Our Beginnings


Over a decade ago, Emily Trower-Young found herself battling a sudden and stubborn case of adult acne.  After a series of failed prescription drugs, visits to dermatologists and products that simply didn’t work, she decided there had to be a better solution.  She began to research ancient skin care techniques from women around the world, experimenting with plant oils and pure essential oils.  Her travels influenced the ingredients she chose, eventually leading to the formula for our appropriately named Saving Face Moisturizer.

When friends and family mentioned Emily Trower-Young, Founder of Em & El Organics | Handcrafted Organic Skin Care for Outdoor Adverturerstheir skin problems to Emily, she began to scoop out her handmade moisturizer, stored in a mason jar on the bathroom sink, into small take-home bags.  They encouraged her to sell this stuff that made their skin clearer, softer and easier to manage, but she protested.  Working as a professional wooden boat-builder on Martha’s Vineyard, she was too busy to start her own business.

Restlessness and a longing for adventure while recovering from second degree chemical burns were the catalyst for turning this “goop in a jar” into a fully developed skin care line. With little formal business experience, Emily instead used her personal beliefs to guide the company’s principles and growth.  Firmly dedicated to organic growing practices, we source our raw ingredients from small family businesses and farms, such as raw honey and beeswax from Upstate New York.

Each product undergoes rigorous testing with our toughest testers: those same people we hope to help with our products, including Emily’s mom!  Our Boatswain Hand Cream journeyed to the McMurdo Station for six months of testing in Antarctica! Our packaging, an often overlooked component of sustainability, is reusable, recyclable and biodegradable.  We’re proud to say our products are so pure you could eat them, though we don’t recommend it!  Our products don’t just work—they excel.