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
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.