The story of Vegan Skin begins when Founder and C.E.O. Paul Joseph was just 17 years old. From this time until he was 23, Paul was plagued with boils that developed in the trunk area of his body that no doctor could explain. After six years and over 25 surgeries, dermatologists were stumped for answers. Paul tried his luck again at Tufts University while enrolled in graduate school, teaming up with a group of Nurse Practitioners in the student health center dedicated to studying the pathology of his symptoms. In the Spring of 2007, he was diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, a rare, autoimmune, disease that affects approximately 1-2% of the population in America and possibly abroad. There is no cure or effective medical treatment for the disease. As a degenerative disease, it also worsens over time.

As Paul progressed through his twenties, the disease continuously spread until it eventually colonized half of his body; he was covered in boils from the waist down. On the eve of his 30th birthday, he contemplated ending his own life as a result of the pain and discomfort he was experiencing.