2002 marked the year that I found myself completely immersed in the awe of natural skincare. A stark contrast to my years as a teen who worked for big beauty brands, recommending anti-aging projects and eventually becoming a makeup artist. What my customers didn’t know is that at home I was struggling big time to control my oily, often broken-out skin. In addition, I seemed to have won the eczema lottery, dealing with chronic, painful eczema which affected most of my body.

During this time, I was also modeling and performing as a Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader. My skin barely got to breathe between fashion shows, football games, and public appearances that all required a face full of makeup! One day I decided to study some ingredients and try my hand at making something natural for my skin. After countless hours of research, succeeding, failing, and doing it all over again, I eventually created my first skincare line - Issa Qattara - in 2003. This experience was surreal. I had brought actual products to the public and people wanted to buy them. It taught me the power of organic ingredients and for the first time I realized the answer to my beauty challenges had been hiding themselves in nature all along. But years later, life veered in a different direction…

Fast forward to 2010. I was a new mom, had recently moved from California to Delaware, and had a lot to juggle career-wise. Over time, I started feeling weird in my body. I felt “off” and not like myself. I had unexplainable full-body hives more days than not, was easily irritated, often fatigued, and emotionally overwhelmed - a combination that made it difficult to want to get out of bed to do anything. After a few months, I even had to leave my job as a result…