Founder Story

A woman with red hair and braces sitting cross-legged on a massage table, wearing a sweater and black pants, smiling at the camera. There is a floral wallpaper behind her and a small wooden shelf with decorative vases and a flower on top.

Hi, I’m Melissa MacIntosh — a Certified Lymphedema Therapist, Registered Massage Therapist, and childhood cancer survivor.

My story starts long before Next Level Skin Care ever existed.
At three and a half years old, I was diagnosed with leukemia. My survival rate was just 75%. I underwent two rounds of chemotherapy, radiation to my head and spine, and later faced epilepsy and osteoporosis as a result of treatment. I had a grand mal seizure, countless hospital visits, and a childhood shaped by resilience and community support.

Those early experiences changed the way I see health, recovery, and what it means to care for the human body. And today, they guide everything I do.

My mission is to support individuals living with chronic health challenges — including lymphedema, lipedema, and those undergoing or recovering from cancer treatments — by offering skincare they can genuinely trust and feel safe using.

Next Level Skin Care began while I was completing my advanced Manual Lymphatic Drainage training. I was working closely with clients whose skin barriers were compromised: individuals with lymphedema, those healing from surgery, and patients recovering from cancer treatments. Their skin needed more than basic hydration — it needed barrier support, comfort, and ingredients that wouldn’t irritate or overwhelm sensitive tissue.

But I couldn’t find a single product I felt confident recommending.
Definitely not one made here in Nova Scotia.

So, I made one.

Every jar of Next Level Face & Body Cream reflects my lived experience, my clinical training, and my commitment to helping people feel supported in their skin — especially when life has made things harder than they should be.