The draw was twofold for me and is deeply personal. The first came gradually, after years of testing patients’ hormone levels and finding that many of those results were far out of range (sometimes multiple times the upper range of normal). This often occurred in patients that were ​not​taking​​any​​hormones at all. Their symptoms ranged from acne, depression and pain, erectile dysfunction (not uncommonly in teen men​), to weight gain and infertility. This was concerning and prompted a look into where those hormones were coming from. A lengthy conversation with one of the pathologists at the medical lab taught me that hormones (and chemicals that mimic hormones) are often absorbed into the capillary blood circulation from the skin, directly from personal care products. They are hard to recognize and ​not always required to be listed on the label. Even with my best research, my patients and my own daughter would never know for sure what ingredients are in their products, what they could be absorbing, or what impact this may be having on their health. It became impossible for me to make a recommendation and be secure that it would be a healthier option, and that was unacceptable. So I decided to create my own – products that I ​know​are safe and healthy for our bodies and our environment. The second is a deep desire to educate. Countless patients came to me feeling hopeless and, for years, unable to trace where their health issues were coming from. Years of my own research and contact with the medical lab made it clear that we’re being exposed to far more toxins and hormones than is acceptable for our bodies, and they aren’t always coming from the places we’d assume. I became deeply passionate about education through this experience. Knowing what we put on and in our bodies should be commonplace, not the exception – and in order to make healthy choices, we need to know what those are.

We are in a place where sustainable isn’t enough. We need to be cleaning up, rebuilding, and healing our bodies and earth. If our bodies are unhealthy, would it be enough if our medicine’s highest goal is to sustain the situation as it is? Our soil, water, and food have an abundance of chemical residue that did not exist in years past, and our bodies are having a hard time keeping up with the load – as is our environment. Chronic illnesses, inflammatory disorders, depression, and cancers continue to be on the rise because of the increase in the chemicals we process daily, combined with the diminishing of macro and micronutrients in our food. This is why we are committed to going beyond sustainable. We are committed to a zero-compromise approach to the quality and health of ​every​ingredient in our product, to ​all components​of the packaging we use, and to ​every​aspect of how our practices impact the wellness of our bodies and the planet. Plasticizers and other chemicals can leach from containers into organic ingredients – so we use glass. Just because something is compostable, doesn’t mean it’s free of plastics (phthalates) or petrochemicals that end up in our soils or oceans, so we use compostable materials made from raw materials like non-GMO sugarcane. They are fully compostable and healthy for our earth. To learn more specifics about our product, packaging, and practices, click here.

We are committed to a zero-compromise policy on the purity of the ingredients we choose, the health of the packaging we use, the practices we employ, and the impact we have on the environment. The first question we ask about anything we do is “Is it healthy?” followed by “What is the impact?” and “Does it perform? / Does it work?”

• Is it Healthy?​ Just naming what we leave out isn’t enough. There are thousands of other chemicals and practices that can be substituted that are ​also ​not healthy. (Ex. substituting BPS for BPA. You now have a “BPA-free” product with a similar chemical that can be even more harmful, without needing to label it.) We look at whether an ingredient or practice is as healthy as possible for you and the earth.

• What is the Impact?​ There are many herbs, trees, plants, and raw materials that are good for us and that may perform beautifully as an ingredient – BUT are also now endangered due to the lack of conscious practices and illegal harvest. When these practices are employed without regard, we not only risk losing those very precious resources, but the impact often goes deeper. This is the case with the harvest and exploitation of unsustainable palm oil and the steep decline of the primate, such as orangutan populations. *In fact, the the harvest of palm oil (for everything from cosmetics and candy to biofuel) is the leading cause of orangutan extinction. For more information​: ​https://orangutan.org/palmoil/ We promise to look at the ​big picture​. We promise to create the most nourishing products possible, without compromising the health of the environment.

• Does it perform? / Does it work? ​We are often led to believe that just because an ingredient is listed on a label, means that it is effective in doing what it claims. Ingredients have many quality levels. Simply listing it on the label tells us nothing about the potency, effectiveness, or impact of the ingredient. In fact, it is common practice in both natural beauty products and others to “fairydust” ingredients. This term means that a very small amount of an ingredient is included – only so that it can be listed and marketed in a way that it appears effective or appealing. The performance of an ingredient has everything to do with the potency, quality, sourcing, extraction, and even size of the molecule. (Yes, this is one time, size does matter!). Evaluating all of these aspects determine whether an ingredient is chosen based on innovation, or simply as a fad – and whether it works as it is intended. Every​ ingredient in our product is individually researched and selected with impeccable care. They ​all​ have a specific potency and purpose. We ​never​ use fillers.

Each and every one of our ingredients is researched and specifically selected for purpose, potency, and safety. Dr. Zappone along with our lab strive to work ​only​with reputable and respected suppliers that are willing and able to supply Material Safety Data Sheets and / or third party analyses for the safety of the ingredients we use. Whenever possible, Dr. Zappone travels to meet the suppliers of ingredients and inspect the processes with which they are extracted and processed.