Candace Grenier - Formulator & Founder: Pure Anada
At Pure Anada, women’s health has always been deeply connected to our philosophy of beauty. One of the founding purposes behind our brand was the belief that the ingredients we apply to our skin matter — because what goes on our bodies can also be absorbed into them. Over the years, we’ve heard from countless women navigating hormonal changes, autoimmune conditions, chronic inflammation, sensitive skin, and other often-invisible health challenges. For me personally, these conversations became even more meaningful through my own health challenges. Those experiences reinforced why creating thoughtful, cleaner products has always mattered so much to me.
My story
At age 45, I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis after ending up in emergency surgery one summer day in 2024. Looking back now, I can see the signs were there for decades.
My painful periods began at age 11 and regularly caused me to miss a few days of school each month. I still remember my mom rubbing my back as I writhed in pain on our brown floral 1980s sofa, waiting for the Advil to dull the pain…even just a little.
As an adult working as a hairstylist, I pushed myself through blinding pain, exhaustion, bloating, and discomfort because I believed it was simply something I had to endure. I learned a strong work ethic from my hard-working parents and never wanted to be someone who shirked a day's work. Over time, I became skilled at pretending I was fine on the difficult days. I knew not everyone experienced that level of pain, but I accepted it as “normal for me.”
As the years went on, the symptoms continued to feel extreme. Yet, in an effort not to seem dramatic about “common female issues,” I somehow convinced myself that it was my fault - perhaps I just wasn’t taking good enough care of my body or finding the right supplement. So I kept pushing through, because there really is no other choice!
Sadly, this story is incredibly common.
What Is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. These growths can occur on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, bowel, pelvic walls, and other areas of the body.
Symptoms can include: severe menstrual pain, chronic pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, bloating and digestive symptoms, fatigue, infertility, pain during ovulation or intercourse, back and leg pain.
The severity of symptoms does not always match the extent of the disease. Some women experience debilitating symptoms, while others have few or even none! Symptoms often begin in the teenage years, yet diagnosis commonly takes many years.
Endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 10 women worldwide, making it one of the most common gynecological diseases. While the exact cause remains unclear, diagnosis and treatment can still be challenging.
The Reality of Living with Invisible Pain
One of the hardest parts of endometriosis is that the suffering is often invisible. Women continue going to work, caring for families, running businesses, attending school, and showing up for others while quietly managing debilitating symptoms behind the scenes.
After having my family, I became an entrepreneur. At the time, I appreciated the flexibility of working on my own terms around the highs and lows of how my body felt. My symptoms were cyclical, so there was usually one predictable week each month when I felt fantastic. Owning my own business gave me the ability to sit when I needed to, work when I had the energy, and rest when I didn’t.
Over the last 20 years, that small business grew into something far bigger than I ever imagined. Today, Pure Anada employs over 30 women. When I reflect on my own health journey, I sometimes wonder if God allowed me to experience those struggles so I could better understand and empathize with women facing endometriosis, hormonal challenges, autoimmune conditions, and other female health issues.
As women, we often minimize our pain. We push through. We carry on. We become experts at functioning while suffering. But women deserve to be heard.
The Surgery That Changed Everything
For about a year, I had begun experiencing a different kind of pain: sudden, acute, and completely debilitating. When it came on, I couldn’t move. I would have to stop everything, breathe through it, and wait for it to pass, which could take an hour or two. It could happen anywhere, at any time. It felt as though something inside my body was being torn apart. Was this a new perimenopause symptom? I knew deep down that something was wrong…and needed answers.
I remember one morning ending up in the ER, humiliatingly with bedhead, silly pajama pants, and no bra...exactly how I'd want to show up - of course. 😆 I was told it was likely a kidney infection and was sent home with antibiotics and a ultrasound appointment.
Later, this ultrasound confirmed that I had developed huge endometriomas (cysts on the ovaries) caused by endometriosis. It’s kind of gross to share (sorry), but endometriomas are sometimes referred to as “chocolate cysts” because they’re filled with old blood. 😳 But honestly, it was such a relief to finally know THIS was the source of the strange new pain I was experiencing. The endometriomas were either twisting or rupturing. I was told this was stage 4 endometriosis—as severe as it can get.
I was placed on a waiting list for surgery, but warned the wait could be over a year! Could I endure this for that long? There was a chance a rupture could occur - so I was told to come in if I experienced another attack.
A few months later, it happened again. The drive to the ER was excruciating. When I arrived at the hospital, I couldn’t even look up through the pain as I was led directly to a nurse who injected me with some form of pain relief. Thank you, modern medicine.😅
Then the on-call gynecologist walked into the room. Her sweatshirt had a graphic image on the front with the words “At Your Cervix.” It was cute. I immediately liked her and trusted her completely. She told me they would need to do surgery that day. It felt so comforting to trust someone to take care of me. “YOU will do the surgery?” I remember asking. She nodded gently. I was so grateful that it felt right - that it was all working out as it should.
The surgery lasted six hours. She consulted with specialists from Winnipeg during the procedure and brought in additional experts to deal with the situation. I still don’t fully understand everything they saw, but apparently it was a mess inside: organs stuck together and endometriosis lesions everywhere. They carefully removed as much disease as they could, including my ovaries…but left my uterus for another time.
To be honest - I felt betrayed by my body as I learned the extent of the disease. I always tried my best to take care of myself...and this is what my body did to me... without my permission? That's the mystery of endometriosis. No answers as to why or how. However, it reinforced something I had believed for years: the small choices we make daily matter. We may not control everything that happens in our bodies, but reducing unnecessary stressors...from chronic stress to the products we use on our skin - feels worthwhile to me now more than ever.
Later, the surgeon described how they powdered my insides with antibiotics before completing the surgery. I remember thinking how appropriate and ironic it was for me (the owner of Pure Anada) to have my intestines powdered! Who would have ever thought. So sweet. 🤭
I was also told it was a miracle I had ever been able to have four biological children considering the severity of the disease they discovered. I will never stop being grateful for that gift.
Even though there still seem to be so few answers about what causes endometriosis…or what we can do to prevent it…I remain deeply grateful for the team of medical professionals who came together that day to help “fix” me that day.
What helps me feel my best now
I’m now in surgical menopause (no ovaries) - which can potentially be a nightmare in itself - but it hasn’t been so bad for me. In fact - I feel better than I ever have. It’s sad to think my body struggled for so long. Here are the things I do to feel my best:
- Bioidentical Hormone Replacement - I read enough to know that I wanted to be on bioidentical hormone therapy immediately - to replace what my body no longer produces. I was still younger than the average age of menopause. The doctors weren’t eager to prescribe for some reason. Why is this? So I had to look elsewhere and landed up with an online appointment at The Menopause Practice. Once I got stabilized with a regime of progesterone, estrogen and testosterone - my long-time family doctor agreed to fill the perscriptions through public health. Note: in Canada, bioidentical hormones must be filled by perscription. In the USA however, they can be purchased over-the-counter through companies like Ona's or Raena (both do ship to Canada for personal use).
Interestingly, some of the bioidentical hormones I now use are creams and gels applied directly to the skin. Experiencing medication absorbed this way reinforced something I had believed for years: what we put on our skin matters. It strengthened my commitment to creating products with thoughtful ingredients and avoiding unnecessary additives wherever possible.
- Avoiding Inflammatory Foods - I’ve always known I feel better avoiding gluten and processed dairy. While I’m not always strict about it myself - it is a suggestion for others who find they constantly feel inflamed. Oftentimes, people with endometriosis are also diagnosed with hashimoto's and/or hypothyroidism (myself included). Eliminating gluten is a wise idea for all of us. I received a lot of advice about diet on how to supplement from the Dr. Izabella Wentz - The Thyroid Pharmacist.
- Stress Less - This is huge and I reason I suspect my endometriosis might have gotten out of control. Perhaps? Building Pure Anada alongside raising a family was more stress than I ever should have experienced. No one knows what all goes on behind the scenes when they see a beautiful brand and lovely boutiques. It takes a lot. If I could do it over again - I might not have been so ambitious. Maybe? All I know is that I’m now in my “peace era”. I say no to a lot of things. Unless it brings me joy - I simply don’t care if I let people down with the lack of my presence or involvement. A switch has flipped! Maybe other women reading this can identify with this “don’t give a care” feeling as they get older. Have YOU experienced this yet? I must say…it does feel wonderful. 😃
Why This Matters to Us as a Brand
At Pure Anada, women’s health matters deeply to us because women matter deeply to us. Many of our customers are navigating hormonal shifts, autoimmune conditions, sensitive skin, chronic inflammation, fertility struggles, menopause, and health journeys that often go unseen by the world around them.
We believe beauty products should support women…not add additional stress or unnecessary ingredient burdens. That’s one reason we’ve always been passionate about creating products with thoughtful ingredients, mineral pigments, botanical oils, and formulations that avoid many of the harsh additives commonly found in conventional cosmetics.
But beyond makeup, we want to be a brand that encourages women to listen to their bodies, advocate for their health, and know they are not alone. That is why we are supporters of Endometriosis Canada, and our team participated in the first annual Run to End Endo on June 6th, 2026 - bringing support, awareness and hope to our community.
