Last December I had the most wonderful opportunity of visiting New York City for the Pond's Insiders Event, representing India for the Pond's Global initiative.
After being chosen as one of the Pond’s Insiders, we all met in New York, the
birthplace of Pond’s, for an immersion
on the brand - its philosophy, heritage, and science. We had the chance to visit
Unilever’s R&D center where we learned about the beauty behind the science
of Pond’s from The Pond’s Institute scientists.
The Pond’s Insiders are basically an international group of 13 highly influential beauty and
fashion bloggers, YouTubers, and Instagrammers from around the globe- India, Indonesia, Korea,
Mexico, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, and
Vietnam. Equipped with their experience &
knowledge in the field of beauty and skincare in their respective countries,
they are meant to provide insights to
Pond’s on skincare needs from women around the world, and The Pond’s Institute equips The Pond’s Insiders with valuable information to help their followers
understand their skin in depth.
Brand
Immersion Session
As part of the brand immersion we learnt about Pond’s heritage, the brand has such a rich heritage, with
Pond’s founded in 1846 in New York by Theron T. Pond and has since then stood
at the forefront of science and innovation in skincare globally. It is
commendable to note that with more than 170 years of history it is the oldest
face care brand that still exists today.
We also learnt about the core philosophy of the brand, it’s history – the product developments & innovations over the years, the creation of the iconic Tulip logo for the brand to epitomize delicate feminine beauty in the 1960’s, pioneering the evolution of skincare to a more sophisticated era with the creation of The Pond’s Institute, the brand with 170 years of history, 700 scientists & specialists, 200 patents and counting.
Visit to the Unilever R&D Center
& The Pond’s Institute
One of the major highlights of my trip was the visit to the Unilever
R&D Center in Connecticut where we got an introduction to the beauty behind
skincare science. We learnt so many
interesting facts about the science behind the legendary brand and all the
major skincare science breakthroughs from Pond’s.
We actually got a chance to interact with the scientists at The Pond's
Institute and learn first hand about interesting things like their how they go
about their new technology developments, testing methods, skincare research, global
breakthroughs & innovations. We also learnt how Pond's Cold Cream is made and we even visited their manufacturing unit.
Interesting
Facts we learnt about The Pond’s Institute:Their Mission
''The Pond's Institute was born to bring together years of skincare
science and first-to-market innovative product formulas under one roof. Through
a global network of scientists, the mandate was and still is to bring the best
scientific knowledge to the aid of modern day’s skincare problems.
The Pond’s Institute, a global network of 700 scientists, creates leading skincare innovations and clinically proven products that strengthen the skin from deep inside to make it look softer and smoother on the outside.
With a goal of providing best-in-class
solutions to women’s everyday skin needs and concerns, scientists at The Pond’s
Institute work every single day to create science and technology breakthroughs
that correct the skin problems of tomorrow better than anyone else.''
• Analyzing the evolving needs of different skin types around the world
• Uncovering insights on
how these skin factors influence people’s perceptions
• Designing molecules
clinically proven to deliver superior skin results
Skin science
breakthroughs from The Pond’s Institute:
The Pond’s Institute was the first to launch Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) in clinically proven Anti-Aging products and was also the first to discover the active anti-aging ingredient – Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA).
My Experience At The Pond’s Institute
It was so interesting and enriching interacting with the scientists at The
Pond's Institute, we got an overview of key timelines of key discover actives that were
incorporated into key Pond’s face care launches over the years
We also learnt about the development of the
cult classic product – the Pond’s Cold Cream – and how the product is made in
the labs. The lab team actually showed us a demo of the process of how the cold cream is made.
Further we also visited the factory site where the cold cream is processed and manufactured.
We also got an introduction into Clinical
Science Capability, how the team use the Vectra, Antara, and Moisture Map
instruments to test products with consumers.
We also got to do a cream testing on ourselves with two creams with different textures and feels and we had to test them on different variables like which one felt more draggy, silkier, sticky, thicker etc. This exercise enabled us get an idea how these different variables impact how the products look, feel and smell and how those insights are used by their product developers to guide their product development.
We also got to do a cream testing on ourselves with two creams with different textures and feels and we had to test them on different variables like which one felt more draggy, silkier, sticky, thicker etc. This exercise enabled us get an idea how these different variables impact how the products look, feel and smell and how those insights are used by their product developers to guide their product development.
YouTube Masterclass and YouTube/Google Tour
Another highlight of our trip was the visit
to the Google building and You Tube Space, New York at Chelsea Market. We got a
full tour of the Google building and that was such an exciting experience.
We also got to attend a YouTube
Masterclass, to learn tips on how
to be a successful Youtuber and better our content. We also got a full tour of
the You Tube Space, NY where we saw their different studios and sets too.
We also got a chance to
socialize, let loose and get to know the fellow Pond’s Insiders better over
delectable dinners & wine at the super posh spots in New York at The Mark and Stanton
Social.
The Pond’s Insiders trip to New York has been one of the major highlights of my blogging career and I took away some really special memories.
It was such a delight meeting, interacting and learning from my fellow Pond’s Insiders – such wonderful, intelligent and empowered ladies from all over the world, the wonderful Pond’s team, the dedicated and gifted scientists at The Pond’s Institute and the Google team. I'm really grateful to the Pond's team for their warm hospitality and for the most amazing experience ever.
I have walked away from this trip empowered with a wealth of knowledge and learnings, about the science behind skincare, what Pond’s stands for as a brand to constantly be a leader in skincare innovations and provide the very best solutions to our skin issues and look forward to sharing my insights with my wonderful followers in India and help them understand their skin in depth.
It was such a delight meeting, interacting and learning from my fellow Pond’s Insiders – such wonderful, intelligent and empowered ladies from all over the world, the wonderful Pond’s team, the dedicated and gifted scientists at The Pond’s Institute and the Google team. I'm really grateful to the Pond's team for their warm hospitality and for the most amazing experience ever.
I have walked away from this trip empowered with a wealth of knowledge and learnings, about the science behind skincare, what Pond’s stands for as a brand to constantly be a leader in skincare innovations and provide the very best solutions to our skin issues and look forward to sharing my insights with my wonderful followers in India and help them understand their skin in depth.
Watch the video of The Pond's Insiders NYC Trip below: