Desksides are a common, time efficient way for brands and editors to meet to discuss the latest goings on in the industry. Here, the brands CEW Beauty Insider chatted with over the past week.



First Aid Beauty Capitalizes on Cannabis Ingredient Trend

First Aid Beauty is the latest beauty brand to offer a skin care product infused with oil from the cannabis sativa plant, also known as hemp seed oil. The Procter & Gamble-owned brand will launch its Ultra Repair Cannabis & Oat Dry Oil at Sephora stores and on Sephora.com beginning January 22, as well as on FirstAidBeauty.com in February. It will retail for $30. The blend contains 16 cold-pressed active botanicals, and is designed to calm, soothe and protect irritated and reactive skin.

The brand also has several additional launches on tap for the new year. Its Ultra Repair BarriAir Crème ($30), featuring fortifying lipids designed to bio-mimic the skin’s natural barrier, was released this month on FirstAidBeauty.com and will be available in Sephora stores in January 2019. In March, its new Ultra Repair Hyaluronic Hydrating Primer ($28), infused with micro-pearls to hydrate, brighten and lock makeup in place will become available at Ulta, ulta.com and FirstAidBeauty.com. Additionally, five shade extensions (Bone, Cream, Sand, Bronze and Deep) will be added to its Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer ($28) line and will be available at Ultra and FirstAidBeauty.com in March 2019, followed by Sephora in April 2019.

Cold Processed Skin Care


Developed with the goal of offering science-based natural products at an affordable price-point, this self-funded clean beauty brand stands out with its cold processed skin care line of cleansers, exfoliators, masks, toners, serums moisturizers and eye treatments. The entire formulation process takes place at room temperature, without the use of heat or petrochemicals, which the brand says allows the active ingredients to remain fresh and highly potent. Its best sellers include its Hyaluronic Acid Serum ($18), Super Youth Eye Gel ($16) and Super Youth Retinol Moisturizer ($20). Although, OZNaturals is available over 82 countries, it only has an online presence in the U.S., but that will change soon as the brand just signed a U.S. distribution deal. To get the products ready to stand out on U.S. shelves, the brand has redesigned its packaging to feature bright, solid colors and foiling.


This Brand Wants Women to Stop Using Shampoo


“Rethink Clean” is the motto of Unwash, an indie hair care line based in California that’s looking to change how women clean their hair. According to the brand’s founders, traditional shampoos and conditioners are too harsh and harm the integrity of hair. The brand promotes conditioner-only washing and offers a simplified collection of four interchangeable core products for a gentler approach to cleansing and caring for hair. Its hero product, Bio-Cleansing Conditioner ($29), is a non-lather formula featuring cationic cleansers, organic evening primrose oil and hydrolyzed keratin that are designed to work together to nourish while removing dirt and surface build-up. For hair that may have excess product buildup, its Anti-Residue Cleanse ($24), aims to lift away build-up without stripping away natural oils. For deep conditioning, the brand offers its Hydrating Masque ($29), and its Dry Cleanser ($24) can be used for second-day hair perfection. Outside the core collection, Unwash has developed eight targeted styling products infused with prebiotics with the goal of supporting and improving the balance of the microorganisms and scalp microbiome. The products are available in Ulta Beauty stores nationwide and online at ulta.com.