Derek Chase, Founder of Flora + Bast – Interview Series

How did you get started in the beauty and wellness industry? When did you see how important investing in one’s overall wellness is?

I began my career working for Johnson & Johnson selling OTC products to CVS – which is a far cry from the wellness industry! All conventional OTCs (think Zyrtec, Benadryl, Tylenol, Rolaids, Pepcid, Imodium, etc…) are reactive remedies that aid in relieving symptoms, but create a cycle of imbalance where the root cause is never considered. The sales of the products are MASSIVE and people use them chronically, creating great wealth for the company. During my time in this roll, probiotics were first making a splashing the mass market, growing like a weed and getting a lot of press attention. The paradigm shift from thinking reactively to proactively planed the first seed in my thinking about health and wellness, and prompted me to start examining the way I was eating to enhance my own personal health.

After this gig I transitioned to Neutrogena (another brand under the J&J umbrella). It wasn’t that I was all that interested in skincare at the time, having a bit of PTSD from suffering with acne in my high school years, it was California that I was interested in! After a few months in this roll, having educated myself thoroughly in skin science, I realized what we were selling was never going to solve people’s skin problems, specifically in the acne category. Again, these were items that were designed from a reactionary paradigm rather than preventative, and the items that claimed to solve the problems were actually perpetuating them. For example the whole idea of “oil free” is completely misguided (dare I say a flat our lie) – your skin needs oil, and it needs it to be balanced – so removing oil from your skin with harsh chemicals, leaving it dry and flakey, will cause inflammation and forces the body to produce more oil, which is the root cause of most acne cases. Conversely, applying oil to ones skin can help to balance oil productions, reducing inflammation, which is a root cause of acne. These foundational experiences led me to think through a prevention and wellness focused lens in all areas of my life, from diet to mental health, and eventually led me to create FLORA + BAST.

When did you first witness the therapeutic potential of CBD and hemp-based products? How did it change your previous perspective on hemp as a whole?

To be honest, I was a high THC cannabis consumer long before I was a hemp user and marketer. Having used cannabis to reduce and eventually quit drinking alcohol, I had always been very interested in the category as states began to legalize for either medical or recreational use. Towards the end of 2017, when it began to be clear that the 2018 Farm Bill would legalize hemp nationally, I figured this was my shot! Having never consumed a psychoactive hemp product, but understanding the power of low dose THC, I searched my rolodex for a potential source, and was lucky enough to be loosely connected with a farm in Vermont who was growing certified organic hemp. After visiting the farm and sampling their oil, my hopes were confirmed that hemp was going to be a powerful psychoactive medicine. For those who have not experienced a well dosed, natural hemp product (i.e. one containing a relatively low but very meaningful level of THC), the plant extends a potent anxiolytic effect without sedation or inebriation, calming the nerves but leaving one’s consciousness clear with a hint of euphoria. With further testing I realized that the time of day and the state of mind that I was in would change the effects that hemp delivered. At night, it helped me fall asleep; before a workout, it energized me; during sex, it made me more creative and connected to my partner. Cannabis description as an adaptogen is surely the best way to describe it, because it does not have just one effect; instead, it accommodates the needs of the individual, which is why you see hemp making inroads into so many commercial categories.

How did you create Flora & Bast and what inspired you to envision the brand to begin with?

FLORA + BAST was a brain child birthed a year after my departure from the corporate world – a time in my life where I was going through significant distress caused by a loss of direction and understanding of what I was intended to do with my life. After a 10 year run up the corporate latter, having worked a variety of roles and functions across amazing brands and with really great people, I came to the realization that I was not satisfied with the results. So I quit and moved from NYC to LA, with no job and no idea of what I would do next. I was lucky enough to pick up some interesting consulting work, and one of my clients was a non-profit dedicated to treating epilepsy with the ketogenic diet (which I was strictly following at the time and continue to live a ketogenic lifestyle). Since hemp has incredible seizure-reducing effects, it was a topic of discussion as the legal landscape for hemp was beginning to form, and it prompted me to delve deeply into the data to better understand the mechanism of action that made hemp such an effective treatment – which is basically that hemp’s various cannabinoids stabilize abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

This simple understanding got me thinking that if hemp can stabilize even an epileptics brain, maybe it could hold promise for other brain disorders. Further research and first hand experience with hemp confirmed for me that it could be used to treat many of the maladies I was or have experienced in my life, namely sleep, skin, stress and sexual dysfunction. Once I was a true believer, the brand work and product creation was seamless, having gained all the practical knowledge during my corporate career. I was able to overly my passion with my experience to create FLORA + BAST, which has solved my search for meaning and fulfillment which caused me to drop out of the corporate life. Hemp and everything that has spawned from it literally saved my life.

How did you decide which Oregon farm that Flora & Bast was going to source your products from? What all went into that decision and how prevalent is hemp farming in Oregon?

We actually began our farm relations in Vermont, then toggled to Oregon, and then Colorado, and then all the way back around to Vermont! Due to the infancy of the hemp supply chain at the time, it was very difficult to find high quality oil. Generally speaking, the best hemp growers did not have the capacity to extract the oil, and oil extractors didnt have access to the best hemp (or were unwilling to pay the price for good hemp). For our first production run, we sourced from a supplier in Colorado because they were the most buttoned up, and we were launching with Sephora, and I could not risk a regulatory error. As the supply side matured and my network grew, I was able to optimize our oil quality, and we began to use growers and suppliers in Vermont for our oil needs. When the opportunity presented itself to work with Biodynamic(R) certified hemp, we jumped at the opportunity. Biodynamic(R) agricultural practices net the cleanest and most nutrient dense result because the method focuses primarily on the health of the soil, rejecting synthetic chemicals and focusing instead on building rich humus, boosting microbial life, and using specialized herbal and mineral preparations to restore soils natural vitality that is depleted by cultivation. Since we were able to link Biodynamic(R) hemp with certified Biodynamic(R) extractors, we maximized the quality of our products while preserving the health of our partner Mother Earth!

How did you consider both the hemp farmers and the consumers themselves when you constructed the menu of products with Flora & Bast? How do the product choices best appeal to the most possible consumers?

All products in our portfolio were designed from a “scratch my own itch” perspective, which continues to be the driving force behind all of our innovation. Our four categories are skin, sleep, sex and stress, which have been areas where I myself have struggled with in the past, for which I used counterproductive measures. As s kid, I struggled with acne and scorched my face with caustic treatments and zapped my gut flora with antibiotics; I slept so poorly I’d fall asleep in class despite enlisting a treasure trove of sleep aids like Ambien, Nyquil, and diphenhydramine; I used alcohol to blunt the anxiety associated with social situations and sex; and I used prescriptions stimulants to overcome the waxing and waning of my chaotic emotions. None of these methods paid long term dividends, even if in the short term they seemed beneficial. I would find ways to manage these imbalances with yoga, diet, meditation and herbal remedies, including cannabis, psychedelics, kratom, and kava, or what we call “Cali sober”. All of these substances have made their way into our line as a result of my own use, and aside from the commercial success, it is a much more rewarding and fun way to run a business, because I don’t have to think through the lens of some some imagined consumer – I get to think about what I want and bring it into the world in hopes that it helps other people, and when it does, it brings unmatched satisfaction.

Regenerative agriculture, specifically Biodynamics(R) produces premium hemp because of the health of the soil combined with the fact that it is free from any toxic additives that are used in grow process to ensure high yields. Biodynamics views the farm as a self-contained, living organism, so killing microbes is not an option. Instead, the whole system needs to be brought into balance so that all living inhabitants can thrive, resulting in the most natural and human-friendly results possible.

When it comes to the production process, how do you ensure that the skincare products are much more cleanly produced than other hemp or CBD-based skincare products?

We procure the best ingredients, process them minimally, and preserve them naturally! I learned a lot about conventional skincare products during my time as a corporate citizen, and that informed the way I began thinking about designing my own products. The biggest issue in cosmetics is the combination of oil and water into a shelf stable emulsion.  To make a cream or lotion, you need to make oil and water mix, which won’t happen naturally – so you need to introduce an emulsifier which allows the oil and water to mix – and this is the problem! You’re basically creating a mild soap, and damaging your skin cells! So, we don’t mix the two, and instead focus on oil only and water only products so that we don’t have to use emulsifiers or toxic preservatives. Instead we use fewer, better ingredients. In fact, our Firm + Brighten product has a whopping COGS of over $37, and that’s not something you would see from the big brands whose products often cost as little as $1-2 despite a triple digit retail.

From your experience, what have been the best-selling products/product types? And why do you think those products are so popular among your customers?

Our top seller is our Deep Sleep gummy – its popularity is born out of its effectiveness to both help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, with most sleep sufferers needing help on both ends. I think our sleep products are so popular because they are effective without the side effects associated with conventional sleep aids – namely a groggy hangover. Additionally, we formulate with an ultra low THC cultivar, and add a ridiculous amount of CBN, a potent anxiolytic, more than most companies with formulate with due to the high price of CBN. We also use all natural ingredients as opposed to the commodity approach most gummy producers use. Instead of cane sugar and corn syrup, we use organic, raw honey, and organic Vermont maple syrup. Instead of “natural flavors” which are diluted in propylene glycol (i.e- anti-freeze), we use organic freeze dried fruit. Instead of mold-derived citric acid, we use freeze dried lemons. The result is a truly healthy base of ingredients, beneficial for brain and gut.

Since creating Flora & Bast, what are some meaningful customer reviews you’ve received? How have CBD/hemp products provided relief and assistance in their lives?

What are some exciting future plans for Flora & Bast? How does the brand plan to expand and evolve in the coming years?

Kava is a big one we will be investing in soon! As an ex-drinker, I know how hard it can be to stop drinking in social situations. While I love cannabis in a social situation, many find it to be anxiety producing. Kava has the most similar effects to alcohol, without the downside. While kava is difficult to formulate with, and many people have never experienced a proper kava product, I believe it will be gaining in popularity over the next decade as the declining trend of alcohol use continues and consumers look for alternative products to enhance their social self.

Thank you for joining us, Derek! For more information on Flora + Bast, please visit its website.