Olive Well doesn't just love a good product, we love a good product with an great story behind it. Elaine Wellness' Pure Collagen packets keep our hair, nails, and skin feeling great, while allowing us to support a small business built by an inspiring woman.
Read about Elaine's journey below, PLUS a delicious recipe for Frosé with Collagen.
"My health meltdown taught me that beauty is an inside job.
The journey that would completely transform my relationship to wellness and beauty began in 2013 when my health took a complete nosedive and I built it back up from within. I was a vegan pilates instructor in my mid-40s working in sunny California, doing all of the things that women in the wellness industry do to stay fit and fabulous. I was energetic, vibrant, and on top of my game, when without warning, some strange changes started to occur.
My symptoms began with a new pair of pants that wouldn’t zip up, even though nothing about my diet or fitness had changed. Next came the fatigue that wouldn’t go away even after ten hours of sleep. My skin lost its glow, becoming dry and lackluster. Then, a chilling question from my hair stylist: “What’s going on with your hair? It’s breaking and falling out.” What on earth was happening to me? I read Sara Gottfried’s The Hormone Cure and the lightbulb went on when she described my exact symptoms and their cause: a thyroid autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto’s.
I began an auto-immune Paleo diet by first eliminating gluten and dairy, then slowly adding fish after 24 years as a vegetarian and vegan. Collagen came up again and again as an important supplement for hair, skin, and nails so I added that in too. Within a matter of months, my labs had so drastically improved that the Hashimoto’s was completely reversed. The psoriasis faded away and, to my delight and extreme relief, my hairstylist informed me that little baby hairs had started to fill back in.
Coming out on the other side of this experience left me with an unshakeable belief in the profound interconnectedness of health and beauty. I launched Elaine Wellness with collagen, not only because it played such an important role in my healing, but because it serves as a potent reminder that small changes in our diet can be completely life-changing.
Entrepreneurship is not a smooth road. It’s the highest highs and the lowest lows. In 2017 I started out with a collagen water called Eviva Collagen Elixir. As a one-woman show learning the beverage and grocery business and also e-commerce all at once was a very steep learning curve.
Four months after I launched, a competitor ordered product off of my website, copied my concept and took it to market having received a huge round of venture funding. I received bad advice from two attorneys on registering my brand name and ultimately wasn’t able to do so. At the end of the day, entrepreneurship requires picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and continuing onward. It’s been a spiritual journey where I’ve had to keep trusting my instincts and get comfortable with not knowing all the answers to how it’s all going to work out. Failure is often our best teacher.
All of these learnings have lead me to rebrand as Elaine Wellness and launch a direct-to-consumer brand with a message to inspire women to feed their beauty from within. Framing these perceived obstacles and challenges as opportunities for growth have helped to propel me forward. Elaine Wellness is a community of women who know radiant beauty begins within and embrace aging as a privilege. We believe that investing in your health by nourishing your beauty with real foods and supplements will leave you feeling energized and glowing. I know first hand the benefits of eating a whole food diet on my overall health and wellness.
Our unflavored Pure Collagen powder packets offer a generous daily boost to your natural radiance and resilience, contributing to a wide range of known health and beauty benefits. Our convenient single-dose 10-gram packs fit easily into your purse or gym bag and can be dissolved into your favorite drink or smoothie. Quality is so important to us. Our bovine collagen comes from a German-owned supplier with state of the art processing facilities here in the US. They source from USA grass-fed, non-GMO cows that are Kosher. They use third-party testing to check for heavy metals, allergens, and glyphosate.
Changing the narrative around beauty and aging is what sets us apart. Women want to know that they’re enough just the way they are. The diet and beauty culture has shamed women for long enough and I believe there’s a better way to talk about beauty and aging. I’ve created a company that sells high-quality products to help women look and feel their best. There’s so much opportunity to create community and conversation around beauty, health, wellness and aging that has a positive, inclusive message. Very few companies are speaking to women 45+ and I’m here to fill that void." —Elaine Morrison
Recipe: Frosé with Collagen
Is there anything more summery than a glass of chilled rosé? Elaine's twist on a classic is equal parts refreshing and beneficial to your health. Cheers to the beginning of Summer!
Ingredients:
• 1/2 bottle rosé
• 2 cups frozen strawberries
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 stick packs Elaine Wellness Collagen
Pour the rosé into a shallow dish and freeze until mostly solid, 3-4 hours.
Place now slushy or mostly frozen rosé, frozen strawberries, lemon juice, honey, and collagen into a blender (ideally a Vitamix or high power blender with a tamper to stir while blending).
Blend until well combined & creamy, about 1 minute on medium in a Vitamix using the tamper!
Serves 4
Note: If you want frosé immediately you can skip freezing the rosé and add 1-2 cups ice before blending. This will result in a more frothy texture but is still delicious! To make it a mocktail, use Fre Alcohol Removed Rosé.