Skin Fitness + Cleansing Oil Savviness + The Skin Story Behind Qēt
You may be new to Qēt and wonder what we're about and why we're here. Or... you may already know who we are and the story behind the brand.
But you may not have known this.
The story behind that first step.
Before I share some hints on how we can achieve skin fitness with natural ingredients, and maybe do a little nudging if you're not familiar with, or at the very least, if you're not reading your ingredients, I have to mention that it's been a long road to where I am and where we are today in our clean care remedies.
For years I was a self-proclaimed 'skincare slut,' and I mean this in the nicest way. 😉
I moved from Wisconsin to California when I was 23, and my eyes were opened to not only the freshest and local produce all year around, but the amount of skincare that was available to me. I've reached the motherload! Ha!
At my fingertips was a whole new world... new packaging, new fragrances, new brands. I loved playing with all of them ~ it made me feel confident, taken care of, and even gave me peace of mind. I've always loved skincare and used to make hair masks and batches of skincare from the refrigerator when I was little. My dad would laugh and ask if I was making a salad dressing. 😜
Then came the battle with finding the right sunscreen (it's always so sunny!), and then the clogged pores and upset skin started from the skincare and makeup I was loving. Too many synthetic-filled pretty bottles filled with too many upsetting ingredients. The vicious circle was started.
Keep in mind that my skin wasn't bad in my 20s. Then in my 30s, and even in some of my 40s, I started to get very bad flareups. During these different years, I did experience the usual breakouts, hormonal acne and changes. And then came that visit.
I was 32 and was at a visit with my OBGYN who found the first clue. After our two kids were born, I went for my routine physical and heard the words... "You'll need to come back for another checkup. There's inflammation showing in your body and we're not sure why."
No problem. I went back six months later, and all was well. Shortly thereafter came the rashes, the tiredness, the ups and downs with my weight, the hair loss, the crazy bad skin, the extreme fatigue and soreness (I could hardly turn the steering wheel or open a box of crackers) and then as fast as it came, it would all go away.
Here's a blog showing some of those raw photos of my 'crazy bad skin.'
This continued from my mid 30s until my early 40s when I found out (finally!) that it was my thyroid and an auto immune issue. And I had rosacea. Huh? Didn't know what that was. Now I'm always amazed at how common thyroid issues and Rosacea are among so many of us.
💮 In 2004, I stumbled on Environmental Working Group and the Skin Deep database of 'clean' ingredients, and quickly typed up a list of all of the ingredients that were in my beautiful and natural 'clean' products I used on a daily basis. At the time, their list was not nearly as large as the current 70,000+ ingredients they list. On my list I highlighted all of the things that were questionable... hormone disruptors, known allergens, cancer causing ingredients... the list went on. NO WAY! I was shocked to see it all in black, white, and my yellow highlighter... all those harmful ingredients lurking in my 'clean' and 'natural' skin care and body products. I had reached my wits' end and promptly grabbed a garbage bag and threw everything out. It was emotional, but I felt I had to do it. Remember when I said I was a 'skincare slut?' Well, that bag was filled with too many brands to mention.
To help clear my skin and improve my health, I made visits to an allergist, a dermatologist, endocrinologist, enzyme specialist, naturopathic specialists. I struggled, and I was tired of taking written prescriptions, topical cremes, and oral products. I was already pretty plant based and clean in the kitchen (even before it was a thing!), so something on the outside was upsetting me, inside and out. So....
First things first... along came my need to wash my face without it hurting. Always loving to cook, I started researching ways to care for my skin with ingredients I could recognize. It started in the kitchen, then I moved to the laundry room, and eventually we built a separate structure on the property. After many trials, errors, and then successes, it was time. Qēt Botanicals was born and ready to be shared. April 1st, 2013, and my 46th birthday. It's from me to you, and it was the perfect gift to give to friends that want the same for themselves! 🎂
➡️ Fun fact: Qēt (pronounced 'keet') is our own trademarked name for our proprietary treatments. It's a made-up name that was my husband's idea... "Lisa, you're making your own products... they're unique. You should just make up a name to go with them." Brilliant. A sexy and curvaceous "q" with a wispy bang and a little attitude, and a vowel and a consonant to follow. Perfect. 🌟
I finally launched with almost 50 tried and true treatments (yes, all of our skin is different... we need options!). Shortly thereafter, our Cross Plains, WI Skin Studio opened, and a few more years down the road came our San Clemente, CA Skin Studio.
Let's circle back to the very first product that I ever formulated. It's the first step to taking great care of our skin, removing any dirt and debris that we've picked up during the day, and it effectively cleanses away those things that speed up the skin's aging process.
It's the start of your healthy skin fitness routine. 💪
Say hello to our cleansing oils! 👏
Below: Restoring Cleansing Oil with Rose, Hydrating Cleansing Oil with Lavender, Balancing Cleansing Oil with Thyme
"Cleansing with an oil? Why in the world would I add oil on top of my skin to cleanse it? Why would I rub it on (on purpose?!) to take off my makeup... my skin won't be clean?"
Why? Because it's the best and cleanest way to wash our faces, which is the first step to achieving skin fitness. Our microbiome stays intact, the acid mantle on our skin doesn't get over-stripped, and our skin doesn't get too dried out causing fine lines or pore clogging.
Cleansing with oils is an ancient way to cleanse, and we've modernized it. It's become much more popular since I first formulated ours nearly ten years ago. The difference lies in the quality and of our ingredients, and their performance.
The first formula finalized was the Balancing Cleansing Oil with Thyme, which is good for skin with acne or upset, which was exactly what I needed. You can see in the photos ~ my skin was not happy.
🥇Our cleansing oil also happens to be the first national green beauty award we received. 🥇
Was it a coincidence that it was the first product developed and awarded? All I know is that when we started to hear from friends that they loved their Qēt, no matter what happened, I knew I couldn't go back to stale and mass-produced care products.
Below: Featured this year in Allure as an acne-fighting cleanser, our Balancing Cleansing Oil with Thyme.
After months of using my own treatments, my doctors noticed a positive change in my skin, my inflammation was gone, my skin and hair started to heal, clear, and come back. I was hooked on these fresh batches of authentic, plant-based ways to care for my skin.
Today I'm thrilled to share that we have so many unique and proprietary natural and green beauty winning products to choose from: vitamin serum boosts, natural aromas, face and hair masks, toners, day and night serums, an eye serum, body oils, bath products, hand cleansers, lip care, and yes, even deodorants and more.
Below: Balancing Cleansing Oil with Thyme, Hydrating Cleansing Oil with Lavender
It's a new year, and we all deserve a fresh, new start. Do we get questions on using a cleansing oil? Yes, we definitely do... from not only those with oily complexions, but those with dry skin and everything in between.
Five Tips to Remember when using our Cleansing Oils:
✅ 1. It can be used directly over makeup on a dry or a slightly dampened complexion.
✅ 2. It DOES dissolve makeup, impurities, sweat, and sunscreen, completely. It's a thorough and beneficial way to cleanse e-v-e-r-y-s-i-n-g-l-e-n-i-g-h-t. Always cleanse at night, and morning cleansing is optional if your skin is already comfortable and happy. If you have an overactive oil complexion, or if there is congestion or breakouts, it's best to cleanse morning and night. No need to use anything else that's foamy, milky, or sudsy after our cleansing oils.
✅ 3. Oil removes oil, so it won't rinse off on its own. Take a washcloth or cotton pad to remove. I occasionally like to use a tissue to remove makeup and the cleanser, and then I follow with a wet washcloth, and rinse and repeat if necessary.
✅ 4. Your skin will be clean, and it will feel soft, and best of all... it won't feel like it'll crack when you smile.
✅ 5. It won't work if you don't use it. 😉
No more 'morning raccoon eyes' ~
Have you tried our green beauty awarded eye makeup remover? It's skin friendly, lash and brow loving, silicone free, and nourishing while it whisks away your mascara and eye makeup.
This is also part of a clean routine, and there are too many eye makeup removers that cause milia, sensitivity, eye allergies, or contain ingredients that actually dry out the top layer of skin while leaving the skin feeling 'clean.'
Not for us... we'd rather avoid the plastics and glycols and use natural oils to get the job done. They dissolve the makeup, they benefit the skin, and then you wipe it away with a wet washcloth, or us a wet cotton ball and dispose. Easy peasy.
If you're using waterproof mascara, you'll want to find something that has equally strong solvents in it to dissolve that kind of mascara. If you're using non-waterproof mascara, we have great results with our remover! 🤩
All it takes is a start... even a tiny one. 🌲
A little start is still a start.
That tiny seed that's planted thrives from attention and care, and before you know it, it becomes a strong, sturdy tree.
When we put the effort in, we can see the fruits of our labor. This can give us a sense of peace. Not the quick-fix-kind-of-peace... the real, deep-down peace.
There's a peaceful feeling inside when you know you're doing the right thing. When it doesn't feel right, it's like a basketball sitting inside the throat or gut.
Peace of mind. Most of us are reaching for this. Sometimes it's easy to get a quick fix to satiate that need. In this skincare industry, there is a lot of smoke and mirrors. Often, it's those products that are celebrity endorsed, have unreachable promises, or have fancy packaging and long scientific words promising the next best thing with instant results that suck us in.
Whether you're finding peace in your quiet moments, your work or busy schedule, your family time, or your me time, we hope you're finding it.
Because once you have it... that peace of mind... it looks beautiful, it feels natural, it instills confidence, and it just gets better from there. Beautiful... natural... confident.. three words we look at every day on the wall inside of our California studio.
Peace, and a very Healthy New Year to you,
~ Lisa
Founder & CEO
Below: I found this little inspirational tree growing in the yard surrounded by towering evergreens. It's showing off its fresh blanket of Wisconsin snow. It's tiny, it's just starting to grow, and it's so peacefully inspirational. 🌲
~ fresh ~ authentic ~ sumptuous ~
~ non-toxic, organic ingredients, proven, and high-performing ~
~ effective, award-winning botanical treatments made without compromises ~
