Juice Beauty, San Rafael

Karen Behnke was already an established presence in the national wellness scene when her attention turned to healthful beauty products. Her newfound interest was triggered by her first pregnancy, which was wreaking havoc with her skin. But the more research she did, the more dismayed she became: even though skin absorbs most of what is applied to it, most skincare products on the market are chock-full of unnatural, multisyllabic ingredients—some of which don't even work as advertised.

Behnke decided to take matters into her own hands and create what she couldn't find in stores. Most beauty products are water and petroleum-based, but Juice Beauty builds on an antioxidant and vitamin-rich foundation of organic juices. Besides skincare products such as the top-selling Green Apple Peel and hydrating cleansing milk derived from grape-seed and sunflower oils, Juice Beauty mixes up radiant makeup collections and potent hair products.