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Skin Anarchy
Decoding Skin Longevity with Timeline: The Mitochondrial Revolution ft. Jaimee Holmes
00:28:08
Masterclass Monday
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Transcript63 lines
- [00:03]
A
Hey, guys, welcome back to Skin Anarchy. This is a very special episode, and it is kicking off our master class with the iconic brand Timeline. I know you guys have heard about them before. We've hosted them once previously on the show, and I am a huge fan of what they're doing, how they're approaching skin health rather than focusing on these anti aging claims that we've been seeing for so many decades now in the beauty space. So I think this is a whole new lens to look through when it comes to skin health and skin science. So without me ranting too much, please welcome back Jamie Holmes, who is the chief Brand officer for Timeline. Welcome, Jamie. I'm so excited for us to chat today.
- [00:41]
B
Thanks so much for having me. I'm so excited to chat too, and tell you all the new things we've been cooking up over here.
- [00:47]
A
Yeah, you guys have been killing it. You know, I've been watching and I've been following along, and I think, you know, just like I said, you know, the approach Timeline is taking is just so exciting, you know, for me as a consumer, because long needed. We've been waiting for this for a long time.
- [01:01]
B
Oh, thank you. Yeah.
- [01:03]
A
But I want to talk to you about, you know, this whole narrative around anti aging and how you guys are kind of redefining that. You know, can you tell us, like, you know, why has Timeline made such a conscious shift towards supporting things like skin health span instead? And what does that actually mean at the cellular level?
- [01:22]
B
So I think what's really special about the brand, and certainly what drew me to the brand, is the incredible honest scientific rigor behind it. I think the fact that Timeline really spent more than 10 years developing the ingredient, studying the ingredient, understanding its impact internally and externally is such a testament to what they've built, really, as a longevity leader. And I think that's so, so important because truly, we didn't commercialize products until five years ago. We started with nutrition. Skincare is still so extremely new and exciting and emerging within our business. We started that about two years ago, and I think just to talk about in general, just the conversation of longevity and how we're defining that. We don't use the words anti aging for a reason, as you said. For us, it's really about feeling your best, feeling your healthiest for as long as possible. And that's really how we define it. We say living is an art. Longevity is the science behind it. And our goal is really just to empower people to master both on. On their journey of a life over the course of their own timeline.
- [02:36]
A
Right. No, I think that is just. It's so, so new to so many consumers. But it's like we've never thought about it like that, you know, with skin care, because for so long, I mean, I noticed industry was always focused on get rid of. Rid of your wrinkles, you know, get rid of this and the dark spots. And it was never about your skin is an organ and it needs support, you know, throughout. So that's. I mean, it's incredible.
- [03:01]
B
Thank you. And, yeah, our int. Not to erase anything. We don't want to erase signs of living. Living is beautiful. It's a privilege to age. And so our intention is to just help you optimize these solutions so that you feel your best and you feel your most confident. We're not trying to erase anything here.
- [03:19]
A
I want to talk about the real central science, you know, at the core of timeline, which is all about mitochondria. So, you know, just so our listeners can understand, you know, can you explain how skin aging is more than just a surface issue and how the mitochondria are involved in this?
- [03:38]
B
I like to use this analogy, and whether it's relevant or not, you know, we can talk about it. But the way that I sort of break it down in the most simplistic terms is that the mitochondria, think about it like your car battery, if you will, like your car battery has got to be optimized to help the rest of the engine really perform at its best. And I think it's. It's a good analogy for skin health as well. If the mitochondria within your cells are not healthy and optimized to function at their best, then you're going to really start to see the impact of that in your skin vitality, in how hydrated it is, in how the appearance of sort of fine lines and wrinkles emerge when you start to see sort of sagging of the sk. All of those things happen and are caused by what's really happening in the cellular function. And it's so, so important to understand that. That it does go really beyond skin deep.
- [04:41]
A
Yeah, no, I. I completely agree. I love that analogy, by the way. I love the car battery because that's something that, I mean, I think everyone's kind of confused about mitochondria, I won't lie. You know, there's been, I think, more of a buzz now because longevity is becoming, like, front and center for consumers, and we're hearing more about it. I mean, you hear about biohackers and stuff. All the time. No one really understands mitochondria. That's a really great analogy. I want to kind of dive deeper though. Like, what do you think? I guess maybe from some things you guys identified as maybe the earliest internal signs of aging that manifest, that are even before wrinkles and before any of these actual external things show up.
- [05:19]
B
I think again, what you tend to really notice first is dehydration in the skin and loss of elasticity. Those will be the first two signs. After that it really starts to appear in lines and wrinkles. But I think dehydration probably is. Is the first sign of that.
- [05:37]
A
Yeah, that makes sense. That makes a lot of sense. And I think a lot of times people are just not moisturizing enough or like using the right product.
- [05:44]
B
Totally.
- [05:44]
A
I think this is a really important conversation because like I said earlier, with that superficial concept of skin care. Right. Versus now we're looking at this biologically active skincare. Where do most products fall short in your opinion when it comes to this?
- [06:00]
B
You know, I think what I see a lot of in the industry and certainly what I've experienced in using products myself is making sure that the ingredients that are incorporated aren't just giving you sort of that surface immediate feeling and benefit. Like take hydration or moisturization as an example. It's easy to achieve that through a few selective ingredients at certain levels and they'll give you that immediate sort of top line surface aesthetic feeling. But I think when you really think about what's absorbing into the skin, what's giving you an immediate benefit, but also what's treating it over time, that's where the research and really understanding what's in a formulation becomes super, super important. I think for timeline again, what we're really proud of is that we use ingredients that active and funct levels. Like we are never going to be a brand who's putting something in there at like 0.00001% just so that we can claim it on an ingredient label. We really have a lot of intention and care and focus in every single formula that we develop to ensure that it's adding real benefit and real performance to it.
- [07:16]
A
Yeah, I love that. And that's a really good point because I think for a long time we've kind of been dealing with that where it's like an ingredient is listed and we don't know what it does or if it's even really. And that's been a big concern for consumers. You know, I want to talk more about timelines. True innovation though. I mean, I know you guys, the central molecule is urolithin A. Can you dive more into that for us and give us kind of an understanding of what is urolithin A and what does it really mean for us in terms of.
- [07:43]
B
Sure. So urolithin A is a. It's a postbiotic nutrient. And what it's designed to do is really stimulate the process of mitophagy. And what that means is sort of cleaning out damaged mitochondria, recycling and regenerating them with healthy new ones. I think it's interesting to note that this. This ingredient, for most people, no matter how healthy your diet is, you cannot produce this naturally within your own systems. And so the research and development done by the team behind Timeline really started from a place of understanding. How can we sort of recreate this ingredient knowing that people can't do this within their own bodies for the vast majority? So how do we replace that? How do we give a solution to that? And that's how Mito Pure was born. It's really sort of the first and only precise dosage of urolith and A, and it's only found in Timeline skincare products.
- [08:42]
A
Wow. I love that you guys have this. And, you know, I think it takes the conversation to the next level around mitochondria, because we've heard the words like, senescence and under, like, zombie cells and stuff. Right. Like, we've been hearing about it. But I think what Timeline, for me, as a consumer, it stands out because when you explained to me, like, we have an entire proprietary ingredient that we're using here, you know, might appear as tackling an actual, like, organelle. You know, this isn't just like the surface level, because that's what happens, I feel like in cellular biology, unfortunately, is people say things like, oh, well, this gets rid of zombie cells and it. What do you mean?
- [09:22]
B
What does that actually mean? Yeah, right, exactly.
- [09:25]
A
And that's where, like, Timeline is like. I look at the brand and I look at your. Your science, and I'm like, this is it. You know, this is how you do it. Because you have to talk about what exactly that means and, like, for consumers, for us to understand that, okay, you know, mitophagy is a real thing. You know, it's something that we have to actually understand and the role that it plays. So this is phenomenal. I. I want to talk about how Timeline started off in nutrition. You had mentioned that earlier, and I think it's phenomenal that this way, you know, because a lot of times brands do the thing right, where they, like, they launch skin care and then they're like, wait a minute, we need to go into the supplement right now. You know, and it gets on my nerves. Like, I'm not gonna lie, that kind of irritates me as a consumer. So, yeah, I wanna, I want you to talk a little bit more about that. You know, what were some of the, like, the journey of that, you know, being in the nutrition space, the feedback, getting all that feedback from your customers, like, what was that process like when you were formulating the skincare side, you know, what were some things you took into?
- [10:25]
B
So I think what's so, so important to understand, again, because of the brilliant team behind us, their goal has always been to create longevity solutions with the ingredient itself. And it certainly started with a place of nutrition to understand how this ingredient can be so powerful in impacting people's lives when ingested. So to help boost your energy levels and a great number of other things, your endurance, every single day. So I think starting from that place and really understanding it and then watching the impact of that, the natural progression in question became, okay, now what else can we do with this ingredient? And it's a conversation still ongoing as well amongst our team. Like, now that we've unlocked it in a few key areas, how far can it go? Where else can we take it? And I think what's exciting is you'll probably see us introduce some, some new categories even in future. With the desire to really impact people's lives and their health span, regardless of category. I think for skin, we really started to identify and understand that its performance was powerful, that you start to see the process of mitophagy introduced and with measurable results in as little as 15 days. And that felt really, really exciting. But that certainly when you continue to use the products over time, that you're going to see added an increased benefit. And that was really always the desire and the goal. From day one when they started and founded the company, I think, you know, coupled with the fact that a lot of what we started to see and hear and feedback just from events and introducing the product to people. When we started only with nutrition, we had a lot of appetite and demand from the consumers who were seeing incredible performance from the product, who asked for more, like, what else can you do with this? And so I think certainly we took a lot of that feedback also to heart when just thinking about development and how we could really optimize it for users.
- [12:30]
A
That's so cool because, like, I mean, I'm sure you Had a lot of input right, from the consumer side, because, I mean, if any of you have out there, you know, listening, if you've tried any of the soft ones, they're phenomenal. Like, they're amazing supplements. I use them every day, you know, and you can definitely tell a difference in your health. And so when it just like being that consumer, you know, that feels that difference, and then seeing that brand come out with something like a topical solution, I mean, that's a really cool journey to watch and to kind of get behind, you know.
- [12:57]
B
No, thank you for that. And I think, you know, what was really interesting to see when we introduced a really small curated collection a couple of years ago in skincare. To your point, the second that people started to try it and they started to see that impact like they had with nutrition, then the request was for more. Well, can you, can you have a cleanser? Can you introduce other products as part of the lineup? And so that certainly was a natural progression for us to really consider all of that and build it out into a really thoughtful, complete routine, which. Which we now have and we're super excited about.
- [13:31]
A
Yeah, no, it's really cool. And I wanted to ask you about this, this transition because it couldn't have been easy. I mean, I think with Nutri, it's like, you know, you can put it in, like it systemically goes into the body. Right. But again, there's so many hurdles with the skin barrier. What were some of the things that, I mean, how long did it take you guys to really kind of get these formulations down? And, I mean, maybe you could share some hurdles your team went through to really get this, you know, down to, like, the perfect science.
- [13:59]
B
So it took us about a year and a half in entirety to really just be thoughtful and considered in the approach of building out a complete routine and a collection of products. And I think what we're always mindful of, as well as we're not going to introduce a product just for the sake of doing it, like, the performance has to be best in class, we're looking at ways that we can really optimize Mito Pure as an ingredient for overall skin health impact as well. And so for the case of, let's just say the cleanser, for example, how could we make it the best experience of cleansing? Meaning you're going to get a rich cleanse, but your skin afterwards is still going to feel protected. Hydration will be there, you'll be prepped perfectly for additional treatments to follow. But it was so, so important for us to just be really mindful and thoughtful about the experience of that journey. And I think in terms of hurdles, with any development cycle, you're going to find surprises along the way. I think that's normal for any brand. And so sometimes you might start with ideas on paper that you sketch out to say, these are the ingredients, these are the things that we think will work best to really hero and optimize the performance, but also be sort of the counterbalance to mitopure in every way. And sometimes things don't always actualize in reality in the way that you intend when you're sketching it out on paper. And I would say 100%. We had a couple of those experiences on development of the cleanser and the exfoliator. I think we went through no less than combined altogether, probably 36 rounds of formula submissions to make sure that texture was exactly where we wanted it to be, that the experience of cleansing or resurfacing on the skin was powerful, but still really gentle, that we were protecting the skin barrier, we were optimizing that function. And so it's been a real journey for us, I think, in every way, and I think a really accelerated timeline as well. But really delighted with how the formulas have executed.
- [16:16]
A
Yeah, no, they're absolutely gorgeous formulas. And I, you know, really hats off to your team because you know what I see a lot of. And this is where I think, you know, for me, I fall more in love with the brand because you often see brands that are really high in the scientific rigor or they're really high on, like, consumer appeal. You know, it's never like this combination. And I feel like what you guys are doing, it is setting the bar so high because it's both. It's the best of both worlds. And I want you to speak to that from, like, the brand side, you know, like, where does that happy, like, you know, space fall for you? And, like, what did it take to get there?
- [16:54]
B
The truth is, the aesthetics of the experience do matter. They're really important, and they have to be considered. Because if you don't like the way something feels on your skin, the likelihood of you wanting to come back to it and use it again and again is going to be pretty minimal. And so I think for us, it's always thinking about how we push the boundaries of innovation, certainly starting with the science and the ingredient first, but then how do we really optimize and consider the user experience and all of that. What you feel in the textures and the delivery system takes a significant amount of time, really to perfect. And I think beyond that, what we've done also on the packaging side of things certainly being much more considered in the details of application. So when you take things like the barrier cream, for example, we've introduced a pressed pump on top of that to allow for more sort of precise dosage of application, but also keep it really thoughtful and hygienic so that you don't have to dip your fingers into that every single time or maybe waste some of the formula as a result. I think even thinking about the details of the experience of our eye cream, we've introduced a mini cryo spoon for the first time and with a lot of intention. It's double ended. So that you've got a flat end to sort of dispense the formula onto your fingertip or directly under the eye area. But then you've got this other multi double end that's sort of rounded and you can massage under and around the eye area to really depuff, soothe, boost circulation as part of that complete experience. So I think really thinking about all of it holistically was so, so important in building this rebrand and relaunch. In addition to that, the materials that we're using new and differently on packaging are aluminum, glass mostly to the best of our ability. We're using post consumer recycled plastic only in ways where we can have to because the innovation may not be there just yet, but when it is, we'll be ready for that. So really just thinking about full stop, how the products show up, how they're delivered, how they sit on your vanity, how you travel with them and how you use them every single day was really the journey that we went on as part of all this.
- [19:15]
A
Yeah, I really love it. I love the thought that you've put into it. Because when I think about this movement in longevity that we're seeing right now, right. And you think about what is that consumer looking for? I mean, what were some of the things, I guess that stood out to you? Because I know there's a whole group of people that have really propagated this longevity movement and it's not just about better products, it's also that lifestyle component. You know, Like, I feel like when I think about somebody who's really focused on longevity and wants to do their best to be using the best science and the best products, their vanity is going to look a lot different, right. Than somebody who's not even thinking about that. So what are some things that you think are, are front or were front and center for you and you were really kind of etching this out and figuring out like that ideal consumer, you know.
- [20:01]
B
So I think certainly to that point, when you think about the longevity or sort of biohacker consumer, they're really looking for performance first and foremost. They want the results, they want to know intimately the science behind it. And we wanted to make sure that we were still speaking to them and engaging them in all the ways that they expect us to, to do as a brand who's really built that community over years. But I think also thinking about more broadly how we can reach other consumers, maybe those who are sort of curious about longevity but don't necessarily understand it fully just yet, or maybe aren't thinking about it as top of mind in their day to day, how could we still sort of meet them in their curiosity or their journey of education, being inspired to maybe learn a little bit more. And it's why we decided to simplify some of what we've built. You'll notice that on the packaging, even the details are simplified, but they're clear. We want it to be a little bit more edited and curated in the complete experience so that we can meet anyone on their longevity journey, no matter where they are at that stage of it. I love that.
- [21:08]
A
And also introduce people.
- [21:10]
B
Right.
- [21:10]
A
That's like huge.
- [21:11]
B
I feel like the brand is.
- [21:13]
A
Yeah, Like, I mean, I feel like the timeline is positioned in a way that even if you aren't into this, you know, mindset of longevity yet, you can definitely, definitely discover it through the.
- [21:22]
B
Yeah, you absolutely can. Yeah. And still be excited about it in ways that resonate with you. Yeah, absolutely.
- [21:28]
A
Yeah. And I think that's where it really does stand out for me, you know, because we've been talking for so many years about how everybody needs to kind of declutter their cosmetic space. Right. Or their consumer, the personal product space. And that's, I mean, we say that, but then to bring that to life in a way that you can now have a set of products that you have no excuse anymore as a consumer. Because here's the science, here's the aesthetic appeal, here's the personal experience. You know, you've got everything in one package. And so now it kind of forces the consumer to say, wow, okay, I don't need the 10 products. You know what I mean? So this one step.
- [22:06]
B
Yeah, right.
- [22:07]
A
It's huge.
- [22:09]
B
And I think it's so important too, to just be so mindful and considerate of that. I mean, just that ease of navigation. We don't ever desire to be a brand with, with 100 choices and so many steps in the routine. It's about being mindful and conscious of that complete holistic experience for your best skin health. And that doesn't need multiple products. Like it can be a really edited collection. And I think the beauty of what we've built also is that it can integrate really nicely into your existing routine as well. If you are using other things, very easy to introduce the eye cream into that or the serum for example. And so I think that's also our desire is people are finding sort of their journey with us that we can still fit seamlessly into their routines as well.
- [22:56]
A
Yeah, it's, it's really, really easy with the brand. I think it's really easy because even like I'll give you my example, I know a lot of you listening out there are very science conscious, such as myself. And for me, I mean literally the eye cream is next to me on my bed vanity, you know, like it's right next.
- [23:11]
B
Oh, I love that. Yeah.
- [23:13]
A
I mean, because I, I can trust it. You know, I think it's that trust component and it's exactly what we've been talking about this whole time where, you know, it's one thing to have a really great product and to feel like, oh, this is a great product, I like the way it looks or, or whatever that is for you. But then it's a whole different thing to have a product that you're literally relying on for more health related purposes, you know, where you're like, this is something I have to do for myself every night, you know?
- [23:38]
B
Absolutely.
- [23:39]
A
Yeah, I absolutely love it. I think that this is so needed, it's so long overdue in this industry where we find tried and true products. And also the big component is the way you've built your system. It's like one brand, one system, you know, that's huge. I mean, can you speak to us a little bit about that? Like in terms of the synergy of the products, what were maybe some things that went into that and building that out?
- [24:02]
B
So yeah, I mean, I think again the goal was really about simplification, not adding too much complexity into the routine, but giving you sort of a one stop shop. When I think about on the nutrition side of the house, it's the same dosage of the ingredient, but we've given you choice of just a couple of formats based on your preference. On the skincare side of the house, it's really about thinking about the journey of that complete routine. So starting with the basics, like your cleansing step, adding in treatment, adding in a great moisturizer, and then finishing that off with eye cream is the last step, and really one of the most, most important steps, because that's where you start to see signs of aging emerge faster than other areas of your face and even your body. So simplification, I think, was really key here in the complete journey. One of the other things I want to just mention quickly, on the experience of the new branding, I think what you'll see a lot of sort of newly and differently is a choice of a color, this butter yellow color. And what's been so exciting for me to understand and bring to life as part of the brand is knowing that the ingredient itself might appear in your lithium A. This is the color of that ingredient, and it's raw powder state. And anyone who tries our formula will also see and experience that the color of the formulas comes from that. And so it's also this really beautiful, buttery, golden yellow color. It's really unique. It's not anything I've ever seen with any other brand and out in the marketplace. And it comes from this ingredient. I think it's just so, so special.
- [25:41]
A
I was gonna ask you about that because it's actually a really soothing color. Like, it's really calming.
- [25:47]
B
Yeah, it totally is. Yeah. Yeah. And it's. It's natural. It's. It's honest and true. It's just what it is. And it's natural state. And I think how beautiful is that to be able to just. Just bring forward and educate around that the experience you're having is really natural and comes authentically from this ingredient.
- [26:06]
A
Right. And you're getting that feeling of exactly what you're paying for.
- [26:09]
B
Right.
- [26:10]
A
You know, you're not.
- [26:11]
B
You're.
- [26:11]
A
This isn't anything else. And that's huge right now with the way that the economy is. I mean, I think people are looking for that level of transparency. For sure.
- [26:19]
B
Right? Yeah.
- [26:20]
A
That's beautiful. I love that. I love how much thought has gone into the brand. I mean, I. I think about this. This all the time because I use your products every day, and I. I've really been enjoying incorporating them. Yeah, no, it's. It's a really, really, I think, long overdue shift in the skincare space because. And also, one of the big things I wanted to actually talk to you about was that for so many years now, we've been kind of harping on this whole skincare needs to be unisex. It needs to be for everybody. You know, we got to get men involved, and that's a Whole conversation. And I feel like, you know, that's something I think, think that you guys are really addressing here. Did you guys do any market research in terms of that aspect or.
- [26:56]
B
We certainly did. We did a little bit with a selective pool of folks to sort of test that. And I think that is our desire and. And goal as a brand. It always has been authentically from day one to just reach everyone without being so gender specific. We got some great feedback from the gents on this and the experience of the packaging and their desire to want to be able to use it also. And so that informed and shaped some of what we did with the design directionally in a way that we felt really authentically could be embraced by all.
- [27:31]
A
Yeah, I think that's where it really kind of also shines. It's for everybody. And so anyone, any women out there, I guarantee your husbands are going to be stealing this.
- [27:40]
B
Agreed. Agreed. They will be.
- [27:42]
A
Just be prepared.
- [27:43]
B
They might not tell you about it, but they might sneak and steal. That's. That's great. We love that.
- [27:48]
A
Right? Right. Exactly. I love it so much and I. I really appreciate what you guys are doing and I'm so excited to launch this master class with you guys. I think we need to learn more about science done right in the space, and I just. I can't think of a better brand doing that. So thank you so much, Jamie. This was wonderful.
- [28:04]
B
Oh, thank you so much again for having me. I love the conversation. Yeah.
- [28:08]
A
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