Talking about myself doesn’t come naturally to me. I want you to know a little about me though, and to know the story of how I started making this cream, so I’ll do my best.
I grew up living off the land in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains east of Seattle with no running water or electricity, first in a converted shed and later in a house assembled during a House Raising party. My parents were very resourceful, and we often made the things we needed from whatever we could scrounge up or trade.
We had a huge garden, and my mother was considered a healer among the group. She taught me how to eat from the forest and which plants had medicinal properties. When I told her about this business, she said it made perfect sense that I’d go to medical school first, and now that I’d create a cream using all-natural and organic ingredients. I had no idea that I come from a long line of eldest daughters who were the shtetl healers back in the Pale of Russia before my relatives emigrated to this country.
My father, who eventually became an accountant, was creative and always open to trying new things. It is in his spirit that I started experimenting with making my own body care products. He called me Shoni as a child. He died unexpectedly early in 2021 and I know he would have been proud of this venture and to know that he inspired the name.
I became interested in removing harmful chemicals from my life when I got pregnant for the first time at age 35. It was a "geriatric pregnancy," and I wanted to help my aging skin without harming my body. I switched to all organic everything, and for a while I was using a hunk of plain shea butter as my only moisturizer. I wanted something more specific and special for my aging skin, although I wasn’t sure what, and I started researching which essential oils and other oils could help. This formula was initially developed for my face- I wanted something that felt light, absorbed well, didn’t cause me to break out, and felt really good to put on every day. I also wanted something that I could share with my mother or put on my kids without worrying about harmful chemical exposures or toxins.
As I started giving out jars to friends, people started asking for them more often and kept asking when I’d start a business… and the answer is now! The Face Cream is still my favorite, and I still use it every day. Cream #2 is a body cream and was developed for my daughter's dry hands during the winter, but you can use it on your face too!
I hope you enjoy these products and find your own favorite ways to use them!
