Jessica Mills is licensed esthetician, manicurist, medical Cannabis patient and single mother who has built a business while raising her two sons. She began using Cannabis to treat an epilepsy disorder and has dedicated a large part of her life to sharing the benefits of CBD and plant-based medicines. Her lineup of topicals, skINFUZED by MJ Esthetics, is full of beneficial plant medicine, and patrons can visit her store in Sultan for CBD, natural plants and herbs, and even get a CBD facial with a mani/pedi treatment!
How did you get inspired to start creating your own line of topicals?
I started skINFUZED back in 2018 while trying to figure out what I wanted to do long-term in the Cannabis industry. I left my job at Green Lion Farms, where we focused on high-THC products, but I knew that so many people wanted options without THC, especially older patients.
Did you have previous experience with skincare and topicals?
As far as skincare goes, I went to school to be a licensed esthetician in 2015. I started in Cannabis in 2011, and I was always curating something, whether infusing Cannabis butter or adding concentrates and oils to lotions.
Are you making topicals from scratch?
Yes! I infuse all of my topicals myself and focus on combining local ingredients like my lavender essential oil that’s grown and processed in Skagit County. My salves and sprays have a variety of beneficial plants with CBD and other natural ingredients, like shea butter, local beeswax and essential oils.
Does combining Cannabis with other plant medicines work well?
My salves have 10 different ingredients that all work together synergistically. Almost all the herbs and medicinal plants have anti-inflammatory effects, but then you have herbs like arnica, which helps with bruising; dandelions that help with skin irritation; willow bark for pain relief; and a wide range of antioxidants that come from the blend of plants and herbs. Cannabis is hugely beneficial, but we have all these other plants that provide benefits. For people who visit my shop, I have a lot of these herbs for sale in bulk, and I love providing knowledge on how to make teas, tinctures or infusions.
What do you love about working with CBD?
I like working with CBD because of people’s jobs. A lot of people still get tested for THC and they worry about that. That’s why I strictly work with CBD isolate, which gives people confidence that it won’t show up on a drug test. I make CBD drops that are fantastic for anxiety, stress, pain and calming the nervous system. They even help with anxiety from high-THC products. CBD alone has unique benefits, and people can use my products like the drops without feeling off or worrying about driving.
How has Cannabis helped you as a patient?
Cannabis has helped me through my seizure disorder, helps regulate my neurons, and prevent my seizures from happening. I have a sleep-related seizure disorder, Autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy, which causes me to seize during sleep. I started using Cannabis during my first pregnancy, as doctors encouraged me to do, to limit the effects of my seizures. Cannabis has put my condition in remission! This was before there was access to CBD isolate alone, which I can take at night without making me foggy. With my CBD drops, there is no anxiety or fogginess, and my seizures have been under control.
What’s your favorite product in the lineup?
I work with drops and topicals a lot, but salves are my biggest seller. They help with injuries, bruising, burns, itching, rashes. I’ve helped people reduce their eczema; it’s not something that just goes away, but CBD can help with symptoms, including for kids. People can use the salves long term, and CBD maintains the efficacy that steroid based topicals do not.
What’s your recommendation to people considering topicals for pain and other ailments?
Sometimes it’s hard to get people to try it, so my business cards have a sample of my salve inside them. We all need to take care of our skin and injuries. Some people are skeptical about topical results for weed, but I’ll mention arnica, which has been used for thousands of years, versus Cannabis, which has a mixed reputation. That opens their minds to the benefits. Everyone gets a bug bite, itch or pain, and when you have a topical that works, it leads people to believe in it.
Where can people find your products?
At the Seattle Waterfront Marketplace across from the Ferris Wheel, there’s a store covered in Henry art. You can also find my retail shop off Highway 2 in Sultan, called skINFUZED. And then local farmers’ markets, including Bellingham every Saturday since 2019. This has been my full-time job since 2018. It’s how I support my sons, and I love it!
