History
In every American household, certain items are a staple in the medicine cabinet. Aspirin and Pepto Bismal are just a couple of examples. However, in the 60’s and 70’s, households in middle America also had Watkins inhalant, which had a potent eucalyptus scent that mothers used on their children’s chests and in vaporizers. Drawing salve, which was brown and sticky and also produced by Watkins, was always kept next to the box of band-aids. It wasn’t until the fall of 2014 when the Sisters created their first batch of salve that they realized it would become an essential household medicine. Although they labeled it as a multi-purpose CBD salve, the sisters knew the formula had multiple uses.
The Objective
The purpose of the salve was to create a soothing solution for individuals to apply to their limbs and body parts to ease muscle and joint discomfort. This was the primary objective.
For countless years, possibly even centuries, Native American cultures produced a cannabis liniment using rubbing alcohol and soaked plants to relieve muscle and joint pain. Many still use this method today. Sister Kate sought to develop a milder alternative that would maximize skin absorption using a blend of oils.
Despite introducing a pet line, a CBD Plus line, a super-strength oil, and a mushroom coffee line, the topical salve has consistently accounted for over fifty percent of the Sister’s sales for eight years. Sister Maria humorously notes that the only time customers express dissatisfaction is when they run out of the largest size of the topical salve.
The Process
The Sisters follow their traditional approach of crafting all their products by hand in a spiritual setting, while aligning with the lunar cycles. Their topical salves are no exception, and over time, they have enhanced their recipe by upgrading the ingredients. Although the original formula remains intact, the Sisters have made several modifications.
Initially, men complained about the scent of lavender, prompting the Sisters to introduce a mint alternative. During the pandemic, the Sisters experimented with various vendors and upgraded the quality of beeswax, resulting in a superior application experience.
Upon discovering the resilience-boosting properties of raw cannabis compounds from the Oregon lab, the Sisters quickly incorporated them into their recipe.
The lessons of our failures have shown us the importance of sticking to natural plant material and avoiding deviation from it.
During their initial year of operation, the Sisters encountered difficulties in maintaining THC levels below .3%. As a solution, they sought assistance from an Italian university for isolated CBD crystals, but the attempt proved futile. The crystals failed to mix with the coconut oil, resulting in clumping on the salve’s surface like sugar coating.
After this setback, the Sisters refocused their efforts on the plant and have since remained committed to it. Sister Sophia shared her insight, stating, “We learned the hard way that isolating compounds isn’t the optimal approach for medicinal purposes.”
Competitive Market Analysis
Sister Kate recently conducted a study on 25 CBD brands that were featured on popular ‘best of CBD’ lists in L.A. and San Francisco. Out of the 25 brands, almost half did not offer a CBD topical salve, which resulted in their exclusion from further analysis. This left 14 companies on the list, including Sister Kate’s own brand.
Out of the remaining 14 brands, only 50% had test results available to support their potency claims. Although some brands may have test results, they were not publicly available at the point of purchase.
Among the seven brands that did have test results, only two – Sister Kate and Go Green – had results that were less than 90 days old. The other brands had test results that were as old as the summer of 2021.
There are several reasons why raw CBD is significant, and it is essential for everyone to take an interest in it
During the final stages of the pandemic, researchers in Oregon stumbled upon the antibacterial properties of raw plant medicine while conducting Covid experiments on rats. As a result, the Sisters altered their salve recipe to include these raw healing compounds within a few months. The accompanying chart demonstrates the rise in acidic (raw) compounds, along with corresponding increases in CBC and CBG.
It is important for everyone to take note of the raw compounds as they possess unique healing properties and contribute to an entourage effect that bolsters overall immunity against infection and disease.
