Founder and Formulator Mandi Michalson
Have you ever looked at a skincare label and thought, “What is all of this stuff?” That is exactly how Mandi Michalson started her journey in creating Impäkt Organic.
Impäkt Organic offers all-natural pain relief and skin care products, infused with layered therapies. Each product is formulated to support a specific body system to help you achieve amazing results, from eliminating chronic pain to achieving clear skin.
Impäkt Organic’s initial focus was skin care. Founder and Formulator, Mandi, was dealing with troubled skin, and the products she was using were not treating her concerns. She began researching the ingredients in her products and was horrified by the list of chemicals. She set out on a journey to create all-natural products that provided real results.
The first product she created, and now a core product in the Impäkt Organic skincare line, is the Foaming Clay Cleanser. Mandi spent two years researching, testing, and developing this formula. She started by reviewing other skin care formulas to discover how the ingredients achieved the desired results.
From there, she searched for natural ingredients that could provide the same feel and effect. She reviewed medical research, clinical studies, and even cultural studies on each ingredient. “Groups of people in history have been renowned for their skin or health and it really helps to go back and see what they were using because now that ingredient has hundreds of years or thousands of years of use. There is a reason that people have been using it for so long,” said Mandi.
After identifying the key ingredients she wanted to use in the formula, she began testing the ingredients on herself. She started by using each ingredient in its purest form on her skin. This helped her determine the strength of the ingredients and the ratios of the formula. Through trial and error, Mandi was able to create a formula that not only solved her skin concerns but also improved the skin of those around her.
Mandi was ecstatic about the results, but she knew that this clarifying product could not stand on its own. By researching how our skin works, she learned that when you remove “bad” oil from the skin, you must replace it with “good” oil. This prevents your skin from producing excess sebum. This discovery led her to create her under-eye serum.
While the name is “under-eye,” this serum can be used on the entire face. Formulated with one of Impäkt Organic’s star ingredients, rice bran oil, as well as a specifically blended hyaluronic acid, this product protects the skin’s moisture barrier and restores hydration after cleansing with the Foaming Clay Cleanser. These two products paired perfectly together, but Mandi felt she could take it just one step further to create a skincare routine that would target nearly every skin concern.
This is where the Rare Botanical Face Toner came in. This water-based product uses a specific high grade hyaluronic acid and molecular gold to deliver moisture many layers down into the skin layers. While it may seem contradictory to use an oil-based product like the Under-Eye Serum and a water-based product like the Toner together, they actually enhance the effectiveness of one another. The hyaluronic acid from the serum pulls in the water from the toner to provide even greater levels of hydration.
With three incredible products as the base of her company, Mandi was inspired to continue creating natural skin care products that people could incorporate into their daily routine. However, this focus shifted after one of her family members became sick.
With her relative in pain and unable to find something to help manage it, Mandi began researching how to create a product that served as a delivery mechanism for pain-relieving ingredients. Then, it all clicked for her. She realized that any topical product could be an effective delivery mechanism. “The whole game changed at that point because I realized I can put wellness treatments in all of it,” said Mandi.
With this new-found knowledge, Mandi started her search for ingredients once again but this time for natural pain relievers and therapies. Unlike her skin care products, Mandi focused on the ingredients first and determined the delivery mechanisms last when formulating her pain relief and recovery products. She spent six to eight months researching different plant extracts until she found the best ones. She then used these ingredients to create different formulations and build out the pain relief line that Impäkt Organic offers today.
After the pain relief line was established, Mandi worked on reformulating her other products to include these therapies as well. By doing this, she bridged the gap between skin care and wellness to fulfill the company’s new vision of creating products that help people feel their best every day.
Challenges
Through research and determination, Mandi became an expert formulator. Where she has faced challenges is in the marketing of her product. Rather than being an entrepreneur and hiring someone to make the products, Mandi is the engineer and producer. This means that there has not always been the money or investment in marketing efforts. Therefore, the company has needed to take its incremental growth and reinvest it to reach a wider audience. This has been a slow and time-consuming process, but Impäkt Organic continues to connect with more people and provide them with amazing products.
As the reach increases, Mandi must produce more products. Accommodating for this higher demand while also navigating supply chain issues has been challenging. There are some products within the Impäkt Organic line that are taking longer to produce due to these issues. For other products, Mandi is considering different packaging because the existing suppliers are struggling to get existing materials. She has spent years perfecting her craft, so changes in suppliers could potentially alter the effectiveness of the product and packings. Through these supply chain issues, Mandi’s priority has been determining what supplies she needs to get, from where and when she is getting them, and how those products can be delivered to the consumer.
Opportunities
With Impäkt Organic being a small company, the potential for growth is limitless! Mandi spent years perfecting her formulas so Impäkt Organic can provide healing, pain-relief, and self-care to the people who need it. The real opportunity is impacting people that are struggling with chronic pain or skin concerns. Looking toward the future, Impäkt Organic is trying to share its products with more people so they can make a difference in their lives.
Advice
Mandi’s advice for someone just starting out with their business or is looking to grow their small business is to network and find people who compliment your business. From joining a networking group to selling your products at the local farmers market, it is important to get your face out there and connect with others. Establish a grassroots community of people that you can help bring value to. That way, you have a circle of people who would be excited to help you reach your goals or troubleshoot problems if you ever need as well. Always keep your focus on bringing real value and help to your community and customers. They are looking for a solution to a problem for themselves and not just to make a purchase.
In addition, learn from the experience of your peers. The things that they have learned over the course of running their businesses are greater than any information you can find online. By connecting with them, you can avoid potential hiccups along your journey. Mandi still reaches out to and connects with peers at all levels and tries to learn from them. You may be surprised by how many others like you are happy to assist you and want to see you succeed as much as they want their own success.
Mandi’s advice for those who already own a business or are in sales is that you are the face of your business, so it is important to figure out how to put your best foot forward by really being there for whomever you are engaging. Many times business owners fall into one of two categories. Either they feel comfortable serving as the face of the business but are not as involved with the product, or vice versa. It is okay to ask for guidance in certain aspects of your business, and it is important to understand your skill set and always strive to bring in people to help you with the areas you need support in.
MS, University of Latvia
I am deeply convinced that each patient needs a unique, individual approach. Therefore, I use different psychotherapy methods in my work. During my studies, I discovered an in-depth interest in people as a whole and the belief in the inseparability of mind and body, and the importance of emotional health in physical health. In my spare time, I enjoy reading (a big fan of thrillers) and going on hikes.
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