the not-list
big yes to skin.
big no to junk.
twelve ingredients. zero passengers.
the whole squad
the texture
rich, never greasy, kinda addictive
think about butter straight from the fridge — stiff, hard to work with. you really have to force it. now think about butter that's already soft: effortless glide, melts on contact. that's this. the kind that meets your skin where it is.
chief licking officer.
the human behind the jar
hi, i'm danielle. but you can call me dani.
I'm a 32-year-old artist, DIYer, ingredient snob, and wannabe homesteader living in Brooklyn. I have a dog who licks my face regularly, a yoga practice that keeps me grounded, and a brain that works best when I stop trying to fit it into boxes that weren't built for it.
I'm neurodivergent. And instead of seeing that as something to fix, I've spent years asking a different question: how do I build a life that works in harmony with how I'm wired? Skin Juice is part of that answer.
the long way around
I didn't set out to start a skincare brand. For a few years I was freelancing, retouching and post production for photography, and the stability just wasn't there. On the side I was a fiber artist, making pieces when inspiration struck. I loved it, but the slow drip of building it into something bigger didn't work with my brain.
Before that I was a party producer. Late nights, constant socializing, always on. That chapter taught me a lot about myself. I was in a real season of self-discovery, exploring non-monogamy, meeting new people, learning what I actually wanted from life and relationships. It was exactly what I needed at the time.
But I outgrew it. I found my people, a tight circle of real friends, neighbors I actually know, a yoga community that feels like home. I got a dog. I started valuing my sleep. I became, happily, a homebody.
the afternoon everything clicked
I'd been DIYing my own beauty products since I was a teenager, always reading labels, always going back to what came from the earth. I'd used these ingredients individually for years. At some point I thought: what if I stopped choosing? What if I put everything I already loved into one formula?
I made it for myself first. Then for my partners. One has chronically dry skin and a cabinet full of products that weren't doing anything. His skin changed noticeably. Then I gifted a few jars to friends, threw a cute label on them, called it Dani's Skin Juice, and didn't think much of it. Then they kept asking for more.
So I sat down one afternoon and made 100 ten-gram samples. Research, formulation, making, packaging, start to finish in a day. I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time: the satisfaction of beginning something and finishing it. That was the moment.
why i'm an ingredient snob, and why that's a good thing
I read ingredient labels the way other people read the news, compulsively, and with strong opinions.
Here's the thing though. I'll make myself a cheeseburger at home with organic veggies, grass-fed beef, and homemade pickles, because I love knowing exactly what's in it. But I'll also go out and order a burger somewhere nowhere close to that, and enjoy it just as much. I don't need everything in my life to meet the same bar to enjoy any of it.
That's how I feel about skincare. I use Skin Juice every day, but I'm not going to pretend I don't also reach for other products that aren't entirely plant-based. Chasing 100% all the time isn't realistic, and honestly, it can create a kind of shame that doesn't serve anyone. Skin Juice is my version, the homemade one. The one where I know every ingredient, chose it on purpose, and held it to my own standard.
grab a jar
made by hand. made in brooklyn. made small.
Try it. A little goes a long way.
Live in it, head to toe, every day.
the q's
Yes. Because there is no water in the formula, there is nothing for bacteria to grow in, so no preservative is needed. Because it's made in small batches, it's not sitting on a shelf for months before it reaches you. The amber glass jar also acts as a freshness defense by blocking UV light. Use clean and dry hands every time to keep it pure, store in a cool dry place, and once opened, use within 12 months.