About Natural Escapes Body
✦Meet Melissa, Founder & Formulator
Hi, I’m Melissa, founder and formulator of Natural Escapes Body.
I began creating skincare in 1997 after years of struggling with my own skin and becoming increasingly interested in natural health, plant-based ingredients, and the connection between what we use every day and how our skin looks and feels.
What began as a personal search for better skincare gradually became something much bigger: nearly 30 years of studying ingredients, developing formulas, refining products, and creating skincare designed to genuinely support dry, sensitive, mature, and problem-prone skin.
Today, every Natural Escapes product reflects that same philosophy: use purposeful ingredients, formulate thoughtfully, and never add something simply because it is inexpensive, trendy, or expected.
“I wasn’t blessed with perfect skin. I created these products because I needed them, and today we make them for anyone who has struggled to find skincare that truly works for their skin.”
— Melissa, Founder of Natural Escapes Body
✦From Personal Struggles to Purposeful Skincare
Growing up in Wyoming meant harsh winters, hot summers, dry air, and plenty of environmental stress on the skin. As a teenager, I dealt with combination skin, painful breakouts, and acne scarring.
By age 19, my skin issues had become severe enough that I began looking much more closely at health, ingredients, and the products I was using.
That curiosity turned into years of studying natural health, botanical ingredients, skin function, and formulation. I began making my own skincare and experimenting with different combinations of plant oils, aloe vera, vitamins, essential oils, and other functional ingredients.
The more I learned, the more interested I became in one simple question:
What does the skin actually need in order to function and feel its best?
That question still guides the way we formulate today.
When my mother was later diagnosed with cancer, it deepened my commitment to being thoughtful about the products we bring into our homes and the ingredients we choose to use. It reinforced my belief that skincare should be effective, transparent, and intentionally formulated.
Natural Escapes Body grew from those experiences.
✦Why Natural Escapes Is Different
There are countless products labeled “natural,” but the word itself does not tell you whether a product is thoughtfully formulated or whether the ingredients are present in meaningful amounts.
For us, natural skincare has never been about adding a tiny amount of botanical extract to a conventional formula and putting leaves on the label.
We build the formula around the ingredients we believe belong there.
That means combining plant-based ingredients with proven cosmetic science so each formula provides hydration, moisture, barrier support, conditioning, or other specific benefits.
◇Aloe First, Not Just Added In
Many lotions begin with plain water.
All of our signature lotions begin with aloe vera juice as the first ingredient, creating a hydrating base that naturally contains polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other plant compounds.
We do not use aloe simply so we can list it on the label. It is part of the foundation of the formula.
◇Purposeful Plant Oils
We use oils such as olive, coconut, avocado, sunflower, and other botanical oils because each contributes its own fatty-acid profile, texture, antioxidant compounds, and skin-conditioning benefits.
Instead of relying on one oil to do everything, we combine ingredients that complement one another.
◇Barrier-Supporting Ingredients
Healthy-looking skin depends heavily on a strong moisture barrier.
That is why many of our formulas include ingredients such as rice-derived ceramides, glycerin, vitamin B5, vitamin E, and nourishing plant lipids that help support hydration, softness, and moisture retention.
◇Natural Scent, Never Synthetic Fragrance
We do not use synthetic fragrance in any Natural Escapes product.
Where scent comes from essential oils, we use pure botanical oils such as lavender, lemongrass, peppermint, tea tree, rosemary, eucalyptus, and orange. In formulas that use fragrance oils rather than essential oils, we choose natural and organic fragrance oils instead of synthetic fragrance.
That lets us create beautiful scent profiles while staying true to our ingredient philosophy.
✦Our Formulation Philosophy
Natural Escapes is built around a simple idea:
Natural skincare should not be simplistic.
A beautiful formula often needs several types of ingredients working together.
Hydrating ingredients bring water to the skin. Humectants help hold that water. Ceramides and plant oils support the moisture barrier. Vitamins, antioxidants, and botanical ingredients provide additional conditioning and protection.
That layered approach is why we focus on the finished formula, not one headline ingredient.
We also believe in being selective about what we leave out.
Our products are formulated without synthetic fragrance, parabens, sulfates, petroleum or mineral oil, phthalates, or synthetic colors. Every formula is vegan and cruelty-free.
✦Handcrafted in Small Batches Since 1997
Natural Escapes is not a private-label skincare line purchased from a catalog.
Our products are handcrafted in small batches, allowing us to stay closely involved with the quality, consistency, and feel of the formulas we create.
Nearly three decades of formulation experience has taught us that small details matter: how quickly a lotion absorbs, how ingredients work together, how a product feels hours after application, and whether customers actually want to keep using it.
We continue to refine our products as ingredient technology, research, and our own formulation knowledge evolve.
But the philosophy has remained the same since 1997:
Create effective skincare with purposeful ingredients and make products we would be proud to use ourselves.
✦Ingredients That Matter
We choose ingredients because of what they contribute to the formula.
Depending on the product, you may find ingredients such as:
- Aloe vera juice for hydration and naturally occurring plant nutrients
- Rice ceramides to support the moisture barrier
- Olive, coconut, avocado, and sunflower oils for softness and conditioning
- Glycerin to help attract and retain water
- Vitamins B5 and E for hydration and barrier support
- Essential oils and botanical extracts for antioxidant, aromatic, and skin-supportive benefits
- Gentle exfoliating ingredients such as lactic acid and fruit-derived acids where appropriate
You can learn more about many of these ingredients in our Natural Escapes Ingredient Glossary, where we explain what they are, why we use them, and the benefits they bring to our skincare and haircare formulas.
Explore Our Ingredient Glossary
✦Our Promise to You
We believe you should know what is in the products you put on your skin and why it is there.
We will continue to choose ingredients thoughtfully, formulate with intention, and evolve our products as better research and ingredients become available.
You will never see us chase an ingredient trend simply because it is popular.
Our goal is much simpler:
Create skincare that feels beautiful to use, supports healthier-looking skin, and earns a permanent place in your daily routine.
✦Trusted by Customers for Nearly 30 Years
The most meaningful part of Natural Escapes has always been hearing from customers who finally found something that works well for their skin.
Whether someone discovers us because of stubborn dry feet, crepey skin, dry hands, mature skin, or simply wants a better daily moisturizer, our goal is the same: help them find a formula they genuinely enjoy using.
Handcrafted Since 1997
Plant-Based Formulas
Vegan & Cruelty-Free
No Synthetic Fragrance
No Parabens
No Petroleum
No Sulfates
✦Find the Right Natural Escapes Formula for Your Skin
Whether you are looking for intensive moisture, barrier support, foot care, facial skincare, hair care, or everyday body care, we have formulas designed around specific skin and body-care needs.
