A Mother's Day Story From Our Founder & CEO

Celebrating Mother's Day with Virtue

Whether you’re celebrating this Mother’s Day with your mom, as a mom, or in honor of those women who have nurtured and raised us that we hold so dear, I wanted to wish you a happy Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is one of those holidays that I have always embraced. Growing up, my home was filled with warmth and laughter, and both my mother and my grandmother were to thank for that. While Mother’s Day has always been cause for celebration, it’s now also become a time for my mother and me to honor my grandmother who passed nearly nine years ago.  

Her death was a tremendous loss for us all, but my mother was especially devastated. It’s always hard to lose a parent, but for my mom, it was more than losing a family member, she felt like she had lost a part of herself.

The emotional devastation and stress took a very physical toll. My mother lost all of the hair on her body in less than a month. It was catastrophic alopecia. For a woman who had never left the house without her hair and makeup done, seeing her reflection in the mirror became extraordinarily defeating. She lost her self-esteem and her strength.

Wigs and scarves seemed to help, but my mother never really felt feminine or like herself. Four years ago, her hair began to grow back, but in an erratic, patchy pattern. It actually made things more difficult. Trying to navigate this new stage with hair pieces and her own thin, coarse hair was just too much.

Last summer while we were testing Virtue, I made sure she was one of the first to try our Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner. After two weeks, she walked into the kitchen, and for the first time I noticed her hair looking healthier, more even, and less fragile. It was starting to come back to life. I complimented her and she looked at me and said, "It's the first time I have felt pretty again in nine years." We both started to cry.

Over the course of the last year, it’s been incredibly humbling to witness my mother’s journey. As her hair has slowly returned to health, her confidence, self-esteem, and joy in life have returned along with it. Words cannot express how grateful I feel to have been able to play some small part in that journey.

Wishing you each a Happy Mother’s Day surrounded by those you love.

- Melisse