Burnout breakthroughs from our CEO

Burnout is not dramatic. Most of the time, it is quiet. It looks like waking up already tired, forgetting the last time you had a slow morning, and realizing your skin has started reflecting what your calendar has been saying for months.

For many women in high-pressure careers, that feeling is not rare—it is normal. Recent data shows that women report burnout at higher rates than men, especially in leadership or high-visibility roles. They juggle intense workloads, emotional labor, and the invisible pressure to “hold it all together,” often at the cost of their well-being.

That reality is a big part of Veriphy’s story, too. Our CEO did not build a clean biotech brand from a place of endless free time and perfect balance. She built it in the middle of deadlines, travel, and the kind of responsibility that can make even basic self-care feel optional. In this Burnout Breakthroughs conversation, she shares what she learned about protecting her energy—and her skin—when life refused to slow down.

The moment burnout showed up in the mirror

Burnout rarely announces itself with a single dramatic event. It shows up in small ways. For our CEO, it was the realization that her skin looked permanently “on airplane mode.” Dull, dehydrated, reactive—and no longer bouncing back after late nights.

Her days were packed with meetings, business decisions, and the pressure of leading a brand she deeply believed in. Her nights were filled with more work, more screens, and less sleep than she was willing to admit. Skincare slowly became a chore she resented. Some nights she skipped it entirely; other nights she overcompensated with too many steps that left her barrier more confused than cared for.

The turning point was not a single panic attack or dramatic collapse.

It was catching her reflection before a big presentation and realizing her skin looked the way she felt: overworked, under-resourced, and running on fumes.

From performance to protection

Like many ambitious women, she had been measuring herself in output. How much she could take on, how much she could deliver, how often she could say yes. Her skincare routine quietly mirrored that mindset. If a three-step routine was good, maybe a ten-step routine was better. But there is a problem with treating skin like a performance metric. It turns a moment that should restore you into one more thing you can “fail.”

So she decided to flip the script.

Instead of asking, “How can I do more for my skin?” she started asking, “How can my routine do more for me?” That meant simplifying. It meant choosing formulas that were not just “clean,” but clinically backed and high-performing enough to earn their place on the shelf. It also meant anchoring her routine to a different north star: protection, not perfection.

Better aging, not anti-aging.

Three rituals that protect both barrier and energy

Everyone’s life looks different, but three rituals stood out as non-negotiables for her.

They might feel familiar in your own story, too.

1. A five-minute, no-negotiation night routine* Her old routine was elaborate and inconsistent. Her new one is short, repeatable, and built around barriers and energy. Most nights look like this: cleanse, Power Trip Serum, hydrating moisturizer, eye cream, bed. No scrolling between steps, no extra decisions. Power Trip’s gentle Lactic Acid and PhytoSpherix® combination handles texture and tone while she rests. Her job is just to show up for the ritual.
2. A single “screen-off” checkpoint*. Burnout thrives in uninterrupted stimulation. So she adds one small speed bump. At least once per day—often while applying skincare—she puts her phone face down in another room. For five minutes, her only task is water on skin, serum on fingertips, breathing. It is not a full digital detox. It is a tiny, consistent interruption of the always-on loop. That rhythm tells her nervous system, “You are allowed to pause.” Over time, that matters as much as any active in a formula.
3. A kinder script in the mirror*. Burnout can make your inner monologue ruthless. Every fine line becomes proof of exhaustion, every breakout a reason to criticize yourself. Our CEO decided that had to shift if she wanted true magnetic confidence. Her rule now: she cannot say anything to her reflection that she would not say to a close friend. That means celebrating small improvements. Noticing when her barrier looks less angry, when her skin feels more hydrated, when she looks more like herself again. It also means accepting that some days will be puffy, dull, or stressed. Her worth does not swing with her skin, even if her mood sometimes tries to.

You do the inner work, we’ll do the outer work

None of these rituals erase the realities of high-pressure careers or complex lives. They do not magically fix systemic burnout on their own. But they are a start. They are proof that caring for your skin does not have to be complicated, punishing, or performative.

At Veriphy, that is why the products are built the way they are. Clean, vegan, cruelty-free formulas powered by PhytoSpherix® so your skin can get real support in very little time.

You do the inner work—setting boundaries, advocating for yourself, resting when you can. We will do the outer work—hydrating, brightening, and supporting your barrier so you look like you again when you step into the room.

Burnout may be part of our cultural moment. But so is a new kind of confidence. One that is rooted in energy, not exhaustion. In better aging, not self-erasure.

If you are in a high-pressure season, you are not alone. And you do not have to choose between your ambition and your well-being.

• Explore the routine that supports your glow while you protect your energy.