Healthy skin, not perfect skin.
Barrier-first skincare, formulated by a biochemist in Montréal.
Most routines are built on the surface
Redness, tightness, breakouts, a serum that “stopped working.” These rarely start where they show up. They start with a barrier that’s been stripped, over-exfoliated, or never supported in the first place.
The industry’s answer is more: more actives, more steps, more products that undo each other. That’s not a routine. That’s a cycle.
For years I had cystic acne and rosacea. I tried Accutane, prescription topicals, facials, dermatologists. Everything was aimed at the breakout. Nothing was aimed at the barrier, and my skin stayed red, angry, and inflamed.
That’s where the question started.
— Raquela
We start at the root
Étymologie comes from the Greek étumon — the true sense of a word, its origin. We named the brand after the habit of going back far enough to find what something really means.
Applied to skin, the root is the barrier. Keep it intact and most problems get quieter on their own. So we build for the barrier first, and every product has a specific job in that order.
Cleanse without stripping.
Hydrate before you treat.
Seal it so it holds.
What we won’t say
You’ll read “barrier repair” here, because ceramides do replenish the barrier’s lipids. You won’t read “repairs skin” or “heals.” Cosmetics reinforce and support; they don’t perform surgery.
“Clinically studied” refers to an ingredient. “Clinically proven” only if the finished formula was tested. Real percentages when they matter, and no percentages when they’d be theatre.
If a claim can’t survive our own scrutiny, it doesn’t survive the label.
Pratiques durables
Nous nous efforçons d’adopter des pratiques écologiques sur tous les fronts tout en considérant l’ensemble du cycle de vie de nos produits. Nous utilisons des ingrédients recyclés et issus de sources durables : huile de graines de canneberge du Québec, huile de Ximenia de Namibie, huile de Moringa d'Afrique du Sud et squalane dérivé de la canne à sucre. Grâce à des formules 100 % biodégradables, des boîtes certifiées FSC et des emballages en verre Miron recyclable (provenant de manière éthique des Pays-Bas), nous nous engageons à être les intendants de notre terre.
NOTRE POLITIQUE
Raquela Cheesmond, Founder
Mon processus
Toutes nos formules sont 100 % exclusives – pas de marque privée ! Cette désignation signifie que nous investissons toutes nos ressources dans notre propre développement de produits, nous permettant de contrôler chaque étape de la formulation. En fin de compte, nous ne croyons ni aux secrets ni aux raccourcis. Nous croyons à l’intégrité, aux origines et au pouvoir de la science. Période."
- Raquela, Fondatrice et Formulatrice
Made in Montréal
Final formulation and finishing happen in Montréal, where Raquela is in the room for batching, testing, and adjusting.
Start at the root
Three products, built in order. Refills when you run out. An index that tells you what’s in them.