Meet the Founder

"When your skin is in a state of wellness, it possesses the remarkable ability to naturally resolve various skin problems."

Welcome!

My name is Archana Johnsen and I created Forshelli after years of searching for products that would genuinely work with my skin rather than against it.

At various stages of my life, I have dealt with increasing skin sensitivity, skin bumps, perioral dermatitis, and redness caused by rosacea. The perioral dermatitis alone, with its persistent darkening around the mouth and small bumps that never fully cleared regardless of what I tried, was something I struggled with for years before I understood what was actually driving it.

What changed things for me wasn't finding the right product. It was developing the right understanding.

My Background

I came to formal skincare education through a combination of curiosity, frustration, and an engineering mindset that wouldn't let me accept "it just doesn't work for my skin" as a final answer. Years of self-directed research and hands-on formulation work eventually led me to study through Formula Botanica, one of the world's leading organic cosmetic science schools, where I deepened my understanding of how ingredients actually behave in formulations, how they interact with each other, and what skin genuinely needs to function well.

That education gave me something I hadn't found anywhere else: a systematic way of evaluating what belongs in a formulation and why. My principle became simple. Every ingredient has to earn its place. If it doesn't genuinely support the skin, it doesn't make the formula.

My inspiration

I'm a wanderer at heart, having lived in five countries, and each one shaped how I think about skin and wellness.

Kerala, India, left a lasting impression. Its Ayurvedic traditions, rooted in balance, simplicity, and the quiet power of botanicals used with intention, became a cornerstone of how I think about formulation. Not more ingredients, just the right ones.

Norway, where I explored the country with my Norwegian husband and where our children were born, offered something equally formative. A deep respect for freshness, minimalism, and ingredients that genuinely earn their place. The Norwegian word "Forskjellig," meaning different, became the name Forshelli. It reflects exactly the approach I wanted to take.

All these life experiences and influences are woven into the DNA of Forshelli®.

How Forshelli Came Together

It took over three years to develop formulations I was satisfied with. During that time, I worked with cosmetic chemists across multiple continents. A process that sharpened my understanding of what works and why, and helped me stress test every decision I made along the way. But the final formulations are entirely my own, the result of a long process of elimination, refinement, and an insistence on including nothing that doesn't genuinely earn its place.

The products were used by volunteers with a range of skin types and concerns throughout the development process. What we observed consistently was skin that appeared calmer and seemed to respond more comfortably to other products over time.

Forshelli currently offers two products, each designed to stand on its own. Hindre is a water-based formulation built around deep hydration without heavy oils, suited for those who need moisture without weight. Stell is a carefully curated oil blend that supports drier, more irritated skin. Together, they cover a broad range of sensitive skin needs, but each works independently depending on what your skin calls for.

I genuinely believe that skin supported with the right ingredients, without unnecessary burden, has a remarkable capacity to find its own balance. That belief is the foundation of everything here.

Wishing you skin peace!

Archana 💖