Organic Skincare With A Purpose: Ixis Santos’s Mission To Heal And Empower

Over one in five people globally is affected by a skin condition. Often dismissed medically because they are not life threatening, the long-term impact of skin diseases on someone’s quality of life and psychosocial health is both profound and well-documented. We interviewed Ixis Santos, founder of Forest Mist Skincare, about how her organic skincare range will help people overcome such challenges.

Welcoming a new child to the family is usually a period of joy and excitement. For Ixis, however, it heralded a flare-up of the skin sensitivities and allergies that she had struggled with all her life. Admitted to hospital, and unable to tolerate even the gentlest of products, she found herself at a crossroads. “I was covered in a rash,” she recalls. “There nothing I could put on my skin, so I started experimenting – one ingredient at a time – to find something that could help me.”

It wasn’t a quick fix. What began as an urgent need to heal her own skin transformed into a journey of discovery. Ixis dived into research and enrolled in a Diploma in Cosmetic Science, immersing herself in the magic and method behind skincare formulations. It wasn’t just about mixing creams – it was about decoding what her body needed, finding balance through diet, stress management, and of course, the right skincare.

Other people noticed the transformation her creations were having on her skin. “My friends started asking if they could buy the products. They loved them.” It was at this point that Ixis wondered if it was time to turn her personal solution into something bigger. But creating a business was a whole new challenge, one that required skills beyond product development. Ixis applied to Phase 1 of the New Frontiers programme in Limerick and Forest Mist Skincare was born.

“It was the best experience. Being with other people who were in the same boat, figuring out how to bring an idea to life, was exactly what I needed. When I shared my idea with the group, everyone recognised the need for these products. They all knew someone with this kind of issue. That was a real boost for me and Phase 1 gave me the confidence to continue.”

Keen to take the next step, Ixis applied for the full-time Phase 2, where she delved deeper into the complexities of running a business, benefitting from the different workshops with experienced entrepreneurs and experts as well as insights from her cohort. The financial side, in particular, was an eye-opener.

“So many of these elements are important – legalities, procurement, marketing. But the one thing that’s essential to learn is financial management. Phase 2 made me think about factors like the hidden costs in a business and understand how to price my products. For me, if you don’t know the financial side of things, you don’t really have a business. There’s more to launching a product than just creating it.”

Skincare is a heavily regulated industry and products must comply with EU regulations, one of which is that they are assessed by a cosmetic chemist. A huge amount of paperwork needs to be submitted to the EU portal for approval before a product can be sold. In addition, products that make specific health claims must provide scientific evidence through efficacy testing conducted by independent laboratories.

“It’s not enough to say it works, you need data to back it up. Anyone can ask a manufacturer to produce a skincare product, and they don’t even need to be involved in the formulation. But I’ve been through this; these are solutions I created because I needed them. I want to be able to make real claims about my products – not just because I know they work for me, but because we have the proof to show they work for others too.”

Having been accepted onto Phase 3 of New Frontiers, Ixis is currently focused on efficacy testing in partnership with ABC Shannon Technology Gateway, proving that her carefully crafted products do exactly what they claim to do. Her two flagship products – a Vitamin C skin serum and a hair and scalp serum – are already selling locally and on the startup’s ecommerce shop.

In an crowded marketplace, Ixis faces the challenge of maintaining her meticulous standards once she moves to an outsourced production facility in order to scale. It’s a necessary step as demand grows, but she knows that the quality of the ingredients will be key. Later on, she has plans to add a cleanser and other products to the Forest Mist Skincare range.

It’s not unusual for a startup to emerge from one person’s critical need. Ixis clearly has a passion for what she is doing, but her path to this point was far from linear. Born in Honduras, she took a break from her engineering degree to gain work experience in Italy, where she settled and pursued a career in healthcare before she and her Irish husband decided to make County Limerick their home.

Forest Mist Skincare isn’t just about selling products; it’s about offering solutions born from real need, backed by science, and inspired by the belief that we can all overcome the challenges we face. As the health claim testing comes to a close, Ixis will focus on her marketing strategy to broadcast her message as wide as possible – building her organic skincare empire one bottle at a time.

“I’ve always struggled with self-doubt. Leaving home and moving countries can make you feel like you don’t belong. Having problematic skin just made things harder. I’ve dealt with eczema, acne, dermatitis, and sensitivities all my life. My eczema was on my face, so you can imagine how that affected me. Skin conditions really impact our confidence. But you can heal if you give your body what it needs. Skincare is part of that, and when we take care of ourselves, we can challenge our insecurities and achieve more.”

You can learn more about Forest Mist products at forestmistskin.com.