Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York

Francesco Clark: Thank you! In 2002, I had just been recruited from my dream job at Harper's Bazaar to be a celebrity publicist. On the eve of my last day at Bazaar I went to a summer share house. I dove into the pool there and hit my chin on the floor of the pool, shattering my C3, 4, 5 vertebrae. I was completely physically paralyzed in a split second.

I was 100% conscious the entire time, drowning face down under the serene blue pool water. Strangely enough, I never thought I was going to die. I was angry, furious actually, with myself. Having seen Christopher Reeve's story so prominently in the media, we all know what a spinal injury means and what it looks like. I could not speak, move my arms, shoulders, or breathe on my own, right after my injury. I was told two times by doctors that night I would die. My mother looked at the surgeon and said, "You clearly don't know Francesco." Talk about a mother's strength!

So, with my injury, my skin does not feel hot or cold. It stopped sweating completely, leading to skin that was grey, dull, wrinkled, acneic, oily, and sensitive. Anything and everything that could go wrong with it did. It lost its ability to balance itself by not sweating. And this was a point in my recovery when I had gone to China for a stem-cell derived surgery, and could move my arms, talk, and feeling my abs and back. I had spent three years in physical therapy hospitals, seven hours per day. I wanted to become social again. I wanted to become part of society again. I wanted to look GREAT again! I had tried all of the $500 miracle creams as well as prescription creams, to no avail. So, my father, a doctor trained in traditional as well as homeopathy and vitamin therapies, started developing Clark's Botanicals with me.

I never expected to sell Clark's Botanicals in stores. It was purely created for selfish reasons. But little by little, people began noticing my much improved skin, and we would give them little vials of our products. Then, my fashion editor friends starting asking for batches of it, after seeing how it made their skin look. The rest is history.

Shannon: I’m not that familiar with spinal cord injuries, but is what you experienced with your pores something that is common with those who have suffered this trauma?

Francesco: It depends on the level of the injury. A cervical level injury does affect sweating because it's so high up on the spine. A lower level injury affects your body in different ways.

Shannon: I noticed that Jasmine Absolute is featured in your skin care line, how is it different from other ingredients and how does it work?

Francesco: We went through seventy-eight different oils and botanical extracts before finding Jasmine Absolute. Jasmine Absolute is different because it helps so many different types of skin. It is naturally anti-bacterial and helps fight acne, is calming for rosacea, quelches extreme dryness, but also helps stimulate your skin's natural production of collagen.

Clark's Botanicals is not about masking a problem; it's about making your skin GLOW from the inside out. We also don't focus on one ingredient. It's about the synergy of all the ingredients working together. One makes the other more effective. We also did away with parabens, colorants, sodium laurel sulfates, and petrolatum.

Shannon: If you had to choose a favorite product among your line, which would it be and why?

Francesco: Honestly, it depends on the time of year. In the winter, my skin is dry like the desert so I use the Soothing Herbal Face Wash followed by the Nourishing Youth Serum. I then use the Smoothing Marine Cream to maintain a high level of moisture. Indoor heating dries the air so much you may need a boost in moisturizing.

In the summer, my skin acts oily and acneic. I change my routine accordingly to Skin-Clearing Face & Body Wash followed by Nourishing Youth Serum in place of a moisturizer. I'll also use Skin-Lightening Kojic Cream on acne spots or scars to lighten them quickly, but delicately.

I use our Ultra-Rich Lip Balm and Anti-Puff Eye Cream everyday. Our products become like customizable skincare, because they're so versatile and can be mixed-and-matched in many different combinations.

Shannon: Do you have anything in the works for 2009?

Francesco: Yes, darling. We have an amazing serum coming out in a couple months - clinical testing shows it makes you look like you had an eye-lift after twenty-eight days of use. I was telling a friend about it and she asked: "So, if I use it on my butt and boobs, will everything look perkier?" She got right to the point. Yes, it'll help with sagging skin on any body part.

We're planning our first Clark's Botanicals boutique, too. Think apothecary meets couture. Super chic. Super loud music that makes you want to break into dance. Bright colors. Super cool, but also funny and quirky. I never want to take myself too seriously and become a wynisface. The boutique will ooze energy you want to soak up. It'll make you happy and cheery and laugh.

My book, "Walking Papers," comes out Jan 2010. I'm very excited about it, although there's a part of me that's nervous exposing my feelings and emotions for everyone to see. Whatever! I can't live my life worrying what others will think. I hate plain vanilla anything, doncha' know...

To learn more about Francesco and Clark's Botanicals please visit: www.clarksbotanicals.com