Childhood and the teen years are often said to be the most formative years of our lives. For better or worse, our experiences before adulthood often permanently shape our perception and outlook on life.
Gabrielle Flank, the co-founder of The Frosting Company in Nazareth, is no exception. The circumstances of her childhood have strongly shaped her beliefs and outlook. But when life handed her lemons, this determined 17-year-old turned them into a citrusy, delectable Lemon Cake Bath Fizzy.
The Frosting Company offers artisanal bath and beauty products that are free of gluten, sulfates, phthalates and other potentially harmful ingredients. As a childhood cancer survivor, Flank stands proudly behind her belief that all beauty care products should be as natural as possible.
Flank was just ten years old when she was diagnosed with leukemia. The diagnosis and its grueling treatment had a lasting impact on Flank and her family; it inspired the creation of The Frosting Company so that other women might learn more about the potential impact of their skincare choices on long-term health.
It’s also opened the door for countless opportunities to educate and inspire others. Still in high school, this teen isn’t hesitating as she pursues each new opportunity.
‘You can turn any negative into a positive’
Flank was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoid leukemia) in June 2008, and she would soon undergo two and a half years of chemotherapy treatment.
During treatment, Flank’s skin became very sensitive and it made her more aware of the products she was using on her skin and putting in her body. Now, she is a champion for all-
natural skincare products.
“We started to create our own products with ingredients we felt safe using,” says Flank. “Your health is so important. What you put on your skin or ingest clearly affects you. I’m a very health-conscious person. I would never want to be sick like I was again, so I would never want to put [on] anything harmful that could hurt my body or isn’t safe for me.”
Examining the ingredient lists in her bathroom for the first time was eye-opening, she reports.
“When we first started looking, it was scary. I realized how many sulfates and phthalates and harmful products were in our products. I also did research. We never realized how much of what we put on our skin is absorbed into your body,” she says. “I was appalled, and I did not want to use those mainstream products. I didn’t want to use anything that could potentially harm me.”
Gabrielle’s and her sister Brittney’s initial drive to create their own beauty products turned into a full-fledged business in 2014, selling to customers across the country as they shared their passion for clean living. Today, they sell dozens of products on frostingcompany.com with the tagline “Enriching Your Skin with Nature’s Sweetness.” Products include body butters, body and facial moisturizers, bath fizzies and lip scrubs. Custom gifts and party favors are also available. All bath and “beauty bakery” products are free of gluten, soy, parabens, sulfates, phthalates and artificial preservatives—an impressive list, but one devised carefully by the Flanks.
“My sister and I are allergic to gluten, and we don’t personally use anything with sulfates, phthalates or parabens,” says Flank. “We like to live a more natural lifestyle and want to avoid anything that is toxic or harmful.”
She doesn’t prefer to dwell on the negative aspects of her cancer diagnosis and treatment, but instead tries to focus on the fact that she was exposed to an entire world of healthy, natural living—and has created the perfect platform to educate other girls and women about more natural choices. She’s also learned to take nothing for granted.
“My cancer has impacted my life in a drastic way. It changed me completely as a person, and my outlook is completely different,” she says. “You can take any negative thing and turn it into a positive.”
Nick Jonas with Brittney (left) & Gabrielle (right)
Photo by Gregory Tapler
Beyond Beauty Products
While Flank focuses most of her energy on her growing company, she’s more than just a businesswoman. The teen has also been busy scheduling public speaking engagements and developing her writing and charity outreach.
“I’ve always had a passion for writing and speaking,” she says. “I’m a very talkative person, and I love to promote a message of positivity. I’ve always been very outgoing, and after my diagnosis, I realized that I had a story that could inspire and help other people. Any situation can be made into a positive one, and life is truly a gift.”
Flank has spoken at public and private events throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, ranging from childhood cancer programs to health and fitness groups. She also spoke at a Johnson & Johnson event, and her story and products have been featured in publications such as Justine Magazine, The Smart Girls Group, Girl’s Life and pop culture websites.
But while her speaking engagements and outreach can touch hundreds or even thousands of people at once, her most recent blogging adventures are attracting more attention: Flank is the newest guest teen Huffington Post blogger. To become a guest blogger, she submitted a writing sample about her experience with cancer and gave bold examples about how she’s used her experiences to improve others’ lives.
“Out of more than 500 stories, mine was one of only a few chosen to be featured on their website. It’s been an incredible experience,” she says. “I love writing and I love words.”
She is also in the process of writing a book, which she hopes to have published within the next year.
Gabrielle and Brittney were inspired by the pain and unhappiness of cancer treatment in one final way: they have created a program that brings celebrities to meet the sickest children in local pediatric oncology units.
“Brit and I thought of that idea and wanted to make it happen. It’s something that we’re both very passionate about,” says Flank. “When I was in the hospital, the kids were [restricted] to laying in their hospital bed and watching TV. You don’t get to have a normal childhood. You don’t get to go out and play with your friends. I thought it would be so cool to bring the celebrities that they’re watching on TV to meet them.”
The program has expanded to include hospitals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The sisters have worked with celebrities ranging from Nick Jonas and Miranda Cosgrove to Daughtry, Ryan Beatty, Midnight Red and Kicking Daisies.
Frosting Belles
In addition to using her platform to promote healthy skincare products and a healthy lifestyle, Flank is using The Frosting Company to give other young women a stronger voice.
The Flank sisters began the “Frosting Belles” to create brand awareness and attract like-minded women to their cause. Frosting Belles promote brand and ingredient awareness in their community and among their peers, and sample and share new products. Each Belle shares her own favorite products, passions and future goals (from becoming a high school chemistry teacher to pursuing work in the medical field or fashion design) on the company website.
“We are so passionate about our products that we want to spread awareness and let people know what they are putting on their skin,” says Flank. “The Frosting Belles all share a passion for friendship and they have the same morals and values.”
Nearly two dozen girls of all ages and demographics from New York to California take part in the Frosting Belles program. The girls share a “zest for life” and a positive attitude as well as a passion for all-natural skin and beauty products.
The program is also growing. Starting this month, the program will expand to include college-aged women in campus sororities across the country. It was a natural progression for the Frosting Belles, as both its founders and many followers are enrolled or will soon begin attending college. (Gabrielle intends to start college in the next two years and plans to major in international business and marketing.)
“It’s an age group that we can relate to,” she adds. “It’s a great way to network with others.”
Life After Cancer
Flank celebrated five years of being cancer free in November 2015. Marking five years with no signs of cancer is an important milestone for any cancer survivor. No longer considered in remission, doctors now say she is cured.
“I am ecstatic,” she says of the milestone. “I’ve been counting down a really long time, and I could not be more excited.”
Life after cancer is busy, to say the least. Flank is currently finishing her junior year at a prestigious Lehigh Valley high school and participates in both athletics and extracurricular activities. She’s home from school around 2:45 p.m. and typically goes to work immediately and stays until her day’s tasks are done. The rest of the night is devoted to homework, studying and brainstorming new business ideas with her sister.
“It’s a lot to manage, but if you know how to manage your time, it’s OK. I love my business and I’m so passionate about it, so I’m just grateful that I’m able to do it,” she says. “I believe strongly that age should not define you. Age is just a number, so why wait a year [until after high school graduation] when you can start now? Any time is good.”
She expresses thanks for the unending support she sees from her family and friends, who are often excited to try samples of new products.
In a roundabout way, Flank is also grateful for her experience with pediatric cancer. It defined her childhood but also had a long-lasting positive impact on her outlook.
“My experiences have allowed me to do so many amazing things,” she says. “Some of my best friends are other cancer patients. People who go through cancer fully understand, for the most part, that life is truly a gift. You can’t take any day for granted. And because of being sick, I was able to be a Huffington Post blogger and do amazing things.”
For others facing seemingly impossible challenges, she has just one piece of advice: “Stay positive. It might be tough, but you can get through anything, and I promise that you can turn any negative situation into a positive one. Everything happens for a reason.”
