At Brandettes, we are fascinated with the future and constantly working to incorporate developing trends into our brands. While there are always a lot of unknowns, one thing is very clear – as science and technology continue to evolve, everything from our healthcare to our diet to our beauty regimen will become more personalized.
We’ve talked about the future of customized, DNA-based skincare, and closely related to that are products and treatments based on your blood type. Your blood type is important – it can be a tool for understanding your susceptibility to disease, how your body reacts to food, stress, sleep and if you’re Angelina Jolie circa 2000, a way to honor your spouse through a piece of jewelry :-).
We took a look at three categories and the interesting ways that brands are responding to this emerging trend of branding by blood type.
Fragrance. The Italian fragrance company Blood Concept created a line of unisex fragrances representing each of the human blood types: A, B, AB, and O. Based on the belief that our blood type reveals information about our history, each of the fragrances was created to represent a phase of mankind’s evolution. So type O is leathery and animalistic, type A captures a green garden accord, type AB is sharp and mineral and B is spicy and woodsy. The one commonality? Each has a lingering metallic end note to remind you of blood (hmmm…maybe a bit much?). But I do love how they carry out the concept through their packaging – the sleek metallic, almost surgical-looking bottles and dropper-type applicators are right on.
Many Japanese believe that blood type affects personality. As a result, Japanese beauty brands have created products that compliment particular character traits. For example, there are relaxation bath salts for the perfectionist type A blood types and re-energizing salts for the more relaxed type B blood types.
Diet. Blood type diets are based on research that validates the influence of blood type on many areas of our health and well-being. The theory is that based on evolution, people with different blood types digest proteins differently (making certain blood types more compatible with meat, veggies, etc.). Therefore, if you can identify and eat foods that are most appropriate for your blood type, you will feel better and be healthier.
Taking this notion of individuality even further is DNAFit, which uses a DNA swab to analyze the relationship between your genes, nutrition and lifestyle and provides you with personalized diet and exercise regimen based on the results.
Antiaging. New developments in biology have enabled custom-made professional treatments like Kim Kardashian’s notorious Vampire Facial (also known as PRP injections). Doctors withdraw blood from a patient, isolate and then add to the platelets to make plasma-rich platelets (PRP). The PRPs are then injected back into wrinkled areas, where they release growth factors that firm and rejuvenate the skin.
While I’m talking about innovation, one of the most intriguing advancements in the quest for eternal youth is centered around the idea that young blood can be used to rejuvenate older people, slowing down or even reversing the aging process. Clinical trials where old mice were given the plasma from young mice were extremely successful. Now a human study on Alzheimer patients is underway at Stanford, wrapping up this October. If the participants improve with the infusions of young plasma, it will open the door to further studies and could lead to some truly revolutionary breakthroughs in the treatment of disease.
As someone who embraces a holistic approach to beauty and wellness, I have no trouble believing that we are hardwired to react differently to certain products and ingredients based our genetic identity, and our blood type is certainly part of that equation. Stay tuned as I continue to research and keep you updated on the intriguing concept of branding by blood type!
-CM
