Exploring Life & Business with Melissa Kreis of Tomboy Organic Skincare Co.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Kreis

Hi Melissa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was a misplaced Wildlife Biologist who moved back to my hometown of Deer Lodge, Tennessee to care for my Mother. In a new career as a secondary Science teacher, my students and I created a very effective plant-based poison ivy remedy in the classroom. We were online by 2004 and a business was born as we created organic, waterfree, eco-friendly cleansers, lotions and salves.

2024 marked our 20th year in business for Tomboy Organic Skincare Co. We have bootstrapped the company and grown in our tiny hometown and now are building our Forest Formulary where we manufacture products that we sell all over the world. Next door, the Woodland Spa waits to welcome guests for a holistic facial, a Swedish-Thai massage and a trip to the sauna and cold plunge!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Growing a niche’ business in Appalachia couldn’t be easy if the road were paved with gold. There is not an accurate word to describe the struggles: remote, isolated, financial scarcity mentality, zero capital. But we are Appalachia, and we roll with the punches, have an appetite for success and never give up!

We’ve been impressed with Tomboy Organic Skincare Co., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What should you know? My Wildlife Biologist/Forestry education set me on a trajectory far apart from the cosmetic chemists who create the world’s skincare products. Armed with the knowledge that most products on the market were basically rearrangements of water with a toxic chemical load (most banned in other countries) we created our own brand!

Tomboy asks customers to “expect results from our wild-harvested elixirs of bark, twigs, roots & herbs as they mimic your skin’s natural factors, nourish the microbiome and restore your connection to the Earth.”

What do we specialize in? Solving your skincare issues: acne, cystic acne, hormonal acne, nodular acne, acneic rosacea, rosacea, dull skin, extremely dry skin, stabilizing oily skin. As well as fibromyalgia, sunburn, burns, eczema, psoriasis, warts, poison ivy rash & inflammation, scarring and surgery scars.

Healthy forests give us plant nutrients capable of solving every skin issue you could possibly have. Skincare made in the lab doesn’t hold a candle to us!!! 🌿🌲🌸🍄‍🟫🍃🏃‍♂️🚴‍♂️👄😍💪💄🐍🦋🦊🐾🐿️🍁🚣🏻⛹🏿‍♂️🏄‍♀️

Raising the Bar in Organic Skincare
​Tomboy’s mission is to create nutrient dense, forest-based products that help you achieve naturally beautiful skin while respecting the environment.

Raising the Bar: (What sets us apart from others.)

1. We do not formulate with water because it cannot be preserved naturally.

2. All products have an acidic pH to support skin’s immune system, keep microbiota bacteria in check and prevent inflammation triggers like acne, eczema and rosacea.

3. We sustainably source wild ingredients that your skin craves allowing you to achieve a naturally radiant Tomboy glow!

​What are we most proud of brand wise??? Creating our own brand, researching our own recipes, making our own products, cultivating customer service that is so good it has grown the brand, being true to our health and the health of our customers and solving skin issues.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Being a Tomboy with my Tomboy Mother and family. My Mother was a jokester, so there was never a dull moment.
On the Cumberland Plateau, we swam in the creeks and rivers, rode horses under the full moon deep into the forests, camped at Devil’s Breakfast Table before it was a favorite, listened to records on a record player, watched my mom paint with oils, played volleyball with my Dad and the family, went on jeep rides, hayrides with my brothers, walked to school, rode our bikes to the store, farmed, hauled hay like no girl could, played in the woods, played sports, loved our animals.

Pricing:

• 5
• 150

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tomboyskincare.com/shop
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomboyskincare/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tomboyskincare/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-kreis-stephens-91851960/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tomboyorganicskincareco.1098
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tomboy-organic-skincare-co-sunbright?osq=tomboy+organic+skincare+co