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- [00:01]
Podcast Host
Psoriatic arthritis symptoms can be unpredictable.
- [00:04]
Danielle Gronich
I had joint pain and I couldn't.
- [00:06]
Podcast Host
Move like I used to.
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Danielle Gronich
I needed relief. I got Cosentyx. It helped me move better.
- [00:14]
Cosentyx Medication Voiceover
Cosentyx Secukinumab is prescribed for people 2 years of age and older with active psoriatic arthritis. Don't use if you're allergic to Cosentyx before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur like tuberculosis or other serious bacterial, fungal or viral infections. Some were fatal. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms like fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough, had a vaccine or planned to, or if inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, serious allergic reactions and severe eczema like skin reactions may occur. Learn more at 1-844-COSENTIX or cosentix.com.
- [00:55]
Podcast Host
Ask your traumatologist about Cosentyx. Closets Open Party in an hour Soundtrack in my head zero outfit We've all been there.
- [01:11]
Podcast Co-host
Yep, sounds very familiar. Which is why I booked a free session with Macy's personal stylists. I told them my vibe, which is cozy with sparkles and they pulled looks that felt like me, just elevated.
- [01:24]
Podcast Host
Think decadent details, 3D bows, crystals. Y' all know I love crystals. Velvet lace, sheer sequins, metallic denim. Fun, festive and not fussy.
- [01:37]
Podcast Co-host
Anytime I see metallic denim now, I think of you. Like metallic crystals. Any embellishment? I think of you. Yes, there are so many brands that you know and also new ones. There's Avec, Le Fille and Sison, Levi's, Coach Aster, Free People, Michael Kors, Donna Karen, Ann Klein and more. And they can ship your selections too.
- [01:58]
Podcast Host
I got a really cute dress from Aster by the way.
- [02:02]
Podcast Co-host
Oh, I love Aster F and Press. So cute.
- [02:05]
Podcast Host
And a quick reminder, friends and family runs through December 11th. You can get 30% off the best brands and 15% off beauty. There are also designer dresses, 30% off all the bows, sequins and ruffles and designer men's suits for 30% off off. So stock up.
- [02:22]
Podcast Co-host
Book your free stylist at Macy's.com personal stylist.
- [02:32]
Danielle Gronich
Glam los angeles hi kirby.
- [02:38]
Kayleigh Christina
Hi sarah.
- [02:39]
Podcast Co-host
Welcome to los angeles. Okay, we are here with the clear Style gem Skincare Ladies. We have Danielle Gronich and Kayleigh Christina and we're so thrilled to have you on Gloss Angeles.
- [02:57]
Danielle Gronich
Welcome ladies.
- [02:57]
Kayleigh Christina
So excited too. Thank you guys so much for having us.
- [03:00]
Danielle Gronich
It is an honor and a thrill.
- [03:01]
Podcast Host
Of course we are Thrilled to have you as well. And our listeners have actually been testing one of your products for about four weeks. Right, The Bounce Back serum, which we're going to get into a little bit later in the episode, talk about that specific product, talk about our testers experience, and you guys can give a little bit more background on that. But speaking of background, we want to get the background on to the two of you, how you guys met, your experience with acne, your experience with wanting to create this brand. You both have different and unique specialties and then you brought them together, right?
- [03:40]
Danielle Gronich
Pretty much. In a nutshell, yes. So Kaylee and I are both incredibly acne prone. Clear stem started like out of a need. So I'm extremely acne prone. It runs genetically in my family on both sides. Grade 4 cystic acne while into adulthood. So I never stood a chance. So I get to college and I'm planning to be pre med. I'm going, you know, studying biology, immunology, genetics, like totally planning to go into medicine concurrently, my skin erupted like cystic acne. Face, neck, chest, back, back of thighs, like it went nuts. When I went off to college because it was a perfect storm. I got on the wrong birth control, started eating crappy dorm food, started partying. I started wearing makeup for the first time, knew nothing about how to take care of my skin. So I would show up to my doctor appointments as this curious, like, you know, pre med student being like, okay, what should I eat? What should I not eat? I know when I have like alcohol, my acne seems to get worse. What could be behind that? I couldn't get any answers. I was just put on prescription after prescription after prescription. So I decided not to go into medicine because I was so disenchanted. So over the course of my 20s, I'm just in the corporate world doing corporate things. And I'm on spiralactone multiple times. I want antibiotics and then stronger antibiotics. I'm doing the retin A, I'm doing the peels. I did Accutane three times. It came right back. Each time within a couple of months. Wow.
- [05:01]
Podcast Co-host
Wow.
- [05:01]
Danielle Gronich
So I finally realized I was like 29. I'm like, I'm gonna have to solve this myself. So I started looking for access to information about skin. Couldn't really get anywhere unless you were an esthetician or an esthetician school. So I, I was like, all right, I, I have to solve this. I will enroll in school. So I enrolled in beauty school at night just to learn about my own skin. But while I was there, I saw that treating acne was that medical profession I had always dreamed of but never would, never would have occurred to me to become an esthetician. So I was like, I was sold. I left the corporate world. I learned under some of the more senior people in San Diego. I did some shadowing, worked at a med spa so I could learn like all the treatments. Wound up starting San Diego acne clinic. And that is how I met Kaylee.
- [05:43]
Kayleigh Christina
It was truly world collided when I met Danielle. So I had spent a year trying to solve my acne before I found Danielle. So this was 10 years ago. I was in my mid-20s and I just decided to get off birth control. I was working a full time corporate job. I was studying to become an integrative health practitioner. I'm someone who's just always been fascinated about what you put in your body. I grew up an athlete and I quickly noticed in like middle school and high school running track, what I ate for lunch that day would affect me running later that day. So it was always just something that interested me. So as I was working my full time job, I was like, oh, I just like, I want to learn more health things, I want to dive into wellness. I'm really interested in nutrition and just actually having more proper certification rather than just researching on my own. So I decided to get off birth control and within a matter of few months my skin went crazy. This was 10 years ago where no one was sharing this journey. Now a lot of people share this journey, but I truly felt like I was the only one going through this at the time. So I had dealt with traditional breakouts which, you know, few before my period here and there, but this was the first time I actually ever dealt with aggressive cystic acne and I had no idea what to do. My skincare routine was so basic, I was not educated at all within skincare. So I started putting myself through so many different dietary protocols, just elimination diets like Candida, Sibo, you name it, I was trying it. Nothing seemed to be changing. No matter what what I ate differently. And so then I started trying every single skincare I could possibly imagine. Targeted towards breakouts like Truly, from like DIY at home to drugstore brands to dermatologist back brands to like $300 serums that promise they would help my acne again. I didn't know anything about ingredients or actually where to turn. I was just looking at who is Mark? I was just googling, googling around like what could help with my acne. Nothing was changing in my skin. It was so weird. It felt like I was doing so much, like my skin was getting way more aggravated because I, I kept switching over and over and over again. And so I went to so many different doctors, dermatologists, they were like, just go back on birth control. And I'm like, I totally hear that. It's not that I'm against it. I just want to understand like what's causing this. Like I don't want to have to just get back on a prescription and then what happens when I go off it and I want to get pregnant, like one day I will come off it for a reason. So I just wanted to actually know what was caus it. And I did so much blood work, everything felt like it was coming back normally and I just felt really confused. So after about a year of solving it myself, I really thought the only solution for me was Accutane. So I started the process to go on it. I'm sure you both are familiar, but anyone listening it, as a woman, it takes you 30 days to get on Accutane because you have to take two pregnancy tests 30 days apart. So I was is in the middle of that, getting ready to start Accutane with one last Google search, a pub San Diego acne clinic. I was Danielle's last client of the day, so she spent three hours with me. I got the best master class in all things breakouts with Danielle. So we went through every skincare product I was using on my skin, every makeup product, every hair care product because actually hair conditioner can be a root cause of back acne and hairline acne. And we went through what supplements I was taking. Supplements are, are great. Our body needs supplement support, but there's quite a few supplements that when you over supplement with them, it can mess with your hormones. Like more is not always better. And this was in the height of biohacking ten years ago, right. I was like oh, all these different supplements, it's so much better. So I followed ev the list Danielle gave me. So diligently I removed poor clogging ingredients for my skincare and makeup, swapped those out for just ones that were non communogenic and non acne genic. I got on, I learned how to properly exfoliate. I didn't know much about exfoliation and I eliminated the top food triggers and I eliminated the top supplemental triggers from over supplementing. And after over a year of trying to solve my chronic aggressive acne, it was clear in two months. It was unbelievable. And that's when Danielle was formulating what is now our first product, cell renew and everything just really was born from there.
- [09:55]
Danielle Gronich
Yeah, a lot of my clinic clients, so what I experienced was I was getting them clear and smooth, but the score scars. If you, if you're dealing with acne, you're also simultaneously dealing with scars. And a lot of my clients of color. What I would do to get rid of scars on one person could backfire on them and actually hyperpigment them. I myself am almost half Peruvian, you would never guess it, but I hyper pigment like crazy. So I even I would notice like a tiny blemish would leave like a mark for six months. So I was like, okay, we got to heal these scars from a different angle. So I knew a product that I wanted in my head. At this point, I had experienced hundreds of different products. Being an esthetician school, you know, people come in, they give you samples, you're trying everything, right? So I was like, okay, it needs to be like a growth factor serum. It needs to have calming herbs like saw palmetto for the acne, like the inflammation and the pore type stuff. It needs to be a certain viscosity. So the way when you rub it in, it activates circulation because that's your own wound healing. It needs to be incredibly anti inflammatory because scars can't heal if they're still being inflamed. So this is what it needs to be. So I found a lab that would take on this little project. And keep in mind I only wanted to like use this to solve the scars for my clients of color in my clinic. So most labs were like, get out of here, you're too small. But I found a lab. This chemist, she was wearing like 5 inch heels in her lab coat. So I knew she was the one. Her son actually struggled with acne. And she was like, this is an amazing product. My son, my son would benefit from this. Let's a take do it together. So that is what's now our style renew. I would geek out on the lab samples. I would save the ones that I liked for Kaylee and I would let some of my other clients try them too. And at one point I was like, we have a winner. Couldn't keep it on my shelves. It was fantastic. More people needed to know about it. And at the same time, Kaylee was like, please let me share my experience and share this education with the masses. She had her podcast and her blog. And so word just got out and people wanted more, they wanted more education. They wanted a full lineup from us. And, and that became clear Stem like, the people demanded clear stem.
- [11:55]
Podcast Co-host
Cool. Wow, that's amazing. Okay, so are you still at your clinic?
- [12:00]
Danielle Gronich
I am, but not as much as I would like to be. I still love doing treatments. I love it. It is my Zen, my happy spot. I get to, like, channel, you know, energy and, like, be a conduit. Like, it's like, very Reiki healing to do treatments. But I only get to see, like, maybe two people a month just because my schedule is crazy and growing. Clear time has been a rocket ride. We've hired, like, we went from like, seven employees to 32 employees in, like, a year and a half. So it's been. It's been a lot.
- [12:27]
Podcast Co-host
That's amazing. And I have here that you have a 98% success rate, which is, I'm sure why Kaylee went to you, why so many people go to you. That's, like, so amazing. When you're in the treatment room and people are coming in, obviously they have the same issue, the same problem, but different triggers and different, you know, paths to get there. But what were you seeing? Was there, like a through line that sort of connected everyone like that? Like a common issue that kept coming up that you saw?
- [12:56]
Danielle Gronich
I love this question. I think this is the first time someone has asked this, so thank you. The 8020 rule absolutely emerged. So if there was, like, an 80% reason why people are breaking out, it is from poor clogging ingredients in their products, especially women. We're using a lot more products than ever before. We've got wet moisturizer, we've got cleansing balm, we've got sunscreen, we've got all our makeup, we've got primer, like powder. Like, we have so many products, and all of those products, there's a chance to clog your pores because most companies are accidentally using comedogenic ingredients. So poor clogging ingredients is the number one thing anyone should pay attention to if they're on an acne journey. Yes, there are things internally that matter, but you can be perfect on the inside and still get acne if you have poor cloggers in your products. So everyone that comes into the clinic, we start from the top. We go over every single thing that they're using. The full ingredient deck, not just the marketing ingredients, like that full paragraph of chemical sounding names. We. At first I had to manually do this, but I would get rid of the poor cloggers and those products. We'd swap it out for something safe. Now we made a checker so you can just copy and paste the Ingredient decks into the checker. It'll tell you in red if there's anything likely to break you out. And so that solves the external part of it. Then there's the internal part. There are certain things in our diet that seem harmless and can be healthy in other contexts, but that can cause acne, like eggs. Egg whites specifically. Break people out like crazy. You don't have to have a true allergy, but it's a sensitivity in the immune system where it actually creates cystic acne in the lymphatic areas of the face. So, like cystic acne on the neck and jawline that mimics hormonal acne. So we go through people's diet, right? We say, okay, how often are you eating eggs? Does your pattern of acne match that? Dairy is another one. Dairy, cheese, yogurt, whey, protein that breaks people out like crazy pretty quickly because it has something called insulin, like growth factor hormone, that'll get people on the chin where they'd have a goatee. So we would go through, like one by one in order of priority, what was breaking people out? But to answer your question, it's poor clogging ingredients and then a couple specific things in their diet. And there's also some vitamins that can accidentally spike your testosterone.
- [15:10]
Podcast Host
I'm glad that you mentioned vitamins, because they're even ingredient. I would love to actually get into this with both of you. There are also times where, and this is all anecdotal, like, we can't prove it because there haven't been clinical trials or anything like that. And obviously with, like, specifically women's health issues, there's not a lot of studies at all. Right? So we all know this, especially the listeners. Do we preach this. But in my personal experience, I've seen that if I use something that has niacinamide in it, and then I use too many things with niacinamide in it, I will break out. If I am using something that has too many peptides in it, I may break out. This is like a new thing for me that I'm learning. Are there specific ingredients, in your opinion, that you're like, if you overdo it with this ingredient, there's too many. You're using too many products with this ingredient in it, you will see a result that you won't like.
- [16:01]
Danielle Gronich
Absolutely possible. Concentration is everything. We always say devil's in the dosage. Formulation. And ph also matter because you can have a product that has niacinamide, but it might have 1%. Then you could have a product that has 4% and it matters, like what you're layering it with, of course, what you're laying it with, because sometimes what you layer it with might neutralize it and sometimes it might boost it, especially if it's a ph dropper. Like say you're using an aha toner, for example, like the one from Biologique Reposition, the one that everyone uses. It's really strong. Say you use that and then you use your niacinamide product, it's going to amplify that product and that combination might be too strong for you.
- [16:39]
Podcast Host
Interesting.
- [16:40]
Danielle Gronich
Whereas if you didn't use the toner that day, and maybe your skin was in a calm state, you could use a light niacinamide and you get no reaction. So what you're describing is for sure a thing. And it also just depends on your skin and where you're at with your period. To be honest, some people that week before their period, they have to calm everything down, they have to change their diet. Whereas like the day they start bleeding, they can do no wrong. I am one of those people.
- [17:03]
Podcast Host
Right, right. So I'm curious too. You mentioned supplements and we talk a lot about supplements on this particular podcast because it's not a very heavily regulated area in terms of wellness, so to speak. So what were you finding specifically when you came in to get treated? Was she using anything in particular supplement wise that you were like, get the hell off of this.
- [17:26]
Kayleigh Christina
Everything.
- [17:27]
Danielle Gronich
I'll never forget when I first met Kayleigh because I have bring in everything that they're using. I have them sort of like sprawl it across my bed. We're going to go through it with a fine tooth comb. She came in with like a carry on, like a rolling carry on type bag because she was getting sent all these products. Right. So.
- [17:42]
Kayleigh Christina
Right.
- [17:43]
Danielle Gronich
But she was using great quality stuff. It was just too much of too, too many certain things for her, for her supplements, way too much B12. I believe you were working with like a functional person or something and you were on this B complex that had like 20,000% RGV of your B12 that will wreck anyone, but yet it's really common. So it was way too much B12. I believe you were doubling up. I'd have to look at your chart, but I want to say you were doubling up on vitamin D. Yeah, it was in two different supplements, so. And vitamin D is fat soluble, so it builds up in your system and it's in a lot of different things. So people are accidentally overtaking it especially minus the right CO factors, it just builds up and throws off other hormones.
- [18:24]
Podcast Host
That is fascinating because I feel like those are two things that women specifically are deficient in a lot of the time. Yes.
- [18:31]
Danielle Gronich
We don't have the CO factors to properly metabolize.
- [18:34]
Podcast Co-host
They're like, give me all of it.
- [18:36]
Podcast Host
No, I'm like told, girl, your vitamin D is so low. You got to have the vitamin D. And so I take a supplement that's vitamin D. Is it vitamin D and K? Yes.
- [18:46]
Danielle Gronich
Okay, good.
- [18:46]
Podcast Host
Okay.
- [18:47]
Kayleigh Christina
Yeah.
- [18:47]
Danielle Gronich
Okay. And I just need magnesium for that too.
- [18:49]
Kayleigh Christina
Magnesium is also a CO factor. It's so funny thinking back to 10 years ago because I was on a very different career in life path and I was consulting with so, so many different food brands. I mean this was, this was the, the spike of the big bubble in food. This was 10 years ago. It's like when Expo west was like crazy popping off and so I was sampling so many things from brands and this was such a new world because before the barrier to entry to create food, beverage and like functional based products, it was really hard to break into. And 10 years ago it started to become easier. And so I, I had cupboards full of things that I was just constantly testing.
- [19:25]
Danielle Gronich
I loved going to your house, like.
- [19:28]
Kayleigh Christina
What do what, what is your ailments?
- [19:31]
Danielle Gronich
You need immune?
- [19:32]
Kayleigh Christina
Do you need brain function? Like it was, it was definitely such a fun era at that time. But I didn't realize, just me like testing all of these things, how many vitamins and nutrients in excess that I was consuming. And to Danielle's point, without any of the CO factors in mind either, I was just dumping it into my body. And we see that a lot with women now is we, we're very trained to think more is better. Just like what you said with like let me have four products with niacinamide, five products with peptides. We constantly think more is better. And that is not the case with supplements. We actually wanted, we want to fix deficiencies, of course we want our vitamin D levels to be great. But where, where is that boundary? Where, where does it become too much in the body? And it's totally different for everyone. Our biggest piece of education is just the awareness around it.
- [20:22]
Podcast Host
Got it.
- [20:22]
Kayleigh Christina
So just like checking like what I always recommend to everyone is like just go through all like package products you're having on a daily basis, right? You're, you're, if you're having a greens powder, a protein powder, a beauty supplement, any of supplements, powders, beverages, all of those things just turn around and seeing where you're double tripling and quadrupling on some things. Cuz you might be having four different things in a day that have so much B12 in it. And B12 is a really big one as well that can spike testosterone and break you out. So it's in your energy drink, it's in your Focus supplement, it's. It's being put in a lot of like random beverages and bars just to enhance it. But we don't need to be enhanced through like six different things throughout the day.
- [21:04]
Podcast Host
It's so crazy because you're saying this.
- [21:07]
Podcast Co-host
And I'm like, yes, absolutely, that makes sense. But like no one's ever said that before.
- [21:11]
Kayleigh Christina
So now I'm like, oh my God.
- [21:13]
Podcast Co-host
Yeah, like what am I taking.
- [21:15]
Danielle Gronich
That same concept applies to stevia. So I am still very acne prone even after three rounds of Accutane. And stevia is when I had my last big setback. And it really hit me like a bus. It was a couple of years ago before we made the connection with stevia and acne. And more research is coming out about stevia kind of interfering with hormones and progesterone. But it was in my element electrolyte powder, which was, I love element by the way. Like it's the best flavors. But I was having like four a day. Right. So it was in that, it was in my greens powder, it was in a couple other things that I was trying. And stevia is one like kind of like what Kaylee said where it's in a lot of these different things that it can show up and then all of a sudden you're having an extreme excess.
- [21:55]
Podcast Co-host
Yeah.
- [21:56]
Kayleigh Christina
So we always tell people, like pick your one product a day with stevia, but maybe four could be a little too much for you.
- [22:01]
Podcast Host
Yeah, everything in moderation.
- [22:02]
Kayleigh Christina
Yeah, exactly.
- [22:04]
Podcast Host
Here I was wanting to go back to CO factors. Can you guys explain what that is specifically for the listeners?
- [22:11]
Kayleigh Christina
So our body is a whole body system.
- [22:13]
Podcast Host
Right.
- [22:14]
Kayleigh Christina
Everything is so interconnected. What you put in it doesn't directly translate to bumping it up. So for example, vitamin D. Just because you put a plain supplement of vitamin D in your body does not mean that on your blood work and your levels it will raise the vitamin D. It just. Our body's a little more intricate than that. And also if you take too much, I'll use vitamin D as a great example. If you take too much vitamin D, it actually can cause calcification of bones too much without CO factors. So the K2 basically helps your body absorb it and activate it. So think of it as the activator later. And so it's actually going to help your body recognize the vitamin D, know what to do with it, and then help raise your levels. So a lot of different supplements, there's not the education of, hey, you're taking this supplement in a high dose every single. Like, you go to the doctor, you get blood work, your doctor says your vitamin D is low, go take a vitamin D. They may forget to say, take a vitamin t D with K2. Like, don't forget about that. And they might also forget, like, they're going a million miles a minute. They have a few minutes with you. They might also forget, hey, make sure you're taking a magnesium because that helps the absorption of your vitamin D. So you don't have to keep trying to take more, more and more. You can actually use the amount and your body knows what to do with the amount that you're consuming.
- [23:33]
Podcast Host
You may recall that we had Tatcha's founder, Vicky Tsai on the show a little bit earlier this year for the second time. And I'm still thinking about how she builds rituals of daily self love, little pauses that restore calm and joy.
- [23:45]
Podcast Co-host
And honestly, the product that nails that feeling for moi is the Dewy skin Cream. It is this decadently rich moisturizer that plumps the look of fine lines and seals in moisture for that signature dewy glow.
- [23:59]
Podcast Host
I gotta say, when you said moi, you said plump, you said glow. There was someone that came to mind. There was someone that came to mind, and I'll let y' all figure out who that is. It literally cocoons my skin in a comforting replenishing feeling. And the glow lasts, like, even under makeup.
- [24:19]
Podcast Co-host
It's truly the best. And no wonder. It is their best selling moisturizer, a Dewy skin cream, is sold every 30 seconds.
- [24:27]
Podcast Host
Not surprised, though. Ready to join the dewy side? Enjoy. 15% off your first purchase at tatcha.com with code GLOSSANGELIS15.
- [24:36]
Podcast Co-host
That's GLOSSANGELAS15 for 15% off your first order@tatcha.com.
- [24:46]
Podcast Host
It's crazy though, because you're right, they do have a limited amount of time with each patient, you know, and they're trying to do their best.
- [24:53]
Podcast Co-host
They are, Yeah.
- [24:54]
Podcast Host
I think like anybody that's in the medical field, we love you. Yes, we very much appreciate you, but you do have a limited amount of time with an expert. Face to face.
- [25:05]
Kayleigh Christina
Yeah.
- [25:06]
Podcast Host
But also on the. So I feel like the consumer and the customer is just overwhelmed or, you know, the Purse like, the acne sufferer is overwhelmed because they're like, okay, I need to take this. Then I need to buy three different supplements. Then I need to buy, like, I have to overhaul my entire acne routine. But then at the same time, I feel like everybody's gotten more intelligent, they've gotten more educated, they're actually seeking out this information. Like, I think a lot of women that are listening to this podcast are going, oh, yeah, I knew I had to have K with my D because otherwise it's not going to absorb properly. Like, there are. There is like a subset of people that are so educated how you balance the two when it comes to the customers that you're either trying to acquire or keep.
- [25:51]
Kayleigh Christina
At Clear stem, this has actually been a really interesting journey for us because we've been around for eight years and since our first product was only one product, we had so much time and space to just educate about everything else. Like, truly, we had Cell Renew for two and a half years. So we would host master classes. We, in the very beginning, we got on Zoom one on ones with everyone that was struggling with acne.
- [26:13]
Podcast Host
And.
- [26:13]
Kayleigh Christina
And we would go through very similarly to someone's very first appointment at San Diego Acne Clinic. We would do this with people and we've created this, like, breakout acne checklist that just helps give people those aha moments. So we've noticed, like having kind of just a one pager for them to be like, is this going on? Let me bring awareness to this and just check it off. But as we've launched more products and we have a larger suite, we have experienced that challenge of where do we educate about routines topically but also help educate about the internal side of things can really help people. Like, it's so wild. That eggs was a big one for me. For example, I was making egg bowls every single morning and wondering why I had such aggressive acne right under my jawline. As soon as I stopped eggs for a few days, the next week my inflammation went down so fast and I finally didn't see new breakouts. We never want to create a fear around food. By the way, I eat eggs again. I just only eat them one to two days a week. I just don't have them every single day.
- [27:12]
Podcast Host
Okay, I love that. I love that because I do think there's also. There are some brands and some influencers and some people in general that have this fear mongering approach to like, you gotta get rid of all of these things. And then I get worried about the customer developing an eating disorder.
- [27:29]
Kayleigh Christina
We feel the same way.
- [27:30]
Danielle Gronich
Yeah. That's why we coach people to do elimination tests. We do the same protocol that you would get from working with a naturopath or a functional medicine or an endocrinologist. They have a systematic elimination diet and then purposeful reintroduction.
- [27:45]
Kayleigh Christina
So.
- [27:45]
Danielle Gronich
So we tell people with dairy all the time, obviously, we don't want to live a life without cheese. That's a terrible life. Okay, if you're getting acne on your chin and you're having a lot of dairy, cut the dairy out for a month. Make it a game. Go to Sprouts Whole Foods. Get as much non dairy alternatives as you can. Make it a fun taste testing game. See what happens with your skin after a month, how much it's calmed down. Then you go purposefully, have a bunch of dairy, and you see what you can get away with. Some people can have dairy once a week. They're fine. Some people can just have sheep's milk dairy because it's lower in igf. Some people can have it as long as they're not near their period. Everyone's a little bit different. So we love to make it a game and make people be their own skin detective.
- [28:25]
Podcast Co-host
Yeah.
- [28:26]
Danielle Gronich
Okay.
- [28:26]
Podcast Co-host
On that note, on more food triggers, so we had Sophie Pavitt on the podcast.
- [28:32]
Kayleigh Christina
We love her. She's amazing. We were just hanging out with her.
- [28:35]
Podcast Host
A few weeks ago.
- [28:36]
Kayleigh Christina
Yeah.
- [28:36]
Podcast Host
Was she at Beauty Connect?
- [28:38]
Podcast Co-host
Yeah, she's acne was for in New York. So you guys are literally like, we.
- [28:42]
Kayleigh Christina
Got the coast covered.
- [28:43]
Danielle Gronich
Yeah.
- [28:45]
Podcast Co-host
So she, like, kind of opened our eyes to, like, oat milk as, like a trigger for cystic acid.
- [28:50]
Podcast Host
She also mentioned greens powders.
- [28:52]
Podcast Co-host
Greens powders.
- [28:53]
Kayleigh Christina
Those are sneaky. Yeah, I know. Too many things in there.
- [28:57]
Podcast Host
Of course. It's like a personal experience. We just want to be very clear about that.
- [29:00]
Kayleigh Christina
Yes, absolutely.
- [29:01]
Danielle Gronich
I have found that it's because of the stevia most of the time and the greens powder. Sometimes it'll be because there's too much B12 or spirulina.
- [29:08]
Podcast Host
Yeah, she was saying spirulina.
- [29:10]
Podcast Co-host
Yeah.
- [29:10]
Danielle Gronich
Yeah.
- [29:11]
Podcast Co-host
I'm like, looking out for the stevia now. All over the place. But what are some other food triggers besides eggs maybe, besides dairy that are more common that other people wouldn't actually think of as a trigger for acne.
- [29:22]
Kayleigh Christina
What I find is a really interesting one is gluten. But this is so different for everyone because some people completely. Fine, eat it. They're great. Love it. Check that box. No fear of food there. Other people get really bad Digestive stress and more IBS issues with it. And they just know, like, hey, if I'm going to have it, I know this might happen, you know, and you get to pick and choo. Some people, like my fiance, actually, he has to take a Benadryl. After he has gluten, he swells up like he can't breathe.
- [29:49]
Podcast Host
Oh, wow.
- [29:49]
Kayleigh Christina
His nose gets like his body, like, so, like, people who are more acne prone, their signal of inflammation is acne, his is sinuses. So it's so wild. But for some people who are acne prone, gluten is their trigger. So that's a really good one to be aware of. And again, it's not something you have to eliminate forever. It's just being really aware of how many times per day are you consuming it or per week and just finding your threshold for your skin. But that's always just an interesting one because it behaves so differently for everyone. So I always like to point that out. Another one is a lot of caffeine on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. So as women and our hormones are changing daily. No, literally same. I was like, we all do this. It's my biggest thing is, like, let's just see when we can be mindful about it and be like, oh, shoot, let me get something in my stomach or let me drink a little bit more water before. But a good rule of thumb is anything that speeds you up can break you out. So B12, energy drinks, caffeine, things like that, it can produce a thicker, stickier oil. And it also spikes our stress levels. And we know when we spike our stress levels, our immune system's down, our skin can become a wreck. And so just being really mindful of having, like a mason jar full of water in the morning, if you can get a little salt or lemon in there, that's an extra win. And trying to have like a bite or two of food, like getting a little something in your stomach before the morning coffee, that can be a big one for people. As women, sometimes we're going a million miles a minute. Our hormones are changing every day. So I like to look for those micro opportunities in our life where we can be kind to our stress levels.
- [31:24]
Podcast Host
Hormones, really, we know this.
- [31:27]
Danielle Gronich
Sorry.
- [31:28]
Kayleigh Christina
They really, they.
- [31:29]
Podcast Host
I mean, we. And we know, like, as women, our hormones fluctuate throughout the month. It's just like, you know, biologically in our nature. But one of the biggest, like, pieces of proof of that, in my opinion have been those videos on Tick Tock that are like, I'm in my luteal.
- [31:46]
Podcast Co-host
Phase.
- [31:49]
Podcast Host
We look decrepit. Like, I can't remember what phase it is, but it's like there's a phase where you look amazing and you're like, wow, my skin is lifted and glowing and perfect. And then there's a phase where you're like, I am the Crypt Keeper. And it's the craziest thing to witness.
- [32:02]
Kayleigh Christina
I think my favorite thing about learning myself as a woman in my body, I feel like this happened after I turned 30. I just made the ever changing hormones of the women body just something I was so proud of and embraced instead of like, you know, we. There are times of the month where we feel decrepit and do not feel our most beautiful. And I'm just like, I am just in a phase. I know next week when ovulation kicks off, like, I'm gonna feel like my curves are bigger, my butt's gonna look bigger, like boobs are gonna sweat, like, I'm gonna feel voluptuous.
- [32:31]
Danielle Gronich
Yes.
- [32:31]
Kayleigh Christina
And like, just embracing that, like, how beautiful our bodies are as women, how cool it is that we get to shift and change and feel different things. So instead of letting our hormones run us, it's just embracing it for what it is. The biggest eye opener that Danielle mentioned before that I think for women is that week before your period, testosterone is spiking like crazy. So you were just a little more sensitive. So even foods, products, other things that you can go the other three weeks the month and be totally fine, they may break you out that week. You just may be more sensitive. And just having that in the back of your head doesn't let all these other external factors control you or how you feel. It's just something to be conscious of.
- [33:12]
Podcast Host
Testosterone makes you sensitive.
- [33:15]
Danielle Gronich
Aggressively. Interesting. Yeah. I always advise people too, especially if you're the acne girl. Like, adult acne is rampant nowadays. Like, 90% of people experience have been gone through acne at some point in their life. But, like, as of Today's world, like, 40% of women say they identify with having, like, regular adult acne. And yes, it will ebb and flow with our cycle. That's normal. But it's genuinely caused by stuff that we're doing all month. It just like, shows up like your period's like the report card for what was going on the rest of the month. Right. So I always tell people, for your own sanity, like, if you're gonna try a new regimen, be aware if you're PMSing, like, maybe wait until you're not because you're gonna associate that with that product, which is natural, but it might just be PMS time. And it's just we like to encourage people to eliminate variables and to just have awareness around that, because PMS time does make everything more sensitive. It makes you, like, if you're going to get, like, laser hair. Laser hair removal on your PMS or on your period, it's going to hurt, like, three times worse. Right. Like, everything is just more reactive.
- [34:19]
Podcast Host
Totally. Okay, let's get into Bounce Back.
- [34:22]
Danielle Gronich
Yes.
- [34:23]
Podcast Host
Because this was the product that 250 of our glam Gianna were lucky enough to test. And we have some really interesting share based off of this particular seating, which was very exciting. I had found it really interesting that 79 of people that received this product had not heard of clear stem before.
- [34:45]
Kayleigh Christina
That's so fun for us.
- [34:48]
Podcast Host
We introduced them to the brand, which was great.
- [34:51]
Kayleigh Christina
Love that.
- [34:51]
Danielle Gronich
Thank you for that.
- [34:52]
Podcast Host
A majority of these testers, 85% of them were millennials between the ages of 36 and 45, actually, which is really interesting. About 53% were between 36 and 45, and then 38% of them were 26 to 35. So we really hit, like, that millennial sweet spot. Their skin type was combination, for the most part, 56%, with dry actually being the next highest at 21%. And the people that did try this, their main skin concern, they said aging skin.
- [35:28]
Danielle Gronich
Okay, okay.
- [35:29]
Podcast Host
So knowing all of that, tell us about Bounce Back and what the serum does.
- [35:34]
Danielle Gronich
Bounce Back is my actual favorite serum. It's hard to pick a favorite among your children, but Bounce Back has a special place. So it is. The main ingredients are plant stem cells, which are like skin superfood. It's like superfood for your skin so that it can repair itself with the best raw material available. As we age, the collagen production process kind of slows down naturally. And then also just depending on the state of our skin, any environmental stress, any inflammation, both internal and external, will affect the quality of how that skin regenerates. When you give it stem cells, whether it's plant stem cells or collagen derived, it gives your skin exactly what it needs to, like, be its best self as it's regenerating. Couple that with peptides, and these are the three peptides that actually, like, do the skin firming. The collagen regeneration, like it. They're little messenger proteins that tell your wrinkles to go away. We use them in, like, a pretty high concentration, not so high that it would create reactivity or anything, but Most. For example, most peptide serums will use, like, 0.5%. We use, like, the full, like, 2.2.5% of each one.
- [36:47]
Podcast Host
Oh, wow. Okay.
- [36:48]
Danielle Gronich
Yeah. So the main one in it is the copper peptide, I believe, and that one is just known for skin firming. So basically, it's little messenger molecules that tell your wrinkles to go away. It's nicknamed the no Botox serum because Kaylee and I both don't love doing Botox. I don't have any, like, moral issue with it. I just feel like it makes me look mean. So I wanted to make a serum that, like, got the wrinkles to go away, but without having to, you know, rely on injections. Right. But people that do do the Botox, they. They want to preserve it, they want to prolong it, and they want to be preventative externally as well as, like, relaxing the muscle. So what this serum does is it coats your skin in, like, a blanket of peptides and stem cells. It's thicker on purpose. It's a lot thicker than your average serum. And that's on purpose. When something dries up on your skin, it kind of stops penetrating. So making it a little bit thicker on purpose allows it to really interact with your skin so that the ingredients can go straight to work.
- [37:44]
Podcast Host
Got it.
- [37:45]
Danielle Gronich
So you can use this one a couple of different ways because it's. It's a little bit more hydrating than a typical serum. Some people just use it as their moisturizer during the day, which is what I do.
- [37:53]
Podcast Host
Oh, interesting.
- [37:54]
Danielle Gronich
I'm a little on the oilier side, so when I do that and a moisturizer, it's just too much for me.
- [38:00]
Podcast Host
Okay.
- [38:00]
Danielle Gronich
But at night, I'll do that and a moisturizer, because I want to be a glazed donut at night.
- [38:04]
Podcast Co-host
Totally. Can we read some of these reviews?
- [38:07]
Kayleigh Christina
Yes. Did you want to?
- [38:08]
Podcast Co-host
Okay.
- [38:09]
Podcast Host
Yes.
- [38:10]
Podcast Co-host
So this is on the actual product page. So it's like always. It's like. Like looking at or seeing our children when they leave the reviews. We're so proud of them. This one says, I've been using this serum for weeks, and it's changed my skin. It's so glossy and hydrated. I feel like my skin is so prepared for dry winter. Now, as an over 40, I highly recommend the serum. Thank you. Clear stem and gloss. Andrews confidential for gifting me the serum to try.
- [38:32]
Podcast Host
Thank you. This one says, I really enjoyed using the Bounce Back serum, especially the pearly sheen that gives your skin an instant, glowy, radiant look. I took it with me on my trip to Scotland and. And kept my routine simple. Just the serum, a moisturizer and a sunscreen during the day. My skin looked amazing the entire trip and even after I got back, I genuinely felt like I was glowing. A lot of the people that loved this particular product and said they would recommend it to a friend or recommend the brand to a friend said that they liked the way that this product improved their skin and like how it made their skin feel.
- [39:05]
Podcast Co-host
Yes.
- [39:06]
Kayleigh Christina
Yeah.
- [39:07]
Danielle Gronich
We love to give people instant benefit. Especially because, like when you have acne or you have something that you don't like about your skin, you want to feel better about it immediately. I really dislike when you are told to try a product, like invest in a product but wait several months before you see any benefit. I think that's nonsense. I think you can get an immediate benefit from it plumping your skin at least. But then also you start to see the results pretty dang quickly. And when you have the right concentrations of things, that's when you see results quickly. You don't have to wait two months.
- [39:37]
Podcast Co-host
Is that also why you added like a tiny touch of shimmer?
- [39:41]
Danielle Gronich
Tiny touch. Controversial.
- [39:44]
Podcast Host
This was actually a controversial part of this serum. People just didn't know, like, there were some people what to do with it. I was like, they're really going on about this shimmer.
- [39:53]
Kayleigh Christina
Like, I didn't really.
- [39:53]
Podcast Host
I thought it was like negligible, honestly. People were like, why is it sparkly? I'm like, what are y' all talking about? Like, I was like, are they not rubbing it in or something? Cuz my skin was not sparkly afterwards.
- [40:04]
Danielle Gronich
It might have used too much or not rubbed it in.
- [40:06]
Podcast Host
Yeah, we're like very anti sparkle. I will say that. Like that was one like one of the only criticisms of the products. They were like, I don't understand why it's sparkly. Why did you want it to be sparkly?
- [40:17]
Danielle Gronich
To give an instant glow and you can't massage any fine lines.
- [40:20]
Kayleigh Christina
And I would like to say it's. It's mica in there. So it's not like, it's not. I know people say sparkles because obviously we see it and it glows. Yes. But it's just like natural occurring sodium that adds like a little bit of a glow effect. But it's not actually like glitter pieces. No, no, no, no.
- [40:37]
Podcast Host
I was like, it rubs away.
- [40:39]
Kayleigh Christina
Yeah.
- [40:40]
Podcast Host
I was so confused by that particular channel.
- [40:44]
Kayleigh Christina
I wonder if they were looking at it like, because when you pump it out, you see the shimmer. I think that's what it Is rub it in. It's not there anymore. It just glows.
- [40:50]
Danielle Gronich
I think if you put it on your hands and then you put it to light and you're looking for it, you see it for sure. But when you rub it in, it kind of dissipates as it absorbs, but it gives you a little bit of that light correcting. You know, like when makeup artists do that layer. I forget what it's called, but they do that layer on celebrities that makes it look like they have no wrinkles.
- [41:09]
Podcast Host
Yes.
- [41:09]
Danielle Gronich
That little light reflective property. And we do that because we don't want to see our fine lines. We do want an immediate glow.
- [41:15]
Kayleigh Christina
Reflect it off.
- [41:16]
Danielle Gronich
Yeah. And if you have acne, it does help camouflage it.
- [41:19]
Podcast Co-host
I really appreciate that controversial shimmer also.
- [41:21]
Podcast Host
Because we get their first reactions to things. Like, they're excited to receive them. So they're in the chat.
- [41:28]
Podcast Co-host
Yes.
- [41:28]
Podcast Host
Conversing with each other. We're kind of just like, with binoculars, like, looking into the show.
- [41:33]
Danielle Gronich
How do you guys moderate your chat? I'm just.
- [41:34]
Podcast Host
So we let them go. Okay, rules.
- [41:39]
Danielle Gronich
Okay, got it.
- [41:39]
Podcast Host
We make sure that it's like, well, but we, you know, we. We kind of let them form their own society of sorts. And the only thing we ask of them is not to leave their full review in the channel until the end of the testing. Like, if they want to do it at the end, that's great. But, like, don't come out and be like, I, like, immediately love or don't love this serum. Because we're like, we don't want you to influence anybody else in the group. And B, you haven't tried it the amount of time we're telling you that you need to try it in order to, like, say you like it or not. So, for instance, we had some people being like this, quote, unquote, sparkle, like, what is this? I don't get it. And then later they would come back and be like, actually, I kind of dig it.
- [42:22]
Danielle Gronich
Yeah.
- [42:23]
Kayleigh Christina
Yes.
- [42:23]
Podcast Host
That's why we tell you to wait before you, like, leave your first impression. That's actually why we created this entire program, was because we felt first impressions are not great reviews.
- [42:35]
Danielle Gronich
First impressions are a reflection of whatever mood we're in that moment.
- [42:38]
Podcast Host
Right.
- [42:39]
Podcast Co-host
Actually, you have claims for, you know, fine line wrinkles. That's not going to go away immediately. Like, you need to be testing the product every day for four weeks, which is why we did this.
- [42:50]
Podcast Host
Okay. I personally love the smell. I personally love the smell. But this was another point of not even contention. But, like, people were very passionate one way or the other.
- [42:58]
Danielle Gronich
What is the scent? It's a tiny. It's not. Not synthetic fragrance whatsoever. It's literally a tiny, tiny hint of vanilla.
- [43:05]
Podcast Host
And yeah, I was like, I like.
- [43:07]
Danielle Gronich
It mild and then it disappears.
- [43:09]
Podcast Host
Yeah, I really liked.
- [43:10]
Danielle Gronich
I.
- [43:10]
Podcast Host
It was my personal preference. There were a lot of people who.
- [43:12]
Podcast Co-host
Also liked it because this person said, wears well under makeup, has a nice scent. While using it, I noticed my skin tone appeared more even and I even saw a reduction in fine lines. Overall, I looked more radiant and I received a lot of compliments. I plan on buying this.
- [43:26]
Podcast Host
Okay, so if you want to learn more about Bounce Back, you can go to Clear Stem's website because all the glams that tested this product left their reviews. And is there a search function in the reviews that people can use? Some sites have it, some sites don't.
- [43:40]
Danielle Gronich
Redid our website. I'm not sure. I'm not sure if that's.
- [43:43]
Podcast Host
You can just scroll through, scroll through and look for Los Angeles Confidential brand new website.
- [43:47]
Danielle Gronich
So I haven't searched for a search in the review.
- [43:49]
Podcast Host
It's beautiful. No worries. It's. It's beautiful. But if you're listening and you want to see a verified Gloss Angeles review, just look for the Gloss Angeles Confidential note within their review. I thought this was great. Do you plan on looking into other Clear STEM products after testing this? 58 said yes. And would you recommend the brand to a friend? 60 said yes after using this product.
- [44:14]
Kayleigh Christina
That is so sweet.
- [44:15]
Danielle Gronich
To put it in context, that is actually really, really high. Normal NPS scores. 52. 52 is good. So wow is like hugely.
- [44:26]
Kayleigh Christina
Yeah.
- [44:26]
Danielle Gronich
Wow.
- [44:27]
Podcast Host
Amazing. And it did. They did say, like almost 50% of people said that if they had not heard of the brand, this made them a fan of it.
- [44:35]
Kayleigh Christina
So that's amazing.
- [44:37]
Podcast Host
Very exciting. We obviously will be sending you guys a little deck afterwards with like the whole breakdown of everything.
- [44:44]
Kayleigh Christina
Oh, that'll be so fun to read through.
- [44:45]
Podcast Host
We thought that that was really interesting on the glams parts. We're at the end of our conversation, but we want to leave it to you too. What do you want to say to the listeners in of their acne journey? It can be a debilitating issue with their skin to deal with.
- [45:02]
Kayleigh Christina
I would say our job as Clear stem and Danielle and I, we are here to relieve that frustration overwhelm. Truly, we've simplified our education. I don't want to say simplified because you can dive as deep as you want. More digestible. So we do. Which actually could be so fun. If your community wants to do this. We do root cause of acne master classes where we go essentially everything we talked about today. There's some more and we go deeper into each. And then there's a chat function where everyone can ask questions live and they can ask like, very like their own bio, individual skin related questions. So we can really dive deep and everyone gets to learn more. They're so much fun. So we do master classes. We have our root cause of acne checklist, like, ways that just make it so easy because both of us have been there. Like, I remember trying to solve this myself for well over a year. Like, truly feeling debilitated, not wanting to leave my house. Like, I just felt so out of control with my health and my skin and I didn't know where to turn. And I was by no means like a skincare expert at this point 10 years ago. And so that's why I think Clear some resonates with so many people is because we make it accessible, digestible, but also not shameful. Like, you're not doing anything wrong, your skin isn't dirty. Like, there's just a few tweaks that can really help your skin and they're just very nuanced tweaks when you're dealing with breakouts and acne. So we're here to just make it more relieving and relaxing for you and to give you the steps to take that feels so clear for your skin.
- [46:29]
Danielle Gronich
Seconding that we Clear STEM is everyone's guardian angel when it comes to their acne journey. Like, we really strive to be that source of, like, love and support and guidance that we didn't have when we were going through our journeys. Like, I remember feeling so alone and how much it impacted my life. Like, I was in a bad relationship because of my skin. I didn't think I could do any better. I didn't apply for promotions. Like, literally, it can override your sense of self and really imprint on your psyche in a way that's very sneaky. And we don't want that for people.
- [47:00]
Podcast Co-host
People.
- [47:00]
Danielle Gronich
So. And we are in the age of information. You can touch base with people via a dm. Like, how cool is that? Like, we just want to be that accessible guardian angel that helps people on their acne journey no matter what they choose to use. If they don't, if they want to use, like something from Trader Joe's, but they're using our checker to find out which one Great sis, do you like? The journey is so unique to the person and it's not linear. We are here no matter where they're at in their journey, for anything they might need.
- [47:28]
Podcast Host
Thank you both.
- [47:29]
Kayleigh Christina
That was great.
- [47:30]
Podcast Host
Thank you.
- [47:30]
Danielle Gronich
Thank you. Mic check 12 Are we recording? Hi, I'm Michelle Bernstein, an award winning.
- [47:49]
Podcast Host
Chef, restaurateur and mom.
- [47:51]
Danielle Gronich
I have a lot on my plate, including my psoriatic arthritis symptoms.
- [47:55]
Podcast Host
That's why I was prescribed prescribed Cosentyx. It helps me move better.
- [48:00]
Cosentyx Medication Voiceover
Cosentyx Secukenumab is prescribed for people 2 years of age and older with active psoriatic arthritis. Don't use if you're allergic to Cosentyx before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur like tuberculosis or other serious bacterial, fungal or viral infections. Some were fatal. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms like fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough off, had a vaccine or plan to or if inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, serious allergic reactions and severe eczema like skin reactions may occur. Learn more at 1-844-cosentics or cosentix.com.
- [48:37]
Danielle Gronich
Ask your rheumatologist about cosentics.