PD Dr. Epameinondas Gousopoulos, MD-PhD, is a plastic surgeon, a scientist and the co-founder and R&D Director of IRÄYE Skincare, a skincare brand built around the lymphatic system of the skin. In this interview, first published in February 2025, he talks about the patient encounter that shaped his path into medicine, how he explains lymphatic skincare, his evening wellness ritual, how he sees the link between inner health and outer appearance, and what he values in a brand collaboration such as Sanbera x IRÄYE.
Key takeaways from the interview
- Quality of life is his priority as a doctor: a burns patient he met as a medical student in Santos, Brazil, shaped his career decisions.
- He describes IRÄYE’s approach as activating the skin’s lymphatic system rather than only neutralising damaging substances.
- Wellness, for him, means time offline, without distraction, dedicated to the needs of body and spirit.
- His evening ritual takes 7–10 minutes: a full IRÄYE routine with a short lymphatic massage, followed by Sanbera Nightly Reload Men.
- He sees outer appearance as a mirror of our emotions and mental state, and believes everyone needs a way to manage stress.
- In a collaboration, he values trust, honesty, transparency and generosity most.
Who is PD Dr. Epameinondas Gousopoulos?
At Sanbera, we like to celebrate collaborations that share our view of wellness and innovation. PD Dr. Epameinondas Gousopoulos, MD-PhD, is a plastic surgeon, scientist and co-founder of IRÄYE Skincare, where he is R&D Director and connects scientific research with skincare. In this conversation he shares his journey, his view of science-driven wellness, the collaboration between Sanbera and IRÄYE, and how he balances a demanding professional life with his own wellbeing. His answers below are printed in his own words; obvious spelling errors have been corrected.
The moment that shaped his path into medicine
Q: What’s one defining moment in your life that shaped your journey into medicine and science?
The moment, when I did realise what inspires me as medical doctor was during the time I spent as undergraduate student in a collaborating hospital in Santos, Brazil. A patient that survived a severe gas explosion with multiple burn injuries was treated there; when I asked him how he deals with the results of the injury and the multiple surgeries over many years following the injury, his response was a catalyst: “living or dying is one topic; living without quality of life is much worse, as it deprives you from being yourself”. That was engraved in my brain and heart forever and paved my decisions regarding my professional life. Providing quality of life is still my priority as a medical doctor and particularly as plastic surgeon. And science is the tool to create innovation, advancing our ability to serve our patients.
If he were not a plastic surgeon
Q: If you weren’t a plastic surgeon and skincare innovator, what career path do you think you’d have pursued?
It is a difficult question – I think my main criterion would have been a job with ample social contact. I very much like the social aspect of medicine, as well as the ability we have to support people when they are facing a difficult situation. I believe my alternative would have been the engagement in the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) sector, a field of engagement that can create measurable impact in our society.
A surprising fact about him
Q: What’s a surprising fact about you that most people wouldn’t guess?
Despite being appearing always organized, my spikes of creativity come in moments of an “organized chaos”!
What is lymphatic skincare?
Q: Lymphatic care is central to IRÄYE’s philosophy. If you could simplify it for someone entirely new to the concept, how would you explain its importance?
I would say the following: there is skincare and there is IRÄYE. All products available include actives that aim to neutralize the damaging substances that normal skin function, ageing and UV exposure generate. IRÄYE does have such actives as well, but our proprietary technology, the Lymphactive™ Complex, activates the lymphatic system of our skin to actively remove these substances, instead of simply neutralizing them. This is a game-changer, as it allows our skin to maximize its regenerative potential and provides the most sustainable method to maintain skin health.
Bridging science and everyday skincare
Q: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in bridging science and consumer-friendly skincare?
The way to educate the consumer and explain the tremendous benefits of lymphatic activation, in a simple and tangible manner. I have concluded that regardless how one explains scientific concepts or the medical applications, the message is immediately noticeable when you are able to see a measurable effect with your own eyes. This is why I consider the demonstration of before-and-after pictures as the cornerstone of education and the ultimate way to address the tremendous effect of lymphatic activation.
Q: If you could collaborate with any scientist or innovator in history, who would it be and why?
My focus would have been a collaboration that helps augment and multiply the effect of the IRÄYE technology. I am quite intrigued by the innovation in the field of gender medicine and I would be excited to study in depth how gender-specific differences affect skincare efficacy.
His wellness philosophy and evening ritual
Q: What does wellness mean to you on a personal level, beyond your work?
Time-off to take care of myself and slow down. Time strictly offline, without distraction – time dedicated to my deepest needs; both for my spirit and body.
Q: Do you have a daily non-negotiable wellness or skincare ritual?
I use skincare daily, both in the morning and in the evening. My mornings are usually fast-moving and minimalistic, given I usually wake up around 5am. But my evening ritual includes a full IRÄYE program, where I do practise a short massage technique to stimulate my lymphatic system, followed by the Sanbera Nightly Reload Men. The 7-10 minutes I dedicate to myself every evening are a small treat and a reminder that we need to take care of ourselves if we want to keep up a demanding professional life.
For context: Nightly Reload Men is taken as three tablets in the evening and provides vitamin C and eight B vitamins, plus acerola, red grape and caffeine-free green tea extract. The daily dose contains, for example, vitamin C 64.7 mg (81 % NRV), riboflavin 1.05 mg (75 % NRV), niacin 8 mg (50 % NRV), biotin 25 µg (50 % NRV), vitamin B6 0.7 mg (50 % NRV), folic acid 100 µg (50 % NRV) and vitamin B12 1.88 µg (75 % NRV). Riboflavin, niacin and biotin contribute to the maintenance of normal skin, vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of the skin, and vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12 contribute to the normal function of the immune system. Taking it in the evening is a matter of routine. How it differs from the morning formula is explained in our article on Daily Essentials vs Nightly Reloads.
Inner health and outer beauty
Q: How do you see the relationship between inner health and outer beauty evolving in the future?
The two elements are tightly related. I believe our outer appearance is the mirror of our emotions and mental health state. We all experience ups and downs, successes and disappointments; it is critical though to manage to remain inspired and motivated in our daily lives. Each one of us needs a mechanism to combat stress and heal - when we succeed in this, we do shine!
Nutrition is one part of that inner side. Our guide to the best vitamins for your skin explains which nutrients have an authorised role in maintaining normal skin, and our article on vitamins for stress and mental wellbeing looks at what nutrition can and cannot do when life gets demanding.
Sanbera x IRÄYE: what he values in a collaboration
Q: What excites you the most about the collaboration between Sanbera and IRÄYE?
The fundamental common qualities our brands share: highest quality of Swiss-made products, representatives of sustainable luxury, proven efficacy.
Q: If you could design a dream product blending Sanbera’s expertise and Iraye’s innovation, what would it look like?
I would love to combine lymphatic skincare with lymphatic activating supplements. A holistic approach of lymphatic activation to support the natural detoxification system of our body.
This answer describes his idea for a product that does not exist. Sanbera’s formulas are food supplements; they are not designed to activate the lymphatic system or to detoxify the body.
Q: As a scientist and entrepreneur, what do you value most in a brand collaboration?
I see collaborations as a way to create value together. The foundation of a collaboration is having a common purpose and commit to it. A lot of further qualities are extremely important but if I would have to pick only the most important for me, I would say: trust, honesty, transparency, and generosity.
The future of skincare and wellness
Q: What’s one scientific breakthrough or trend you’re excited about for the future of wellness or skincare?
True innovation is rare in skincare and usually relates to the usage of new actives rather than the development of a new approach or methodology. IRÄYE is a bright exception here – bringing the first skincare line to activate the lymphatic system topically has been seen as the epitome of novelty. What I am very interested to see is the further development of the “inside-out” approach to skin health.
Q: How do you see your work at IRÄYE evolving in the next five years?
We are the first brand to address the lymphatic system in skincare. We currently achieve this with our proprietary natural plant extract-based technology, which is an efficient and highly effective approach. The inclusion of “mechanobiological aspects” presents a topic we closely monitor: tools that support the mechanical activation of our lymphatic system, acting synergistically with the Lymphactive™ Complex to maximize the obtained effect.
His advice for making wellness a priority
Q: If you could give our readers one piece of advice for making wellness a priority in the new year, what would it be?
Wellness is the time you consciously dedicate to your wellbeing – the little luxury you are entitled to provide yourself to compensate your body and mind. Invest in taking care of yourself more often and you will see the return on this investment.
A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Epameinondas Gousopoulos for sharing his journey and his wellness philosophy with us. For another surgeon’s view on recovery and self-care, read our interview on pre- and post-operative care with Prof. Jian Farhadi, and for a movement perspective, meet ballet and Pilates coach Caroline Germann.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Dr. Epameinondas Gousopoulos?
PD Dr. Epameinondas Gousopoulos, MD-PhD, is a plastic surgeon and scientist. He is co-founder and R&D Director of IRÄYE Skincare, a skincare brand that focuses on the lymphatic system of the skin. In this interview from February 2025 he says that providing quality of life is his priority as a doctor and that science is the tool for innovation.
What is IRÄYE Skincare?
IRÄYE Skincare is the skincare brand Dr. Gousopoulos co-founded and where he leads research and development. In his words, its proprietary Lymphactive™ Complex, based on natural plant extracts, is designed to activate the lymphatic system of the skin so that damaging substances are removed rather than only neutralised. At the time of this interview, IRÄYE and Sanbera were collaborating as partner brands.
What does lymphatic skincare mean?
Lymphatic skincare, as Dr. Gousopoulos explains it, aims to work with the skin’s lymphatic system. Most skincare uses actives to neutralise damaging substances created by normal skin function, ageing and UV exposure; IRÄYE adds technology intended to activate lymphatic drainage of those substances. He also uses a short self-massage technique in his evening routine.
What is Dr. Gousopoulos’ evening wellness routine?
His mornings are fast and minimal because he usually wakes up around 5am. In the evening he takes 7 to 10 minutes for a full IRÄYE skincare routine with a short massage technique for the lymphatic system, followed by Sanbera Nightly Reload Men. He sees these minutes as a small treat and a reminder to look after himself.
What is his advice for making wellness a priority?
Dr. Gousopoulos describes wellness as time you consciously dedicate to your wellbeing, a small luxury you allow yourself to compensate body and mind. His advice is to invest in taking care of yourself more often, because you will see the return on that investment. For him, that includes time strictly offline, without distraction.
This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.