NI entrepreneur's weight-loss journey puts him into the beauty industry spotlight and onto the wellbeing stage

Press release, 15 September 2026

Marc McKee's ElastiK° Skin announced as NI Health & Wellbeing Show sponsor as the founder, a growing voice in medically supported weight loss, joins its speaker line-up.

Northern Ireland's emerging GLP-1 skincare brand ElastiK° Skin has been announced as a sponsor of this year's Northern Ireland Health & Wellbeing Show, with founder Marc McKee also invited to take to the stage as a growing voice within the medically supported weight-loss community.

Taking place at the Stormont Hotel, Belfast, on 10 October, the Northern Ireland Health & Wellbeing Show, now in its fifth year, brings together organisations, experts and speakers from across the health and wellbeing sector. Marc will take to the stage with ‘What GLP-1 Really Does to Your Skin’, drawing on his lived experience and the conversations taking place within his growing community, rather than offering clinical guidance, to explore the physical and emotional changes that can accompany significant weight loss.

Paul Scott, Event Organiser, Northern Ireland Health & Wellbeing Show, said: “The skin changes that can come with rapid weight loss are something we don’t hear much about. However, the reality - in terms of loss of elasticity, crepey, loose skin - led Marc McKee on a journey he is passionate about sharing. We are delighted to have Marc provide practical insight and honest answers as he speaks on the topic of ‘What GLP-1 Really Does to Your Skin’ on Saturday 10 October at our Health & Wellbeing Show at the Stormont Hotel, Belfast. We expect there will be huge interest in this presentation.”

The invitation comes just months after the launch of ElastiK° Skin in April and as access continues to broaden, with a second oral GLP-1 medication licensed in the UK in August, doubling the number of oral options available in under three months. In Northern Ireland, where 65% of adults are living with obesity or excess weight, the first Regional Obesity Management Service is due to roll out this autumn, giving patients access to weight-loss medication through the health service for the first time.

Following his own nine-stone weight loss, Marc began documenting his experience online and speaking openly about medically supported weight loss. That openness has developed into an online community of more than 450,000 followers and over 100 million organic views, engaging with Marc's lived experience and conversations with healthcare professionals and others navigating similar journeys.

His This Is My Journey podcast has built an audience of more than 28,000 across 102 countries and reached the UK Top 10 in the Apple Podcasts Medicine chart. Season three, which launches in September, features a line-up of clinicians and specialists with a combined audience of more than 17 million.

It was Marc's experience, coupled with concerns repeatedly raised by that community, that led him to establish ElastiK° Skin. Launched to coincide with in-cosmetics Global in Paris, the Northern Ireland brand was developed with the changing needs of skin during significant weight loss in mind.

Marc said: “To have ElastiK° Skin come on board as a sponsor and to be invited to speak at the NI Health & Wellbeing Show means a huge amount to me because it represents what we've been trying to build from the beginning.

“There's the brand and the products, but behind that there's a much bigger community and conversation around medically supported weight loss. People want somewhere they can ask questions without judgement, hear from experts and talk honestly about everything that comes with such a big physical change. I'm looking forward to bringing that conversation to the Show and meeting people face-to-face.”

The sponsorship and speaking invitation come during a period of momentum for ElastiK° Skin. The brand has been named a finalist in two categories at the Pure Beauty Awards 2026 – Best New Indie Brand and Best Tool or Device. Previous winners at the awards include Chanel, Tom Ford and Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez, while Marc was recognised as an Innovate NI Gold Level Innovator in July, reflecting the company's commitment to innovation and evidence-led skincare. Winners of the Pure Beauty Awards will be announced in London on 15 October.

ElastiK° Skin is now available directly to customers in more than 30 countries and is exploring potential retail partnerships for early 2027.

The range is also growing in response to customer feedback, with Renaissance Infusion Eye Patches and Peptide Solstice Day Cream joining the existing five-step Skin in Evolution™ System routine and the 234-LED Face and Neck Mask. Further product development is planned for next year.

Marc continued: “GLP-1 treatments have changed the weight-loss landscape enormously, but the conversation can't begin and end with losing weight. Being invited to contribute to that wider conversation as a speaker feels like a really important next step. I started out sharing my own experience, but this has grown into a community of people who want honest conversations about what life during and after significant weight loss actually involves.”

The Northern Ireland Health & Wellbeing Show takes place at the Stormont Hotel, Belfast, on Saturday 10 October.

ENDS

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