Closing the Gap: How the International Dermal Institute Redefined Skincare

By Jancey Marty 

The International Dermal Institute front desk in Carson, Calif. Oct. 7. Jancey Marty/LMU 

LOS ANGELES, CA, Oct. 15, 2025 – Under the glow of treatment lamps, gloved hands perform custom treatments for their clients. One mixes water into a bowl, turning gritty sand into a silky paste. A woman in grey scrubs uses a fan brush to paint a thin layer of a mask. A man in matching scrubs uses soft pressure to massage their client’s shoulders in a practiced rhythm. A faint citrus scent hangs in the air, and the room is quiet with focus. This sensual room is a class at the International Dermal Institute. 

In a city known for beauty trends, the International Dermal Institute in Carson stands out for its innovative, personalized, and science-driven education and community. Here, estheticians or what they call professional skin therapists, can take a deep dive into skin health – preventative and treatment care. 

Los Angeles is a hub for the booming skincare and wellness industry. With the rise of social media and trends, it seems like more consumers want complex and innovative treatments, performed by well-trained practitioners. There’s a high demand for advanced, ethical, and inclusive education, and IDI has fueled many of the city’s top spas, clinics, and skincare brands. 

 After immigrating to the U.S. in 1983, Jane Wurwand noticed how surface-level the criteria were to become an esthetician compared to what she experienced in the U.K. “They weren’t being taught anything complex or innovative; they were basically giving a glorified face wash,” said Andrea James, an instructor and community manager at IDI. “Back then, the industry was different than what it is today. Licensed estheticians held their knowledge close and behind closed doors, and not many shared insights, feedback, or networked with one another. There was an incredibly large gap in hands-on post-graduate education.” Wurwand started IDI to bridge the gap, educate newly licensed and seasoned professionals, and support their businesses with the tools and the community to thrive and gain success as a PST. 

Any PST can hold value in taking these classes because the principles are skin health, skin physiology, and skin histology. For example, they discuss polisebaceous glands, hair follicles, how different types of acne are caused, and how to treat each type. IDI is also not product specific. Instructors teach about “oil-free” or “gel-based” moisturizers and “foaming cleansers, not specific products. By utilizing hands-on learning and focusing on treatment techniques and ingredients, professionals are able to think critically and apply it to any business. 

A crucial part of classes is an immersive section called, “Give a treatment, get a treatment,” where classmates practice what they have learned on each other. “You catch the small unique moments of what makes a skin treatment special,” says James, “how a skin analysis makes you feel, the pressure used, the temperature of the products, the noise in the room, how it feels, what you like, what you don’t like – you're aware of the senses that make the experience so special and unique.” 

When Wurwand first began teaching, she used products from overseas. There was nothing in the U.S. market that met her professional standards – cruelty-free, no artificial fragrance or mineral oil. To combat this, Wurwand and her husband launched their own product line, Dermalogica, to cater to IDI students and instructors seeking skin-health-based formulas. “I love the story behind the name,” explained James., “Raymond (her husband) asked her what skin was in Latin, and she said ‘derma’, he asked what knowledge or logic was, she said ‘logica’, and so they put it together...they loved how it ended in a vowel.” It was initially for students and instructors, but it has since expanded to regular retail, allowing clients to maintain their skin at home. An analogy they often use is that, even though you visit the dentist, you should still brush your teeth at home.  

The institute’s sister brand, Dermalogica, offers a tiered education pathway that is customized for every student’s journey. “The structure helps push the institution’s mission of continued learning and professional development,” said James. Students begin by completing foundational courses to become Dermalogica certified, then progress to specialists through advanced workshops focusing on treatment techniques, business building, and skin science. The highest achievement, expert status, is earned by completing the full learning pathway and passing a hands-on expert assessment. Earning this status demonstrates advanced knowledge and provides exclusive benefits such as recognition and retail innovation gifts. 

In the 41 years IDI has been open, it has evolved into a global education network with its headquarters in Carson. They also have two flagship stores and learning lofts, one in Santa Monica and another in West Hollywood. The institute has trained countless PSTs, shaping the standards of skincare and nurturing graduates to develop their own practices. Despite Dermalogica’s products gaining worldwide recognition and becoming a best-selling brand in Sephora and Ulta, James emphasized that Dermalogica will always be secondary to IDI., “We’re not a product line with a skin school – we're a skin school with a product line.” 

Sources 

Andrea James, Community Manager at the International Dermal Institute 

Email: Andrea.James@dermalogica.com 

Phone: (310) 900-4000