Pioneering, paradigm shifting entrepreneur, master herbalist and formulator, Paul Schulick’s passion for natural healing began as a child while accompanying his pediatrician dad on house calls. In the early 1970s, Schulick embarked on a formal study of alternative health and formalized his master herbalist training at The School for Natural Healing. In 1986, he formulated the products known as New Chapter dietary supplements, the first line of whole food probiotic nutrients integrated with holistic herbal extracts. In 2012, Procter and Gamble acquired New Chapter and Schulick remained as a founder for six years under its ownership. His new venture is For The Biome.

Question: Please discuss your latest venture, For The Biome.

Answer: For The Biome is a vision born from 40 years in the natural products industry. Having worked personally with tens of thousands of health minded people as well as thousands of professionals in the trade, I feel inspired to apply my many learnings and enter the next chapter of serving hopefully an even larger community or what is called a “biome.” I am joined again in this journey with my partner and wife Barbi and trusted colleague from my New Chapter years, Kelli Rooney.

My historic focus, to research and create the most uplifting and healing formulations possible will continue with For The Biome, while Barbi will focus on stewarding an evolved corporate culture through meditation, consciousness raising and giving back through product revenues. Trusted colleagues in fermentation and optimal herbal extraction, will help ensure our transition into the next chapter.

Our first focus of formulation will be for the skin, appreciating and celebrating ground-breaking research, revealing the skin to be far more sensitive than most of us might realize or imagine. Researchers in Japan have declared the skin to actually be a “third brain.” Combining this revelation with pioneering research on the microbiome sets the stage for a totally innovative influence in what is now called the “dermocosmetic” or skin health market.

Question: Recently, For The Biome partnered with Algatech. What’s in the works from this collaboration?

Answer: I have been fascinated with algae since I wrote my herbal master’s thesis on chlorella in 1982. My interest was renewed and magnified when I learned about the algae Haematococcus pluvialis (Hp) and its ability to create astaxanthin, one of nature’s most scientifically recognized and powerful protective nutrients. Recent published research from Japan confirms astaxanthin is especially suited to nourish and protect skin from some of the harshest environmental challenges. I am now convinced that Algatech produces the purest and finest Hp and other precious algae species, and I hope to enjoy years of collaboration to produce a multitude of innovations for the skin and other body systems.

Question: You’ve said you appreciate Japan’s health model. What is it that you find appealing, and how does it apply to the U.S.?

Answer: Almost 20 years ago when I visited Japan studying the potential of an herbal formula for reducing smoke toxicity, it was clear to me that the Japanese culture embraced a deeper appreciation for nature’s inherent healing powers. Recently Japan was acknowledged as No. 1 in healthy life expectancy according to the World Health Organization, and the U.S. was not even in the top thirty. The clincher for me was discovering that almost three-quarters of Japanese physicians are trained in herbal medicine. The health care debate in the U.S. is almost entirely centered around greater access to doctors and pharmaceuticals, and not on the root problems such as diet, lifestyle and herbal supplement potential. We need to look more clearly in the mirror and start inquiring how we can be more like Japan and other successful health care systems.

Question: What should natural product retailers anticipate from For The Biome?

Answer: They should expect what we consistently delivered with New Chapter since its inception—passionate, authentic, new to the world, healing contributions to help uplift both the personal and global biomes.

What does this look like on a material or measurable level? Rather than spending $30 or $40 a kilo for a freeze-dried aloe or chamomile extract, we spend $200 to $300. What is the rationale for the added cost? Our mantra since we started crafting products has always been to produce the finest for ourselves, and that profit is the prize not the focus. The aloe that is more expensive has guaranteed levels of the precious immune-modulating acemannan and the more expensive chamomile extract assures the highest levels of anti-inflammatory bisabolols. We take it yet another step and validate its efficacy and value using the latest tools of cellular science. This is our promise to our customers: a formulation that delivers what we call “true holism,” formulating from the finest and most sustainable sources and delivering it in its most active and vital forms in the finished product.

Phone: (802) 689-0082
Coming soon: www.forthebiome.com