Julie, Starface Sister Brand, Tackles a New Taboo: Cold Sores (EXCLUSIVE)
Julie Schott, the co-founder of Starface, Blip, and Julie, is an expert at turning traditionally taboo products into playful conversation-starters.
She's done it at Starface, where acne isn't embarrassing but an opportunity to don one of the brand's colorful, star-shaped pimple patches. She's also done it at at Blip, the smoking cessation brand that makes quitting look cool. And at Julie, the Gen Z-friendly emergency contraception line that on Monday, announced it will tackle another awkward dilemma: cold sores.
Now available online and at CVS locations across the U.S., Julie Cold Sore Treatment is packaged more like a beauty product than a medicated cream. It contains the same FDA-approved active ingredient, Docosanol, as cold sore competitors like Abreva and Equate — but Julie is far less clinical-looking than its peers, making reapplication in public more comfortable.
With the new offering, Julie also hopes to educate shoppers on why cold sores are nothing to be ashamed by. "We realized that similar to emergency contraception, many consumers have misconceptions about cold sores," said Amanda E/J Morrison, who co-founded Julie with Schott and Brian Bordainick (who also works on Starface, Blip, and harm reduction brand Overdrive) in 2021.
Morrison clarifies that, despite popular belief, HSV-1 (the herpes simplex virus that can cause cold sores) is not a sexually transmitted disease. While it can spread through sexual contact, many people people get it during childhood from non-sexual contact like shared utensils, drinks, or a peck on the cheek.
"If you experience a cold sore, that does not mean you have genital herpes. This misconception in particular has been detrimental to the self esteem and confidence of many who experience cold sores," Morrison adds. For those experiencing a flare-up, Morrison offers a tidbit that could double as a tagline: "You probably got it from your grandma!"
