My Story
After surviving an abusive relationship, I found comfort and healing when working with herbs in my garden. As a qualified beauty therapist, I was inspired to use these healing plants to create a line of skincare and wellbeing products. My goal was to create selfcare products that were not only great for the skin, but also had healing properties for the mind.
After personally experiencing great results and receiving nothing but positive feedback from family and friends, I decided to pursue my passion further and see what I could turn it into. Thus, Fortitude Skincare was created. The word fortitude means ‘courage in pain or adversity,’ and that is exactly what I hope to foster through my products.
Some of my key botanicals of choice were jasmine, which has calming and uplifting effects on the nervous system; and petitgrain which helps relax muscles and settle the nervous system during emotional turmoil. These are just some of the powerful healing herbs I have infused into my products.
All of my products are designed to support mental wellbeing as much as physical wellbeing, and I donate 10% of all profits to charities that support domestic violence victims. I also volunteer with Wellington Women's Refuge as a way of giving back, and also to get more experience with supporting women who have trauma caused by domestic violence.
My long-term goal is to create a women’s retreat where others can benefit from the healing power of nature. A place where survivors of domestic violence can go to heal and rest. The plan is for this place of healing to be supported by the skincare business, which will also provide education and employment opportunities for any of the residents that may want to learn about herbalism and natural skincare formulation. See more about this below!
Mikayla Hopkins
Founder + Owner
The Sanctuary - The Future of Fortitude
The Fortitude Skincare line is just the first stage of a much greater plan. My dream is to create a sanctuary where people who really need some time out can come to rest and recover.
I imagine a beautiful space, surrounded by gardens, where survivors of domestic violence can come and stay (for free) and take some much-needed time to rediscover themselves and figure out what they want to do next. A place where they can be looked after and nurtured, but also to have space to breathe. Taking some time out, away from everyday life, can make a massive difference to your mental and physical wellbeing. The Fortitude Sanctuary will provide that!
However, to make this dream a reality, there is a lot to do! The first stage of the plan is developing Fortitude Skincare. This business will be the bones of the organisation, providing a steady source of income. Stage two of the plan will involve purchasing property – the location of the sanctuary! From there I will start seeking funding and grants to turn the sanctuary into a registered charity.
As you can see, I have a lot of work ahead of me! I am grateful to everyone who has helped me this far and to those who will help in the future.
Right now, my biggest challenge is raising the funds necessary to advance my plan. Once the Fortitude Skincare shop opens for business, your purchases will help with this. However, in the meantime, any support you can provide via the GiveALittle link below would be much appreciated!