“It became evidence.
Of stress. Of shame. Of neglect.
Of nights I didn’t think I was worth caring for.”
LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER
If you are anything like me, you are your own harshest critic.
Not just critical — punitive.
I have punished myself more than life ever needed to.
I didn’t need the world to be cruel.
I handled that part on my own.
For years, I wore survival like armor and self-destruction like discipline. I told myself I deserved the exhaustion. The breakouts. The hollow eyes. The reflection I avoided unless absolutely necessary. I learned how to show up smiling while quietly tearing myself apart in private. Most women I know have some version of this story — different details, same ache.
Somewhere along the way, my skin stopped being skin.
It became evidence.
Of stress. Of shame. Of neglect. Of nights I didn’t think I was worth caring for.
And I tried everything that promised to “fix” me. Harsh treatments. Aggressive routines. Products that burned, stripped, punished — because punishment felt familiar. Because I believed healing was supposed to hurt.
It wasn’t until I reached the point where I could no longer push — not my body, not my mind, not my skin — that something finally shifted.
I didn’t need more effort.
I needed mercy.
The Crux of Quincey was not created from confidence or clarity. It was created from the quiet realization that repair does not come from force. That restoration is not earned through suffering. That skin — like people — responds better to patience than punishment.
This brand exists for people who are exhausted from being hard on themselves.
For the person whose skin is screaming because their lives have been loud.
For the person who doesn’t need another promise — they need relief.
I don’t believe skincare should ask you to fight your face.
I believe it should meet you where you are — broken barrier, tired eyes, shaking hands and all — and say: you’re allowed to rest now.
If you’re rebuilding your life, your body, your sense of self — you are not behind. You are not weak. And you are not alone, even if it feels that way right now.
This isn’t about looking perfect.
It’s about looking in the mirror one day and thinking:
I’m still here.
And I don’t hate me anymore.
That is the crux.
And if you’re here, somehow still breathing — I see you.
— Alyssa Baer, Founder of The Crux of Quincey, and forever A Grateful Recovering Addict + Alcoholic
