Are acupuncturists turning into skincare & supplement quality influencers?
with celebrities & influencers constantly launching brands into oversaturated marketplace, it's time for consumers & investors to shift towards practitioners of one of the most ancient modalities
The practise of acupuncture originated in China over three thousand years ago. Described an an organised system of diagnosis and treatment, acupuncture uses fine, special grade needles, which stimulate precise points on the body in order to treat it and reinstate the equilibrium. It is used to stimulate energy, help regulate bodily systems, including nervous system, treat pain, insomnia & anxiety, reduce inflammation, regulate cycles and help conceive. When done on face, head and ears, facial acupuncture helps to release muscle tension, diminish lines, improve skin tone and scar tissue. The benefits of regular acupuncture are aplenty, irrespective of your age.
While having acupuncture is nothing new and practitioners have been offering those treatments in the West for several decades, the emerging trend is for the more successful acupuncture practitioners to launch their own skin and supplement ranges, as well as other innovative products, to compliment the treatments their offer in clinics. London’s “five-element practitioner” Ross Barr has a range of supplements and patches that were initially launched online at Victoria Health and are now carried by Selfridges. Having started with vitamins like C and Zinc, as well as supplements to support male and female fertility, Ross’s latest launches include the innovative Blood Support formula with Iron, as well as period and breath patches (his Calm & Sleep patches have risen to ‘cult status’ among those in the know). He also offers his services at Claridge’s elegant spa as well, with beauty journalists writing him praises and celebrities dashing in to have an appointment.
Former beauty director and now acupuncturist Joanna Elmer launched her own skincare range called REOME online and at SpaceNK last year. I reviewed her face broth recently on my Substack & since then she has added a cleanser and a face towel to REOME “product family”, with more products in the pipeline to be launched later this year. Her business focus and development are zeroed on bio-tech innovation and working on formulas with biotech company Debut.
Master acupuncturist Emma Cannon, British “baby whisperer”, has published several critically acclaimed books and added “You Are The Medicine” card deck post pandemic, while also recently re-opening her “Medicine Women Mentorship” to select few. All this while recording regular podcasts as well, while she is battling aggressive form of cancer that refuses to leave her body alone.
Facial skin rejuvenation “Acuskinlift” practitioner John Tsagaris sees his clients in clinics like SHA Wellness and Clinique La Prairie around the world, while working with a company which makes acupressure seed kits that can be applied in front of the mirror at home. Unfortunately the skincare range that he used to sell at Harrods is currently not available to the public, but he certainly is not the one to rest on his professional laurels!
In the US, and ahead of the curve, as the range was launched several years ago, YINA was inspired by the principles of Traditional Chinese Medecine. Founded by licensed Acupuncturist & formulator Angela Chau and a Doctor of TCM and registered dermatologist Ervina Wu, the range offers products for both face and body, as well as their latest addition, Lumidrops, an innovative formula of TCM collagen gummies that was launched earlier this month. Gummies were formulated using plants and adaptogoens and include He Shou Wu (adaptogen that fortifies skin’s moisture barrier and even claims to help restore hair colour), Chinese Angelica and Schisandra Berries, both known for its high antioxidant concentration, as well as anti-inflammatory Peony root.
And in a more unusual, but effective combination, Arizona based Lotus Wei Flower Essences company works with acupuncturist Dr. Alan Chang, who uses their flower tinctures, anointing oils and even flower infused chocolate when working with his patients at the SAN centre. Recently Dr. Alan, alongside Lotus Wei chef Justin Booher, announced a nourishment course that they would be jointly teaching to a small group, sharing their knowledge and experience of treating body with acupuncture and nourishing it with home-made food.
The difference between something launched by influencers/celebrities vs products or ranges launched by acupuncture practitioners is vast, from the choice and sourcing of ingredients to the efficacy & potency of the products they create, as well as the practical knowledge that inspired product formulation in the first place. Add to that the intimate knowledge of the ancient modality and practical experience that comes from working directly with the clients over the years, treating a multitude of symptoms and ailgments. that in a nut shell sums up the difference you get between a genuine product vs a superfluous, but extensively marketed one. Acupuncture takes years to learn and to refine, with no end to improvement and evolution of individual practitioner’s knowledge. They apply the same attitude when it comes to the development of products on which they put the label with their name on - and with it comes a completely different level of responsibility to consumer.
It’s really up to you to decide where you want to invest your money in. A celebrity or influencer range, which in most cases does have more to do with vanity and less with long-term goals or addressing a specific skin or body care concern or problem that another range hasn’t already addressed or offered a solution to. Or someone who has spent years of his or her life working with the clients and helping address individual health and wellbeing needs from the practical standpoint. This also should give food for thought for serious investors, interested in improving the well-being of people around the world, who cite burnout, stress, sleep issues, depression, infertility & overall balance as primary concerns when it comes to lifestyle. Those concerns sadly aren’t going anywhere, as more and more people struggle with a multitude of modern life elements that negatively impact their life, mood and health - and a credible, not magical solution, would benefit thousands of people and make businesses, and founders, a tidy profit as well.