(Recounted by Felicia, Owner):

It was on a particular day, in the Spring of 2012, my second semester in college, that I experienced what can be best described as a firm conviction by the Holy Spirit. As was usual for me after class, I walked into my bathroom, that I shared with my suitemates, to take off my Malaysian wig and begin my painstaking process of caring for it. Staring into the mirror while gently pulling off the wig to reveal my own hair, a sentence came suddenly out of my mouth that I knew was not mine. I blurted out, indeliberately, “if I wanted your hair to look like that, I would have made you Malaysian.” I froze. While the voice was mine, the thought was most certainly not. I made my Malaysian wig myself, loved every bit of my craftsmanship, and received so many compliments for it, thus admonishing myself about donning the hair was the furthest thing from my mind. That day in 2012 was the start of my healthy hair journey that led me to fall completely in love with my hair and to permanently part with both synthetic and human hair attachments. I also began the journey of caring for my skin soon after, permanently parting with foundation and heavy makeup and opting for my bare skin, enhanced on occasion with clean mineral cosmetics.

As a long-time and busy academic (after college, I immediately went on to obtain my master’s degree and Ph.D.), now homemaker and consultant, I desired an efficient and effective hair and skin care routine. Through much trial and error, in those early years, and prayer, I realized just how much my hair and scalp thrived on water, apple cider vinegar, organic unrefined carrier oils, organic therapeutic-grade essential oils, and organic botanicals. With these ingredients, I would make hair washes, rinses, and serums. For protein treatments, I would apply hydrolyzed proteins, properly diluted in water, on my strands using a spray bottle. I grew my hair from its “teeny weeny” and damaged stage to waist length in 3 years and 8 months (see pictures). My skin similarly thrived from a routine that relied primarily on water and DIY serums.

Fast-forward to 2019, while conversing with my boyfriend, now husband, I was encouraged to open an online store to cater to people who are on a similar journey of caring for their God-given hair and skin and desire products that are organic, unadulterated, and effective. At that point, I had also received enough questions about my hair and skin from passersby, and requests from family members and friends to create products for them, that I knew deep-down that it was a good call. Through God’s divine guidance and provision, I began The Potter’s Mixtress later that same year.