Why I Started Notox Society: My Whole Messy, Honest Story

This all started with a gut feeling and a lot of frustration. I didn’t expect it to turn into something bigger—but here we are.

My name’s Steph, and I’m 38 years old, living in Miami for the past 20+ years. If you know Miami, you know it’s not exactly a city that celebrates aging naturally. Here, people practically hand out Botox like breath mints. “Just a little tweak,” they say. “You’ll feel so much better.”

But here’s the thing: I don’t want to be “tweaked.”

“The problem isn’t wrinkles—it’s the pressure to erase every trace of life from our faces.”

The Wake-Up Call

Over the past few years, I started to notice a shift. Many of the women around me—friends, neighbors, strangers in line at the grocery store—seem to be chasing a very specific ideal of beauty. Smooth foreheads, fuller lips, barely a fine line or pore in sight. And while I understand the appeal (believe me, I’ve been tempted too), sometimes it feels like we’re losing the little things that make us us—like the laugh lines that tell stories, or the expressions that show what we’re feeling. It’s not about right or wrong—it’s just made me reflect on how much pressure we’re all under to look a certain way.

And if I’m being honest, I felt that pressure too.

There was a moment when I seriously considered getting a little filler under my eyes to help with the bags. I even looked into one of those “lunchtime nose jobs” where they re-sculpt your nose with a few quick injections. It all sounded so easy—just a subtle fix, nothing drastic. But every time I got close to making an appointment, something inside me pulled back.

“I got my nose from my dad, and I love that. It’s part of who I am.”

Why I Said No

Honestly, I chickened out. But I think that was my intuition stepping in.

I remembered that I got my nose from my dad, and I love that. It’s part of who I am. And those bags under my eyes? They’re from a life lived fully—late nights, early mornings, tears, laughter, all of it.

I never seriously considered Botox—not because I don’t understand why some people do, but because it just doesn’t feel right for me. The thought of not being able to fully raise my eyebrows or crinkle my nose gave me pause. I want to feel things. I want to look like I’ve felt things. The lines, the movement, the expressions… they tell my story.

So I Created Notox Society

I started Notox Society because I needed a space where I could be me. Fully. Messily. Unapologetically.

I wanted to connect with other women who are done trying to erase themselves and any signs they’ve lived.

Done chasing trends that keep moving the goalposts.

Done feeling “less than” just because we look our age.

Aging isn’t a flaw. It’s a privilege. And I’m ready to wear it proudly.

“Let’s stop trying to conform and start celebrating what makes us human.”

This Is for Us

Notox Society is a place for women who still want to look good—but on our terms. Who believe in skincare, not injections. Who believe in health, not hacks. Who want to glow because we’re happy, not because we’ve been filled, frozen, or filtered.

It’s about rejecting the pressure to conform to a narrow idea of beauty—and creating space for something real.

So that’s my story. Not perfectly packaged. Not wrinkle-free. Just honest.

And if any of that resonates with you… welcome home. You belong here.

Want more real talk, honest reflections, and beauty that doesn’t require injections?

Join the Notox Society newsletter at the bottom of this page to become part of this community. You belong here.