Saint Jane de Chantal was someone who made an impact on those around her…At a time when women faced so much oppression, she created something meaningful. A sanctuary for women society had cast aside…the very old, sick, unwed mothers. She believed that empathy was an essential act of rebellion and she dedicated her life to healing those women. That’s what I’ve tried to build, too.

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.