The Story...

My oldest daughter, Anna, became sick with a mysterious illness over 20 years ago and it set me on a course I never dreamed of. I went from a life of teaching school on an island in Lake Erie, to a full-blown skincare business.

It turned out my kiddo was allergic to many common ingredients in the foods we were eating in our household as well as ingredients in our common bath and body products. This was before any of us knew anything about what an endocrine disrupter was. So, I changed how our family was living and began educating myself on the truth.

Throughout this journey I learned about greenwashing before it was even a thing and that’s when I jumped into creating my own remedies and skincare. I had no intentions of ever selling anything, I just wanted better products for my family and me.

I began with something I already knew about - my great-grandmother’s healing salve. An island healing remedy used by all the old-timers of Put-in-Bay and my family. I thought this would be a better product to use, versus other store bought healing ointments. After gathering the ingredients, I made it and shared it with my family around the island.

This gave me confidence. I could make more stuff and control ingredients!

I began playing in my kitchen almost every night after school. These concoctions were then brought into school with me to give away. I then started giving out my balms and salves to my students when they had boo-boos. They all loved it. My students encouraged me to sell the stuff. So, eventually, I did!

During the summers on the island, teachers often hold side gigs. Mine was a BnB with a holistic shoppe. That's where I first sold my line of organic stuff. I planted tons of lavender plants for use in my best-seller, Lavender Balm.

I took a huge leap of faith and in 2016, I left teaching after nearly 20 years in the classroom, to pursue a dream of living on Maui during the off-season. So, my youngest, Meredith, went off to college, and off I went, too! To make ends meet, I sold my products at a weekly farmer's market. The time I spent on that Hawaiian island helped me develop my line of over 40 products, which includes cold-processed soap and skincare. I'll forever be grateful to the locals there.

I couldn't do the business without all the help and support from so many. My two daughters, now all grown up, continue to help me with the business by providing honest feedback. They always tell me how I can make my products and my business better. My sister, Natalie, helps with the bookkeeping and I have a fancy designer who helps with the label designs. 

In 2022, I sold my island property and moved to the East side of Cleveland to tie the knot with a childhood island "summer" boy. Tommy, or should I say Tom, is my sidekick at our Cleveland events and in life. 

I truly want those who use my products to feel the love that's put into each bottle and jar, and know that they, too, are worthy love and of the BEST ingredients.

Love,

Christie