Latest / Skin Anarchy / Ron Robinson, Cosmetic Chemist, Founder and CEO of BeautyStat

Transcript

Ron Robinson, Cosmetic Chemist, Founder and CEO of BeautyStat · Skin Anarchy

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Likewise, thank you, Ecta.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a pleasure to be here.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: This is Ron and cosmetic chemist from BeautySat.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: I would love to dive into your background, Ron, and talk about like how what got you started and beauty and the space and you know what really got you to this point of the line.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Ecta, it's a great question.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: I totally fell into this industry.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: I had a biology and chemistry degree and was brought up with in a family where they wanted their kids, my parents wanted their kids to become doctors.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: So it was that era that being a doctor was a respected profession.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I didn't know what I wanted to do.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: So I I tried it out.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_01: I went to med school for a year and I hated it.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: I dropped out, moved back in with my parents, and didn't know what I was going to do with my life.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: So I sent out a bunch of resumes and Clinique, the division of Estee Lauder, called me in for the interview.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: And meanwhile, I had no idea that there was this whole world of science and chemistry behind the development and creation of beauty products.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: And when I was at the interview, I fell in love.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: I loved the idea about using my my what I learned about ingredients and being able to apply that to creating skincare products.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that's how I fell into the industry.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's amazing.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: And it's like, you know, I feel like these things happen so randomly too.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: So it makes sense.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Totally.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: So you just yeah.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: But okay, so I want to I want to know um more about, you know, just like in terms of like the the chemistry part of this, because I know obviously right now skincare is super, you know, the industry is buzzing about the science and the and the real chemistry behind these formulations.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: So can you tell me um a bit about that?
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: How you know you crafted your formulations and what what the whole process was like?
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: Sure.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: So I you know, I started in the business at Et Clinique, and then I spent many years at at the Estee Lauder companies, including brands like La Mer.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: And then I moved on to other other brands and companies, including Revlon, Avon, and the Lancome Division of L'Oreal.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: And during that time, I loved the ingredient vitamin C.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: It was always something that I wanted to formulate with, but I knew that it was notoriously unstable, hard to manage, hard to formulate with, and when you use it in its pure form, people, a lot of consumers know that it oxidizes very easily when it's exposed to the aerolite, meaning that it turns brown, it may turn orange, the odor goes off.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: And basically what's happening is that the vitamin C is rendered ineffective.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: So I spent the past few years trying to see if there was a way that to me and my team could stabilize pure vitamin C.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: We felt that if this is something, if we could do this, that would this would really be breakthrough.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: This would be something that no one else has been able to do.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, still working on my day job, I would tinker around at this with this at night, trying, you know, making formulas, testing it, retesting, and five years of research, three patents, me and our team were able to find a way to stabilize pure vitamin C in an elegant textured formula.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: And and that became our universal C skin refiner, which you see out today.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, independently clinically tested to do really address every skincare concern in terms of addressing fine lines and wrinkles, evening out skin tone and hyperpigmentation, firming and tightening the skin, as well as diminishing the look of pores.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_01: And that was the that's what it was, those results that compelled me to then form and create my own brand beauty stat.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, I mean, I I have so many questions, right?
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Because with vitamin C in stable form, I mean, you it there must have been so many more additional benefits, right?
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: So how did you how did you really like keep all of that in like, you know, like categorize it?
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Because I mean, vitamin C as we know it in skincare, it's everything other than what you have, right?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: That the non-stable form.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: So we only think about it in like the brightening effects it has and whatnot.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: But with it being stable, there must, like you said, there's a plethora of you know, other advantages.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: So how did you like how did you you know figure that out that it's it's leading to better, you know, more benefits other than just brightening?
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so and and that that's the thing.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: You know, people think about vitamin C, they think about it as brightening.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: And I I I knew that in its pure form, it's it's it's powerful and it can do really address every every skin concern.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_01: For those that are in their 20s, of course, it helps with evening out skin tone, but it also helps improve texture for consumers that are in their 40s, who are who have wrinkles, it addresses that that and helps to reduce the look of wrinkles and fine lines and crow's feet.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: And then if you're 50 plus and you're concerned with loss of firmness, it helps to firm the skin as well.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: Because vitamin C recall that has three key benefits.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_01: It's a powerful antioxidant, which means that it's it's helping to fight free radicals and really protect all of your skin cells.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: Second thing, it in it it actually helps to stimulate collagen.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: So that's how it works on wrinkles and firming the skin, because it's vitamin C is required in the process of stimulating collagen production.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: So it helps with that.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: And then the last thing is what people know is that it helps to even out skin tone by the mechanism on how it helps to inhibit the overproduction of melanin.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that's how it evens out the skin tone and addresses hyper.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't know that about the melanin.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's so cool.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: Like, yeah.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean, what about the so can we talk more about the clinical studies that you did then?
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Because I'm so curious how um how that was, like what you know, walk us through that if you can.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: Of course.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so you again spending spending many years working on a way to to to stabilize pure vitamin C.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's what took the bulk of the time.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: And then and then and then making sure that, okay, so if we're stabilizing vitamin C, that's that's great in itself, but what does the formula feel like?
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: So we're working on the texture, making sure it had the right feel, that it would apply easily, nicely, it will be easier to layer your moisturizer, your sunscreen, or or makeup foundation over that.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: So that so it became working on fine-tuning the aesthetics.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: And then the last piece, and then by the way, when we say stabilized pure vitamin C, people use that term a little too much too liberally, I think.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: No, I I want you to talk about that because I agree.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: So so what we what we did is that we actually we put our product on a comparison stability test.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_01: And we we have this posted online where consumers can see what our product looks like in a clear glass jar versus two, I think we picked two or three of the other leading vitamin C serums on the market.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_01: And use using uh high-speed uh you know, uh time-lapsed photography, we were able to show that in an accelerated time period of just a couple of months, the our competitors turned brown and orange, and ours stayed pure just like it was originally.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, that is so amazing.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: And and our shelf life is actually three to five years.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: So when we say it's stable, we don't mean we don't mean that it's going to, it's it's gonna last you a few months.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_01: This is this is years.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: That is amazing, Ron.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my goodness.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: Like what a like truly, what a discovery.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I want to really give you, you know, kudos for the this is amazing.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like I had, you know, I I listened to skincare, you know, enthusiasts all day and I do my digging, but like, you know, this is this is where I think like this is such an example of science meeting, you know, the beauty industry and really creating something.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's just that's phenomenal.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: That's really phenomenal.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: So wow.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_01: No, no, thank you.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I and I think this this is this comes back to the fact that I've I'm a cosmetic chemist.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I if I'm gonna formulate something, I it has to be for a reason.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_01: It has to be that there is a need for it, and clearly there was a need for vitamin C that was stable.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I I I heard the consumer loud and clear, and that's that's become our brand positioning, that we're only going to develop and create products that really answer consumers' big needs.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I wanted to answer your question about the the clinical testing, about how that came about.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, during this process of of stabilizing, working on on creating a form with great aesthetics, then the last the last piece was okay, so we've stabilized puravitamin C.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, but does it work?
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_01: Does it now deliver the goods above and beyond what's out there in the marketplace?
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: And that was the last step.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_01: And when we we we put this on an independent clinical test, which means that we have a third-party lab that specializes in testing uh products in an independent dermatologist setting.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_01: And we said, listen, here's our formula get get a bunch of of consumers to try this blindly in a clinical setting, you know, run and monitored by a dermatologist, and tell us what what does this product do for lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, firming and tightening the skin, and then come back to us when you're when you're when you're done with the study.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, we were out, okay, fingers crossed, yeah, several weeks went by, and we got the results back.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: And Ecta, I was blown away.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: No, I bet.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: I bet.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I can like, you know, I I can't even imagine, like, you know, I being in a clinical study and then not even knowing that this is like skincare, and then noticing, you know what I mean, that all these results.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's so much untapped like potential here, you know, just being able to stabilize that, like, you know, and then what are you gonna do next?
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: This is amazing.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: I I love it.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so that it was getting those results that prompted me.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_01: I said, listen, this this has to be put on the market.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: And someone again who's who's not only developed thousands of products and then reviewed thousands of products, I found myself launching my own brand with Beautystat.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: We launched middle of 2019, so just just just a year and a half ago.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, and you've had such immense success and it's so well deserved.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's you know, I love your products, Ron.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly, when I first tried them, like, first of all, I must say, like the the consistency was perfect for makeup.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you really nailed it with that, you know, and I want to talk a little bit about that, how you, you know, what went behind that.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: But like when I tried, like, for example, the under-eye cream, or you know, and I was like testing my makeup, I was like, this is perfect, you know, this is what I need so that my skincare doesn't interfere with my makeup.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not that just it's not just that you have a scientifically forward product.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's also like you said, like you've really hit the nail on the head with, you know, in terms of making sure it matches with other products that we're using and makeup.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: So, what was that process like?
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: Like really perfecting the formula and like making it compatible for you know everything, like makeup and whatnot.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: That that's a key part of it because as we know, consumers are shopping all over the place, they're not a hundred percent loyal to buying everything from one brand.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: And and and I'm because I'm I'm a cosmetic chemist and and and data is important, I listen to that.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not going to try to get everyone to that you have to use everything that we sell, you know.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_01: No, consumers shop around.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: They like this, they like a product from here and a product from there, and we recognize it.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_01: And we also know that consumers they need to they want to wear makeup and they want to cleanse with this or do that.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, make sure, or they may, they may be on on a prescription, uh retin A or something.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: So we have to acknowledge the fact that consumers are using and shopping in different places, and that when we create products that that they could actually slip into a routine.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, we'd like them to buy everything from us, but that's not really that's not realistic.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: So we make sure that in our testing process that we we know that it's compatible with you know applying your moisturizer over it or your makeup over it.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: And the that's that's key.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_01: And we ask and probe to make sure that that that from our consumer uh uh testing that we deliver on all of those from an aesthetic perspective.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I mean I think you definitely have, you know, I mean it's really a beautiful line.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, one question I do have, Ron, and this is for the you know, your your chemistry side, um, in terms of like other ingredients, I mean you mentioned like retinol and stuff.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: What was the, you know, in terms of the science, what is the interaction like with you know, with stable vitamin C and things like retinol and like really medical grade um you know ingredients in skincare?
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: What is it were you able to like test that and and see?
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: Or yeah, so what we what we did is this, well, we we we know that we have one uh one of the most uh potent vitamin C serums.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_01: It's no joke, it's 20% pure vitamin C.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: So it it it could you know, consumers, some of them want to cocktail and layer and use a lot of actives and acids at the same time.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: So we do educate the consumer to to pair back, use at least you know, use our vitamin C perhaps during the day or at night, and then if they feel the need to use a retinol or glycolic or something else, to try to move those into separate routine, a separate routine.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so that's part of the education process.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: But if your skin is, if you could tolerate more, of course you can you can use it.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: We get consumers that that that that are on prescription retinate and want to use a vitamin C serum.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: So we we help to educate them uh on okay, just make sure your dermatologist is aware of what you're doing and that follow their instruction instructions about that layering them and in the same in the same in the same routine.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: So that's how we how we're we're very conscious and make sure we educate and try to you know give customer uh consumers the best guidance in terms of how to use BD stat in within their current routine.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: I mean that makes sense.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's really all we can do, right?
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's just because all of these ingredients, and and that's why I asked, because they're doing such different things.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: And like you said, people love you know, layering, they love putting, you know, retinol and vitamin C and you know, just everything together.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: And it's it's just not practical no matter what product you're using.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: So that's I it makes sense that you're just you know you're focusing on educating the consumer, which we should all be more educated, anyways, you know.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: So um, I I want to actually ask you though, you know, in terms of dermatologists, um, I know that you know, in this industry, there's this, I the way I see it, at least from a scientific perspective, there's the chemists that formulate and then dermatologists that love talking about the effects of skincare and if it's beneficial or not.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: So during your journey, um, what was that like working with dermatologists?
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, what were there times where you guys didn't see eye to eye?
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: Or, you know, like can you tell us about that whole um process?
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, actually, it's interesting that you know we're seeing this rise of the expert again.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: And and certainly the dermatologist has been a significant expert in in the field in beauty for for many, many years now.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: And now we're seeing this emergence of the cosmeticemists as the as almost another expert that consumers respect because they're close, they're actually formulating the product.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_01: We're formulating so the the dermatologists may be able to have kind of oversee and understand some of the the medical conditions involved, and they can certainly speak to that.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's their expertise, but the chemist is really the expert in terms of the ingredients and how how to combine them in a way that's going to deliver results from a cosmetic perspective.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: We're not talking about uh curing any type of skin uh disease or medical condition, but from a cosmetic perspective.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: And and that's where what we're seeing is really resonating.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_01: So to answer your question, there's a respect for other experts for, you know, whether it's the dermatologist, the aesthetician, etc.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_01: There's a respect and understanding how they add value uh to us to us.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: So certainly, you know, we worked with dermatologists in terms of certainly our testing protocol and making sure that that we had we had that type of condition for testing that was under the guidance and supervision of a dermatologist and who could sign off, if you will, that yes, this product is delivered on the results.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that was our interaction with dermatologists in the process of launching.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly, Ron, that makes sense.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: Like if you ask me, like, I mean, you know, from a medical background, I'm not trying to insert myself into every situation and be like, I know what's best.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's not it doesn't make any sense.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you have to give the due respect to chemists because you know, when it comes to formulas, like you said, I don't know anything about formulas.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know anything about the chemistry and the real intricate science of this.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, just kind of, I guess, echoing what you said, you know, with chemistry, you have to trust the experts and you have to trust that the person, the people who are really formulating this stuff, you know, it's it's more of a preventative strategy, I think, in skin health, what where skincare serves, you know what I mean?
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: Versus like pathologies that are being treated by dermatologists, like you've said.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: So that's why I really asked the question.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, that makes sense.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: I I like that.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: I like that you were able to, you know, work with the dermatologist where it is appropriate and then otherwise stick to the real core, you know, chemistry, which is really what we need, I think, more in skincare.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I want to actually talk about your moisturizer because it is definitely one of my favorite products at this point.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: I love how my skin feels after I apply it.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: What was the process with that product?
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because it's really, really good.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I feel like when I use it, I don't really need anything else on top.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, so we you know, we launched knowing that the vitamin C serum was was going to answer a big need, but we felt, okay, what there are thousands and thousands of moisturizers out there.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_01: Like what could we do that is unique and different?
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_01: So we did a couple of things.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_01: We first of all focused on all of the barrier repair properties and ingredients that were necessary.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_01: So hyaluronic acid, ceramides, it's packed with that, with those.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_01: But we also wanted something that would be work and enhance that with the the skin's microbiome.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: So we have we have an ancient mushroom extract which is uh which uses prebiotics, and that is also combined with the ceramides and hyaluronic acid, helping to repair that barrier and help the skin really retain moisture.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_01: So and texture was also key.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_01: We wanted something because there are a lot of rich moist rich moisturizers out there, they can get heavy and greasy for most.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: We wanted like almost one moisturizer that could really just drench the skin for all consumers and really keep you hydrated all all day without the heaviness.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_01: And we think we did it with this one.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, you definitely did.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's this is my daily, like everyday, like in during the daytime moisturizer.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: Like I it's perfect.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: And like I said, you know, when I use it, I don't feel the need to apply like oils and all this other stuff, you know what I mean?
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: And and for me, like just as a consumer, dry skin has been this like new problem, you know, with age.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: So when I, you know, now that I'm like using products that are more hydrating, like I can start seeing the difference.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I know when I use your moisturizer, like my I can see the difference in my skin because my skin really loves it and it doesn't like overburden it, I feel like.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: Like it doesn't saturate it to the point of like, okay, I'm done, leave me alone, like that kind of thing.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: So Cosmo called it one of the best moisturizers for combo, normal combo skin.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: So and it really is, it's a gel cream, it's deceivingly lightweight.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: You almost feel like, oh, is this gonna keep me hydrated all day?
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_01: It does.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: No, I know that's what I first felt when I was because it reminded me of Tatcha's water cream, which never worked for me in the very beginning.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: But then when I started using it, I was like, wait a minute, this is way different.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: Like, so yeah, it's definitely deceiving.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, I want to ask you though, Ron, you know, from the business side, because I know that you know, a lot of times as scientists, we get lost in the business end of things.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: So, how has that been for you?
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, really growing your brand and and you know, getting into the business end of everything, how's how has that transition been?
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's it's it's certainly tough.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, run working and growing a business, it's it's it's it's it's not for the faint of heart, it's it's a lot of work.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_01: It's a lot of work it's a lot of uh of of managing and follow up that our team is growing we are we've expanded into some major retailers we're now carried at SACS Neam and Marcus Nordstrom Blue Mercury and then online at Skin Store and Durham store as well as QBC and Violet Gray.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_01: So we've really expanded distribution there's a lot of work in in managing that and making sure that we are in stock and we have testers and we have sampling and and packets for each of the stores.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_01: So there's a lot of work involved in in in in in managing and keeping up with that.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_01: And then also now that the country seems to be opening up a little bit more and that I'm vaccinated more people are vaccinated, I am out in the stores doing training and actually helping the sales team you know learn about the products, demoing, sharing more about the brand and getting them really excited about the brand so they they can share with their customers.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: I love that I love that you know I love that you've taken it on and you've done so well because I know like it can be very intimidating you know a business and then having it blow up like it is and you know all of the extra work that comes with it.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I I love that you've really taken it on and your brand is just it's phenomenal and I think we need to see more of this kind of you know innovation in this space.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to just say you know kudos to you.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_00: This is amazing and what you've created is is so like science forward.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I I keep saying to you know founders I'm like you know it's not just about skincare, right?
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's about a discovery that's going to lead someone down another path to discover something else.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_00: You know and that's how I really see skincare.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: So when I see look at something like your brand I'm like this is very inspiring on multiple levels.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: So I I really like that.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_01: No really really appreciate that it really it really does mean so much.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_01: And and and what really inspires me and gets me excited is the consumer feedback we get and things like like you said how it's how you've seen the improvement in your skin how how you really enjoy the benefits and that's what that's what keeps me going.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: I'm about the the consumer what does she want in her skincare?
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_01: What's missing?
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: How can we help?
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_00: And that's that's that's been the been our been our modries I have a question though Ron because honestly you know being you know a male in this industry I'm sure that's you know it comes with its own interesting situations.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: Like I know there's a lot of people out there that think skincare is not for men but I completely disagree and I've been trying to advocate for the fact that we all need we all need products that help our skin everyone has skin.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: So do you have any like you know I don't know like words of wisdom or something for people listening out there that are like oh skincare is a girly thing and you know can like just to clarify that a little bit sure so I I think what happened is that well I I do a lot of I'm I'm the spokesperson for the brand I do a lot of of you know in-store training et cetera and I think I've been able to help open up the the brand to more men.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_01: They become more receptive in terms of the fact that we are talking and how I speak about really about the performance the benefits of it and I think there's something to me being an expert that's resonating with with men and and women in terms of hey it's it's just it's just really just saying okay this is how it works and this is how it's gonna benefit your skin and it's coming from someone who with experience and I think that's what is really is really helping to get men more more like on board on board interested and feeling you know what so I've I've so I've I've gotten I've gotten guys that dm'd me on Instagram saying you know Ron I I I heard you talk about uh the brand and you think it can really do something for me for my skin and and I'm here that's and and that's what and that's coming up because I'm sharing and talking about my journey.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_01: So I think I think the opportunity is there for brands that are taking taking the time to educate and certainly the fact that I I I'm a man it's it's it's making other men feel more comfortable coming forward and and really trying and getting into the category.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: Well that's why I asked you right because it's it's so true and I and I'm so glad that you are behind this innovative skincare product because honestly I think that's what men need is an example you know like okay well this is working and this is fact-based so let me just hop on the I'll hop on this and try it because you know for like the feedback I've gotten is like well why do I even need this I just wash my face or I you know I do my normal routine and I'm sitting here thinking like well you know everyone has skin we can all benefit and so I I love that you know your discovery driven brand and this is something that I think people need to like really understand is that we all get behind discovery driven medicine and discovery driven science, right?
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_00: So it needs to apply in skincare as well.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_00: And when a brand like yours emerges we all have to really understand like the immense amount of work that goes into it and how it is a universal product.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just about you know person A, B, or C.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_00: It's about skin health overall and it if something like that can help benefit skin, we all can use it.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I I love that you address that.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: And you know I just want to say like you know everyone out there if you haven't checked out Beautystat I'm you really need to go do it like now it's a great line Ron, you've created something really magical and I I want to thank you so much for your time and and coming onto the show and and telling us about it.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you Hector really appreciate it.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having me on and remember we are you can find us on social at Beautystat.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yes everyone please we're gonna tag you and everything so go check out Beautystat and leave us your comments and your questions if you have any questions for Ron's team leave them in the comment section we'll definitely pass them along and we'll be back next time.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much Ron.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 28:04
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• 28:36
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• 28:44
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• 28:50
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• 29:00
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• 29:06
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• 29:11
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you