SKINLAB was born from courage — and conviction.
In the early 1980s, Dr Sabah Obaidi, a pioneering scientist and researcher, migrated to Sydney in the early 1980s during a time when many of the nation’s brightest minds were being silenced. He brought not only his expertise in dermatological science but an unshakeable belief that knowledge should be used to improve lives.
Australia was a new world — diverse, vibrant, and rich with variation in skin tones, lifestyles, and climates. Dr Sabah quickly noticed something no one else was addressing: most cosmetic formulations were made forone standard skin type and climate — and they simply didn’t perform for everyone.
Working alongside renowned dermatologist Professor Andrew Watson and biotechnologists Luis Santiago and Manuel Schwarzkoff, Dr Sabah began developing research projects for leading multinational skincare companies. But over time, he saw the limits of corporate science — innovation driven by marketing trends rather than real
skin needs.
Motivated to create skincare that truly works for everyone, he founded SKINLAB in 1991, an independent skincare brand built on research, ethics, and efficacy. His philosophy was simple yet radical
Every person’s skin is unique — so are our cosmeceuticals. Formulated for your
skin, your climate, your goals, not for fleeting trends.
Dr. Obaidi
By the mid-1990s, as invasive treatments became the industry’s obsession, SKINLAB took its original mission a step further. Dr Sabah chose not to chase trends but to push the boundaries of what non-invasive, topical science could achieve. He believed the skin’s natural intelligence could be guided — not overridden — through advanced biotechnological formulations. His integrity shaped everything that followed.
Years later, Dr Lana Jamil, a young doctor recently trained in cosmetic injectables, faced her own turning point.
“When a 16-year-old girl walked into my clinic requesting an invasive cosmetic procedure, I hesitated. She was beautiful — young, healthy, with no scars or deformities — yet she was convinced she needed to change her face. Something about it didn’t sit right. Instead of agreeing, I sat her down and explained that she didn’t need to alter her features — her natural beauty didn’t require correction. She left relieved, and I left changed.”
- Dr. Lana Jamil
That moment became a turning point. The industry she’d trained for suddenly felt hollow— too focused on perfection, too detached from the people it claimed to help. So she walked away.
Soon after, Dr Lana joined SKINLAB, built on a different philosophy: that beauty should be enhanced, not altered*. At SKINLAB, she found a team of scientists and dermatological experts who shared her belief that skincare should be guided by evidence, ethics, and empathy — not pressure or profit.
Today, SKINLAB’s legacy continues through science, compassion, and generations of expertise — including Dr Sabah’s niece, Professor Zeena Fathily, who continues to teach dermatology at Babylon University and contribute to advancing global skin science. For more than four decades, SKINLAB has remained true to one promise: to create skincare that honours science, respects individuality, and enhances the skin’s natural resilience — without compromise. Because true beauty doesn’t need intervention. It needs understanding.
Integrity in Science. Honesty in Beauty.
