WHERE IT STARTED

I grew up surrounded by the healing springs of Karlovy Vary, a centuries-old European spa city in the Czech Republic. A place where nature’s nourishing power was part of everyday life. Some of my earliest memories are of my grandmother’s garden, where herbs were grown, gathered, and used with care. That quiet, hands-on relationship with plants stayed with me and shaped my deep respect for how nature supports the body and the skin.

My interest in herbs and aroma was never formal. It was a quiet passion I kept returning to, something that felt natural and grounding. Studying plants, blending, and learning through experience became a way for me to reconnect with myself during life’s more challenging seasons. Moving to the U.S. in my early twenties and navigating those changes eventually led me back to these practices as a form of healing. Simple rituals that supported my skin, my nervous system, and my sense of balance and belonging.

Natura Culina “Nature’s Kitchen” in Latin grew out of that return. What began as personal healing journey rooted in curiosity and intuition evolved into a commitment to principled formulation: thoughtful, restrained, and deeply respectful of what skin truly needs.

WHY I DO WHAT I DO

My attention to ingredients became deeply personal when my mother was diagnosed with cancer a couple of decades ago. She never smoked, rarely drank, cooked at home, and spent much of her time gardening. Watching someone who did “everything right” face illness changed the way I began to look at everyday exposures and the quiet role they can play over time.

That experience sharpened my awareness of what we come into contact with daily; from the products we put on our skin and the foods we consume. It led me to question what we normalize, what we overlook, and how cumulative exposure can affect both the body and the skin.

This work matters to me and that's why Natura Culina exists. Over the years, it has been a true privilege to work with hundreds of women of all ages, supporting them through some of their most challenging skin journeys, including cancer survivors navigating skin changes during and after treatment. Watching skin transform, not just visually, but in confidence and comfort has been the most meaningful and rewarding part of my work. Because skincare should be something you can trust.