FOUNDER SPOTLIGHT: MEET MARISSA OF PRECIOUS SKIN ELIXIRS
This week we're speaking with Marissa Bethoney, founder of Precious Skin Elixirs, a luxe skincare line infused with crystals, gemstones, and precious metals. The vibrational energy of these mineral ingredients elevates the potency of its plant-based formulas, creating a unique brand and experience you'll reach for again and again!
/ PHOTO BY PETIT VOUR
Petit Vour: What inspired you to make your own skincare products?
Marissa Bethoney: My experience with hormonal acne during my second pregnancy spurned me down the path of finding a safe, natural solution for skincare and healing. This was in 2010 and I was already in the process of eliminating artificial chemicals from my family’s life. I began researching the properties of certain plant oils and just knew I had to start experimenting.
I tossed my old skincare products and began cleansing and moisturizing exclusively with the oil blends I was making. Within a few months, my skin began to heal and I just felt better about my skin and health overall. I happily gave out bottles of my potions to friends, family, and anyone who asked! I did not plan on building a thriving brand; I was just so thrilled to create with real, vibrant ingredients that cared for skin the way it’s meant to be nourished... and then share it! I’m grateful every day that I’m able to continue sharing this magic with more and more people.
That’s the story of how I was inspired to start making, however, the development of Precious Skin Elixirs as a brand and company is an entirely other story! In short, my soul whispered to my heart and my heart moved my hands.
PV: How did you discover that genuine stones and minerals are skincare’s best friend?
MB: As a former jeweler I used to work extensively with gemstones. I got to know them. Gems are crystals that have a fixed, perfectly organized and precise rate of vibration. Crystals emit unique vibrations based on their color and composition which can raise our vibration much like a tuning fork tunes a piano. Everything in our universe (including us!) is energy and responds to different vibrational frequencies. Crystals are conduits for energy and this energy benefits us on a vibratory level in our subtle body (also known as the aura). It’s in this energy body that we experience emotions, thoughts, and inspirations. Caring for our subtle body is equally as important as caring for our physical body and beauty ritual is such a natural fit for tending to our physical and energetic needs.
I felt very much guided by a higher power to incorporate gem energy into the skincare formulations. I actually don’t feel that I discovered anything, rather I was given what I call a “divine download” to bring the transformative power of crystals into an already healing product that people would enjoy using daily.
Four years ago, my life took an unexpected health turn and I found myself needing to have skull surgery. As I awaited the day of surgery I distinctly recall sitting down to write out my feelings and clear my mind of fear and anxiety. Instead, a flood of inspiration came through and I ended up writing in great detail the plan for Precious Skin Elixirs. Product formulas and their names, ingredient combinations (some names of which I hadn’t heard of before), the logo, colors... it all came pouring in faster than I could write it down. It was as if the spirit of certain gemstones were telling me the plant oils and herbs they wanted to be paired with. I just went with the flow and dove into starting PSE as soon as I was healed enough after surgery.
/ PHOTO COURTESY OF MARISSA BETHONEY
PV: When creating Precious Skin Elixirs, was it a natural fit to integrate crystals with botanicals?
MB: Gems and plants are the ultimate power couple! They contain the energy and intelligence of our earth and can heal us on both a physical and energetic level. Plant medicine is a powerful, ancient modality that has been marginalized in modern life. I’m happy to see its return to the mainstream–and one of the ways it’s emerging is in skincare which is so exciting! Gemstones provide unique vibrational energy that charges and amplifies the vibrancy of all the ingredients - it’s a beautiful synergy. Gemstones and botanicals work in such harmony. Together they create a truly holistic skincare experience by guiding our energetic and physical being into alignment.
In addition to caring deeply for skin, these potions inspire intentional beauty ritual–a delicious opportunity to return to center... a sacred moment in time to heal frayed nerves, clear away tension, and pour love into the core of your being.
PV: What philosophy drives the ingredients that make up your products?
MB: My philosophy is very simple–in a word: purity. I look for purity not only in the ingredients themselves but also in the way they have been procured. I consider three measures of purity when it comes to ingredients: if the raw ingredient itself is pure (is it fresh, vibrant, and free of anything unnatural?), if the process is pure (is it sustainable and ethical?), and if the suppliers have pure intentions (do they have integrity?). It has to be a yes to all three for me to work with an ingredient. There have been some raw ingredients I wanted to work with that just didn’t meet the standard I uphold and so I had to pass on them.
PV: What are your AM/PM rituals?
MB: Every morning I wake up and speak these words out loud: Thank you for this day, thank you for this gift of life. Maybe that sounds corny, but I find that if I start my day with the vibration of gratitude, I can more easily handle the unexpected and find deeper joy in my days. I’m not one for routines, but certain things are essential to my wellbeing. Morning and evening meditation is one of those essentials! It provides structure and keeps that vital connection to source strong. There isn’t a right way to meditate. For me, I enjoy sitting up in bed as soon as I wake up, laying down in the afternoon sun that streams through my bedroom windows, or sitting upright with a bunch of pillows in my small sacred space - a corner in my home filled with plants and crystals. I have friends who meditate by walking, knitting, cooking…
My morning and evening beauty rituals have also become essential to me. I like to keep things very minimal on a daily basis, but I’ll spend extra time pampering at least one evening or afternoon per week. My mornings are not quiet and calm - with two little ones to get off to school it’s all about making breakfast, packing lunches, and locating missing homework and library books. I decided last year that in order to take care of myself (and stay sane) I needed to get up well before everyone in the house and spend at least an hour in quiet and solitude. This is the time I meditate, do some light stretches, and actually take care of myself.
When I was a new mother I began resenting taking care of myself because I was so exhausted. Even brushing my teeth became a chore! As my girls became a bit more self-sufficient I really had to look at how I was valuing myself. Consistent beauty ritual has guided me back into caring for and loving myself. I’ve noticed that I crave my skincare routine especially at night and I love giving myself just a two-minute face massage as I cleanse with Peridot. The scent sends me off into the most relaxed state of mind and peaceful sleep. Hot baths at night have recently become my favorite treat in these colder months. I love nothing more than to sink into hot water filled with sea salt and herbs with a face mask slathered on my face and neck.
PV: The most common skin concerns communicated by our audience are acne, overly-dry skin, and sensitive/troubled skin. If you were to put together three simple routines for these groups, what would you suggest?
MB: So much of skin health is connected to our internal state and there are many ways to care for our skin on an external level that will actually help determine possible internal imbalances. By eliminating unnatural ingredients and artificial influences in daily skincare, the skin is more able to function in its optimal rhythm.
The best suggestion I can give for all skin is to cleanse with oils. This goes for acne, dry, reactive, and normal types. When cleansing with oils debris and makeup are swept off the surface of the skin and out of pores like a magnet attracts metal. The trick is to spend at least a few minutes massaging the oils onto your skin and then thoroughly removing all traces with a steamed cloth. It’s not enough to rinse skin with water - the steamed cloth removal is an essential step. The reason oils are so great for cleansing all skin types is that skin is left undisturbed. Typically acne, irritation, and dryness is a symptom of soap-based, higher pH cleansers. Anything that foams or rinses way clean typically is formulated with ingredients of a higher pH which imbalances skin’s naturally lower pH. Skin has to struggle to normalize and in doing so all kinds of havoc can occur such as breakouts, dryness, irritation, etc. After cleansing with oils for a few weeks, symptoms caused by topical external factors usually resolve.
Equally important to cleansing in a way that respects the skin’s balance is hydration and moisturization. Hydration correlates to the water that our skin needs in order to stay smooth, plump, and function with health. Moisturization correlates to the oils that the skin needs to hold that hydration in our skin. The quality of hydration and moisture matters. Natural ingredients are bio-available to our skin - our skin recognizes botanical and mineral ingredients and can utilize them for healing and vibrancy.
For someone who is new to Precious Skin Elixirs, I recommend the following skincare ritual for optimal skin wellbeing and radiance:
1. Cleanse with Peridot Cleansing Balm
2. Exfoliate with Sea Pearl Exfoliating Clay several times per week after cleansing with Peridot.
3. Hydrate with Rose Quartz Botanical Mist
4. Moisturize with the facial Elixir or Balm that suits your needs: Amethyst Harmony Elixir for acneic, sensitive, or reactive skin; Moonstone Rejuvenation Elixir for fine lines, dry, or troubled skin; Tourmaline Radiance Elixir for hyper-pigmentation, dry, or lack-luster skin; 24 Karat Gold Luxe Restorative Balm for very dry, sun damaged, or dull skin.
5. I believe a weekly (if not twice weekly) face mask makes all the difference when it comes to deeply nourishing skin. Mineral and micro-nutrient replenishment on a regular basis show up on the skin as increased vitality and radiance. Onyx Purity Mask is a delightful infusion of antioxidant-rich raw cacao, purifying clays, and glow-boosting herbs. I indulge in this once a week and it’s heaven!
PV: Tell us about your Skin Rhythm Quiz.
MB: The Skin Rhythm Quiz came to be after seeing the need to offer insight into what can be a confusing concept - skin types. I see skin and skincare as a rhythm rather than distinct types. “Type” to me is synonymous with “symptom” - I think we are misguided when we think of our skin symptoms as a permanent category that we inhabit. The Skin Rhythm Quiz offers a new way to approach skincare - one that shifts the relationship to a more intuitive process that flows with someone’s individual needs and desires rather than the problem-solution paradigm we are all used to.
PV: The Discovery Kit is pretty ingenious. Tell us about what’s inside of it and why you decided to create it.
MB: I am so excited about this Discovery Kit because it offers a taste of every potion in the collection! Since the PSE philosophy on skincare is about individual rhythm and a person's evolving needs I needed a way to offer the full experience of total exploration of the line. Sampling is such an important part of finding the right fit - sometimes a product that might not seem like the best fit ends up being an absolute favorite and vice versa. The Discovery Kit serves to introduce the full spectrum of products and provide a fun, luxurious sample experience.
PV: What is the one thing you want the Petit Vour audience to know about Precious Skin Elixirs that may not be immediately apparent?
MB: We ARE our beauty, and it’s essential to care for ourselves, our precious vessels, in joyfully nourishing ways true to our individuality. Self-care is sacred. There are many reasons why I make PSE. The one I’m not always so brave to talk about is this: PSE is not about making someone feel a certain way. It’s not about changing someone’s mind about themselves or planting new ideas. It’s a vessel for bringing healing and beauty into the world. It’s not here to spark or catalyze a thing - it’s here to be. It’s here because I keep following a trail of inspiration. I feel in my heart that this collection brings something good into the world and offers a kind of remembering - that through the alchemy of beauty ritual we can awaken who we truly are. To know our truth beyond the things society, our family, and other influences tell us we are... to remember that the real us is made of love that flows from one heart, one soul, one brilliant light.
Can't wait to get your hands on Precious Skin Elixirs?