Some companies are born from a brilliant idea, others from a market need. But for Nathalie Forget, founder of Davincia, it all began with a sense of discomfort. Affected by acne since she was a teenager, she set out on a quest for understanding that would take her well beyond beautiful skin. What could have remained a personal search for solutions became a mission: to redefine skincare by combining science, nature and integrity.
Now at the helm of a pioneering company in biocompatible skin health, Nathalie continues to do what she does best: explore, question and prove that true skin beauty can’t be imposed from the outside; it takes root in the vitality within.
Curiosity born of discomfort
Like many, Nathalie Forget struggled with acne in her youth and long wondered why her skin was betraying her: why her, and not others?
There were several healthcare professionals in her family, and antibiotics quickly became part of her routine. But the more treatments she tried, the more things felt off: the solutions seemed to mask the problem without ever truly resolving it. This sense of discomfort was fertile soil for her curiosity to grow.
At school, the embarrassment was real, but Nathalie was still perceptive, attuned to others and driven by a desire to connect. That blend of empathy and curiosity would form the essence of her entrepreneurial journey.
Understanding people from every angle
Her search for answers led her to explore a range of fields, from nutrition to health sciences and dermatology.
But it was a surprise detour that changed her perspective: naturopathy. She immersed herself in it with passion, discovering the foundations of human vitality and gaining an understanding of how the body works, from the inside.
She is deeply grateful to her father for supporting her through her studies, as her training opened the door to a foundational principle: nature doesn’t lie. If we listen to it, it shows us what the body truly needs to function.
Meanwhile, she continued to struggle with acne, but, unwilling to take antibiotics for life, she turned to more traditional, and often invasive, procedures to keep it under control. The results were quick, but short-lived.
As an entrepreneur: building to better help others
With her degree in hand, she began her career in dermatology before opening her first clinic as a naturopath. The response wasn’t what she expected. She soon realized that sometimes people are reluctant to embrace true change, the kind that profoundly transforms well-being. If their appearance isn’t at stake, few are willing to commit to the effort.
To better meet her clients’ needs, she decided to train in aesthetics and quickly built a network of medical aesthetics clinics, franchised across Quebec. Seeing her clients leave with a spring in their step, she understood how much beauty can influence self-esteem and well-being. The success of her clinics is clear. Yet behind that success, a sense of unease was growing: technology may enhance the skin, but at what cost? Beyond appearances, she sensed something was out of whack.
Then one day, her own skin sent her a wake-up call. It was burned from repeated procedures, and she realized something was wrong. It was no longer just a matter of aesthetics; it was a question of meaning.
From success to misalignment
This experience was like a bolt out of the blue. She took a hard look at her values, questioned her practices and observed the side effects on some of her clients. Helping people, yes, but not at the expense of their biological integrity.
Convinced that her business had to shift toward more natural approaches, she set out to rally her team. It was a massive challenge: transforming a business model built on performance and technology takes courage.
Lacking support, she made the radical decision to sell her business.
Financially, she took a hit. But morally, she came back stronger than ever. “I’m not in business just to make money,” she says. “I do it to help. To make a difference.” These few words reflect her entire philosophy.
The science of skin with vitality
Freed from constraints, she got back to her research. Her instincts lead her into largely uncharted territory: the skin’s microbiome. While the gut microbiome is now well understood, the skin microbiome is pretty much a mystery. She dove in, convinced that the key to healthy skin lay in these living microorganisms.
She surrounded herself with European biochemists and set up her own laboratory in the Laurentians. There, she pioneered a new generation of skincare: formulas that work with the skin rather than against it.
The industry initially greeted her approach with skepticism. And she understood why: she, too, had tried natural products in the past, and they had been ineffective. But she stayed the course, confident that this time, things would be different. Her innovation is rooted in a biological logic: using living systems to heal living systems. The skin is an organism, and its balance is restored by respecting its vitality. This commitment to biocompatibility became her products’ signature, delivering results that exceed all expectations.
Today, her patented invention treats more than 20 skin concerns and is distributed across Quebec and Canada. The company also offers consultations, ensuring that each client gets personalized guidance to make the most of the products, and their investment.
Davincia has now established itself as a benchmark in biocompatible skin health. Its team, almost entirely women, is guided by a shared mission: to prove that nature, ultimately, is the strongest force there is.
Inspiring by example
In hindsight, she realizes that becoming an entrepreneur probably wasn’t an accident. As a child, she loved taking charge, solving problems, figuring things out, bringing people together and pushing herself past her limits. For her, in life as in business, there are no problems, only challenges. Above all, she always knew she would help people, even if she didn’t yet know how. That uncertainty both fascinated and unsettled her. A natural seeker, she needed answers, a way to understand the why behind things. That trait, which she sometimes thought was too far outside the norm, ultimately turned out to be her greatest strength.
Because, at heart, entrepreneurs don’t follow the beaten path. They blaze their own trail. And that’s exactly what she did, on her own terms.
Today, she leads Davincia with the conviction that a company can grow while staying true to its values, especially if you’re surrounded by the right people. For her, entrepreneurship is about staying aligned, even when the going gets tough. “The biggest lesson is learning to let go,” she says. “To have the courage to say no, even when everyone else says yes.”
Beauty and nature go hand in hand
Her vision of sustainable development follows the same logic: it is consistent, thoughtful and deeply rooted in action. At Davincia, every decision, from formulation to packaging, is made to minimize the environmental impact and protect the microbiome, both the skin’s and the planet’s.
In the face of the greenwashing that’s so common today, she champions transparency and education: understanding what you put on your skin is an act of responsibility. And when asked what she’s most proud of, she doesn’t miss a beat: “Standing strong through the whirlwind. Not sacrificing my convictions.”
Because, for her, beauty isn’t measured by appearances, but by integrity: the alignment between what you believe, what you do and what you embody.
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Nathalie is supported by Annie Gaucher, Regional Director for the Laurentides. Energetic, a unifying force and an excellent communicator, Annie is deeply committed to the economic development of her region. Focused on customer service, she enjoys supporting the entrepreneurs she works with. Pragmatic and always solution-oriented, she relies on concrete, lasting actions built on listening, respect and openness.
Thanks to the engagement of invaluable partners: Économie Québec, through its agent Investissement Québec, the Government of Canada, National Bank, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, and Fondaction, Evol has a large envelope to support, through conventional loans, businesses with inclusive, diversified ownership that generate positive social and environmental impacts in line with the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDG).
