About Us
WIMJ is a community where we help each other get better skin. We are on a quest to find products, treatments and routines that actually work. We want to buy skincare that helps our skin and solves our skin concerns, and not just smells nice.
We have an AI-helper in the community - it is the WIMJ algorithm (we call it Wimjee). As of now, Wimjee knows more than 40 000 skincare products in detail. Wimjee can recognize product claims, and assess how likely the product is to deliver on them. Wimjee bases her assessment on the formulation details declared by the product. Wimjee can also estimate the chances that a product will irritate your skin.
Wimjee itself does not have a skin though. This is why we rely on each other to share our experiences with skincare in this community. We ask and answer each other's questions, discuss skincare routines and share reviews. We also have the support of an amazing dermatologist - Dr. Sandy Skotnicki - to help navigate the most difficult topics.
You might be wondering: what is in for the team that builds and maintains this website? It's simple - we want to build the best place online for people to get help with any cosmetic skin concerns. Like Google for skincare, only with a heart and dermatological expertise. We would like to be able to earn a living while doing this, but for now this project is bootstrapped and we are not covering our costs. If you have an idea about how we can make this project sustainable without compromising our mission, please shoot us a message at [email protected].
Meet the Team
Maria Semykoz
Co-founder, algorithm design
Maria Semykoz is a science communicator who focuses on empowering skincare consumers with evidence-based knowledge in cosmetic dermatology. With a background in applied statistics and business advisory, Maria combines her expertise with her passion for skincare to distil practical information from dermatological papers, clinical trial reports, safety assessment studies, and insights from the cosmetic industry's marketing and business decision-making practices. As the founder of WIMJ, Maria's primary role is to communicate fact-based information to skincare consumers. She bridges the gap between scientific research and everyday skincare routines, while actively countering misleading beauty industry marketing narratives.
Stefan Hesse
Co-founder, technology
Stefan Hesse is a computer scientist and ML engineer at WIMJ. His mission is to equip skincare consumers with evidence-based knowledge using technology. Working closely with Dr. Sandy Skotnicki and Maria Semykoz, Stefan develops WIMJ's product evaluation algorithms and skincare advice systems. He is passionate about transparency and aims to combat the beauty industry marketing practices that exploit consumers' insecurities and pray on their trust. Stefan believes in leveraging technology to make factual information accessible to millions of skincare consumers worldwide.
Dr. Sandy Skotnicki
Dermatology advisor
Dr. Sandy Skonticki is the founder of Toronto's Bay Dermatology Centre and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, specializing in Dermatology and Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Toronto. She is the author of the bestseller "Beyond Soap." In this book, Dr. Skotnicki demystifies the claims made by commonly used beauty products, providing readers with a sensible and practical approach to skincare. Dr. Skotnicki sees WIMJ as the tech-powered extension of her mission. Through this platform, she aims to help people appreciate and respect the natural power of their skin to self-regulate, fight environmental damage and act as armor that protects the body from infection.