How My Great-Grandmother Teresa Inspired the DNA of Saint Jane

Long before serums, packaging, or lab samples, there was a story — one that shaped everything I believe about beauty, resilience, and women who build.

My great-grandmother Teresa Franzia came to America as a mail-order bride. She crossed an ocean to marry a man she had never met, landing in California with little more than faith and determination. Instead of simply surviving, she built — a family, a business, a legacy. The vineyards she helped plant would one day grow into one of America’s largest wine companies.

Her story is stitched into my DNA. It’s the quiet strength I draw on every time I walk into our lab or sit down to create something new.

From Vineyards to Formulas

When I founded Saint Jane, I wanted to create skincare with the same integrity Teresa brought to her vines — thoughtful, honest, and enduring. Every Saint Jane formula is made with that ethos: grounded in science, guided by intention, and inspired by women who lead with grace and grit.

We formulate like artisans — blending clinically active ingredients with botanicals known for centuries to soothe and restore. Each product honors the women who came before us, and the ones we’re raising today.

The Legacy of Care

Teresa’s hands tended vines; ours craft formulas. But the philosophy is the same:

• Do things the right way, not the fast way.
  
  

• Care for what you create.
  
  

• Honor the people it serves.
  
  

That’s what gives Saint Jane its authority — not a marketing claim, but a lineage of craftsmanship and care.

Why Her Story Still Matters

In beauty, we talk a lot about innovation, but the truest innovation is empathy. Teresa didn’t have access to research labs or supply chains, yet she built something lasting by leading with conviction and compassion. That same spirit drives us today — in how we source ingredients, partner with chemists, and nurture the community that believes in our brand.

Saint Jane exists because of women like her. Women who take leaps of faith, plant seeds for the future, and create beauty that lasts.

— Casey Georgeson, Founder & CEO