“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” – Steve Jobs
Let’s be honest—Steve Jobs wasn’t talking about vitamin cream when he said that. But looking back at my life, it turns out he kind of was.
Because in retrospect, the bizarre zigzag of childhood asthma, experimental vitamin therapy, a pediatrician with no chill, a kid with Crohn’s, and a whole lot of trial-and-error with creams—it all makes perfect sense now. These were the dots. And they were practically begging to be connected with aloe vera and a carrier oil.
The 1970s: Asthma, Adrenaline, and One Seriously Determined Mom
I was born in the ‘70s, a time of disco balls, bell-bottoms, and medical treatments that felt like they were invented at Studio 54. I had severe asthma—the kind that earned me a monthly punch card at the hospital. The standard treatment? Straight-up adrenaline shots (yes, the kind they use in movie resuscitations), followed by a sedative. Because nothing says “healing” like revving up a kid like a Formula 1 car, then knocking her out like a tranquilized rhino.
But my mom—queen of moxie and Prevention Magazine’s #1 fan—wasn’t buying it. After reading about vitamin therapy from a pediatrician who also happened to moonlight on The Tonight Show, she did what any 1970s mom with brass ovaries would do: called him at home.
Not only did he answer, he gave her a full vitamin protocol. She brought the list to my pediatrician, who declared it “ludicrous” and warned she’d kill me if she tried it.
Spoiler alert: she didn’t.
Instead, she gave me vitamins. Slowly, my asthma attacks spread further apart. By 12, they stopped entirely. My mother didn’t just ignore her doctor—she biohacked my immune system before biohacking was a thing. Steve Jobs would’ve high-fived her with his calloused turtleneck hand.
Fast Forward: The Crohn’s Crisis & the Gut Epiphany
Years later, my own son—full of energy and pizza—was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at 21. The medical plan? Suppress his immune system and cross our fingers. But if history had taught me anything, it was this: If someone tells you there’s no other option, you’re probably standing right in front of one.
We opted for a radical diet change. His symptoms eased. But I started noticing odd things—dry skin, thinning hair, jaundiced eyes, nails like a geologist’s scratchpad. All subtle signs. Except they screamed to me:
“This boy isn’t absorbing his vitamins.”
Cue the facepalm of realization.
His gut was under attack—and we were trying to send nutrients through the war zone. No wonder they weren’t making it through.
There had to be a better way. Enter: four years of research, a very cranky blender, twelve failed prototypes, and an accidental turmeric explosion in my kitchen.
And Then There Was Gutless
Thus was born Gutless Topical Supplements—a better way to get vitamins through the skin, skipping the moody, overdramatic gut entirely. These aren’t your grandma’s lotions. We formulated them to slide through the skin’s defenses, using catalysts that make vitamins say, “Wheee!” into your bloodstream. We pair them with harmonizing herbs and minerals, so every formula is like a superhero team-up—but with less spandex.
The Bigger Picture (With 83 Million Dots)
My son isn’t alone. Roughly 20–25% of Americans (that’s over 83 million people!) have some form of autoimmune issue. And most of them are told to keep taking pills they may not be absorbing. It’s the definition of gut-wrenching (pun 100% intended).
Gutless Topical Supplements are a better way to nourish the body—without relying on the organ that’s currently throwing a tantrum. Because healing should feel smart, intuitive, and at least mildly convenient.
Because being healthy shouldn’t take guts.
Literally.
– Christina Leonard, Founder and Accidental Vitamin Alchemist