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With so much info on CBD, this series of short articles helps to break it down. This is Part 2.
So you have used or you are using some CBD product and you wonder what is really going on with your body? Maybe, so far, you feel nothing. Why? Because unlike THC, which is the compound that gets you high from Marijuana- CBD is actually supposed to be its I-have-no-sensation-cousin.
This is why CBD is legal in topical products.
You may not be feeling anything from CBD, but this doesn’t mean CBD isn’t useful.
Cannabinoid is produced naturally within our bodies! The endocannabinoid system regulates it.
A little further explanation. Within our bodies, we have this huge system called endocannabinoids. This system comes in 3 parts:
What exactly is the endocannabinoid system? This huge network of receptors is at the cellular level. It is found throughout the body. There are cannabinoid receptors found in the brain- but they are also throughout the organs, skin, bones and our connective tissues.
In the endocannabinoid system, there is a back and forth of substance transmission and regulation. In other words, our body is continuously regulating our naturally produced cannabinoid.
According to UCLA, scientists confirm that this system is in basically all our parts:
“the receptors are present throughout the body, including our skin, immune cells, bone, fat tissue, liver, pancreas, skeletal muscle, heart, blood vessels, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract. We now know the endocannabinoid system is involved in a wide variety of processes, including pain, memory, mood, appetite, stress, sleep, metabolism, immune function, and reproductive function.Endocannabinoids are arguably one of the most widespread and versatile signaling molecules known to man.”
Simply put, receptor sites in our bodies work like a lock and key. If they fit together, they work well. With so many receptor sites throughout our bodies, scientists are believing that CBD may prove useful in many ways. Another theory developing is that CBD is helping the receptor sites and not necessarily entering it like the key theory. Either way, it may also explain why people self-report so many different types of wellness from it.
And if our bodies are off balance- this can explain why so many people need CBD and experience relief after using it.
As most of you know, epilepsy is the only medical application and there are not enough FDA controlled studies on the benefits of eating CBD.
Let’s focus on topicals. The news is really good. CBD has many of today’s most well respected and effective skincare, haircare and nail ingredients available.
The Vitamins A, C, & E – Vitamin A participates in properties that keeps skin firm and healthy. Vitamin C has a long reputation for collagen stimulation, and reducing the signs of aging. Lastly, Vitamin E is a known anti-oxidant and used on scars.
For hair and nails, it is rich in the highly beneficial fatty and amino acids. The main fatty acids detected in CBD are omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9.
So, if you are using and enjoying a CBD product as an anti-ager you can be confident that it is definitely useful.
It is extremely exciting to know that there is another natural source for our youthful ambitions.
A good friend recently shared her latest “CBD” product. She was so excited about how good it made her feel. With an extensive professional background in ingredients, I immediately looked at the labeling. Tit was immediately obvious. The front label and the ingredient label did not match. The product advertised on the front that it was “CBD”. But the ingredient label clearly indicated otherwise.
With the CBD product rush in full swing, this is all too common.
Here’s the breakdown on CBD as a cosmetic ingredient. Too many cosmetic products are claiming to have CBD in them when they do not. Ingredient truth-fighters have worked tirelessly over the last decade. For instance- and thanks to their efforts, transparency in claims for natural and organic products has truly paid off.
Until now. So here we go again. Everywhere we look, its all about CBD. This hot new ingredient truly needs clear communication.
How to identify real CBD in your cosmetic product.
This is strictly a review on how to identify CBD as the ingredient in topical products. Things that we eat and smoke will be discussed in future posts.
Begin by doing what you always do. Read the ingredient label. Ingredients can come in various forms and CBD is no different.
Begin by doing what you always do-
Does “hemp oil” also referred to as “hemp seed oil” have CBD in it?
NOPE. Hemp Seed Oil comes from just as it says, the seed. CBD comes from different parts of the plant- the stalks, leaves and flowers. Hemp seed oil claims to have nutritional and cosmetic value, but it is NOT CBD. So, if you are thinking you have purchased a cosmetic with CBD in it, the ingredients must list more than just “hemp oil” or “hemp seed oil”.
But labels can be tricky, everybody seems to be using different wording.
So, if a label says just “hemp oil”-read further . Do your research to make sure you are indeed shelling out for a CBD product and not just a seed oil.
Don’t misunderstand. Hemp seed oil is wonderful. It is like many other cosmetic botanical oils such as jojoba seed oil, macadamia seed oil, sunflower oil-these are all great oils with tons of benefits. But, you might be paying for and expecting CBD level results and quality and not getting it!
Here is are ingredient label examples that perfectly show the difference in the ingredient names and how they are listed.
Kiehl’s has a Hemp Seed Oil Product and it is labeled properly. Note the “Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil”-this is the hemp seed oil. It is not CBD and Kiehls is not trying to sell it as CBD.
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Dicaprylyl Ether, Tocopherol, Pelargonium Graveolens Flow Oil, Origanum Heracleoticum Flower Oil / Sunflower Seed Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil / Peppermint Oil, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene.
Here is a product that DOES have CBD in it. This is a very good back label ingredient list by Pacific CBD Co:
Ingredients: Cocoa Seed Butter, Paraffinum (Mineral Oil), Pure CBD Isolate (CBD Oil), Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Lanolin, Eucalyptus Oil, Arnica Oil, Calendula Oil, Lavender Oil, Frankincense Oil, Coumarin, Fragrance.
Notice there are other botanical oils, but no mention of hemp seed oil.
Hope this explanation helps! More posts to come on this very hot, but sometimes very confusing and misleading ingredient!
Ulta Beauty is a thing of beauty. Both the company and the stock are exceeding everyone’s expectations. But like all beautiful things, they can wither from old age and neglect. Ulta Beauty’s strategy is on the edge of doing just that. Yes this sounds crazy, but read on.
It is management’s job to look forward and around the corner in order to set and adjust strategy. Let’s look around the proverbial corner.
Since their 1990 launch, Ulta maintains their force fields of differentiation:
NO COMPETITOR HAS BEEN ABLE TO COPY THESE DIFFERENTIATORS
Their financial position is equally astonishing. On October 25, 2007, Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA) went public and opened at $18. Right now, the stock is about $350. If you are counting, that is over 18x your money. They are also completely debt free.
“The Ulta Beauty team delivered excellent results in the fourth quarter,” said CEO Mary Dillon. “This performance reflects an acceleration in comparable sales in our retail stores, primarily driven by traffic.”
Ulta highlights their execution in (3) segments:
Product Sales
Beauty Services
Ecommerce
Press releases reveal the reality of these (3) initiatives. Brick and Mortar Retail product sales dominate at 83% of revenue. Ecommerce is only 11% and only recently have they signed on with cutting edge digital partners. The Salon segment of their revenue is a mere 5% of their massive $6.2B in revenue, and they project the salon growth at only 3%. Remember the salon is a sustainable competitive advantage. At only 3% growth, it functions more as a cost center than a profit center.
Further analysis reveals more. The bulk of their spend and focus on execution is actually on building new stores. They plan about 80 new locations this year. That’s it-this is the grand total of their execution.
Is this enough???
To recap- Ulta is a $6.2B company, debt free and the largest retailer of its kind-and their biggest growth driver is new stores in strip malls across suburban America.
Again, the question can be asked- is this enough? Is it enough to maintain the #1 status they have enjoyed for so long? Or does doing the same thing they have always done threaten their competitive advantage? Are they doing enough for shareholders, consumers and for the brands they sell?
To their credit, there has been a recent sizable coup and significant activity by signing Kylie Jenner and launching Cannuka, a CBD skincare brand.
Yet,it can be argued that despite their incredible stock performance, Ulta may not be delivering enough value to shareholders. Seems they have much more capacity to comfortably do more- much, much more.
Ulta has only 1 strategic comfort zone. Building new stores.
They basically have only 1 revenue and profit source. Selling product.
Compare this to the competition: Sephora is a part of luxury behemoth LVMH and they benefit from an internal capital market. Department stores also sell fashion goods. Digital only players are proving to not even need a brick and mortar environment.
Ulta’s very narrow growth strategy of opening new US stores is very capital intensive. Their narrow revenue model makes them very vulnerable. The competition is outspending them on digitization. Unless they become more expansionist, Ulta’s competitive edges will be dulled. They will find themselves in a financial cul-de-sac with a lot of physical stores, but no liquidity for new investment opportunities.
What are Ulta’s strategic options? What more could they be doing?
The Answers
Create additional revenue and profit streams
Compared to their formidable capacity, Ulta can do so much more for their stakeholders. The 3 Levers described here just scratch the surface. What do you think? What else could Ulta do?
Do You Plan on Using Drops for Your Product Promotions? Luxury players are really getting in on this channel. Check here how to keep drops fresh- and out of the hands of those that engage just to over-buy and resell precious limited edition merchandise.
It started with online flash sales. That was easy. It was electronic. Promote the heck out of it and add a count-down clock with some limited inventory and –whammo– an e-commerce retailer had a fantastic limited time offer event. It created a sense of urgency while offering scarcity.
But wait. Brands also wanted to offer buzz and control their messaging. Niche cult fave Supreme keeps its anticipation way high among fans with an entire strategy based on drops.
“In many ways, if you think about it, drops operate on the same principle as does home shopping or bidding on Ebay. These are all timed events and once product is gone or the promotion is over thats it. ” says The Christine Report
Change has arrived. The luxury players with mainstream availability are now getting in. Moncler, the must-have luxe winter outerwear brand describes a recent concept for their Drop called the “Genius Project”. Its as much a drop as it is an art installation.
Burberry also recently announced they are also engaging in drops. The changes mark “the beginning of a new way of conversing with our customers across product, communication and experience,” says a brand spokesperson……
Just as technology has enabled brick and mortar to leverage the promotion of their drop, it also inevitably produces the dark side. Those with the tech know-how unleash bots to scoop up excess merchandise beyond the normal capacity of a single consumer. Then, that merchandise gets resold online for many, many times over the original price.
Defeating the bots created extra promotional opportunities for Nike. They developed additional human interaction requirements via gamification. In recent coverage by Draper’s Online, they described the successful drop for the SB Dunk Hi Momofuku sneaker in collaboration with restaurateur David Chang. Participants had to locate multiple Nike posters placed around NYC that featured 3D capabilities. Via their smartphone, up popped a full interactive model of the shoe which then they could go on and purchase.
Too many drop events can create a level of over-saturation and remove the interest. As in Moncler, keeping the edge on creativity is key. The gamification of drops and other more sophisticated engagements will also come into play with more interesting technology applications. Luxury brands are also increasing the exclusivity factor. For example, Louis Vuitton is doing drops with little to no promotion and keeping it extremely fresh- as word only gets out the old fashioned way- peer to peer and mouth to mouth.
Every brand will have to evaluate for themselves the value of drops, can they manage them properly and will the sales enhance relationships with their customer or just cannibalize them? Keep the drops real, but also keep them away from the bots!
Luxe, Chic, Fab, Amazing, OMG, Style. Love it, want it all, bring it, please. Fashion’s finest unite achieving uber-levels of fashion excellence. Its much more than the usual over-the-top-look-at-me outfit. These are pieces are living museum installations that declare a whole new space of existence.
These last couple of seasons definitely are different. We have reached a new fashion pinnacle.
Unquestionably, the tipping point hit us via the amazing Alessandro Michele at Gucci.
Marco Bizzarri, the newly installed president with the insightful gusto in hiring Michele says, “I thought, Why should I look for someone else when he can translate the heritage—and when the values of Gucci are in his veins?”
It took a couple of seasons for some and years for others, but make no mistake, we are now deep in trophy territory. How do you know trophy clothes when you see them? ask yourself these key questions and see where they take you-in your imagination as well as in your closet.
Is it an accessory that is an absolute visual festival of delight? For me that means at least 3 differing elements keeping the mind and eyes entranced. Many of this season’s Louis Vuitton bags are spot on.
OK, I know bags have been trophies for years now, so let’s look at some other pieces. Dolce & Gabbana is another Trophy standard and they are extremely good at it by pulling off some of the most adorned, ruffled, printed and embellished pieces yet.
Versace has turned the simplest concept of the team t-shirt and transformed it into a live decal for the Trophy Movement.
Beauty is full-in as well. Done right, it can be a fantastical compliment to the whole look.
Back to Gucci. The logos! It’s at a whole new level. Nothing like the “Logo-Mania” eras of the past. Trophy Logos. Enough said. Pulling together this mixed-media maximist look is the epitome.
Michele from Gucci sums it this way, “The way you dress is really the way you feel, the way you live, what you read, your choices. That’s what I want to put into Gucci.”
Do you want to feel like a trophy this season? Go for it, that options are aplenty.
Author Christine C. Oddo
Chloe Resort 2019 is BEYOND. So wearable and the construction looks super-cut in all the right places. Suddenly I must go out and get my socks to wear with some strappy sandals. Perfect for a changing season or out on a get away.
Thanks to @Vogue for publishing the look book and to @Chloe for an amazing show.
All in one event. So fab @NewportBeach, CA @WWD hosting with +Neiman Marcus #AlexBadia style talk fest. Amazing day. Could talk #fashion all day of the world let me #chic #style.
AIVITA Biomedical Scientists Invited to Deliver Keynote Address at HAPPI Anti-Aging Conference
IRVINE, Calif. – March 21, 2018 – AIVITA Biomedical, a global biotech wellness company specializing in novel stem cell applications, announced today the appointment of its two senior scientists as keynote speakers at the HAPPI Anti-Aging Conference. Chief Science Officer Gabriel Nistor, M.D. and Vice President of Research and Development Aleksandra J. Poole, Ph.D. will deliver a keynote speech titled Biotechnology-derived Active Ingredients for Anti-Aging Cosmetics at the conference taking place May 15-16 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.
HAPPI is the leading media outlet in the global personal care and household product market. HAPPI’s Anti-Aging Conference will give formulators and their suppliers an opportunity to learn, interact and discuss all things related to anti-aging with industry professionals. The conference will feature breakthrough technology, novel raw materials, regulatory insights and market research involving the multibillion-dollar anti-aging industry.
In January Dr. Nistor and Dr. Poole introduced to consumers an all-new actives complex which utilizes the natural signaling methods and ingredients of skin stem cells to achieve more youthful-looking skin. The breakthrough active is available in the Company’s ROOT OF SKIN™ product line.
“We’re grateful for the invitation and look forward to sharing some truly exciting innovations with the attendees,” said Dr. Nistor. “We hope our focus on providing proper nutriments to achieve results is a welcome shift from current, more damaging approaches.”
Dr. Hans Keirstead, CEO AIVITA Biomedical, will also appear on a promotional podcast with host Tom Branna in advance of the show, which will be made available on their website at http://www.happi.com and www.rootofskin.com
Fascinating Future Material Developments
From McKinsey Insights: Five Fifty: Synthetic biology
