Pacific Collectives was born out of necessity, resilience, and love. For years, I dreamed of creating a skincare line that spoke directly to the realities of shop life—the metal dust, grease, and grit that cling to your skin, the harsh Midwest winters, and the long shutdowns in North Carolina. Layered on top of that, I now teach welding in California, full-time inside a prison, where exposure to toxins is part of the daily rhythm.
About a year ago, I crafted the first formula: our Restore Oil. Soto, ever gracious, began using it without hesitation—and to our surprise, it worked beautifully for both of us. My skin leans oily, his runs dry, yet the ingredients—researched, tested, and refined—adapted to both profiles. That nightly ritual became our anchor.
The serum sparked everything: soaps, scrubs, and more. Each recipe has been a labor of research and recalibration, designed not only to deliver results but to reduce the toxic footprint we carry from our work. And the difference was undeniable. What started as a personal ritual quickly grew into a collective effort, with friends, family, and even strangers joining in the journey.
Pacific Collectives is more than skincare—it’s a reclamation. It’s my vision of what care should look like: practical, restorative, and rooted in health. It’s also deeply personal. Not long after beginning this work, I faced a heart condition that made the pursuit of clean, intentional living non-negotiable. This line became both a labor of love and a mandate: to take back my health(which is not easy), and to uplift the quality of life for my family, my community, and anyone whose skin tells the story of hard work.
Here it is—Pacific Collectives. Crafted for working bodies, built from lived experience, and dedicated to restoring balance one ritual at a time.