Introduce yourself.

I'm Michelle McDonald, founder of Sásta Skin Health, an Irish-owned skin health brand based in Carlow. I've spent over 25 years in the beauty industry in education, training and sales before co-founding Sásta in 2022 with my business partner Dr Brian O'Rourke, who is a lecturer and cosmetic chemist.

What inspired you to join the natural health sector?

After 25 years working across the beauty industry, I kept seeing the same pattern: people layering on more and more products, chasing the next launch, without ever getting to the root of what healthy skin actually needs. I wanted to move away from that noise, help people and focus on something science-led and genuinely restorative supporting the skin's own defences rather than masking problems. That shift in thinking is what pulled me fully into microbiome-focused skin health.

Where did you get the idea for your brand?

The idea came from teaming up with Dr Brian O'Rourke and going deeper into the science of the skin microbiome, the ecosystem of good bacteria that protects and balances our skin, much like the gut microbiome does internally. We looked for a product built specifically to feed and protect that skin barrier and couldn't find one, so we designed it ourselves. That's how Sásta Skin Health was born in 2022.

What makes your brand unique?

We take a "less is more" approach in an oversaturated and overwhelming skincare market. Our hero product, the Microbiome Booster Serum, is formulated with prebiotic and postbiotic ingredients to protect the skin's defensive barrier, restore its natural pH and defend against everyday external aggressors. Sásta is Ireland's first and only serum to hold the MyMicrobiome "Microbiome-Friendly" seal of approval, and everything we make is formulated, designed, filled and packed here in Ireland, we're proudly Guaranteed Irish and 100% Irish owned.

What are your company's core values?

Education, integrity and simplicity. We don't believe in gimmicks or chasing whatever ingredient is trending this month; great skin is a reflection of your overall health and wellbeing, not a 12-step routine. Our job is to demystify the skin's microbiome and give people products, thoughtfully formulated with measured, meaningful ingredients that actually works instead of a cabinet full of products sending confusing, conflicting signals to the skin.

How do you support your community?

We put a real emphasis on educating our community, not just selling to it, sharing the science behind the microbiome so people can make informed choices about their skin health. We work closely with Irish retailers, salons, dermatology clinics nationwide, and we champion other Irish, female-led businesses wherever we can as part of that wider entrepreneurial community.

What has been the most rewarding part of your brand's journey?

Honestly, it's watching people's skin and their confidence, genuinely transform once they truly understand what their skin needs. That moment when someone tells you their skin finally feels calm, or that they feel comfortable going bare-faced again, is something I never take for granted.

And it's been humbling to have that work recognised too, from earning our MyMicrobiome accreditation, to being named Highly Commended at the Irish Made Awards, to winning at the prestigious Attracta Awards. Every one of those moments is a reminder of how far we've come, and I'm deeply grateful for it.

What in your opinion makes Irish brands unique?

There's an honesty and a care to Irish brands, a real "made from the heart" quality. We tend to build things properly, stand over what we make, and stay closely connected to the people who use our products, rather than chasing scale for its own sake.

What is your favourite product from your brand?

Our Microbiome Booster Serum, it's genuinely the product we built the whole brand around, and it's the one I hear the most life-changing feedback about from customers.

Tell us about something that has shaped your brand?

My 25 years in the beauty industry shaped everything about how I approach Sásta seeing first hand how many people were overcomplicating their skincare and still not getting results. Partnering with Dr Brian O'Rourke and more recently, Tara O’Rourke, (they are not related!) and grounding the brand in real science, rather than trends, has been the single biggest thing that's shaped who we are.

What do you hope to accomplish in the future?

More than anything, I want to keep helping people see skin health for what it truly is, not a cosmetic afterthought, but a real part of overall wellbeing. If we can keep having those conversations, one person at a time, and watch that understanding genuinely change how someone feels in their own skin, that's success to me. And as Sásta becomes part of more customers' everyday lives, across Ireland and beyond, I want us to always stay rooted in where we started - Irish-made, science-led, and made with heart. That's the future I'm so excited to build.