Featured Shop: Among The Flowers

In addition to hunting down the best stroller, baby-proofing cupboards and outlets, and making sure your nursery decor is on point, many new moms and moms-to-be can relate to the urge to purge chemicals and other potentially harmful substances from their homes. But not every new parent goes as far as to whip up their own 100% organic line of small-batch bath and beauty products using home-grown flowers and herbs. Meet Megan Taber, the environmentally-minded proprietress of Among The Flowers. “I wanted to purify our lives as much as possible,” recalls Megan of starting the business four years ago, shortly after giving birth to her first son, “and create a truly safe place for my children.”

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Over the years, Megan’s family and her business have grown in tandem. Today, as she awaits the birth of her third child, Among The Flowers has blossomed into a booming business with 13 employees and a beautifully curated storefront for her holistic, thoughtfully designed range of body butters, oils, mists, and plant-based makeup, in her picturesque hometown of Placerville, California. “Among The Flowers started out as a hobby, but it has become like another one of my children, allowing me to be a mother and to express myself as well,” Megan says. “This is path where I feel most fulfilled.” Read on to find out what continues to inspire Megan’s passion for clean skincare and her tips for transitioning to a natural beauty routine—then shop the Among the Flowers collection. What does natural beauty mean to you? It's evolved over the years. A few years ago, if I wanted a new lotion, I’d purchase one at a place that sells organic, natural products. But eventually I learned that most of those products still have at least one preservative or fragrance that's a chemical. I wanted something totally pure, and I was let down every time. I thought it should be so much simpler, so that’s what I decided to do with Among The Flowers. We make everything to order and we let people know that products have an expiration date because they don't have any chemical preservatives. It’s like food, in that it’s perishable, but it’s a hundred times better for you than something with carcinogens or chemicals. I’m passionate about the fact that everything is raw and derived from a plant in its purest form. Do you feel like natural beauty is enjoying a surge in both awareness and popularity? I do, and I think it goes along with the desire to buy things ethically, whether it’s clothing, household goods, or products you put on your body. And I get so much wonderful feedback from people who have tried all kinds of products that haven’t worked for them, and they’re like, “Okay, I’ll give this one last thing a try.” Then they’ll write to us with an amazing testimony about our skincare. I’ve heard from customers with so many different ailments, and from young people to those with more mature skin. Do you remember the first product you listed? It started with cold process soap, because growing up my Dad taught my sisters and I how to make it the old-fashioned, all-natural way. When my first child was born, my husband and I were like, "Let’s try to make soap again, it’ll be fun." It allowed me to be creative, and to feel artistic while my son was still very young. At the beginning, how did you approach developing recipes for new products? My husband and I are both really into researching. He would get on these blogs about soap and read about what people were experimenting with. I did a lot of sampling, and brought products home to figure out how they were made. I also read studies online, learned what inspired other brands, and spoke with people who had knowledge in the realm of natural ingredients. To make these kinds of products, you’re essentially mixing things together and then cooking them. You have to learn specific techniques, as well as the chemistry of how things melt together and properly cool when you combine ingredients like oil and lye. Was there a time in the life of your shop that felt like a big breakout moment? Two years ago, we had products selling well on Etsy, and at a few little boutiques around the country. People were also finding me on Instagram, and so much of my business is based off that initial visual marketing aesthetic. Considering it was just me making things in my kitchen and shipping them out, it was great! But just before I gave birth to my second son, a buyer from a national retailer asked if we could handle a massive wholesale order. So much growth happened that year, and by the next winter we had the opportunity to move into the production space and shop front in our downtown. How has Among The Flowers evolved since then? Initially, I developed products based on the limited resources in my garden. Now we have so many incredible ingredients on hand, like argan oil and infused herb oils. We source everything from amazing organic providers, and there are so many possibilities. But I still love our core offerings, so what I’ve decided to do is perfect them, creating natural products that are 100% pure, stored in completely natural vessels. Our aesthetic is minimal, highlighting the beauty of the ingredients that we use. What would you recommend for someone looking to transition to a more natural beauty routine? Just about everybody is willing to try our rose petal hydration mist. It’s a toner that works for even sensitive or irritated skin. And rose has so many benefits. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties—it does a lot of work for being such pretty, nicely scented mist! What inspires you most on a daily basis? The makers in this world inspire me. I get so much out of choosing to support someone who has put effort and time into what they do. That stems from my own experience as a maker, trying against the odds to put myself out into the world and make a difference. I love being a part of that community. You can try to fulfill yourself by buying things, but it’s the story behind how something came to be that really matters. Follow Among The Flowers on Instagram and Facebook. Portrait, shop, and process photographs by Celene Carrara. Product photographs courtesy of Among The Flowers.

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