Today we’d like to introduce you to Madeleine Garza.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started Green + Beauty because of my own skin, not because I set out to build a brand. I dealt with acne for years, and I went through the same cycle a lot of people know too well, trying product after product, most of them loaded with synthetic ingredients that either did nothing or made things worse. At some point I got tired of guessing.
What made my path a little different is that I actually had the background to stop guessing. I studied botany at UTSA and even earned a position as a teaching assistant for botany and zoology. That’s when I began studying plant chemicals in depth, and eventually had a bit of an epiphany. Everyone knows vegetables and plants are good for you when you eat them, so I started wondering what would happen if I applied them topically instead. That question sent me into scientific studies, books, and research papers, trying to find the right combination of already-proven plants.
I began experimenting until I landed on a formula I wanted to commit to, and I tested it on myself for six months. My before and afters were genuinely life changing. People started asking what I was using, and before I knew it, word had spread from one friend to another until there was real demand for my proprietary blend.
That curiosity, along with the formula I’d developed, eventually led me to an internship at Cornell University in the Rose Lab. It sounds like an unlikely detour for someone trying to fix their skin, but it turned out to be exactly the foundation I needed. I stopped looking at plants as something just beautiful to study, and started seeing them as something I could actually formulate with, understanding what different oils do at a chemical level, how they interact with skin, and why some botanicals calm inflammation while others can aggravate it if you don’t know what you’re doing.
From there, Green + Beauty grew slowly and intentionally. I make everything myself, in small batches, using essential oils only, no synthetic fragrance, nothing I wouldn’t put on my own skin. What started as one serum expanded into a full skincare line, then haircare, then fragrance, each one built the same way, formulated with the same care and the same insistence on understanding the actual science behind every ingredient I use. Over time I built out my own Shopify site and started selling at more markets, meeting people face to face and sharing my journey both in person and on Instagram.
Today I still do all of it myself, from formulation to fulfillment, selling online and at local markets and boutiques here in San Antonio, including Poderosa. It’s grown into a real business, but the core of it hasn’t changed. I still test everything on myself first. I still care more about whether something actually works than whether it looks good on a shelf. That’s the part of this I never want to lose, no matter how much it grows.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t always been smooth, no. One of the harder parts has been how often plant-based medicine gets dismissed as pseudoscience, even though it’s rooted in centuries of use across so many different cultures, and even though a lot of what our ancestors relied on is still being validated by science today. There’s so much research out there already, it’s disheartening how often people trust a big brand name over someone they actually know. Some people doubt the formulas. Sometimes they doubt me.
I remember one moment clearly. I was working as a substitute teacher, and a fellow teacher asked what I’d been up to over the weekend. I wasn’t trying to impress anyone, I just answered honestly: markets, and a bit about my business. The word “hobby” came out of his mouth right after I said “small business,” and it stung more than I expected. I’d gone into that conversation assuming good faith, maybe even some support, and instead got dismissed in a single word. What helped was that same job also connected me with people who did support me, real friends who showed up for the business in a way that colleague never did.
Another time, I was talking with a peer in an actual science lab who mentioned he was looking for a new skincare routine. I assumed, given where we both were, that he’d at least be curious about the research behind what I’d built. I told him about my line and what I’d learned chasing the right formula, then offered him my business card. He looked at it, handed it back to me, and simply said, “Do you want this back?” Even if he wasn’t interested, most people will at least say thanks and toss it later. To be that dismissive, right to my face, was something else entirely.
What keeps me going is remembering that not everyone needs to understand or believe in what I’m doing for it to be real and working. I’ve had professors, classmates, and peers from a path I didn’t even end up finishing follow my brand and cheer me on in ways I never expected. College wasn’t the road I took, but plenty of people from that world came along for this one anyway. It’s a little sad when someone chooses to degrade instead of support, but I can’t win everyone over, and I’ve stopped needing to. I just keep showing up, staying personable, and sharing what I know. That’s always been more powerful than trying to convince the people who’ve already made up their minds.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Green + Beauty is a plant-powered skincare, haircare, and fragrance brand, handcrafted in small batches right here in San Antonio. I’m Madeleine Garza, the founder, formulator, and the person behind every single product that leaves this business. My brand represents something simple at its core: that plants, understood properly and formulated with real science behind them, can outperform a lot of what’s sold under flashier, more synthetic labels. It started as my own solution to my own skin, and it’s grown into a full line built on that same belief.
Beyond my core product lines, I don’t just make what’s already on the shelf. I also take on custom work and one-on-one product creation, which is honestly some of my favorite part of this business. I’m currently working on expanding into events like bachelorette parties, where I’d bring hands-on, personalized product-making directly to the celebration, think custom roll-on perfumes or scent blends made together in the moment, rather than something pre-packaged and generic. I love that kind of one-on-one custom work, whether it’s a custom stamp, a personalized product, or helping someone find exactly the right formula for what they need. It’s where I get to combine the science side of what I do with something genuinely personal.
What sets me apart is time and consistency. I keep a big book where I jot down every formulation I develop, so nothing is ever guessed at twice, and I can go back to exactly what worked when I need to. Every single bottle is made individually by hand, counting every drop, never eyeballed or rushed. That level of precision is what makes the results people come back and tell me about possible. I’ve had customers reach out specifically to say a product changed their skincare routine entirely, that it’s the first thing that’s actually worked for them after trying everything else. Those aren’t paid endorsements or influencer partnerships, they’re real people who found me at a market or through a friend and stuck around because the product delivered.
What I’m most proud of, more than any single product or any one sale, is being able to genuinely help people over the years. I’ve had customers send me their own before-and-after photos without me ever asking, just because they wanted to share what changed for them. I won’t pretend I don’t love a good sale, of course I do, but nothing compares to hearing a follow-up review or seeing someone come back for their third or fourth order. That’s the real measure of whether any of this actually works, and it’s the part of this business that keeps me doing it.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The best way to reach me, whether you’re curious about a formula, interested in a custom scent, or want to talk about a collaboration, is to DM me directly on Instagram at @greenbeautyacne. I’m there constantly and I read every message myself. If email is more your speed, you can reach me at green.beauty.skin@gmail.com.
I love hearing from people, whether it’s a question about an ingredient, an idea for a custom product, or interest in bringing a hands-on experience like a custom perfume-making session to an event. If it involves plants, formulas, or building something one-on-one with a customer, I’m always open to the conversation.
Pricing:
- Roll on Perfumes $30
- Custom Roll ons $50
- Serums $25-$50
- Treatments $30
- Hair Scalp Serum $30
Contact Info:
- Website: https://greenbeautyskincare.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenbeautyacne/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenbeautyacne
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-garza-66a930185/
