The Most Divine Skin Care (Win!)

Canadian-made skin-care products really are the perfect gift for the beauty lover on your list—or the person who just needs a little bit of extra self-care this holiday season. Poetry of the Gods is an Indigenous-owned, Canadian-made luxury apothecary and botanical skin-care company that features sustainable and effective products; also, it encompasses connection, passion and sustainability to ensure its customers not only feel good about purchasing these products but also enhance their sense of self-worth and confidence when using them. We chatted with founder Melissa Della Porta, whose heritage is Mi’kmaq from New Brunswick and was raised on Vancouver Island and along the banks of the Skeena River in Terrace, B.C., to learn more. —Noa Nichol

Hi Melissa! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

Hi Noa, thank you for this opportunity. I’m Melissa Della Porta, founder of Poetry of the Gods, a luxury apothecary here in Canada. I’m a lover of the forest and how it smells. I love photography, music and learning new things. In 2017, I took a break from my job as a correctional officer and started soap making, which led to the launch of Poetry of the Gods.

What niche were/are you aiming to fill in the beauty space?

We launched in the fall of 2020, a time when I really fell in love with the idea of ritualistic self-care. My love for the connection between fragrance and memory definitely led to the launch of our candles. I also wanted to help people achieve this level of self-care with an effective skincare routine. I saw very few Indigenous-owned beauty brands here in Canada and felt the pull to represent this part of me, to encourage and inspire others to follow their dreams. Our aim is to help fill the gap of Indigenous makers in the beauty space.

What products do you currently offer … and is there anything exciting coming down the pipeline for 2022 that you can tell us about?!

We currently offer a sustainable range of effective skin care, from deodorant to serum, and a collection of coconut wax candles. While I’m not able to give you specifics on what’s coming down the line, I can say that we are really excited about it! We know our customers will love it, and it will be a meaningful addition to our collection.

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We understand that your gorgeous Poetry of the Gods products carry with them “ancestral values, pieces of the land, and stories”; can you tell us more about that?

Growing up in the natural paradise of Northern B.C., I learned at a young age the importance of having a connection to the land. This connection is one that is deeply personal, but shareable nonetheless. Ancestral teachings of respect and giving back to the land lay the foundation for Poetry of the Gods. Naturally, our products are made with high concentrations of botanicals. Our hope is that in using our products, people will feel this connection to the land, too.

What would you say your “hero” product is, at the moment?

I would say our hero product is the Head of the Ocean night treatment cream. It works on every skin type and is just such a delight to use.

Final, personal question: what’s your style/beauty mantra or routine?

A must-have in my nightly routine is definitely cleansing and toning. I add a couple drops of serum to the night treatment cream then apply together to save time.

poetryofthegods.com

Win! A $400 Poetry Of The Gods Prize Pack!

Congrats Catherine G. of Toronto, ON, who will receive a $400 Poetry of the Gods prize pack, including the cleanser, toner, day cream, night cream, serum, and a candle! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadaily.ca. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.