?
Graff: Depends on what you are concealing. Sometimes the “sandwich” technique works best – concealer, foundation, concealer.
Womenetics: The older you get, should you use more or less concealer?
Graff: A highly pigmented concealer means a small amount goes a long way. How problematic the area determines the amount of product.
Womenetics: How do you market yourself against the bigger brands?
Graff: We specialize in healthy skin/healthy makeup. We stick to what we know best.
Womenetics: What is the biggest challenge for someone trying to start her own beauty-based company?
Graff: Source of money (sure to make costly mistakes along the way, everyone does), stay focused, be prepared to work very hard, attract competent people to your company.
Womenetics: Do Canadians look at beauty differently than American women?
Graff: The consumer of today is very savvy – interested in good ingredients and great results.
Womenetics: Tell us about your work in the Canadian hospital.
Graff: To this day, the most gratifying part of what I do is helping people with visible pigment. Changing peoples’ lives for the better is awesome. Selecting the best products and teaching people how to use them and be confident again is the best part of my job.
Womenetics: What are the psychological benefits of your concealer and makeup.
Graff: People change before my very eyes when they feel they have control over something that has been controlling them. Self-esteem and confidence is restored when people feel “normal.”
Womenetics: Do you think enough hospitals look to cosmetics to help their patients?
Graff: We have been instrumental in establishing other CosMedic Clinics in hospitals. However, the need is great and the availability of help in hospitals is limited. There can and should be much more help provided.
Mary Welch is a freelance writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Dawson Times, Plan Your Meeting magazine, and Atlanta Business magazine. Previously, she held many positions with Leader Publishing, including editor-in-chief of Atlanta Woman, editor of Business to Business magazine, and editor of Catalyst magazine. As editor of Business to Business, she assigned, edited, and conceptualized a series that was awarded Silver in the 2005 GAMMA Awards for Best Series. Welch was a reporter for the Atlanta Business Chronicle for eight years and freelanced for publications including Glamour, Advertising Age, South, Georgia Trend, and Oz. From 2000 to 2003, she served as vice president of media relations for Bank of America, during which time she authored Forever Green: A History and Hope of the American Forest with Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell.
