Gold Infused Skincare Ft. Lejla Cas of KNESKO Skin

0:00Hey guys, welcome back to Skin Anarchy. Today's conversation is very special because it sits at a very fascinating intersection where clinical skincare science meets ritual, energy, and luxury wellness. My guest is someone who has built an entire brand around that philosophy. Lejla Cas is the founder and president of Nesco Skin, which is a globally recognized skincare brand that is sold in over 40 countries and featured in more than 1 ,000 luxury spas and resorts around the world. Today, we're diving into the 14-year evolution of the brand and the science behind their new gold repair skincare collection and why Leila believes that skincare should nourish not just the skin, but the entire human experience.

0:43So welcome back, Leila. I'm so excited to have you back on the show. Thank you so much for having me back. Yeah, I'm really excited to dive in. And what I find really fascinating about your background, Leila, and the first time you were on the show, we kind of spoke about this as well, is that you're not just a founder, you're a practitioner and you've worked directly with thousands of faces over the years. You know, and I really want to ask you, like, how did that experience, like that real hands-on experience shape the way you think about formulation? Thank you so much for asking the question.

1:14I think when you work with skin every day for that long, you start to see things very differently. You know, everyone's skin behaves differently, but it responds to the right structure and the right support and it reflects what happens internally like stress lifestyle everything it always shows on your skin and that's really what shaped nesco for me i didn't start with a trend i started with what i was seeing every day in the treatment room and that's the knowledge that i took with me throughout my career you know when i looked at the industry i saw a lack of depth in formulation so i took a different approach i waited my clients were saying this week like yeah Yeah, you've definitely waited.

1:52It's been 14 years since I launched my brand, as you mentioned, because I really wanted the time to perfect it on my terms and in alignment, I think, with what I believe Skin Truly needs. After 14 years building the brand, before launching Skincare, I wanted every ingredient to have purpose. As an esthetician with 26 years of hands-on experience in this industry, I'm proud to say that I led our formulation process very intentionally based on what I truly wanted for my skin, but also what I feel like skin truly needs. You know, I was very strict about what goes into our formulation. So things like, you know, there's no unnecessary fillers, no other fragrance, and we're very mindful of the ingredients that are commonly known to be hormone disruptors such as phylates, parabens, and forever chemicals.

2:46So it was really intentional process. You know, our products are clinically tested and everything is created essentially to be part of a system. Everything I always dreamed about creating, I feel like I've achieved in this newest launch. I love that. And that's so important. You know, you touched on so many important points there. And it's an important distinction to understand because many skincare brands, they start in a lab or even worse, a marketing room, you know, and yours is starting in the treatment room, which is amazing. I really, really like that approach. The brand, it's been around for over a decade at this point.

3:24That's huge. Congratulations on that. That's absolutely huge. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you so much. And then being carried in like over 1 ,000 luxury spas, I mean, that's a huge milestone. And I'd love to know, like, what were the key milestones, you know, that really shaped Nesco's growth over the past 14 years? That question is, I can go on and on because I feel like every milestone shaped the next, if that makes sense. But I will kind of try to consolidate. I think the first real turning point for me was when luxury spas started reaching out. Like we launched the brand in 2012 and very early on, estheticians were using the masks.

4:03You've seen my global best-selling gold repair mask. You know, that was like my OG that everybody wanted to get their hands on. And because they were seeing the real results, that kind of validation, I think, coming from the professionals without heavy marketing. You know, just me, myself and I talking to each individual spa director, you know, told me that we were building something that actually worked where it met us the most, which is in the treatment room. And then myself being in the treatment room, obviously, saw the same same results. But I think the evolution and the milestone came that after that, we really decided to target different skin benefits.

4:45So we actually expanded into multiple collections. I know you love them. We have Diamond Radiance. We have Amethyst Hydrate, Rose Quartz Antioxidant, Green Jade Calm, and most recently our reformulated and relaunched Pearl Renew Collections that really kind of expanded the brand to be really seen as a treatment category. Like every collection has its purpose. But over the time, I think my commitment to my clients, my commitment to always being current came from this need to always think of my client first. And I focus on refinement. I'm never comfortable just staying with what I know is working.

5:29I always want to do better for our customer. And as a result of that, that actually probably the last, since last time I came on the show, I think was two years ago. So I think since then, I think a lot has changed as far as like we had major upgrades for the brand. We've reformulated our masks across the six collections to be more advanced. We've invested in 11 clinical studies independently verified through expert grading, instrumentals, the whole thing. And of course, we launched our body care, which is why I came out last time when I was with you. And now the next evolution of the brand, which is really a dream come true.

6:10I wanted to mention also last year, actually, I know you love the spiritual side of my brand, right? Yeah, I love how you integrate like so many things. Well, last year, I actually recorded our guided meditations where I incorporate, you know, science backed binaural beats, alpha, theta, love frequency, and then chakra-based frequency that's now part of every single Nesco mask meditation experience. And so, you know, as I always say, we are scientifically crafted and spiritually grounded. So really focusing on both pillars of the brand, science and that spirituality. So clients can now grab my mask, scan a QR code and listen to my voice as I gently guide them through a beautiful healing ritual each time they mask.

6:58I am obsessed with that, Leila. I am obsessed. Like I genuinely, and I think you and I have had these conversations, right? Like off air, like, and it's like, this is like my dream skincare ritual. Like I, like literally I've never understood why, you know, cause like people talk about self-care, right? And they, and they self-care, but it's like, well, where is it? You know, like, where is it? And that's, this is exactly the kind of like integration that I'm like, oh my gosh, like where, like we need that, you know? Especially when you think about skincare and what it does for you, your entire nervous system and all of those things.

7:34Oh my gosh, I'm so obsessed with it. I love that. Now you're launching something that I feel like is a huge, major, major moment for the brand. The Gold Repair Skincare Collection. I really want to dive into that. In your opinion, why was this the right time for Nesco to introduce a complete skincare ritual instead of the individual hero products? Because you have amazing products, standalone even. They're so phenomenal, you know, in the quality and the efficacy and all of that. Definitely. Well, I always say I didn't rush this. This has been a long time in the making and very intentional from the beginning.

8:09And I think for us, the time really did matter. You know, our clients were ready. They've been using our masks and serums for years, but they always kept asking like, Leila, I want your full routine. Like, when are you going to have your cleansers and your moisturizers? You know, I want to bring your Nesco ritual into my everyday life. And at the same time, you know, we're a professional brand, so we work with a lot of luxury hotels and spas. They wanted to complete the Nesco facial, you know, something cohesive and elevated that they can actually offer their guests. And as a professional first brand, we couldn't just deliver that with one single skill.

8:51We had to give them the full system, which is why I created the full Gold Repair Skincare Collection. Gold has been always our bestseller. You know, it felt it was a very natural place to expand it into the full ritual. And I say pay homage to my humble beginnings when I launched my gold face mask. But I think, yeah, I just wanted to wait. You know, it didn't come, it came with years and years, 26 years of experience working with real skin, not in theory. So I just wanted to make it perfect. And on a personal level, I feel like I was ready for it. I was ready to bring my own cleanser into a shower and exfoliate with my own exfoliator.

9:34I'm just selfishly, I wanted my own skincare after all this time. And I just, yeah, it's very organic. It's intentional. You know, it's built without compromise. Every single formulation was developed from scratch. It's been a very long, exciting four years in making. I'm very excited to be on the other side now talking about it. Yeah, no, I really, really love it. And the whole concept for me, it just, I don't know, it just makes so much sense, you know. And I really love that you've, like, you know, kind of taken a full dive into the full ritual, you know, rather than just a single product approach.

10:13Because I feel like, especially in this industry, we kind of miss the mark there, you know? And we forget that there is this entire part of skincare that's, it's a ritual, it's a feeling, it's a moment, you know, for yourself. And when you're trying to figure out the steps, you know, like what do I use first, second, third, like that, it loses something when you're in that thing, you know, like of trying to figure it out on your own. So I love that it's a collection. You don't have to guess anything. And, you know, let's dive in, though. You know, I want to dive into technology and really, you know, get into it because you mentioned gold.

10:48And you're right, gold is an incredible ingredient. And, you know, you've developed something new. It's called GP8X technology. Can you dive in and tell us and explain to us what this does, how does it work on the skin, and all the details? Absolutely. So for us, GP8X technology is about how we help the skin function better. It's not just what we put on the skin, but how the skin actually responds. So it stands for our gold peptide energy exchange system, which combines gold, bioactive peptides, plants themselves, and pro-collagen supporting actives in a very intentional way. The peptides act as intelligent messengers, which help to improve the appearance of firmness and elasticity.

11:30And the gold itself actually plays a key role in stabilizing those actives and supporting how they deliver on the skin. So you get better overall performance. That's interesting. Yeah, because gold has been used in skincare in the past, but there wasn't a lot of context to how it was being used. Your approach is much more molecular, it sounds like. How does gold actually enhance that peptide delivery though and that cell communication, if you could kind of dive into that? Yeah. So with our peptide technology, it's actually, we use gold, which helps the peptides stabilize and help them get where they need to go.

12:09So the skin can actually respond to them properly. In our formulations, peptides are very naturally delicate. So when they're protected and stabilized, they're able to perform more consistently on the skin. Gold also helps guide those peptides more precisely on that surface so they can interact more effectively. Think of it as like the peptides, like messengers, they tell the skin to repair from and support elasticity. So it's a really important part of that cellular communication. And yeah, very, very exciting for us to be able to use that gold as a delivery system, essentially. And I love this because I think this is going to like really reframe the conversation, right, for a lot of consumers as well, because there's not a lot of transparency that goes into this kind of stuff, you know, realm of like signaling your cells.

13:02And that's a huge, huge part. And I think that's what really draws me into this entire concept that you've built is that you are focused so heavily on stimulating collagen, you know, making sure that you're getting actual visible results. And so let's dive more into that part, especially the pro-collagen stimulation and, you know, the actual skin repair aspects, if you can kind of dive more into that. What's unique about our system is that we use gold-wrapped peptide matrix, which help stabilize these peptides and deliver them more effectively. And that's important because peptides help signaling the skin.

13:35So they improve the appearance of firmness, as I mentioned earlier, elasticity and visible lines over time. So when those signals are more consistent, you can see the skin looks more smoother, more resilient. And that's all kind of part of the GP8S technology for us. For example, rich and light creams are clinically shown to improve the appearance of those markers, like firmness, elasticity, and visible lines in just four weeks, which is very, very exciting. We work with very well-known peptides like signaling peptides that support collagen and firmness and the neurotransmitter peptides that help soften the appearance of expression lines.

14:14So it's not just one mechanism, it's multi-peptide system working together. And that's, I think, where you're going to see the difference with the goal of repair skincare. care, it's a visible improvement, smoother texture, improved firmness, and the reduction and the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Wow, I really like that. I like that you've combined, like, and the peptide logic is really interesting. I'm glad you brought that up, like, the distinction, because, I mean, I've seen this a lot happen, happen a lot in the industry where, like, people don't explain, right? Like, they don't explain, like, where do these peptides go and work and like, what are they actually doing?

14:50And I think a lot gets lost in that. So it's really important to have that distinction and really kind of dive into that science bit of it. And you also incorporated plant stem cells, you know, it's not just peptides, you have stem cells in there. And I would love for you to kind of dive into the alpine rose and the solar fetus, if you can talk about those two botanicals. Absolutely. I think before I go there, I just want to mention one more thing as well, like, which I think is really important for your audience is you know, to Nesco's clinical portfolio, we really focus on eight major skin quality pillars.

15:25So it's a truly a breadth of validation that's very rare in prestige skincare. You know, we focus on hydration, on firmness, elasticity, texture, pigment. That's another one, redness, barrier, and radiance. So with the peptide matrix and now with the plant stem cells, it's truly creating this full experience, like results that are instant, but also that build over time. So with the plant stem cells, for me, the plant stem cells are really about resilience, right? We hear about plant stem cells, but what do they do? And so over the years, I've seen that it's not just about correcting the skin. I know with my own skin, it's about helping function and better long-term as we age, right?

16:12Because I feel there's so much fear about aging. Like we're all going in the same destination. Might as well support and protect and take care of our skin. So we at Nesco have chosen Alpine Rose and Sola Vitalis, which is grape, another word for grape, along with Goji, Goji plants themselves, which are very intentional because these plants are naturally, they thrive in extreme environments. For example, alpine rose, you know, it grows in very high aptitudes, you know, harsh conditions. It's constantly adapting and protecting itself. And the grape and goji are exposed to intense sun, oxidative stress and dry environments.

16:54So they develop very strong defense mechanism. And so being part of my GPX and my skincare, it's really helping the skin become more resilient, helping to defend, to recover and adapt more effectively. And I think that's the shift in the skincare for me. It's not just about the repair. It's about building the skin to become stronger and more resilient over time. Yeah, that's really, I like that because, you know, right now we're seeing an interesting shift, I think, in the skincare space where everybody's so focused on longevity. But we don't talk about what that means, right? Like we don't dissect it.

17:31And so just hearing you explain the technology, it's so intuitive because you're using components that are bioactive, but there's a logic to it. It's not just like randomly throwing in ingredients. And I've seen this a lot. You know, I've seen this happen a lot. And that's why I'm saying this is that people don't realize like longevity is a beautiful space to enter. But then the logic also has to evolve and has to adapt and has to be very, very critical and, you know, pinpointed. And that's exactly what I'm seeing that you've done here, you know, is that you've really thought this out. And I love that.

18:04It's amazing. Thank you. I appreciate that. I really do. It's an exciting time. It's a very exciting time. Yeah. And the idea of resilience is just as important as repair. So that's why I think longevity is important. It's an important topic right now, especially in skin health. I want to ask, how do these ingredients help strengthen the skin's ability to adapt to things like environmental stress? That's a great question. I think to continue from what I was saying earlier, what these ingredients do is support the skin's natural defense system, right? So it's better equipped to handle this daily stress.

18:43It helps the skin strengthen its barrier and provide antioxidant protection, which is critical when you're dealing with things like UV exposure, pollution, environmental stress. I mean, we are constantly providing our skin with all of these things that can cause stress on the skin, but also on the inside, right? We feel it. So when the skin and spirit, as I say, are always constantly under stress, it can't function properly. Like your skin just can't function properly. It becomes more reactive, more dehydrated, and more prone to inflammation. So by supporting these defense layers, you're helping the skin stay balanced and more stable over time.

19:22And that's what helps the skin adapt. So with Nesco, with our GPX, with our masks, with our entire rituals, we try to really support the person as a whole. Like if you're having a stressful time, like give yourself the gift of time, put on your Nesco gold face mask, put on your Nesco guided meditation, relax, unwind, and then take care of your skin. And I think often it's very separated. So for me, that's again, like one of those questions where longevity, you know, connects to the soul. That's what I see it as. Yes, I love that. I love that quote. I'm going to use it. I was listening to a podcast, Jay Letty, and he was saying like, you know, mindfulness is like where your body, you know, your mind and your body are in the same place.

20:14And how often are we putting on a cleanser, but we're thinking about our kids and what we have to do. like every intention should have every moment of like put like for me every moment with yourself being cleansing putting on your you know your nesco moisturizer or your nesco mask is a moment to take care of your health like disconnect and um i think i think that's where the magic lies with us it's like we really talk a lot you know a lot about that which i think is why you also a lot, as you were mentioning. Yeah, no, I think it's brilliant, honestly, because there's so many reasons. I could rant for hours about this because I'm very passionate about the topic.

20:57And it's really something that you have to have something in your everyday routine that brings you into the presence, you know, in the present moment. And skincare to me, just the obvious choice of that, like it's, I don't, that's why I've never understood why in the industry we've chased trends for so long, right? Instead of focusing on like, let's just work in a way that in every minute that you're doing something for yourself, you are really grounded in a place that's like present and you're with yourself and whatever that means for you, you know? So that's why I just, I don't know, I really, really love the idea, you know, at large.

21:32But I want to go a little further because we're talking about the science and I think it's really important to keep diving into this because no one wants to dive into science these days, you know, and when you're thinking about skin health, there are major pillars and one of them is barrier support. And I've seen that in your products across the board, you know, I've been using them for a long time, right? So like, since the first time you and I spoke, I've been using Nesco and the barrier support is very, very strong in what you've created, you know, hydration, lipid balance, all of these are very important topics.

22:05So talk to us about why is barrier health such a central pillar for modern skincare and why should we be focusing on that? Absolutely. I think barrier health is everything. Like if the barrier isn't functioning properly, nothing else really works the way it should. So when the barrier is compromised, you see it immediately. Dehydration, sensitivity, inflammation, accelerated aging. And I think at Nesco, we've done a really good job at always supporting that barrier health. In fact, with my clinicals or my gold face mask, it's actually clinically proven to increase skin hydration instantly by 177%.

22:45So you can just imagine what continuous use does to the skin. So modern skincare, which ICR says, like modern skincare, it starts with restoring that balance, making sure the skin is hydrated and that it's supported and protected first. And across our entire GPS skincare, from the cleanser to the cleansing balm to the creams, oils, eye cream, we're very intentional about using ingredients that support that barrier, such as your hyaluronic, your squalene, nourishing plant oils like prickly pear. We have pomegranate, cloudberry oils. I mean, they're just beautiful. And for that specific reason, to support lipid balance and help reinforce that skin barrier.

23:29So yeah, very, very exciting. Our face oil is amazing. It's actually clinically proven also to give you that instant radiance. So one of my favorites, for sure. I think that's one of my favorite parts about the entire line is that you just see results immediately. I literally am obsessed with the Black Pearl resurfacing serum. I am obsessed with that product. I'm just going to shout that out for everybody. because across the board, you have all the products you create, like you see instant results, but then your skin actually like responds over time. Like if you, and this is like, I really want our listeners to like understand that because it's like, you guys have got to start investing in skincare where yeah, you want instant results, but like you keep using them and you start seeing a huge difference.

24:17You know what I mean? Like you are seeing the change happen. And that's where brands like Nesco to me stand out so strongly, you know, in such a robust way, because you see the results, but then you're like, I know this for the long haul, I'm setting myself up for success as I go down, you know, with this ritual and with this routine. So I'm just obsessed with it. I love your entire life so much. Thank you. Thank you. Missed a lot. So I want to ask you one thing because you have a Reiki background and you understand Reiki very well. And I think we spoke about this the first time, right? When you came on, but I want to know like, how did your Reiki practice really influence the way you design the full skincare experience?

24:54Yeah, so Reiki has been part of my life for over 20 years and it's an energy and healing modality. And so I actually charge all my products with Reiki energy as part of my spiritual pillar of my brand. And for me, Reiki has always been a practice that shaped that very deeply. So it's taught me to slow down, to become more intentional and to understand that energy, touch and presence all matter in my own daily life. And that's what I actually wanted to translate in the treatment room. You know, I saw it when people were tense, disconnected, overwhelmed. You know, their skin often reflected that.

25:36And when they relaxed, when they felt safe, careful, present, their skin responded differently. So over time, I stopped seeing skincare only as one physical process. Of course, as we just discussed, ingredients really matter. Technology matters. But the state of someone while they're going through it matters as well. So Reiki shaped everything I do. Energy healing is part of my essence, part of my brand. It's the intention from my heart, from my soul that I put into this brand with the intention to help others feel good about themselves and truly has become the foundation of my brand. You know, I don't just create products that are effective.

26:18I want to create experiences that help people come back to themselves. When I think of Nesco, I say it's an experience, like kind of what you were mentioning. Like people look forward to connecting with our brand because it reminds them to slow down. And so Reiki is the heart of Nesco. I love that so much. And, you know, especially right now, I feel like the world is so, it's spinning, you know, for so many people. And I feel like this could not have come at a better time. Because every single day, like I go on social media and I'm like, there's so much stress in everyone's life right now. You know what I mean?