Breast cancer survivor's diagnosis inspires skincare business with a special mission for her daughter

A breast cancer diagnosis can change how someone looks at even the smallest everyday decisions, including what they put on their skin.

For Prosper mother, Dallas Fears, that experience led to a new business venture and an opportunity to help her visually impaired daughter, Finley.

Fears was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in September 2023, just months after a mammogram had shown no signs of the disease.

She said her husband discovered a lump, prompting additional imaging and a biopsy that confirmed the diagnosis.

“I think there’s something there, but I’m sure it’s nothing,” Fears recalled her husband saying. “And I said, no, it’s something.”

Fears underwent a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation, followed by reconstructive surgery. Now 47, she says she is cancer-free and considers herself more than a survivor.

“I think surviving is just like surviving; I didn’t just survive, I overcame,” Fears said.

Her diagnosis also prompted her to reconsider her everyday health habits, from what she ate and drank to the ingredients in products she had used for years.

“I started looking at every single thing that I put in and on my body, like truly,” Fears said.

She stopped drinking alcohol, cut out refined sugar and began exercising regularly, including running several times a week.

Skincare became a particular focus.

After more than a decade working with and promoting another skincare brand, Fears said she began researching cosmetic ingredients and questioning whether the products she had trusted were right for her.

“I didn’t want to just jump ship into another skincare brand that, you know, I didn’t know what was in their ingredients,” she said.

That search eventually led her to create The Pure Original, a skincare business using products made with beef tallow, a rendered animal fat, and other ingredients she personally selected.

Fears makes the products in small batches and says she prioritizes knowing where the ingredients come from.

While her decision was influenced by concerns about synthetic ingredients, the American Cancer Society says there is little evidence that normal use of cosmetics increases cancer risk, although the long-term effects of some ingredients remain unclear.

Researchers continue studying whether exposure to certain chemicals found in cosmetics and personal care products may influence cancer risk.

The distinction is important because some ingredients have raised scientific questions, but those concerns do not mean every product containing synthetic ingredients is dangerous.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, most cosmetics do not require FDA approval before being sold, although manufacturers are legally responsible for ensuring their products are safe.

The FDA can take action against cosmetics that violate federal safety or labeling laws.

For Fears, however, the experience was about taking greater control over decisions she felt she could make after cancer.

Her lifestyle changes also reflect some established recommendations for reducing cancer risk.

The American Cancer Society recommends adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity each week or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity.

The organization also recommends limiting sugary drinks and highly processed foods and says avoiding alcohol is best for cancer prevention.

However, Fears’ new venture is about more than skincare.

Her 15-year-old daughter, Finley, is visually impaired and has spent much of her life navigating a world where everyday products are not always designed with accessibility in mind.

When the family began developing the skincare line, Fears said including Braille on the packaging was a priority.

The family used a 3D printer to create templates for adding raised Braille markings to the products, allowing Finley to help with the process.

Fears said the goal was to give her daughter and other people with visual impairments greater independence when choosing products.

For Finley, the impact is personal.

“There’s so many aspects in my life where I can’t be independent,” Finley said. “These little things, where I know what I’m putting on my body, makes me very independent.”

The family also operates fearlessHOPE, a nonprofit inspired by Finley’s experiences that supports children with visual impairments.

Fears said she hopes the accessibility features will encourage other businesses to consider customers who are blind or visually impaired.

What began with a breast cancer diagnosis and a desire to understand product ingredients has become a family effort to make everyday choices more accessible.

For Dallas, cancer changed how she reads a label.

For Finley, the family’s work is helping make sure she can read one, too.