Gena Shepherd, Founder and Formulator

I was born and raised in the high, dry mountains of Salida, Colorado, where the air is thin and the sun is strong, and skin learns quickly what it needs to survive.

Sensitive skin and mountain living were my first teachers. Long before this became a brand, it was a personal search to calm reactivity, restore moisture, and create balance in a climate that is both beautiful and demanding.

In 1995, I began formal study in Western Herbalism, deepening my understanding of plant medicine and the rhythms of the body. What started as a personal need grew into a devoted path of learning, blending, and listening to the wisdom of plants.

In 1999, that devotion became a small herbal apothecary and health food store, Sunshine Market Natural Foods & Herbal Apothecary. For twenty years, I stood behind that counter, listening to stories, helping people align with plant remedies, and formulating for dry winters and sun exposed summers. It was there I truly learned what sensitive, reactive skin needs in this mountain climate.

When that chapter closed, the heart of the work remained.

Today, Salida Sunshine Botanicals continues that same practice, crafting small batch botanical skincare shaped by experience, community, and care. The formulas have evolved, blending traditional herbal wisdom with modern cosmetic science, always honoring plant intelligence and the skin’s natural resilience.

Each cream, serum, hydrosol, and salve is created slowly and intentionally. Ingredients are chosen for integrity. Ritual is encouraged. Simplicity is respected.

You will still find me in conversation at the farmers market, in my treatment studio above Coffee by Topo, or walking the same mountain trails that first shaped my love for plants.

This work has never been about trends or perfection. It has always been about balance.

Skincare as ritual.
Rooted in plants.
Crafted for mountain living.