Long before “founder stories” and “pro-aging” were buzzwords, Elizabeth Grant was quietly building a global skincare brand out of her own need to restore her skin after a World War II injury. Seventy-eight years later, she’s still the namesake and inspiration behind Elizabeth Grant Skin Care – a multigenerational, family-run company. The Canadian creator and founder of her namesake skincare line will celebrate her 103rd birthday on January 27th of this year. What’s her secret to longevity?
We had a chance to chat with her grand-daughter Margot Grant Witz, who’s also the brand’s VP, to share her grandmother’s story!
The first product stems from a personal need. Can you tell us more about that?
Margot: The first product came from a moment where my grandmother was not thinking about business at all. She was thinking about dignity.
After a bomb blast during World War II caused visible damage to her skin, she struggled not only with how she looked but with how disconnected she felt from herself. Skin, especially for women, is deeply tied to identity and confidence, and at the time, there were no meaningful solutions focused on restoring skin health in a real way.
So she did what she always did. She problem-solved. She worked closely with scientists, not chasing beauty, but restoration. The process took time, patience, and discipline. She tested the formula herself, refined it, lived with it, and insisted that it had to truly work, not just create the illusion of improvement. That lived experience mattered.
When people around her began noticing the change and asking what she was using, she realized this was no longer just about her. It was about helping people reclaim confidence at a time when the world had taken so much away. That intention, restoring confidence through real results, became the foundation of everything we have done since.
Deciding to create a brand takes a lot of energy. It can feel exciting and overwhelming. What helped her, and the following generations, to keep going?
Margot: What kept my grandmother going was not excitement or momentum. It was a responsibility.
Once she realized that what she had created genuinely helped people, stopping was no longer an option. When people return to you because they need what you make, you feel accountable to that trust. That responsibility carried her through moments of uncertainty, scarcity, and exhaustion, especially in a world that was not built to support women founders.
For the generations that followed, that responsibility only deepened. This was never just about growing a brand. It was about protecting something that had earned its place in people’s lives. There were many moments when the easier path would have been to simplify, outsource, license, or walk away. But ease has never been our compass. Integrity has.
Operationally, that meant making difficult decisions again and again. Investing in manufacturing when outsourcing would have been cheaper. Holding inventory when cash flow was tight. Navigating regulation, rising costs, supply chain disruptions, and shifting retail landscapes, all while staying unwavering on quality. None of that is glamorous, but it is real. And it is where many brands quietly disappear.
Succession has also been critical. Each generation did not inherit a title. They earned trust, learned the business from the inside out, and took on responsibility gradually. Knowledge was passed down intentionally, not rushed. That continuity ensures leadership can evolve without losing the soul of the brand.
Across generations, we have learned that excitement fades, trends come and go, and validation is inconsistent. What endures is consistency, care, and conviction. This brand has survived because it was never built on hype. It was built on trust. And when people trust you, you carry that responsibility forward.
What challenges did she and the generations after her have to overcome, especially as women?
Margot: My grandmother built this company at a time when women were not expected to lead, innovate, or be taken seriously in science-driven spaces. She had to earn credibility repeatedly through results, not words.
Those challenges did not disappear with time. They simply changed shape. Each generation has faced moments of being underestimated, encouraged to soften ambition, or expected to make themselves smaller to fit the room.
What we have learned is that consistency is power. You do not need to be the loudest voice if your work speaks over time. Longevity becomes authority. When something works year after year, decade after decade, it changes the conversation.
Keeping it Canadian must not always be easy. What made the family decide to keep it Canadian and within the family?
Margot: Keeping the brand Canadian was never symbolic. It was practical and philosophical.
Canada shaped how we think about care, responsibility, and quality. Keeping our science, manufacturing, and decision-making here allows us to stay accountable. When you formulate and manufacture in-house, there is nowhere to hide, and that matters.
That commitment was tested when my mother, Marion, Elizabeth’s daughter-in-law, made the decision to relaunch the brand in Canada. At the time, she approached bank after bank for a small startup loan, and every single one said no. Not because the idea lacked merit, but because a woman-led skincare company did not fit the traditional investment profile.
There was one exception: RBC.
RBC believed in women-owned businesses and believed in what Marion was building. With a five-thousand-dollar loan, she relaunched the company in Canada. That belief became the foundation for everything that followed.
Today, because of that decision and decades of discipline, reinvestment, and stewardship, we operate in ten countries, own a private one hundred and twenty-four thousand square foot manufacturing and research facility, and still proudly bank with RBC today.
Keeping the business within the family has always been about stewardship, not control. Family ownership allows us to think in decades, not quarters. Succession has been intentional. Each generation has been immersed, mentored, and prepared so the brand could grow without losing its foundation.
Keeping it Canadian and keeping it in the family are deeply connected. Both protect what matters most: quality, trust, and responsibility to the next generation.
What words of advice would you offer young women entrepreneurs today?
Margot: My grandmother always told me that you are going to get a hell of a lot of no’s, but you only need one yes.
Rejection is part of building anything meaningful. Doors will close. Some loudly, some quietly. Her advice was always to keep going, to never sell yourself short and never sell yourself out. If someone closes a door, find a window. And if there is not one, build it.
She also believed deeply in clarity of purpose. Know why you are doing what you are doing. Have a clear vision, understand your goals, and be honest about what you are building toward. At the same time, stay open to adapting, growing, and learning as the world changes around you. Purpose should anchor you, not limit you.
So my advice is this. Build something you are willing to stand behind when it is quiet, not just when it is celebrated. Do not rush your growth, and do not shrink yourself to make others comfortable. Stay curious, disciplined, and deeply aligned with what you believe in. Consistency, over time, will always outperform noise.
Tell us about a few products in the Elizabeth Grant line you are most proud?
Margot: The Elizabeth Grant Supreme Essence of Torricelumn™ is inseparable from our identity. It helped create the serum category for at-home beauty in nineteen forty-eight and remains the foundation of everything we do. A product does not last nearly eighty years unless it genuinely delivers. It supports skin strength, hydration, resilience, and confidence at every stage of life.
Another product that is deeply personal to me is the Elizabeth Grant Night Wonder Concentrate. It is a formula I created and helped formulate myself, and I often refer to it as one of my desert island, non-negotiable products.
Night Wonder is especially important to me because of who it helps. Younger generations today are under immense pressure around appearance, and bullying has become an epidemic. It often starts with someone finding one visible reason to pick on another person, and skin issues are frequently that entry point. I have heard from countless mothers whose children struggled not just with acne, but with confidence, and who saw meaningful change after using Night Wonder. Clearer skin, yes, but also a visible shift in self-esteem.
From a formulation standpoint, Night Wonder is powerful yet respectful. It works with glycolic acid to help recalibrate the skin without ever being harsh or damaging. Acne is only one part of the story. From age twelve to one hundred and three, this product helps clarify, brighten, smooth the appearance of wrinkles, and support overall skin balance. It works consistently, gently, and effectively over time.
More Elizabeth Grant Beauty Heroes
The third product I always come back to is our Elizabeth Grant Cleansing Milk, because without properly cleansed skin, nothing you apply afterwards can do the job it is meant to do. Cleansing is the foundation of every routine.
That said, squeaky clean should never be the goal. Stripping the skin wreaks havoc on the skin’s microbiome and compromises the barrier, which creates more problems than it solves. A good cleanser should remove makeup, pollution, and impurities while respecting the skin’s natural balance.
And one thing I always feel strongly about is that makeup wipes and cleansing wipes are not cleansers. They can be useful as a first step, but they do not provide the depth of cleansing needed to truly clean the skin. If your skin is not properly cleansed, even the best products in the world cannot perform the way they are designed to.
Together, these products reflect how we think about skincare as a whole. Preparation matters. Consistency matters. And treating the skin with respect always delivers better results over time.
Night Wonder is definitely a personal favourite! Can you offer tips on wading through the beauty industry noise? There are so many options!
Margot: I always encourage people to slow down and look for patterns, not promises.
Longevity matters. Transparency matters. If a brand has been around for decades, there is usually a reason. If it speaks to you with respect rather than urgency or fear, that matters. And if it overpromises miracles, it is worth asking questions.
Good skincare should support your skin health and your confidence over time. It should never make you feel inadequate or pressured.
The Elizabeth Grant brand has expanded into personal care beyond the face. Can you share more about this new chapter?
Margot: This chapter came directly from listening, but it is also grounded in science.
Skin is our largest organ, and it deserves the same level of care, expertise, and intention from head to toe. For over seven decades, we have built deep knowledge around skin health, function, and resilience, and it felt limiting to apply that expertise only to the face.
Our community wanted the same results, comfort, and confidence everywhere. And we knew we had the science and formulation experience to deliver that responsibly. This chapter is about treating skin holistically and showing up in real daily routines, not just in front of the mirror.
How will your grandmother, Elizabeth Grant, be celebrating her birthday this year?
Margot: In many ways, the same way she celebrated her one hundred and second birthday, and the many before it, with singing, dancing, laughing, telling jokes, and making memories with the people she loves.
At 103, celebration is both joyful and reflective. She will be surrounded by family, conversation, and gratitude. Time together matters most, and there is a deep appreciation for the life she has lived, the relationships she has built, and the impact she continues to have.
What is Elizabeth Grant’s secret to longevity?
Margot: If you were to ask Elizabeth, she would probably tell you she could not put her finger on it.
Watching her, I think it comes down to honesty, whimsy, humour, and being deeply grounded with a sense of purpose. She has always said that her Torricelumn™ community is the reason she gets up in the morning, and that is genuinely true. Connection has always mattered to her.
She stayed curious. She stayed engaged and never treated aging as something to fear or resist. By taking care of herself, she also stayed connected to people and to what she was building. Relationships have always been at the centre of her life, including the beautiful friendship she shares with my mother, and the very special bond she and I have. We truly have a ball together.
She often says do not be a misery. You are not getting out of life alive, and no one likes a misery anyway. That outlook says everything.
For Elizabeth Grant, longevity has never been about avoiding time. It has been about how you live, how you think, and how you care for yourself and others along the way.
Wondering what skincare products are good for you? Take the EG Skin Quiz here.