As far back as I can remember, my Native American mama (known for her generosity + spiritual wisdom) was always making natural scrubs, facial and hair masks, and scented oils for her friends and family. Fascinated, I was hooked from the age of 5. Fast forward 20 something years and I began experimenting with my own concoctions, putting them in pretty little jars as gifts for my own friends. For birthdays, holidays, or simply to lift a friend’s spirits…my mom taught me that giving of ourselves to others is really a gift to our own selves—it just feels good.
In my early 20s, I began a career in the beauty industry. As a national makeup artist and then a cosmetics executive, I’ve been given more than my fair share of products to try and I’ve been around thousands of brands over the span of my career.
In time I came to realize just how many chemicals are in so many of the skincare products we use daily. My skin would freak out with certain brands—even the super pricey ones. I started to flip over the container to figure out exactly what was in them—it was frightening. I also noticed how more brands than not left me with the feeling of not being good enough if I didn’t own X product. It felt like they were trying to intentionally highlight my insecurities with their specific wording. I wanted to completely remove that style of marketing and kick it to the curb—no need for that. Why not be a brand that helps build you up, not break you down, and enhance what you already have? I believe we all have that inner glow, that sparkle, and Rūtz wants to be the energetic icing on your cake.
This realization inspired me to go back to my roots. I began to research the most natural ways to repair and infuse moisture and vitamins into my aging skin. At the same time I discovered reiki.
Always curious and looking to learn new things I enrolled in massage therapy school. One of the required courses was reiki. For those who have no idea (like me), reiki is a healing technique based on the principle that the practitioner can channel energy into the patient by means of touch in order to activate the natural healing processes of the patient's body and restore physical and emotional well-being.
I was totally skeptical of reiki and begrudgingly went to my first session, where one of my classmates did reiki on me. Wow. I was speechless. My reiki experience was so powerful. I couldn’t wrap my brain around what just happened. It was the best non massage, massage I’d ever had? Then it was my turn to practice on others outside my classroom, and after the sessions were over they would get up and usually give me a perplexed look and say, "What just happened?" and I'd say, "I don't know!" and I would tell them what I felt and they’d share their experience. It was almost magical mixed with miraculous meets “How on earth did you know that?”
This is when I realized I had a gift. I trained with Cindy Wellman and became a reiki master. Who knew? The Universe knew.
Soon the idea to start a skincare line that actually infused energy into its products kept me up at night - literally. I started dreaming of names and packaging concepts which left me with stacks of journals with random ideas strewn around my bedroom. I truly believe something much greater than my own self propelled me in this endeavor. I felt this almost gravitational pull to create a much different style of skincare, one that was not only all natural but truly infused with positive energy and good intentions that makes the user shine to their fullest potential.
I set out to build a team of free thinking, bad ass soulful, white light practitioners and beauty gurus —ones who authentically LIVE that almost palpable high vibration in everything they do! I knew that once this band of non-status quo creative misfits (or geniuses) was assembled that we would be able to create not only of-the-earth beautiful products but ones that would also leave people’s skin, and their spaces, so intangibly sparkly that they would just feel it on a much different level - the energetic kind.
Literally and metaphorically, Rūtz is all about beauty—rooted in total illumination. We blast each product with such intention, from a very beautiful energetic recipe, that it carries right on over to you—our customer!
On a Personal Note...
I have 3 amazing teenagers and a wonderful dude who I absolutely love the stuffings out of everyday and all day—even when they run from me; they do this often. I am almost as much in love with my dogs (and any dogs in general) as I am my 2-legged family members. I am an active reiki master and have been for 10+ years. It’s my biggest passion and has completely transformed my life for the positive, as well as the lives of my clients. I am an optimist yet a realist. I stand up for the right things even if it’s the wrong time. I live to laugh—the big and loud obnoxious, belly kind. It just feels so good. 😊
