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Las Vegas, NV (Sept. 11, 2019) – Can a skincare line actually have an impact on self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and even your sense of belonging?  haia (Happy as I Am) – the new gender neutral, 360-degree wellness skincare line that industry leader, Michael Bruggeman, is debuting at ISPA 2019 – aims to do exactly that by going more than just skin deep.

Letting go of the idea of an unattainable physical ideal, haia combines Eco-Certified, cutting-edge ingredients with tools to support an inclusive philosophy that you are enough.  From daily affirmation rituals to animated characters who embody the emotional, physical, intellectual and even spiritual sides of its customer, haia aims to change the conversation around skincare.

A 2018 CDC study found suicide is at its highest rate in the U.S. in half a century.  According to the World Health Organization, 300 million people have been diagnosed with depression.   According to stopbullying.gov, 1 in 4 students have experienced bullying. Bruggeman decided to offer help from the outside in, via the industries he knows the best – skincare and wellness.

Ten years ago, he co-founded the first natural, professional spa brand for men, OM4 MEN, Organic Male, this year he founded the charitable foundation and leadership Institute, One Well World and four years ago, he became chair of the Global Wellness Institute’s Beauty Meets Wellness Initiative. 

Bruggeman couldn’t help but notice a recurring theme when he conducted international roundtables with industry stakeholders in New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles and Hong Kong; when he spearheaded a Global Consumer Insights Study; and when he attended wellness summits around the world.   People yearned to feel good about themselves – no matter their size, shape, race, gender or sexual proclivity – and be confident in who they were.  And then there’s the happy reality that natural, eco-conscious and clean products are the fastest growing segment in skincare and beauty. That kind of feedback inspired Bruggeman’s decision to create haia.      

“Since beauty and belonging are such cultural drivers, our goal was to create a clean and inclusive skincare brand to help change the idea of living up to the social norm,” explains Bruggeman, “and remind you to love exactly who you are every day.  And what better place to debut it than the spa & wellness industry’s annual trade show & conference?” 

The recipe:

• Ingredients: Using biomimicry from four different biomes – or large, naturally occurring habitats, such as a forest or tundra – he worked with some of the most sophisticated raw material manufacturers in the world to create products containing the latest in clean, nature-derived, active ingredients, such as extremophiles (microorganisms that live in conditions of extreme temperature, acidity, alkalinity, or chemical concentration),  mesonutrients (the active compounds or antioxidants within superfoods found in longevity-inducing Blue Zone diets), plant stem cells and bioferments that promote a healthy skin microbiome. 
• Eco Certified/Cosmos Organic:  Beyond simply choosing organic ingredients, Bruggeman made a decision to work towards having haia qualify for Cosmos Organic, globally recognized as the highest level of organic and natural product certification that exists.
• Collections: The new line is divided into five different, color-coded collections with cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers exfoliators, eye products and masks. The packaging uses a woven fabric design as a metaphor for weaving a single thread – standing for diversity and individuality -- into a fabric of strength and a work of art.
• Affirmations, App & Animation – an April 2017 PSYCHOLOGY TODAY article by Dr. Leena Guptha said “people can learn to incorporate self-affirmation into their arsenal of tools for coping with everyday threats and thus become agents in the maintenance of their own well-being.”   Each haia product has its own carefully selected affirmation such as:  I am Confident, I am Bold, and I am Worthy, I am Whole, I am Resourceful and I am Resilient.

Customers will be encouraged to access the industry’s first ever animated skincare app on the haia website, which will have practical suggestions for implementing daily affirmations into everyday life.The app also features a virtual selfie that will give users personalized recommendations for product selection and use.

The animated characters not only reflect the skincare line’s diverse target audience, but they can help take the pressure off spa and retail sales teams by providing a user-friendly and fun way for consumers to discover the regimen that is best for them.

Bruggeman adds, “haia brings together the best of science and nature but beyond that, our hope is that the product design will make something as basic as your daily skincare routine inspire confidence, self-esteem and a sense of belonging.”

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