Ten years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer and told that my chances of survival at 5 years were very low. Once I passed the panic, I realized that cancer was an opportunity for me to change everything, to dare like I never did before. I quit my job in the film business, went back to school to become a health and wellness coach, adopted a raw vegan diet, started yoga and mediation daily and became passionate about removing toxins from my life. The good news is, against all the odds, I’m still here 10 year later and cancer-free. It is through this healing journey that I realized the potential toxicity of personal care products. Finding natural skincare was super difficult for me. We French take skincare very seriously; it is all about research, luxury, perfect penetration and results. I wanted my French skincare without an ounce of toxins; not finding it, I decided to create it.

Nature and art inspire me. I'm lucky to live in the most beautiful canyon between L.A. and Malibu. When I'm not traveling, I start my day with a morning hike with my dogs to watch the sunrise. There is something absolutely magical about the feeling of a fresh new day and all its possibilities. When I travel, I try to take even one hour to visit a museum or tour art galleries.

The Honey Mud and The Blue Cocoon are both incredibly special to me, and were released on the same day one year after the launch of our original four treats to specifically address the needs of clients like myself - with desperate skin that is hypersensitive, temperamental and that typically retaliates against everything.

The Honey Mud lived in my imagination for years before it came to life under my fingertips. I dreamed of a formula that would marry my three favorite things - raw honey, pure plant oils, and gorgeous clays. The day this blend took final form was one of much celebration.

The Blue Cocoon was the formula I dreamed about my whole life and the one I am most proud of and personally attached to. This is essentially the most beautiful facial oil you’ve ever experienced in a unique waterless and waxless balm form. In the jar, it is a solid. Once it touches skin, it turns immediately to a lovely fluid. This is used both as a daily hydrator or as a special treatment for skin that is sensitive, inflamed, damaged, acneic or irritated. It can be used as a spot treatment or for the full face, neck and décolleté. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and soothes skin in the most beautiful way, providing the perfect level of hydration and healing, eliminating redness and irritation. It works wonderfully for all skin types, and is especially effective for those prone to eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and rosacea, as well as skin recovering from trauma or surgery. The Blue Cocoon contains the superhero ingredient blue tansy, which calms and relieves inflammation on a magical level. It's like a meditation and spa vacation for your skin.

Sometimes a new trial will begin with an ingredient that has me enamored (which was the case with blue tansy when I discovered it several years ago, and ultimately became the star of The Blue Cocoon). Other times, it’s to address a particular skin concern (acne, eczema, painful inflammation, etc), or to fill a gap that feels apparent in the ritual I present. I have visions, and it might be as simple as seeing the texture or color of a final treat, or catching scent of something that lives in my imagination and going on a wild adventure to make it spring to life.

My mother would always tell me as a little girl to never dull my light for anyone. As a woman, it can be easy to feel like we should hold back just a bit – not be “too much” for the world, too strong or beautiful, opinionated or independent. It’s engrained in us to tone down. She showed me that I am at my and authentic best when I allow myself to unapologetically shine bright with every cell of my being, with all my truth and heart.