JoyWild grew from everything it took to build Juniper Lane Skin.
I learned young, growing up in Iowa, that nothing would be handed to me. When I was 16, I was driving to my job at a bakery, listening to Train’s “Drops of Jupiter,” while my dad was living with Parkinson’s, things at home were hard, and money was tight. I remember hearing that song and feeling, for a moment, like there might be a bigger life waiting for me.
Not long after, I moved to California with a lot of hope, a desire for a new life, and no real direction. I was in college, struggling with horrible acne and low self-esteem, and I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I eventually dropped out to focus on healing my own skin and learn everything I could about it.
Along the way, I discovered that I loved helping people. I loved hearing their stories, learning what they were carrying, and creating a space where they could feel cared for. I lived in Los Angeles and London, worked my way up in the industry, and learned from every person and experience along the way. Eventually, I knew I needed to be on my own—to make my own rules and build something that felt like mine.
Years later, I came to Ojai with no clientele and started giving facials in the third bedroom of my house—just months before COVID and shortly after my divorce. It was me, my son, and a drive to survive.
I gave facials on my patio, packed my supplies into the car, and drove to Bel Air and Malibu to work in people’s homes. I kept showing up, working with my hands and building relationships until I found a beautiful studio of my own.
JoyWild is the next chapter of that story. Drops of Jupiter grew from years of caring for people’s skin and seeing what a few quiet minutes of ritual can mean. I made it so you could take a little of that feeling home.
As Juniper Lane Skin becomes JoyWild Rituals, I’m bringing it all together: the studio, the oil, where I came from, and everything it took to get here. It’s all part of the same story. 🤍