Flying Pig Skincare

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From sobriety to skin care, business owner finds purpose after recovery

“I went from, you know, basically the gutter: homeless, jobless, unemployable; to where I am today, and I don’t ever want to lose the gratitude I have for that,” said Penny McElroy, the owner of Flying Pig Skin Care in Johnson City, Tennessee. After spending years of her life recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, and sh

aring her story as an addiction counselor, McElroy found a new calling making and selling natural skin care products. What started out as a weekend side-gig is now her full-time job after being laid off last May. McElroy sells all-natural salves, body butters, soaps, lotions and lip balms at the Johnson City Farmers Market and online. Her products, designed for people with allergies or sensitive skin, were inspired by her son who had severe eczema. After researching the harm of water and alcohol in over-the-counter skin products, she made her own salve, or ointment, with an anhydrous solution to treat sensitive skin. But it wasn’t until she’d settled into long-term recovery from addiction that she began to make and sell her products.
“I’m not bashful about my addiction because I believe that people who are in long-term recovery should share that it’s possible to get into long-term recovery,” McElroy said. “I used everything and anything I could to not feel how I was feeling; I tried everything to make it go away including alcohol.”
McElroy hit rock bottom in Florida in 2002. A strong addiction, an abusive relationship and the loss of custody of her kids triggered a su***de attempt that left McElroy in detox. After being discharged from the hospital, she attended an intensive out-patient program. Her therapist said if she did not try to change anything, the program would be a waste of time. That night, McElroy had a revelation before her 12-step meeting.
“I heard a lawnmower, and I smelled the grass, and I looked up and I saw the sky and I thought, ‘I’ve missed all of this,’” McElroy said. “I dropped to my knees in the parking lot and told God, ‘I don’t know what you’ll do with me, but I won’t use or drink anymore if you can just do this the way that you wanted to.’ And the immediate result of that prayer was that the desire to use left me.”
McElroy has been sober since April 17, 2002. She continued the 12-step program, volunteered at the hospital where she recovered and was eventually offered a job there.
“The hospital where I got clean and sober; the one that had locked me up in their psych-ward for detox, gave me the keys about a year and a half after I got clean, and hired me on the spot,” McElroy said. After earning her bachelor’s degree in addiction counseling from Alameda University in 2004, she worked as a drug addiction counselor and a marketer for addiction treatment. It was not until she moved to Johnson City to be a public relations officer for a treatment center that she started to make her skin care products public. McElroy made her salve again in 2012 and officially started her business in 2015. She studied, read books, took online courses to learn more about her craft and received an online certification in herbalism. Her products have natural, locally- sourced ingredients such as beeswax from local beekeepers, coconut oil, almond oil, olive oil and herbal oils. She hand-blends herbs grown on her sons’ farm in Hampton, Tennessee, into her products, and she individually scents each batch.
“I watched her go from making a couple of things here and there for a few people, to hammering out case after case after case of lotions and batch after batch soaps,” said McElroy’s roommate Amanda Renfrow. Renfrow, who met McElroy in recovery about 10 years ago, occasionally helps with the business. Renfrow admires McElroy’s relationships with her customers. She said McElroy strives to know each customer individually, and she caters to specific needs.
“I was there on Saturday and picked up some soap, and she said, ‘Well, I’m going to discontinue this, but if you still want it I’ll make it just for you,’” said Tammy Childress, a regular customer of McElroy’s. After trying Flying Pig Skin Care, Childress made her whole family switch to McElroy’s products. Both her son and daughter saw improvements in their skin conditions and sensitivities after switching.
“This business has helped her grow outside of what she’s always been in,” Renfrow said. “Like she’s always been a marketer. She’s always been in recovery. She’s always worked with recovering addicts.”
Renfrow said that McElroy is still helping people but in a different way. McElroy initially did not relate her past with addiction to her skin care work. Now, she sees a correlation between these parts of her life. She said her soap and lotion making is so much a part of her, like her recovery is so much a part of her, that it all affects everything she does.
“What I found is that when you’re in a helper mentality or have the ability to help people, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing,” McElroy said. “Because I find people to talk to about addiction, and I find people to talk to about faith; but when I get somebody who comes and says, ‘This is the only thing that works on my baby’s eczema. He doesn’t cry when I put it on,’ I feel like I’m actually doing some good for humanity, too.”

08/31/2024

I have your Honey Dew!!

08/23/2024

Lets fill both sides of the parking lot with colorful tents and amazing vendors! Registration is open for both days!

September AND October Craft Days are coming up! Adults, register your information on the Google Doc Form. Parents, enter your young entrepreneurs by emailing their name and info to [email protected]

Adult registration link: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/13t2-RAgJlqPl4-B68NIobSaDv5oN2VuDtPDyYbKidrY/viewform?edit_requested=true&edit_requested=true

08/23/2024

Long post warning: Natural does not equal safe. Lead is natural. So is arsenic, ricin, and radon. Please remember that essential oils were used as medicine for thousands of years, and like all medicines, they have side effects. Please pay attention to these dilution rates. If you buy products made with essential oils “What’s your dilution rate?” Is an important question to ask. This list is in no way complete. I’m using it to make a point. I use essential oils in my products carefully, and I also blend them with skin safe, phthalate free, dye free, and pharmaceutically formulated fragrances.

Please know that when you purchase Flying Pig products they are formulated by a graduate of the School of Natural Skincare and are voluntarily compliant with the International Fragrance Association standards. (No migraine inducing, over scented, and recipe amateurs here, unlike that place at the mall IYKYK) For example, the 1% dilution rate that is considered “safe” for children equals approximately 1 drop in one ounce. Not much. If you’re slathering lavender essential oil products on your kids, forewarned is forearmed. Lavender contains linalool, a known lung irritant. If you want more information I’ll be happy to talk with you. In the meantime, know that you can trust Flying Pig Skincare to have correct and healthy formulations, designed and formulated with an eye on skin safety standards. ~Penny

08/21/2024

Palo Santo, Sexy Man (a blend of Bergamot, vetiver, citrus and amber) and working with (NEW) Oud Oil that Sasquatch brought back from Dubai

08/17/2024

Thank you loyal friends. ❤️ You’re all more than just customers to me!

Your purchases change and enrich our lives.
Thank you for shopping local!
See you next week, same place and time!
~JCFM Board

08/15/2024

Last one for summer 2024! NC friends, I’ll be here until 8 tonight!

08/11/2024

Well, I came home and slept for 3 1/2 hours! When I came downstairs Debbie and Amanda had made squash casserole Luthien Baker and buttered sourdough toast (Heather Miracle Shipley and had sliced up some tomatoes from our garden. I am a blessed woman. Thank you for your support-it means the world to me, and I’m so glad that out of all the skincare out there, my products are the ones you choose! Thank you! ~Penny

08/09/2024

Wrapping the latest batch of First Class. If you’ve never tried it, come to tomorrow’s market and try the amazing body butter on your skin, bring it home with a handmade bar of soap. With rose water and lemongrass, how can you lose?

08/09/2024

Dear Beautiful Humans;
Please come out in support this Saturday; it’s my first Saturday back after fighting off the kidney infection. I’ve missed seeing all your faces! Besides, it’s National Farmers Market Week and there are extra activities at the market. You can visit with and because she’s coming out as well! See you tomorrow! ~Penny

08/04/2024

It’s worth the trip! It’s my new favorite!

08/02/2024

Long story short: I’m on antibiotics that have the side effects of heat and sun sensitivity. I will NOT be at the Johnson City Farmers Market tomorrow (8/3). Also, don’t be a dum-dum and ignore symptoms; kidney infections are NOT a good time. ~Penny

07/26/2024

No Farmers Market for me tomorrow. Sorry y’all. I feel like doody. I’ll see you next week.

07/23/2024

Experimenting in the Emporium today!

07/20/2024

I may not be set up at today but I did bring home some Shipley Farm Goodness. Sourdough cinnamon rolls with apple? Yes, please!

07/20/2024

I can’t decide. So I’ll take a gamble and hope for the best. Im@setting up a small table. If it rains any harder though, I’m outie.

07/20/2024

I’m loaded up but not sure. I’ll update in a little bit.

07/14/2024

Kim is an amazing jewelry artist!

We’re so excited to see you!! 🥰

Photos from Johnson City Farmers Market's post

07/13/2024

Welp. I have another new favorite

07/13/2024

I’ll be in my usual spot tomorrow, happily munching on handmade pizza. ❤️ Come by and try my newest “Cactus Flower” soap and lotion, grab some natural bug repellent, and take home some handmade beeswax sachets for your linen closet!

NEW TO THE JCFM!!!!
Peaks n Pies, where tradition meets innovation in every pie! Made with the finest ingredients and hand made dough, tomorrow they will be offering their exclusive “Hot as Honey” pie as well the “Little Lady” (vegetarian), pepperoni, and cheese. Baked on premise in their oven, you’re going to want to try this!

07/05/2024

Spread the word! After 2 full months without an EBT option we finally have tested this one and it works. *relief* SNAP recipients who bring their benefit card can swipe for $20 of produce tokens and receive $40 worth of tokens!! Please like and share!

EBT/SNAP is back!!! Stop by the Info Table to use this program!! Along with the Farmacy Fit-walking program of the JCFM!!!

07/04/2024

The NEW Cactus Blossom scent is a refreshing blend of citrus, light floral notes, and clean, fresh undertones. It’s reminiscent of a desert bloom, with a hint of sweetness and a touch of exotic flair. Come try some this Saturday at the from 8-1!

07/03/2024

Oma’s Salve $13 for a 1 ounce tin, $20 for a 2 ounce jar. Blisters, burns, scratches, rashes, cuts, scrapes, cracks, and anything chapped, including lips. Non toxic, dye free, made with pharmaceutical grade ingredients and all natural herbs, vitamin E, and tea tree oil for a natural antibacterial and antifungal application. Whatever you’ve got, “Put Some Salve on That!” If you have a comment about how this salve has worked for you, please put it in the comments! Mandatory Disclaimer: These statements and products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

07/02/2024

NEW for July: Lavender Eucalyptus Chamomile everything. This is the LEC Olive Oil Tie Dye Soap. $6 each. There’s body butter in the same scent to match for $8. Natural Room & Linen Spray for $10, and local beeswax herbal sachets for to tuck in between your towels and sheets for $3 each. Come out on Saturday and try a sample!

07/02/2024

Acne soap created by hand with a blend of vegan glycerin and h**p seed oil. The activated charcoal draws bacteria, dirt, and microparticles to the surface of your skin while peppermint soothes inflamation, and tea tree oil provides a powerful, natural antiseptic. 7 bars will be available at this Saturday!

07/02/2024

If Heather has corn on Saturday, it will be gone by 9:00 am. Come early! (She’ll have some at the Elizabethton Farmers Market tonight at 4!

It doesn’t get more “East TN Farmland” than this! *jumps up and down* Obsession Corn, available at JCFM this Saturday from

06/28/2024

NO FLYING PIG THIS WEEKEND!
BUT:
Your vendors/farmers/friends will be at the Alternate Location on Saturday, (the only time this year) because the city is hosting another event in the Pavilion. The Farmers Market will be right around the corner in the King Commons Parking Lot, facing the front door of the Johnson City Public library, corner of Millard and N Roan. PLEASE COME OUT IN SUPPORT!! 8-1 THIS SATURDAY ONLY!

06/24/2024

Now, I won’t be setting up Saturday, but I will be doing a live on Facebook, as per usual. Please share and pass along the word. It’s the only time JCFM is in the Alternate Location this year.

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