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A female-led canned wine startup is using $14 million in fresh funding and a distribution deal with E. & J. Gallo to expand beyond its successful direct-to-consumer business and onto the shelves of some of the nation’s biggest retailers. 

 

Los Angeles-based Bev, which was founded by 30-year-old Alix Peabody, signed a deal with Gallo, the largest-family-owned winery in America, that will help get its canned wine an expanded presence on the shelves of Target, Albertsons, BevMo, Safeway and Total Wine starting next month. The brand will also grow its presence at HEB in Texas and Kroger, the nation’s largest grocery chain, where Bev has been in stores in Tennessee since last June. 

“When people become connected to the brand, they become loyalists. They really love it because it’s speaking to something that they’ve been missing,” Peabody says. “Gallo is trying to drive diversity in the industry, trying to uplift new types of brands that really are putting a focus on how they can speak better to the female consumer.”

While the wine industry crunched for the first time in 20 years going into the pandemic and continued its downturn, canned wine is a bright spot. A decade ago, sales for the industry were around $2 million. But it’s now a $240 million market, according to data provider Nielsen, up 65%.

Bev has been backed by investors including 30 Under 30 honoree Catharine Dockery, the founder of Vice Ventures, and Founders Fund, the San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, which led Bev’s seed round of $7 million in 2019. It was the venture firm’s first investment in an alcohol company. 

 
Gallo will now distribute Bev's canned wines.

Gallo will now distribute Bev’s canned wines.

 NATHANIAL WOOD

In 2015, at 24 years old, Peabody was suddenly in organ failure. She lost her ovaries and ability to naturally have children. As her health stabilized, she decided to freeze her eggs. But the expensive process is rarely covered by insurance, so she started hosting ticketed parties aimed at women looking for a safe space to unwind. 

She made enough to cover her medical bills and realized she could be on to something. In 2017 she started making her own wine, in brightly colored cans. She paid for the first production run with a long-forgotten retirement account she had gotten while working at hedge fund Bridgewater. She cashed it out and took the tax penalty to pour $20,000 into a few thousand gallons of Bev’s first rosé. 

While Bev is maintaining its operating independence with the distribution deal, Gallo will end up helping out where it’s able, like sourcing Bev’s cans, which has been a challenge due to a recent shortage.

Two of Bev’s primary slogans, often emblazoned on its cans, are “Made By Chicks” and “Break The Glass,” but as Bev has grown, Peabody has gone beyond shopworn platitudes of empowerment. Bev’s sales team is entirely women, a rarity for the alcohol industry. Peabody says it’s been crucial, because these sales reps have to fight at every stage to get Bev onto the shelf.

The hard seltzer craze has popularized cans—and Bev’s canned wines have seen a lift from the trend—but it’s also attracted some copycat competitors into the hot space. 

After Onda, a canned sparkling tequila that raised $1 million launched last summer, Bev’s loyal followers flooded social media with questions over how Onda’s branding could look so similar to Bev’s—down to its characteristic bright-red color and curly script logo. 

In July 2020, Bev sent a letter demanding that Onda stop its infringement and stop ruining evidence by deleting consumer comments on its social media. Shortly after, actor Matte Babel called Peabody to dissuade her from filing a lawsuit. Babel is the significant other of Onda’s highest-profile cofounder, actress Shay Mitchell, who is Onda’s chief brand officer. During the call, Babel told Peabody that “women shouldn’t fight each other,” according to the lawsuit that later was filed in September. 

“Babel’s true goal was to help Onda get away with ripping off Bev’s branding,” the complaint states. Onda’s January response admits the call took place but denies other allegations. 

“You can knock off branding but you can’t knock off authenticity and culture,” Peabody now says. “We really believe what we stand for. It’s in the fabric of who we are, and I don’t think that’s something that is fairly easily replicated.”

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Among the many consumer buying trends that took place during the last six months, the rise in alcohol sales surprised few people. Beer, wine and spirits sales were all up during the pandemic, and some newer entries in the alcohol sector, canned cocktails, seltzers and flavored malt beverages (FMBs), saw triple digit sales growth year-over-year. Canned wine also continues to be popular, though it is a small portion of the wine market. According to Forbes, “The overall category of ready-to-drinks, from malt-based flavored drinks to hard seltzers to canned cocktails made with spirits has grown tremendously from April 2019 to April 2020, growing at a rate of about 80%.”

The success of canned cocktails and wine, also known as “ready to drink” cocktails (RTDs), can be attributed to a variety of factors including convenience, healthfulness, creative marketing strategies and shifting consumer behaviors during the pandemic.

Bacardi Launches Line Of Rum Cocktails With Hashtag Campaign Focused On Convenience

Recently launched by Bacardi, their RTD rum cocktails leverage the brand’s summer-focused reputation and fresh ingredients to promote the new canned cocktail option. A range of simple, creative commercials that focus on freshness and the hashtag #BacardiToGo, reminds audiences that this is not the typical canned cocktail (often made with malt), and that it’s easy to grab and go. Bacardi reinforced that messagi
ng via a series of Tweets capitalizing on their partnership with The Governor’s Ball, which was virtual this year, but usually has a prominent Bacardi-sponsored stage and on-site “casa.” 

The rum cocktails have been very successful for Bacardi, with the rum brand doubling its estimated forecast for the product in 2020. “Our biggest challenge is keeping them on the shelves,” he says. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’ve had to ramp up production, which is always a good thing,” said Ned Duggan, Global Sales SVP for Bacardi.

Ready-To-Drink Brands That Boast Fresh Ingredients In Beautiful Packages Gain Popularity


One of the reasons that RTDs are seeing increased popularity is the attractiveness of the product, the innovative slim can and the Instagrammable quality of the newer RTD products. “Visual identity is key. Bright, eye-catching colours, simple designs and slender cans fit neatly into the curated and perfectly filtered aesthetic that social media influencers and celebrities are promoting,” noted IWSR, a data and analysis firm focused on the global beverage alcohol market.

Brands like Miami Cocktail Co. and White Claw have benefitted from this trend, both creating fun and fresh campaigns across social media that boast the unique ingredients and modern qualities of their signature beverages. “Our focus is on creating authentic cocktails — we don’t produce ‘flavors,’” said Ross Graham, CEO of Miami Cocktail Company. “However, we do add our own twist to the classic cocktails we make, (like) adding just a hint of ginger and elderflower to our margarita spritz.” Online sales of Miami Cocktail Co. during the second quarter of 2020, trended up 2,900% over the same time period last year. And, White Claw is a behemoth in the RTD universe, with the very popular beverage dominating 40.8% of the hard seltzer market. Another advantage the lighter, fresher RTDs have is often a lower alcohol by volume (ABV), making them appealing to people who don’t enjoy strong alcohol or who are less frequent drinkers.

New Canned Wine Companies Are Seizing Their Moment 


The canned wine market has grown $60 million since 2014, and Nielsen predicts it could represent 10% of the wine market by 2025. Many brands are well-known, like Babe, which is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, but newer brands are also enjoying success in 2020. Bev, a California-based canned wine, has enjoyed a growth rate of 200% per month since March. The brand pivoted to direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales at the beginning of the quarantine out of necessity and the risk paid off. “Once people get used to having something show up at their door without having to think about it, they’re not going to change,” said Alix Peabody, Founder and CEO at Bev. “I don’t think this is going to slow.” Bev also shares some of the features that have made other RTDs successful, including peppy, fun advertising that is attractive and emphasizes healthy, clean drinking options. 

The popularity of RTDs is likely to stick around in the new normal, with cocktails in a can offering convenience, a fun approach to drinking with friends and a more healthful option for people who don’t want to drink their calories. Marketers that are able to differentiate their offerings and create compelling marketing campaigns are likely to gain committed customers and find success beyond 2020. 

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Nobody likes having acne. Nobody likes a sunburn. And nobody likes prematurely aging their skin. For all of these reasons, you’ve arrived here today at the best sunscreens for acne-prone skin.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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We get it: If your skin is prone to breakouts, you’d rather not aggravate nor encourage the situation. But you need to shield your skin from the sun’s skin-mutating UV rays—ideally every day, since gradual sun damage can sneak up on you, even without a burn.

There are two solutions for your pursuit of the best sunscreen for acne-prone skin: a face sunscreen or a moisturizer with SPF—both in oil-free formulas.

The Benefits of a Face Sunscreen

You have a separate cleanser and moisturizer for your face than what you use on the rest of your body, right? (Right…?) The same goes for sunscreen. You don’t want to use a bargain-buy spray or greasy lotion on your face. Instead, you want to gun for sunscreens for acne-prone skin formulated for more sensitive areas. Many are oil free and have non-comedogenic formulas (read: won’t clog pores); they also tend to be void of fragrances.

Some facial sunscreens add soothing or nourishing ingredients that teeter into facial moisturizer territory, but typically you’ll wear them on top of your (non-SPF) daily moisturizer. Beyond the oil- and fragrance-free options, you can choose between mineral and chemical sunscreens fairly interchangeably (though mineral is always the agreed-upon choice since it sits atop your skin as opposed to being absorbed in). If you want to follow your dermatologist’s best wishes, you’ll also choose something with SPF 30+ (folks with fair skin should opt for 50+). Truth be told, if you’re not going to be diligent enough to reapply sunscreen every two hours (who is?), go for a higher SPF.

The Benefits of a Moisturizer With SPF

If you’re not partial to your existing moisturizer, we’d suggest putting an SPF-packed one in rotation for daytime use, since a lifetime of UV-ray blockage could shave 10 years off your appearance by the time you’re 60. The obvious reason to choose a moisturizer with SPF is you get to shave off part of your skincare routine; it does doubly duty—perfect for the minimalist.

As for acne-prone skin, the same rules apply here as with facial sunscreen: Avoid oil-based formulas (except those with non-comedogenic oils, which we’ll discuss later), and avoid any with synthetic fragrance. Again, SPF 30 should be the minimum, whereas fairer skin types should opt for SPF 50.

With all this in mind, read our top picks for the best sunscreen for acne-prone skin. We’ve selected a range of mineral and chemical face sunscreens and moisturizers that boast SPF 30 or higher.

Best Sunscreens for Acne-Prone Skin

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen
Supergoop Unseen SunscreenCourtesy Image

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

A chemical-powered face sunscreen, Supergoop’s oil-free formula sits light atop your facial moisturizer, blending seamlessly under patchy beards to shield sun-exposed skin. A little goes a long way—a pea-sized amount will cover most of your mug.

[From $20; supergoop.com]

GET IT
Hawthorne Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 30
Hawthorne Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 30Courtesy Image

Hawthorne Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 30

Hawthorne’s oil-free face sunscreen combines both types of mineral sunblock—titanium dioxide and zinc oxide—to ensure you get thorough coverage minus the chalky white cast other zinc-only options often leave behind. It also deploys coconut alkanes and green tea extract to hydrate and shield the skin against pollution (which itself poses photo-aging damage, much like UV rays).

[$16; hawthorne.co]

GET IT
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen Milk for Face & Body SPF 60
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen Milk for Face & Body SPF 60Courtesy Image

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen Milk for Face & Body SPF 60

There’s a lot of good here: An SPF 60 formula protects skin against 99 percent of UV rays—especially ideal for fairer skin tones (SPF 30 shields against 97 percent, but that extra 2 percent makes a difference). Secondly, this product is formulated foremost for the face (evidenced by an oil-free recipe), but is amply sized so you won’t feel bad lathering it all over your body too. (After all, it’s designed for both. All face sunscreens can go on the body, it’s just that most come in smaller packages, and are thus best conserved for the face.) In short, this one’s got more volume, more SPF, and thus more all-around coverage.

[$22; amazon.com]

GET IT

Best Moisturizers With SPF for Acne-Prone Skin

Lumin UV-Defense Balm SPF 30
Lumin UV-Defense Balm SPF 30Courtesy Image

Lumin UV-Defense Balm SPF 30

A zinc-powered mineral SPF shield gives this nourishing moisturizer its daily UV defense. Rosemary extract thwarts toxins and papaya extract helps keep skin firm. It’s important to note that, while this isn’t an oil-free formula all the way through, the two oils it does contain (in small doses) are both non-comedogenic, meaning they don’t clog pores. Both jojoba and sunflower seed oil calm inflammation and help repair skin.

[$32; luminskin.com]

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ZitSticka MEGASHADE Sunscreen Serum SPF 50
ZitSticka MEGASHADE Sunscreen Serum SPF 50Courtesy Image

ZitSticka MEGASHADE Sunscreen Serum SPF 50

Anyone prone to acne should shop ZitSticka’s assortment of products (think zit-zapping hydrocolloid patches and self-dissolving microdart patches to fade dark spots), since battling blemishes is their M.O. This SPF serum is a recent launch from the brand, and one of the more exciting SPF products of late. In addition to providing both chemical and mineral SPF defense for even the fairest of skin tones, this is also a daily hydrating serum (so you apply it before a moisturizer). Aloe soothes, tea tree oil neutralizes bacteria and tames oil, hyaluronic acid hydrates, and green tea extract calms inflammation. Its two oil ingredients (tea tree and kakadu plum) are used in small doses, and are non-comedogenic to keep pores clear.

[$40; zitsticka.com]

GET IT
Cetaphil PRO Oil-Absorbing Moisturizer SPF 30
Cetaphil PRO Oil-Absorbing Moisturizer SPF 30Courtesy Image

Cetaphil PRO Oil-Absorbing Moisturizer SPF 30

A few drugstore brands win near-unanimous praise from dermatologists, despite the synthetic, low-cost formulations. Cetaphil ranks highly up there (alongside Dove, CeraVe, Eucerin, and Aveeno). This SPF 30 chemical moisturizer shields skin from UV rays and toxins, while using a lightweight, starchy base to absorb excess sebum and prevent clogged pores and forehead shine.

[$13; amazon.com]

GET IT
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Bev

After disrupting the beverage industry less than a decade ago, canned wine quickly evolved from a trend to an autonomous market with a devoted following. 

“Canned wine exploded for many reasons,” says Alix Peabody, founder and CEO of the direct-to-consumer, canned wine company, Bev. “First, the convenience of the can allows consumers to take the wine virtually anywhere: beaches, boats, parks. Second, [most] canned wines are single serve. This means that one 250ml can is a glass and a half of wine; the single serving allows [portion] control for the consumer.”

Now even more prevalent than ever, as COVID-19 temporarily scrapped open container laws in cities throughout the U.S., canned wines have an opportunity to appeal to a wider audience. But will they? 

“Since canned wines are relatively new to the beverage industry, there is a lot of trial and error in the production methods of canned wines. This has resulted in inconsistent quality across the board,” says Giselle Sigala, Sommelier at Chelsea Wine Vault, the wine store within Chelsea Market, New York City.

This inconsistency is responsible for some of the popularized misconceptions now associated with canned wines—produced from low quality grapes, cheap, sweet, metallic and without longevity—presenting a possible hurdle for extending the product’s reach outside its current demographic.

Debunking The Myths

“All canned wines are not equal,” says Jim Doehring, President and Founder of Source Code Beverage, producers of Backpack Wine. “There are tiers of canned wine just like there are tiers of bottles in terms of quality. It is completely possible to put a high quality product in a can and enjoy it.”

While a high quality product certainly begins with high quality grapes and clean ingredients, quality is also affected during production and canning, with the volatility of the aluminum can as a significant factor in avoiding the metallic taste.

“The canning process is crucial to creating a wine that won’t react to metal negatively. In order to avoid this, winemakers must avoid adopting the ‘one-can-fits-all’ approach,” says Sigala who noticed winemakers using less sulfur and copper—typically used as preservatives and pesticides in the vineyard—with canned wines due to a negative reaction between these chemicals and the aluminium. 

Bev canned wine

Light, dry varieties fair better in cans than heavy, tannic varieties.

 BEV

Today, however, the most prevalent solution to avoiding a metallic taste is lining cans to avoid the wine’s direct contact with the aluminum. “At first many producers filled unlined cans and thus made the runway to broad consumer acceptance longer,” says Darren Restivo, principal of Biagio Cru Wines & Spirits, creator of Rosé All Day. “Today, most wines in a can use some type of liner which eliminates the chances of metal contacting the wine and thus the metal taste.” 

Linings can include a BPA-free proprietary ceramic polymer liner like in Backpack Wine or an epoxy liner, used by Love & Exile in Nashville, Tennessee. “The can itself essentially exists to house and maintain the structure of the plastic liner inside, and should never come in contact with the wine,” says Tyler Alkins, founder of Love & Exile. 

Another way to ensure quality of canned wine, is to work with less acidic varieties opposed to heavy, tannic varieties that benefit from aging in a glass bottle. “This gears toward easy drinking, lighter varieties such as Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir and sparkling wines,” says Sigala. 

“Our biggest consideration is who is drinking our wine and where,” says Alkins, recognizing canned wines’ popularity at outdoor events, from concerts to the beach to the golf course. “Generally, there’s less need to consider a food pairing. Subsequently, we tend to use very limited oak, keep tannins to a minimum and emphasize a fruit forward, refreshing structure.”

Using dry varieties also helps to reduce sugar and sweetness, something that canned wine brand, Bev, takes a step further by producing all three of their offerings—Rosé, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc—with zero grams of residual sugar and a slight effervescence. “We know that some people have been wronged by bad experiences with too-sweet canned wines; Bev is personally debunking this myth by offering canned wines that are dry, high quality, and taste amazing,” says Peabody.

Rosé All Day canned wine spritz

Canned wines are perfect for
everything outdoors from hikes
and beach days to a
refreshing, single … [+]

 ROSÉ ALL DAY

As consumers caught onto the convenience, portability and portion control of canned wines, winemakers also recognized its benefits. “Canned wine is significantly cheaper to package (no label, cork, capsule) which allows us to keep the price lower,” says Alkins of Love & Exile. “In addition, cans are not subject to UV damage, they’re a fraction of the weight, and much more convenient to recycle.”

Though cans are less subject to UV damage, winemakers still suggest avoiding direct sunlight as an extreme in temperatures can affect any wine; optimal storage temperature is between 62 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. 

“As with all wines, the shelf life varies based on the quality of wine and type of wine,” says Restivo. “Wine in a can has the potential to have a longer shelf life than in a bottle due to the complete lack of oxygen.” 

When wines are canned, the liquid is filled to the brim, before oxygen is removed and the tops are sealed. The final additions in the canning process will vary by brand; Bev adds a slight carbonation due to the psychological familiarity of drinking something fizzy out of a can and Backpack Wine uses a drop of liquid nitrogen as the lid seals for a firmer can and fresher wine. 

“It’s an exciting time for canned wines,” concludes Sigala. “Wine is going through an identity shift from something that was only acceptable to drink in a more formal setting, to being normalized as a casual beverage likened to beer.”

 

9 Canned Wines to Try

Now that the most prevalent misconceptions surrounding canned wines have been explained, here are a few brands to try from a chuggable red to a refreshing wine-based cocktail, that may just convert a bottle snob from glass to can: 

For something light + classic

Bev Gris: a Pinot Gris with hints of elderflower, pear and grapefruit.

For a taste of summer with texture

Crafter’s Union Brut Rosé: a bright, bubbly, slightly floral sip (notes of strawberry and watermelon).

For something chuggable

Indecent Red Blend, Love & Exile: a smooth, sexy blend of 80% Grenache, 20% Rubired (best served slightly chilled).

For a no-fuss sundowner

Rosé All Day Spritz Can: a delicate combination of rosé, bubbles and grapefruit.

For a canned-variety hybrid 

Underwood Riesling Radler: a blend of Oregon Riesling, grapefruit and hops.

For the ultimate afternoon at the beach

Beach Juice: light, elegant, refreshing Provence-style rosé with aromas of berry and melon.

For a mid-hike refreshment  

Backpack Wine Snappy White: a Washington State Chardonnay with a pleasantly dry, acidic finish.

For your go-to spritzer

MOVO Blood Orange Sangria: a mix of red wine, sparkling water and natural juices that take the work out of concocting a wine spritzer.

For when you’re feeling fancy

Tangent Rosé: a rosé blend of Albariño, Pinot Noir, Viognier and Grenache.

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“I spend a lot of time being angry — but I’m still hopeful. Gender bias in medicine is systemic,” says Carine Carmy, the fast-talking CEO and co-founder of Origin, during a condensed chat about her startup mission to make physical therapy for women and mothers accessible and affordable across the US, both online and through a network of physical clinics.

The unexpected arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic led the LA-based startup to rework and accelerate its original launch plan — shifting its first focus to getting a telehealth service up and running fast.

They launched a “virtual care” service at the end of last month — offering “non-invasive, affordable care for commonly overlooked health issues”, from painful sex to postpartum recovery, as they put it in a press release, all of which is currently being served up via socially distanced Zoom video chat, thanks to the coronavirus.

Early growth in visits is running at 100%, month over month, per Carmy.

“We had originally planned to spend more time with in person care and then actually launch our digital platform — telehealth — in 2021. But March hit and it was very clear that we were going to have to close our doors for some period of time. So we decided to accelerate, really dramatically, the launch of our virtual care,” she explains.

“We launched a telehealth product in 48 hours, we converted the majority of our visits for the next month in person online and we had really, really great feedback and customer response —  both in terms of adoption but repeat visits as well. And that gave us the confidence to really accelerate both the brand launch but also to be able to serve many more women with telehealth and then ultimately with other digital products down the line.”

Origin’s virtual care offering is nationwide in the sense of being available as a “touchpoint” to women across the U.S., though Carmy notes it’s only “in network” (i.e. accepted by some insurance providers) in California at this point. “That’s a goal of ours — to expand insurance coverage nationwide,” she says.

“We’re rapidly onboarding new providers across the country to be able to serve patients in a deeper way. Right now we offer one-on-one physical therapy online in California, and we’re offering health coaching in other states and are expanding our coverage in the coming weeks. We have folks lined up in New York and Texas and other states that we’re onboarding right now.”

The wider plan — coronavirus pandemic willing — is to start building out a network of physical clinics to go alongside the telehealth service, expanding out from the initial clinic in LA. She says the team is eyeing other locations in California to potentially open up later this year.

“Our model is both in person and online but obviously COVID has accelerated the online component,” Carmy tells TechCrunch. “But, at the core, physical therapy designed for women really means we were looking at women’s anatomy; the hormonal differences that affect women at unique stages in life; and often looking at the very prevalent but overlooked healthcare issues that women experience. So that’s the core of the care delivery that we’ve been tweaking with the team from a client experience perspective.

“That is going to stay the same but our goal is to build a network of practices across the country in partnership with the leading providers in each market. So we’re actually on track to open up San Francisco later this year… and have plans to expand within California and the country in person.”

On the tech side they’re focusing on building “customization around the care delivery experience” — which boils down to building a platform that serves the target female users with “the right education and fitness and exercise content”, as part of an overarching care delivery package.

Origin’s founder clinic is a long-standing LA business, called Bebé Physical Therapy. The team started working with this practice in late 2018, with a formal partnership following on last year. While the clinic’s original founder has left, the entire clinical team was retained — and Origin gained an existing loyal client base. (They say they’ve treated “thousands” of women in Los Angeles and have more than 250 referring providers, such as OB-GYNs, at this stage.)

“For us it was this really big moment of realizing there is this care delivery model that really works,” says Carmy, explaining the startup origin story. “The research shows that physical therapy is the first line of defense for every pelvic floor disorder. But there’s not enough access to these types of providers in a way that makes sense for the modern woman.”

“We really believe in building a clinical-first company,” she adds. “So for us it was really important to partner with really the best team in Los Angeles.”

Origin is angel funded at this stage, with the team taking an undisclosed amount of financing from investors including Assaf Wand, CEO and co-founder Hippo Insurance; Jenny Fleiss, co-founder of Rent the Runway; Josh Zad, founder & CEO of Alfred Inc.; and several others, including some individuals specifically focused on the healthcare space.

“Now profitability is sexy,” jokes Carmy, when asked about its approach to financing the business and whether it’s looking to go down a typical startup VC funding route or not. “For us, we’ve always wanted our locations to be profitable. I think it’s the most important thing to control your own destiny. Really focus on building a sustainable business from day one has been our goal.”

While bricks-and-mortar clinics where women can go for personal, physical, and potentially very intimate therapy are clearly a vital component of such a service, Carmy argues there’s plenty of good work that can be done virtually to support women with their health issues.

She says one major component to tackle when targeting women’s health is simply awareness and education — given how relatively overlooked the area is. And of course there’s no barrier to imparting knowledge over a Zoom call (albeit that particular videoconferencing tool’s platform’s security is something the Origin team may want to take a closer look at).

“So much of what we offer can be done remotely,” says Carmy. “And I think, especially if you’re a busy working mother, to be able to come into the clinic every week is not always feasible. So we do think you can actually achieve better outcomes and better adherence if we have continuous care online and in person.”

“A lot of patients are coming to us with issues that have never been named before,” she adds. “So some of the core value we offer is actually providing medical validation — there’s a medical diagnosis and there’s a plan and there’s something we can do about it,” she adds.

“How women understand what’s going on with their bodies. And that’s not just in one session — that’s really over time, increasing body awareness and knowledge that women have so that they can also take care of themselves better in the future. That happens in every visit and can happen online.”

Origin co-founder, Carine Carmy

Carmy has a background in digital marketing but a very personal interest in women’s health after suffering painful sex during her twenties. She recounts the frustration of having to see multiple doctors before finally being able to get effective treatment for the problem.

While her long time friend and co-founder, Nona Farahnik Yadegar, suffered similar health issues after delivering her son — which led her to the Bebé Physical Therapy practice. Inspired, the friends joined forces to set up Origin, enlisting the help of Farahnik Yadegar’s husband, David, as their third co-founder.

“Pregnancy and postpartum, particularly postpartum, women’s needs are fundamentally ignored after they deliver,” Carmy continues. “We’re expected to just kind of ‘snap back’ — which is this huge fallacy which creates a whole set of other emotional issues and challenges as we try to live our lives.

“There’s a huge need. There’s a historical gender bias in medicine — but there has to be a way to solve this.”

It looks like a timely moment to build such a platform, with telehealth seeing a huge demand spike as a result of the coronavirus. While femtech, as a category, is now well established — commanding an increased share of attention from VCs who have historically lagged on understanding the opportunities for products and services that cater to women’s health (given their own gender bias problem).

Where women’s health is concerned the penny of opportunity does seem to be dropping. Not just for businesses narrowly focused on fertility, either, but for founders who are thinking far more holistically about women’s issues and well-being (including very overlooked yet universal transitions such as the menopause).

The Origin team’s decision to accelerate launching their telehealth platform actually occurred before a COVID-19 triggered shift in US regulations — which has nonetheless helped their accessibility mission by opening up digital healthcare platforms for insurance coverage, including for physical therapy.

“My hope is that this continues, even beyond whatever crisis period we’re in right now,” says Carmy, noting how physical therapy was one of the last areas to be covered for telehealth.

Origin contends that its approach to women’s health and physical therapy prevents and treats conditions that costs the system “billions of dollars across maternity and MSK” — by reducing unnecessary surgeries; improving musculoskeletal outcomes; and also by supporting women at work, thereby reducing absenteeism and promoting postpartum return.

“We’ve systemically ignored many parts of women’s bodies. There’s so much more research on erectile dysfunction than there is on female sexual pain,” Carmy adds, discussing why the insurance industry has also historically failed to pay proper attention to women’s health. (She notes, for example, that the Bebé Physical Therapy practice is an exception in Southern California in accepting insurance for this type of therapy.)

“If the medical community is telling you, through their actions, by only getting one visit six-weeks postpartum or by me needing to see six doctors to figure out what’s wrong with my pelvic floor, which is a large part of my body,  even I think that this is maybe ‘normal’ or not an issue.

“The number of women I’ve talked to who assume that leaking or incontinence is just something that happens to all women after they give birth and can’t be dealt with… So I think we’ve normalized what is probably one of the largest healthcare issues in the country. That is maybe not an acute issue causing a tonne of surgeries but it really is if you look at pelvic organ prolapse.

“One in two adult women experience some level of prolapse and surgery is still perceived to be ‘the option’. And even with surgery you need physical therapy so…”

There’s respected science underpinning physical therapy as an effective treatment for a range of women’s health issues (Carmy, for example, points to this Stanford study on pelvic floor dysfunction). But, at the same time, the historic failure of the medical research community to focus on women’s health issues means there’s an ongoing paucity of data — which is something Origin hopes to be able to treat in time.

“We’re one of the only practices, we’re seeing thousands of visits a months, so we’re able to actually have a very large population that, hopefully in partnership with a research institution, we can actually show the real value of what’s being done — especially from a prevention stand point,” says Carmy.

“I think that’s where healthcare is going,” she adds, on the dual-sided — online, offline — nature of the business: In person physical therapy supplemented by ongoing online care, where therapists treat patients in their homes (and can even, therefore get a peek at extra environmental context, by getting eyes on a patient’s surroundings, that might be useful for further customizing physical treatments).

“In the future we’re not going to call it ‘telehealth’ we’re going to call it healthcare… It’s really just the future of care delivery.”

Another healthcare trend that’s clearly signalled by a startup like Origin is that women are increasingly rejecting a male-skewed status quo within medicine — and making it their own business to take better care of women. 

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Body Buliding

Montgomery, Alabama native and Oscar-winning actress, Octavia Spencer agreed to donate respiratory monitors to nursing and medical facilities in Alabama and New York.

Partnered with baby monitor company, Miku, Spencer says the monitors are to provide relief to nurses while they care for COVID-19 patients.

Montgomery based healthcare system, Baptist Health, was selected for its facilities to receive some of the monitors.

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Body Buliding

Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer has donated contactless baby monitors and iPads to hospitals in New York and her native Alabama to help nurses monitor coronavirus patients’ crucial respiratory functions more safely.

“I, like many of you, have felt helpless in knowing how to help during this time,” wrote the 47-year-old actress on Instagram Tuesday. “Seeing what is happening in the communities that I love, I have teamed up with @Mikucare to donate monitors to nursing and medical facilities … to provide much needed relief to nurses as they navigate care for COVID-19 patients.”

The Los Angeles-based Miku makes a baby-monitor that uses wireless sensors to track changes in sleep and breathing patterns, and transmits that data to smartphones and other devices, such as iPads. Nurses, including those at the Bronx-based Montefiore Health System of 10 hospitals, have adapted them as contact-free patient monitors.

“With the understanding that respiration is one of the earliest indicators of illness, Miku’s breathing monitoring can indicate potential onset before other symptoms present” themselves, continued Spencer, who most recently starred in the Netflix miniseries “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker.” “Miku’s two-way talk and video functionality also provides patients and medical personnel a method to communicate safely and effectively with those who have contracted the highly contagious virus.” 

The “Ma” star urged, “Please everyone do your part to stay safe and stay home in order to protect yourself and the ones you love most and I hope we can all find ways — small and large — to give back to our neighbors, family, and those on the frontlines.”

A second post contained photos of Montefiore staff familiarizing themselves with the device, which Spencer said “can monitor respiratory and communicate with 10 patients at a time. I wish I could afford to put these in every palliative care convalescent home and hospitals all across the world.”

One Montefiore nurse was so appreciative that she tweeted a video of a line of medical personnel each doing dance moves. “Thank you #MIKU #OctaviaSpencer for allowing staff to complete assessments without entering the room,” posted the account Neuro RN Leader. “Montefiore medical center neuroscience department so happy to receive #MIKU we decided to dance. … Thank you for your very generous gift. We at Montefiore Medical Center love you.”

In addition to her Oscar for “The Help” (2011), Spencer was nominated for “Hidden Figures” (2016) and “The Shape of Water” (2017).

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Body Buliding

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many big names are joining forces for “The Call to Unite,” a 24-hour global livestream event that starts on Friday, May 1, at 8 p.m. EDT.

Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts, President George W. Bush, Deepak Chopra, Eva Longoria, Common, Jennifer Garner, Mandy Moore, Maria Shriver, Martin Luther King III and Alanis Morissette are just some of the famous figures to participate in the event, which aims to unite people across the world to celebrate acts of humanity.

The livestream will feature performances, conversations, life lessons, and more to combat the challenges of the crisis.

“The Call to Unite” will be livestreamed at unite.us, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and SiriusXM Stars Channel 109.

Aside from the livestream, Oprah also recently donated $10 million to COVID-19 relief efforts. Beyoncé, Kevin Hart, Rihanna and Charlize Theron have also pulled out their wallets to combat the crisis, which has taken over 211,000 lives worldwide.

“Extra’s” Billy Bush recently FaceTimed with “Modern Family” star Julie Bowen, who is participating in a live online table read of the TV comedy “Half-Assed” to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bowen shared, “This is just strictly for charity… every dollar you give will be matched up to $200,000 so there’s no such thing as too much. We’re encouraged it’s going to raise money for the first responders.”

Billy recently spoke with “Shark Tank” star Lori Grenier, who also showed her appreciation for first responders by donating meals.

Octavia Spencer has joined forces with Miku, the ultra-smart, contact-free baby monitor, to donate Miku monitors to ICUs and Emergency Wards in hospitals from her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, through Baptist Healthcare Systems.

In a statement, Octavia said, “It was incredibly important to find a way to help my communities during this pandemic, and I was lucky enough to find and team up with the founders of Miku to provide state-of-the-art monitors to the most vulnerable people affected by COVID-19.”

Tonight, Aisha Tyler is teaming up with Verizon to host members of the FaZe Clan as they go head-to-head in a gaming livestream on Twitter @Verizon, @Teeqo on Twitch, Yahoo, Verizon’s Facebook page, Fios Channel 501, YouTube, and XBOX. Verizon will also donate $10, up to $2.5 million, to support small businesses when the hashtag #PayItForwardLIVE is used.

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Body Buliding

When you get a blemish on your face, you typically have a few treatment options. You can reach for an acne spot treatment, spend 10 to 15 minutes masking, or stay the course with your skin-care routine and let your skin do its thing. But another option that has quickly become a favorite among us here at Allure is using pimple patches.

Pimple patches are adhesives that are filled with different acne-fighting ingredients, like salicylic acid or tea tree oil, that you place on top of blemishes. “These acne patches offer an air-tight seal from the environment and its contaminants, while drawing out impurities from the skin and suspending it in the gel-like matrix of the patch,” says California-based and board-certified dermatologist Melanie Palm. “Some of the patches offer the power-packed punch of active ingredients such as anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, or anti-acne ingredients to soothe and treat acne blemishes.”

They are pretty simple to use and you can just follow the instructions listed on the packaging. Palm says the “stealthiest” way to apply an acne patch is overnight; it will work to treat spots for seven to eight hours while your skin is in its restoration period. But you can also wear them during the day to help prevent you from picking. She says regardless of which acne patch you decide to use, always apply it to dry and freshly-cleansed skin.

Most people are able to use acne patches, though Marisa Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, warns those with sensitive skin to be cautious when choosing which to use; having too much exposure to an ingredient such as salicylic acid can be irritating and drying. Garshick also says deep breakouts may not respond at all to these. She’d normally recommend visiting a dermatologist for a cortisone shot. But until we are no longer under quarantine, your safest and best option for this type of acne is to turn to teledermatology and virtually consult with a dermatologist.

Another thing to consider before using an acne patch is that different types of acne require specific types of pimple patches. To figure out which one is best for you, we asked dermatologists to break down which types of patches (and ingredients) are most effective for every type of acne. Scroll through to see what they had to say.

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Fashion, Products

Hollywood may be taking a beat, but casual styles recently worn by Jessica Alba, Sophie Turner and Chrissy Teigen offer plenty of comfy, cool inspo.

As Hollywood adjusts to a new normal indoors, A-list stars are providing fashion inspiration with cozy knits, silky pajamas and cool hues while social distancing, lounging with family and creating videos for TikTok.

These comfy threads range from a springtime kimono to oversized joggers. Here’s how Jennifer Lopez, Sophie Turner, Chrissy Teigen and more stars have rocked loungewear lately.

Sophie Turner

Game of Thrones may be over, but Sophie Turner is still turning heads. While taking a stroll in Beverly Hills on Jan. 24 — several weeks before Los Angeles was mandated to stay indoors — Turner wore the Avenue hoodie ($128) and matching sweatpants ($118) in forest green by Alo Yoga.

Jennifer Lopez

The Golden Globe nominee for Hustlers received this chalk-toned sweatshirt and matching pair of joggers from Naked Cashmere for her 50th birthday as a gift from fiance Alex Rodriquez. The moment was captured in a one-year anniversary video that Rodriguez shared on Instagram. Gigi Hadid and Camila Morrone are Naked Cashmere fans, too.

Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen, the host of Quibi’s new show Chrissy’s Court, donned a cream-color, full-length silk kimono on March 29 from Olivia von Halle, made from 100 percent 19 momme silk ($920). This robe features a pink and blue printed palm pattern, accentuated with a matte silk tie.

She showed off the robe on Instagram alongside husband John Legend during the fantasy wedding of their daughter’s favorite stuffed animals, Chloe and Nosh. Selena Gomez recently wore Olivia von Halle’s black silk nightdress ($390), as well.

Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba raised the bar for chic pajamas. For several TikTok videos, the Honest Beauty founder stayed comfortable in L*SPACE’s silky Luna PJ set, in the shade Sangria ($145), on March 16. 

Jenna Dewan

The dancer got cozy in Splendid sweats during this “Safer at Home” period. Jenna Dewan turned to its tie-dye Horizon Hoodie ($158) and Horizon Jogger ($148) for a walk in L.A. on April 4. Isla Fisher and Alba also sported the label recently, both wearing Splendid’s Fernwood Active drawstring hoodie and matching sweatpants in heather gray. 

Hailey Bieber

Before stay-at-home orders were in place, Hailey Bieber was ahead of the loungewear curve. In February, she was spotted wearing a matching set from Livincool: a sky blue cropped sweatshirt ($100) and loose-fitting joggers ($100) with embroidery detailing.

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