Mackenzie Jorns, founder of Protea™ is on a mission to make skincare more approachable and accessible for all. Her passion for holistic medicine manifested following a late stage lymes disease diagnosis where she experienced side effects from eczema to neurological trouble. Empowered by the experience and in awe of the powers of Eastern medicine, she launched a line of skincare products to help others with their skin health through natural ingredients. Jorns’ humanitarian spirit, cultivated through volunteer work as a teen and adult, inspired her to extend the brand mission to those in need. With every product purchase, Protea donates thoughtfully curated SkinConfidence™ Kits to women in homeless shelters.

Fair skinned but the daughter of an African American father and a Caucasian mother, Mackenzie has always struggled to have her true identity seen. As a biracial person who presents white, no one would think to ask about her heritage and would be shocked to learn of her African American roots. This feeling of not being fully seen has followed Mackenzie since childhood and presents itself in many areas of her life, including her beauty and skincare routine. It’s proven difficult to not only find products to fit her olive undertones, but she struggled finding an esthetician that knew how to care for her unique mixed skin and asked the right questions to create a care plan unique to her. Mackenzie's siblings, all with various skin tones, experienced similar issues. Recognizing a hole in the skincare industry, Mackenzie created a more efficient approach by introducing Protea’s Skin Support Consultation platform, an esthetician-match service and virtual consultation scheduling process to connect you with estheticians that specialize in various skin ailments, treatments and skin tones.