Skin Union, a new skin care brand formulated for the visible skin effects of radiation and chemotherapy, is live direct-to-consumer with a three-product ritual — The Wash, The Cream and The Balm — all priced under $30.

The founder is Cathy O'Brien, former CEO of Naturopathica and a veteran of La Mer and Jo Malone, who cofounded The WellSpace for Women and hosts a podcast. She built the brand out of her own cancer experience after receiving an unexpected diagnosis a few years ago.

"I had breast cancer, and it turned out that I did need chemo and radiation," said O'Brien. "What was going on through that entire process was that not a single person talked to me about my skin, not one person."

That gap — no dermatological guidance during oncology treatment — is the commercial premise of the brand. O'Brien's radiologist, who now serves as an advisor to Skin Union, told her that affordable skin care for treatment-related skin damage represents significant unmet demand, particularly for older patients whose collagen loss compounds the damage.

The Formula Architecture

O'Brien cofounded the brand with product developer Kristen Sgarlato, her longtime collaborator from Naturopathica. The origin was practical: during one meeting at Naturopathica, O'Brien described her treatment-related skin problems and asked Sgarlato directly what to use. "Kris, I don't know what to use," Sgarlato recalled O'Brien saying. As the treatments continued, the two turned the question into a development project.

The lineup is deliberately minimal. All formulas are pH-balancing, filler-free and positioned as suitable for all skin types.

The Wash ($23 for 16 ounces) is a sulfate-free full-body cleanser built on aloe vera, sunflower seed oil, glycerin and colloidal oatmeal. The ingredient selection reads as a textbook barrier-preserving cleansing system: colloidal oatmeal is a well-established soothing active for irritated skin, and sunflower seed oil carries linoleic acid for barrier lipid support.

The Cream ($23) is a universal moisturizer featuring a biomimetic barrier repair complex. Its packaging detail matters as much as its chemistry: an easy-open cap designed for treatment-related dexterity challenges — a design constraint most mass moisturizers ignore.

The Balm ($13) is positioned against Vaseline and Aquaphor, a barrier-supporting occlusive for dryness and irritation on body, face and fingernails — the latter a common chemotherapy side effect.

"What we decided to launch was super intentional," said Sgarlato. "Everything about this brand, down to even the color of the packaging, was incredibly intentional. Cathy and I had a lot of conversations around what is needed, what can do the most, and what can go the furthest. We never want anyone to feel like you need this 10-step thing to feel better. You only need one or two products."

Why the Price Point Matters

The sub-$30 architecture is not incidental. Oncology-adjacent skin care has clustered at the top of the market — clinical and prestige brands targeting treatment-damaged skin routinely run well above this range. O'Brien's radiologist advisor explicitly framed affordability as the missing variable in the category.

For formulators and buyers, the brand's positioning signals a template: minimal SKUs, commodity-priced hero ingredients with strong safety profiles (oatmeal, glycerin, sunflower oil, occlusive balms), pH-balanced and filler-free claims, and accessible packaging design. No actives that would raise irritation risk on compromised skin.

For practitioners and oncology-adjacent wellness providers, a three-product, under-$60 total regimen answers a real treatment-menu question: what to recommend when patients ask about skin care and clinical staff have no answer — the exact scenario O'Brien says she encountered throughout her own treatment.

The Distribution Bet

Skin Union launches direct-to-consumer only, with no retail or professional channel announced. That keeps margin structure lean for a purpose-driven startup but limits the pharmacy and clinic reach where oncology patients most often shop.

The next data points to watch: whether Skin Union adds clinical validation or dermatological testing claims, and whether the brand moves beyond DTC into oncology clinics, hospital retail or pharmacy partnerships — the channels where an advisor relationship with a practicing radiologist would carry the most weight.