About 

Hi! I’m Carmen, owner of Pure Bliss. My journey to the creation of Pure Bliss was somewhat unexpected, and I’d like to take a minute to share with you why this little company is near and dear to my heart. In July of 2015, I was diagnosed with invasive malignant melanoma. The offending cancer was only a small spot on my cheek, but had traveled deep enough to require significant surgery. Thanks to an absolutely amazing plastic surgeon and an equally stellar scar revision therapist, my cheek was patched back together with only the smallest evidence of my ordeal left behind. I anticipated that the worst was behind me. Until February, 2016. Just seven months after my melanoma diagnosis, a routine mammogram ultimately led to the discovery of stage 3 breast cancer. A second primary cancer completely unrelated to the melanoma. A whirlwind of scans, tests, biopsies, appointments and surgeries were performed. I was catapulted into a 5 year treatment plan at a cancer clinic near Chicago. That journey would lead me through a labyrinth of additional surgeries, procedures, medications, and learning. I learned all kinds things that I never would have voluntarily invited into my life. I learned about medical terms and cancer lingo. I learned about grief and loss. I learned about being broken. But I also learned that truly beautiful things can grow from broken places. And perhaps most of all, I learned what it means to have hope. The kind of hope that is gritty and scrappy and dives deep down into the core of who I am. One of the gifts of my journey was finding a cancer clinic that treated not only with conventional medicine, but also incorporated holistic health into my treatment plan. Diet, exercise, hydration, and natural supplements were as much a part of my treatment plan as my medications and injections. As I learned more and more about how our bodies function, I began to pay more attention to the products I was putting on my skin, my biggest organ. Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made… designed to recover and heal. But I believe we have been overloading our body’s natural ability to heal by the vast amount of toxins we ask them to process daily. So I began to do what I could to be kind to my body. I wanted to reduce, as much as reasonably possible, the amount of chemicals I was asking my body to filtrate so that it could focus on healing and restoration. That means being intentional about the food I choose to eat and the products I choose to use. And that’s how my interest in making natural skin care products began. I connected with a friend who had a similar interest in health and wellness, and we began to make our kitchen science skin care products. As we created products that we loved - and most importantly - felt safe using, we really wanted to be able to offer those products to you. I still make the products in my own kitchen because I’m not afraid of the ingredients in our products contaminating my food. I have a general rule that says, “If you shouldn’t lick it, you shouldn’t put it on your skin.” (For the record, I am NOT recommending that you lick our products! :)) I’m hoping that this tiny little company can do some good in this world through the people that it touches. Gifts are meant to be shared. I believe our stories are gifts that are meant to be shared. So this little company called Pure Bliss is part of my story. I am so grateful that you are here, sharing this story with me.