We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarena DeBaca a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sarena, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

After 15 years of working for Big Pharma, I hit the end of the rope. I was tired. I was angry. I was unhappy. I prayed for 3 long years for God to open a door. To give me a way out. To allow me to pursue something that I had a genuine passion for. Where I actually felt like I was helping people. It was 3 years of silence. When was this door going to open? It wasn’t until the last year of those three years where I decided to go all in for Jesus. I started reading His Word more regularly, attending church with my husband, and actively seeking Him. It was in that final year where He gave me the vision for Golgotha Apothecary. I quit my job for the third and final time. It felt different this time. My intention was to teach homesteading classes but once I started preparing for them, God turned the boat in a different direction. I was to create an organic skincare line that embodied Him- love, truth, transparency, and pure goodness. I thought I was simply getting into skincare, but as time progressed, I realized it was much more than that. It’s a spiritual battle against the darkness. Against lies, deception, manipulation, and evil. It’s more than just skincare. It’s far beyond that. It’s intentionality, it’s purposeful, it’s encouraging, and most importantly, it’s built on Him.

Getting into skincare, I have realized how deceiving most companies are. They claim to be something they’re not. Everywhere I looked, false claims everywhere. This became another driving force to create one of the cleanest skincare lines on the market. I chose to go against the majority and create a line that is unlike any other, utilizing ingredients that work synergistically to create a powerful, healing blend of skincare products.

Our products are free from preservatives, synthetic chemicals, fragrances, and dyes. None of our ingredients are sourced from China and every one of our products are proudly made in the USA in small batches. I have formulated my entire line for even the most sensitive skin type. We want you to feel confident in your skin again and embrace your natural beauty, just how God created you!

I wish I could say I came up with the idea, but I didn’t. He did. It has been far beyond anything I had envisioned. He has given me all the inspiration, all the ideas, everything, and for that, I am eternally grateful!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Golgotha Apothecary was created after following God’s leading and walking away from Big Pharma after 15 years. I got into pharmacy because I thought I would be helping people. After the blinders came off and my passion for it was long gone, the truth was never more apparent. That’s when I quit my job and launched my organic skincare line. I wanted to create a line that everything Big Pharma was not. A company built on real, pure ingredients. A product that didn’t come with a long list of side effects. Ingredients that were created by God for a purpose. I wanted to create a line that was unlike any other on the market and I did just that.

Our brand is unique in that we use ingredients you won’t find anywhere else. This is because many companies use the cheapest ingredients possible, yet market them as high quality while pricing them as such. Most skincare companies use refined ingredients, which have their natural scent and color stripped away. This allows them to infuse the products with chemical laden fragrances and dyes. At this point, the ingredients have lost over 90% of their nutrient content and healing properties from these processes. This is why we intentionally use pure, raw, virgin, unrefined, organic ingredients for maximum nutrient content. It’s the way skincare should be.

We currently have 10 products in our line ranging from face oils for anti-aging and acne prone skin, deeply moisturizing body butter, face balm for extremely dry skin, nourishing body oil, restorative hair and beard oil, and moisturizing body polishes to use in the shower. We are working on our next launch which will be out the middle of August.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

After spending years in pharmacy, I slowly found myself growing weary of people. Day after day, I was being sighed at, yelled at, cussed out, overworked and understaffed, working 14 hour shifts without even a lunch break. It’s no wonder my heart began to harden but that wasn’t who I truly was. This career had changed me and not for the better.

I used to love connecting with people, talking with them, hearing their stories, learning life lessons from our interactions. Somewhere along the way, the stress of my job started spilling into my personal life, and I knew deep down it was time to walk away from pharmacy completely. I wanted to reignite that spark again, that genuine passion for helping people. I needed to find something that brought me true joy, something I could pour my heart into and love doing every single day.

Once the Lord opened that door with Golgotha Apothecary, I surrendered those feelings I once had towards people and began creating and developing relationships once again. I now look forward to meeting new people. I am able to embrace and cherish the relationships I have created along the way and am blessed to be on this new journey. I want my products and the relationships I form to reflect God’s love and truth. My customers have become my friends whom I can share conversations with, share my life with, and even share a prayer with. They have become my extended family and it’s been such a blessing!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My love for Jesus has been the foundation of everything we do and has greatly shaped the reputation of Golgotha Apothecary. I believe honoring Him means leading with integrity, transparency, and reflecting His love through our products, social media, and day to day interactions. Building our business with God at the center has been the easiest and most fulfilling decision. Incorporating Him into every decision is something I get to choose each and every day and allowing and trusting Him to guide me has really strengthened my faith. He has given me this vision so I know He will give me the provision, which the Lord is indeed showing me daily! When running a business with God at the center, I no longer have to worry about our reputation. When a business is built on Christ, every single aspect of the company will reflect that!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.golgothaapothecary.com
• Instagram: Golgotha_apothecary
• Facebook: Golgotha Apothecary

Image Credits

Egan Eyes Photography