Our latest Beauty Boss is Delia McLinden, Co-Founder & VP of Sales for Farmhouse Fresh—a line of delectable skin care products that are certified organic or use up to 100% naturally derived ingredients from U.S. farms. The brand has been featured on Oprah’s ‘The O List,’ and has been voted a top skin care line by spas, hotels, and resorts around the world. The FarmHouse Fresh Ranch in McKinney, Texas also serves as a sanctuary for rescued farm animals, making it truly a beautiful company—inside and out.

We recently chatted with McLinden who talked inspiration, success, beauty, and more:

What inspired the creation of FarmhouseFresh?

Our founder, Shannon McLinden, who is a creative genius and has the drive to make anything happen, developed a scrumptious-smelling trio of sea salt scrubs using rice bran oil to keep her heels from cracking.  Oprah selected them for ‘The O List’ and said that they smelled so good she wanted to serve them over berries. Shannon is a huge admirer of Oprah—growing up she watched Oprah’s show every day after school, so for someone with such discriminating taste to say she loved this creation was just food for her soul, and really helped to fast-track the start of our company.

Afterwards, the Spa Director from a local resort called after seeing us in O, The Oprah Magazine, and asked us to supply the sea salt scrubs for treatments. That was the start of The Farm, and things just took off from there!

Tell us more about the philosophy behind your brand.

At FarmHouse Fresh, we focus on three pillars: Grow. Spa. Rescue.

• We and our farmers grow many of our key ingredients. We use hydroponics that use very little water, and our conventional farmers follow organic standards with no pesticides. 

• For us, farm-to-treatment means growing at our farm and through other local farmers, so we ensure fresh ingredients in our products and treatments, which means maximum benefits for the skin. So we know who watered the plant, when it was harvested, and when and how it became an extract.  

• We rescue abused and neglected animals that we care for at our sanctuary. Our customers can feel great knowing that a portion of sales from every product goes towards animal rescue efforts—caring for the FarmHouse Fresh rescued animals, donating dog beds to animal shelters across the U.S., sponsoring animal rescue transports, and more.

Do you have a hero product?

Our line has grown and evolved so much. In the beginning, our hero product was Whoopie! Cream Shea Butter—inspired by a whoopie pie dessert with a yummy vanilla, buttercream scent. We now have light, spa-like scents, seasonal favorites, a certified organic line, and many top-selling facial products.

Honey Heel Glaze is a hero product that should be used in every pedicure and add-on treatment. It’s a hydrating glaze with live fruit cells, aloe, and honey that helps to eat away dead skin cells as it deeply nourishes. I’ve seen people with chronic dry, cracked heels who swear by using Honey Heel Glaze daily.

What’s your favorite product from your line?

We’re constantly launching new products so it’s hard to pick a favorite—it’s a constant new product ‘love of my life!’ One of my all-time favorite products is Sand Your Ground Clarifying Mud Exfoliation Mask. It’s such a unique product that provides noticeable, instant results after just one use. I gently exfoliate my face with it and then allow the mask to dry. When you rinse it off, your skin looks poreless, smooth, and glowing! It’s truly the best facial product I’ve ever used, and I consider myself a hard core product tester—I’ll try anything once!

Where are your products available?

You’ll find our retail collection, as well as our distinctive spa services, at luxury hotels, resorts, day spas and salons all over the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, and the Middle East. We work with some of the most amazing properties who rank our products amongst their top sellers, and staff favorites. You can also purchase products off our website.

Who inspires you?

I’m inspired by people who aren’t victims of their circumstances. We all have a choice in how we view the things that happen to us, around us, and how we react to them. We can choose to learn from things and try to see the good, or not. It makes all the difference. I love the term “Life is brutiful.” 

Secret to success?

My crazy to-do lists. I’m old school and have a spiral notebook with a page for each day. EVERYTHING that I need to do that day goes on the list. I start the day with my list (or I start it the night before) and intentionally write down the priority items (and everything else) that needs to be accomplished that day. Priority items are starred at the top. It’s so easy to get derailed by the many interruptions in our days—emails pinging all day, social media, phone calls, etc. But if you have a road map that you keep going back to, it keeps you focused and on track. And I take great pride in marking things off the list!

I’m also a firm believer in filling your mind with the right thoughts. Positive thoughts lead to the right actions. Every single day when I’m outside walking my dogs (which amounts to at least an hour a day), I listen to inspirational podcasts and audiobooks. I can’t tell you the impact this makes on your life as a whole—how you view things, how you relate to people, etc. I’ve had profound revelations and worked through some nagging issues with the help of exposing myself to different ideas, thoughts, and viewpoints.

Beauty secrets?

1) Keep tweezers in your car for wait time at stoplights. Optimum lighting!

2) Never doubt the power of exfoliation.

3) If one serum is good, then why not five?

 4) Do something that makes the world a better place. Find a cause—whatever it is—and be dedicated to it. 

Wellness tip?

Start and finish each day with a large glass of water (with a squeeze of fresh lemon if you have it!) In the morning, you can drink it while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew or while you’re showering. It gives your organs what they need first thing to get in motion. In the evening, it helps to ward off dehydration while you sleep.

Best advice?

Be kind. You never know the struggles that someone is facing—whether they show it or not.

For more information and to purchase, visit farmhousefreshgoods.com and follow them on Instagram: @farmhousefresh

[Images courtesy of Farmhouse Fresh]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk