Allison Langenderfer, Co-Founder and President of Spavia {LOCATION_TITLE} Day Spa is thrilled to interview the creator behind the award-winning, all-natural CBD skincare line, CAUSE+MEDIC. Hugh Huffaker, CEO and Co-Founder is here to share personal insights on what drove him to start CAUSE+MEDIC, what differentiates his products and company in the CBD industry, and a few fun facts about what makes him who he is today!
Allison: Let’s start from the beginning, why did you start CAUSE+MEDIC?
Hugh: I decided to go into the health and wellness industry after my mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a decade ago. She suffered from terrible leg spasms nightly and none of the muscle relaxers seemed to help at all. Upon reading about the strong connection between the endocannabinoid system and the central nervous system, I began researching how CBD could be used to help treat multiple sclerosis and started a CBD company called CAUSE+MEDIC which now holds patents on its micro-encapsulation process for increasing the solubility of CBD through the skin. CAUSE+MEDIC is not a traditional CBD company and partners only in the spa, club, and fitness industries. CAUSE+MEDIC also owns a spa in the beautiful mountain town of Buena Vista, Colorado where all new cutting-edge CBD treatments are being trialed. CAUSE+MEDIC has been featured in Forbes, Modern Luxury and has recently won Organic Spa Magazine’s “Top CBD skincare Brand of 2020”.
Allison: What are the key benefits of CBD?
Hugh: My favorite benefits of CBD for the spa industry involve its interaction with the central nervous system and immune system. The endocannabinoid system will communicate with the immune system and central nervous system to help with pain and injuries when CBD is introduced and binds to its receptors. Your immune system will produce more biochemicals associated with anti-inflammation while your central nervous system will help with pain by numbing some of the pain signals being sent to the brain.
Allison: CBD is everywhere, what sets your CBD products apart?
Hugh: There are a few things that set us apart from the rest of the CBD industry. The first is that we are a farm-to-bottle company. We don’t white label a random massage oil and buy CBD from other CBD companies. We own a farm where we can actually grow hemp properly and make sure that no nasty herbicides and pesticides are being used. This additionally gives us a key advantage of being able to control our pricing and supply chain.
Additionally, there are so many CBD companies that sell CBD joints, dog treats, skincare products, etc. Would you ever buy a skincare product from a company that also made dog treats? Absolutely not! CAUSE+MEDIC is not only a spa vendor but a spa operator. All of our products are put to the test in our spa before we launch them. We are a true spa company and you will not find our products being sold in random convenience stores or dispensaries. We create avante garde spa treatments that no one else is doing and are loyal to the spa industry.
Finally, it is very important that CBD topicals absorb properly. We have a patented microencapsulation process that avoids the use of toxic chemicals, but also greatly increases the absorption of the CBD. This is extremely important for topicals.
Allison: What has been the most rewarding part of starting this company?
Hugh: The most rewarding part of starting this company is having so many people go out of their way to let me know how our products have impacted their lives or their loved one’s lives for the better. Every day we get a review from someone explaining how their quality of life has improved. Seeing those reviews come in really makes me feel like we are doing something good for the world.
Allison: What is the most important thing you learned from starting CAUSE+MEDIC?
Hugh: Stay humble and don’t forget the days of manufacturing, shipping, and receiving out of my garage. I have seen CEOs of various brands get very arrogant and lose spa customers because of that. I stay true to my roots and I’m not afraid to be the hippie jazz guitar-playing rock climber.
Allison: CAUSE+MEDIC is very involved with the community. What are a few key causes that are important to you?
Hugh: When someone checks out on our website, we make a donation and they get to choose where the donation goes. We have handpicked a few causes that are meaningful to us such as keeping girls in school in Africa, supporting Syrian Refugees, and restoring forests around the world that have been cleared. For more information see how our company gives back!
Allison: You say you don’t believe in anti-aging. Tell us more about that philosophy.
Hugh: We believe aging is a good thing. It means we are growing and evolving and, ahem… living. What we do believe in is aging well and aging healthy. We have spent many years working with various skincare lines and isolating ingredients to find out what works and what doesn’t, and thanks to the new, progressive hemp laws we have been able to incorporate CBD extractions into that hands-on study. Unlike a lot of other products, our line is free of parabens, synthetic dyes, and fragrances. We think we’ve come up with some pretty awesome alternatives to mainstream skincare and are stoked to share our formulas with you.
Allison: How do you think COVID has changed the industry?
Hugh: It has obviously hurt the industry in the short term, but I think in the long run it has been a warning shot to the US on healthy living. Death rates from COVID are 10 times higher in countries where most of the population is overweight. Almost half of the US is diabetic or pre-diabetic right now. I truly believe COVID is going to push us into healthier lifestyles much quicker than anticipated. When people exercise more, there will be more injuries that need massage therapy. Also, when you start to concentrate on healthy living, part of that is relaxation and spas will be there to provide when people need it. I think the spa industry will see very good times once the blowback from COVID-19 has settled.
Allison: What is your favorite CAUSE+MEDIC product? Why and how often do you use it?
Hugh: I probably use the pain cream the most because I always have lingering sports injuries. However, I really love mixing our body butter with coffee body scrub 1:1 to form an exfoliating cream. The combination of the coffee, lavender, and sage smells is amazing!
Allison: You go a million miles a minute…What keeps you going? What motivates you every day?
Hugh: I am extremely fortunate to work in industries that I truly love. I think that something like 70% of the US population is unhappy with their job and I absolutely love what I do every day.
Allison: What is something that may surprise us about you?
Hugh: I love playing gypsy jazz guitar and I hosted (pre-COVID) two large gypsy jazz jams monthly before everything shut down. I think it’s the most fun music in the world to play and listen to!
Allison: What is your favorite spa treatment?
Hugh: Gua sha and cupping with our CBD massage oil and pain cream.
Allison: What do you like to do outside of work?
Hugh: I love playing guitar and rock climbing, both of which I have done since I was around 11 years old. Other than that, I love being outside!
Allison: I’m all about positive quotes…do you have a favorite quote?
Hugh: Some people are content in the midst of deprivation and danger, while others are miserable despite having all the luck in the world. This is not to say that external circumstances do not matter. But it is your mind, rather than circumstances themselves, that determines the quality of your life. Your mind is the basis of everything you experience and of every contribution you make to the lives of others. Given this fact, it makes sense to train it.”
-Sam Harris, Waking Up
Allison: Thank you so much for your time, Hugh. I loved learning about the start of CAUSE+MEDIC and I’m now even more of a supporter of such great products! It is so important to educate and support our Spavia community and so grateful to have an amazing partner like CAUSE+MEDIC.
Hugh: Absolutely Allison! This was so fun and I greatly appreciate your time. I know how busy you are! We absolutely love working with the Spavia family and are so appreciative of all the important wellness work your team provides in so many communities.
At Spavia {LOCATION_TITLE} Day Spa, we use the CAUSE+MEDIC CBD Pain Cream and CBD Massage Oil in our CBD massage boosts to deliver immediate relief from aches, pain and inflammation, while improving overall massage experience to increase results, relaxation, and efficiency. Find a spa near you today to schedule your next treatment and add one of our CBD boosts! Learn more about CAUSE+MEDIC products to elevate your spa experience.
Comments