The main reason why the Goodness Face Elixir exists today is a selfish one.  I made it for me, because no other product could clear and balance my skin.  The journey to create it was quite inspirational as well.

For years, I’ve been battling adult acne.  Coupled with a thyroid condition, it seemed as if they skipped my teenage years and waited to surface in my 30s.  Lower part of my face, along the jawline and neck persistently reflected that something was awry.  My skin was also very sensitive, and perpetually undecided about its type – some days it was oily, others dry and itchy, and some days a combination of both.  All of this made it challenging to find the right skincare routine.

Over the years, I’ve tried everything the beauty industry cleverly advertised – from over-the-counter to prescription gels, creams, washes, scrubs, spot treatments, facial treatments, you name it.  As nothing worked, I resorted to hiding my face behind primers, powders, concealers, and sometimes foundations.  No matter how expensive or “high quality” these products claimed to be, they never looked natural on my face.  I also disliked their cakey, heavy feel.

Ingredient-wise, I kept wondering what my skin was actually absorbing, because I could not recognize or pronounce 90% of them.  Despite all the clever advertising and promises, I felt these products were simply unhealthy for me.  And I was right.  My face reacted even more – with additional breakouts, redness, and allergies.  That is when I decided to go back to nature and let her help me work through the problem, methodically and wisely, like nature only can.

On a deeper level, our faces mirror our inner world.  When we are stressed, tired, or unhappy, our faces show it before we ever say it.  No matter how much we may attempt to hide or minimize it by putting our “brave faces” on, when our inner balance is compromised, the outer appearance reflects that.  As such, my journey to clear skin was not just about fixing its surface.  It was also about understanding what laid beneath and bringing that back to balance.

“Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are.  When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”  – Lao Tzu

Personally, I had to take a step back and reflect on my life.  I had been in the same career field for 20+ years, working in large corporations.  I’ve experienced different technical and non-technical roles, advanced up the corporate ladder, and definitely learned a lot.  However, I also found myself frequently wondering what else was out there.

I read an article in which you were supposed to imagine asking your 90-year old self if you regretted not experiencing something in your life.  If the answer was yes, then now would be the time to go for it!

My answer was yes, so I decided the time was right to allow myself to try something new, challenging, and personally meaningful.  This led me back to my childhood love of botanicals.  In the months that followed, I read and researched the forgotten books and materials on botanicals and herbal remedies.  I travelled back to the Old World where people still believe in the healing power of nature.  I visited old apothecaries, reconnected with far away family and friends, trusting that the journey would lead me to the answer.  And it did – to Sage Abbey and my first product, the Goodness Face Elixir.

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”  – Lao Tzu

The process of perfecting the Elixir took time, testing, and patience.  In June of 2018, I started using the current formula once a day before bedtime.  Those few drops on my face became an integral part of my daily ritual.  Together with a minimal, simple daily routine (cleansing my face with mild, unscented face wash and water), my skin gradually cleared up and brought itself back to balance.  My inner journey was symbolically very similar – balancing, transformational and revealing new possibilities.

Every night, as the Elixir’s citrusy, earthy aroma brings about another moment of zen, I revel in it knowing that life is a continuous process of change, learning, acceptance, and goodness.