December 03, 2018
How Our Gluten Free Brand is Born
I got sick. That is how EpiLynx began…
There is a saying that “Necessity is the mother of all inventions.” I got sick. In the prime of my professional career as an executive in one of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies, I was losing my lifelong battle with what the doctors diagnosed as “psoriasis”. I had just delivered my third child and my blood pressure was getting out of control and I was diagnosed as having “pre-eclampsia” with a warning that if I was to bear any more children, my condition may get worse. What was I supposed to do?
I doubled down on my professional career. Sounds like an oxymoron but I felt that I had to be good at something even as my health seemed to be getting worse with increasing medications for psoriasis and hypertension. But, I knew I wasn’t happy. The more I dove into my work, the less connected I was with my family and myself. I felt that I needed a change but did not have the inspiration to change my path.
One day, as I stood in front of the mirror and looked at the bright red spots on my skin and knowing that my blood pressure was not under good control, I broke down and confessed to my husband that I needed find something that would get me back into the family and to follow my passion in healthcare. My husband and I are both healthcare professionals. He has been a senior executive in large healthcare companies since 2005 and I was a healthcare executive. He is a physician, a scientist and a business leader (having an M.D, Ph.D. in Cancer Immunology and MBA!) and I am a doctor of pharmacy and a scientist (a PharmD and Ph.D. in Chemistry). Most people thought we would make a great team in solving difficult medical problems but we had never worked together up to now.
So, I had a proposition for him…I wanted to start my own business (developing the Best Gluten Free Skin Care) while I figure out how to take care of myself, my husband, my children and my family. I didn’t know what that business would be but and whether I even could be an entrepreneur, but I knew it would be one that would intertwine with my passion for healthcare.
My first step was to figure out what was going on with me. After my third delivery, I had post-partum depression and anxiety. While it was getting better, I had to cycle through lots of medicines before I found one that worked. This newfound calmness helped me to solve my health issues. I started by changing my diet. I was already quite athletic but decided to cut out heavy carbohydrate foods early on so that I could become a bit more fit. Something unusual happened at that point. My skin lesions/psoriasis started reducing and my blood pressure came down a little bit and I was able to get my medications reduced. Strange that a diet with less breads, pasta and pizza would do this. I started researching this area and came across several articles about the effect of gluten on inflammation in the body. I wondered if there was a connection.
I cut out most obvious sources of gluten in my food for a couple of weeks and saw a dramatic reduction in my psoriasis to the point that I didn’t need to go for my UV light therapy. My blood pressure reduced even further but was still high. I had a theory that gluten may be the culprit and that if I diligently cut out gluten even further, I would benefit. I tried this and the skill lesions nearly disappeared. On my face and parts of my body, there were minor lesions.
I felt that I was still exposed to gluten from other sources. Now, all of know that gluten is nearly ubiquitous (everywhere!) in so many food and other ingredients, that it is hard to eliminate unless you dedicate yourself to it.
I researched that various creams, lotions and other household ingredients and surprisingly found that gluten was in many things that we take for granted.
That is when I realized that I had an idea. One that would meet the needs of many people who have a sensitivity to gluten and other types of preservatives that are put into many things we put on ourselves and in what we ingest. I knew that I was capable to using my skills and tap into my husband’s background to develop solutions (products, advice, help) to solve this problem that many people have. There are even many more who are not aware that they have these sensitivities, allergies and intolerance.
So, EpiLynx, the Best Gluten Free Skin Care was formed. As I noted before, necessity is the mother of all inventions. With a focus on addressing gluten sensitivity and allergies along with making the products with many natural ingredients (for example, no parabens or phthalates), I began the process of inventing the first line of Epilynx serums and creams to help improve skin health and complexion.
I hope you enjoy our EpiLynx, the Best Gluten Free Skin Care Products as well as find your passion to make a difference for yourself and all that you care for.
