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This month has been especially exciting for me because I was just featured in The Spa Insider for their “#beautyboss” series. It was an absolute honor to be recognized in this series next to some incredible and talented women and men in the beauty industry. To write this article, we got to sit down and do a full interview, in which I was able to share my story of how I got involved in this industry and started Cannabis Beauty. Upon completing this interview, it came to my attention that many people are not familiar with my story, so I figured it was only fair that I share my story here as well. The questions and answers are outlined below, enjoy! –JK
In 2012, before the CBD industry really existed, the pioneers of the industry came to our lab, JBK Wellness Labs, and asked us to develop powerful products using the special ingredient: CBD. They came to us because of our knowledge of herbal medicine and special ingredients, and our ability to combine this deep knowledge with the cutting edge technology of today. I come from a long lineage of doctors and herbologists, and I am the first female in my lineage to hold the treasury of my family’s proprietary Bi Bong® herbal formulas that have been passed down for centuries. In Chinese Medicine, hemp is one of the 50 Fundamental herbs, which means that I am certainly aware of its powers for the body and particularly, the skin. I developed Cannabis Beauty, the first luxury skincare line ever created, using this herbal knowledge – where each formula is properly balanced, which means that the skin is able to absorb it easily and attain all of the incredible properties from the herbal ingredients.
The brand has been since 2012.
My husband and partner, Craig Nandoo and I have been in the spa/beauty industry for more than 15 years developing products, which have launched in Whole Food Markets, Neiman Marcus, Urban Outfitters, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons resorts, Mandarin Oriental and other national retailers. So, when I developed Cannabis Beauty I created the core skincare regimen that you would find in a luxury spa setting – cleanser, exfoliator, mask, toner, serum & moisturizer.
I truly love the entire line, because each product has a special duty to truly detoxify and nourish the skin, leaving your skin with the healthiest and most radiant glow. I do not wear face makeup because these products make it so that I do not need to!
If I had to choose one product it would be the exfoliator, because it really helps to resurface the skin, removing dead skin cells and allowing for new skin cells to be revealed leaving skin smooth, firm and glowing.
JBK Wellness Labs is the “(wo)man behind the (wo)man,” which means that we create the products for the brands that are sold. Our products are sold Whole Food Markets, Neiman Marcus, Urban Outfitters, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons resorts, Mandarin Oriental and other national retailers.
We manufacture nutritional and cosmetic products in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
We are currently one of the largest producers of CBD products in the United States and Europe and have customers with operations in more than 30 countries globally.
I am inspired by those who truly wish to establish something good into the world and set out to do so no matter how challenging and no matter what stands in their way.
From as far back as I remember, with my earliest memory beginning at 5 years old, my mentor would ask me “Jenelle do you want to be special?” To which I answered “Yes!” He responded, “then you can never be afraid to be different and when everyone else is sleeping you keep working hard.” This is what set me on my path to success.
The 3 most important things that I believe unlock the secret to success are:
Beauty truly comes from the inside out. While it is so important to care for your skin using proper formulations and the best quality ingredients, it is absolutely necessary to make sure that you are taking care of your condition as a whole – eating properly, taking vitamins and internal formulas that are balanced for your body, sleeping well, and exercising and calming your mind to relieve stress.
I am a working mother of 2 young boys and I run a company with many people that I care deeply about, which means that I have to constantly find balance in my life and I know how hard this can be. I do know, however, that to achieve wellness and optimal well-being it is so important to be balanced with everything in life! This means the way that you eat – I love to eat and I do not deprive myself of anything but I do not indulge in things that are not good for the body – too much sugar, greasy foods, etc; it also means being able to calm your mind and balance stress in your life because we must remember that the mind and body are connected.
While I do appreciate a day at the spa, my favorite way to relax is laying in bed and cuddling with my boys, reading them a book or watching a movie with them.
