Grammy swag bags to include Edmonton-made skincare line

A skincare line created by a team of local doctors is about to get its 15 minutes of fame.

The Edmonton EcoMD skincare line will be included in gift bags handed out in Hollywood for the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday.

Dr. Jaggi Rao, a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon at Rao Dermatology, was one of the team leaders in developing the naturally-sourced, environmentally-friendly line.

"These are toxin-free products, mostly plant derived. Ingredients and the packaging are all bio-friendly and reusable or degradable," he said.

A team of doctors from different disciplines started working on the collection two years ago as a pandemic project, Rao said.

The line includes treatments for anti-aging, acne and sensitive skin and was developed in Edmonton and manufactured in British Columbia.

"Fortunately we finished it just recently. I won't say the pandemic is fully over, but enough to launch it just a few months ago," he adds. "It's caught the eye of several people across the world, including fortunately the Grammy Awards people."

Rao said the team had to apply to have EcoMD featured at the Grammys, and the line was vetted for safety, sustainability and utility before being approved. He said the company sent in around 145 products for the gift bags.

And while the publicity and potential for international expansion is exciting, Rao said he's just happy to see people using the treatments since they were designed to help people care for their skin.

"A lot of people, particularly over the pandemic, have developed sensitive skin, so there is a need for products like this that are very safe and also very environmentally-friendly," he added.

"We're hoping that we will develop more ideas and we look forward to partnering with the people who can help us expand it."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's John Hanson