As for the cost, she says her lawyers are kept pretty busy. "Protecting a patent is a full-time job, so there is definitely an arm of the company whose sole job it is to monitor competitors and whether any infringements are being made. The beauty industry is like its own little Silicon Valley, everyone racing to the next finish line, hoping to surprise customers with the most advanced tech, but we have the even harder job thanks to today’s social media and comparative culture of delivering it in vanity-worthy packaging," O'Banion says. "The biggest 'cost' to the company is time. We take competitor claims and product comparisons very seriously, so my team spends a lot of time educating customers on products, ingredients, and points of difference so that they feel fully informed. There’s a lot to choose from out there. We want them to feel empowered in their choices."