Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Buchanan.
Hi Melanie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My entire journey started around six years ago when I began to really take a look at my lifestyle and how I was taking care of myself. Specifically, I needed to address how I was managing my stress, what I was consuming on a daily basis and I knew my life needed major changes. For me, this meant a total detox of my mind and body. I gave up a lot of harmful things like alcohol, anxiety medications, toxic foods, and products, and I searched for a holistic practitioner to help me in my wellness journey. I started to take better care of myself spiritually, and really reflect on what I needed to do to make things shift in my life to bring the fulfillment that I had been searching for. And then the world “shut down.” This was a sign for me then to really invest in myself and turn the little hobby I had of making soap at home into something sustainable. I used the bit of unemployment and stimulus money I had received to enroll in The School of Natural Skincare, where I completed a Certification in Making Natural Skincare. This gave me an excellent start, but I knew I needed more knowledge, so I then enrolled with Formula Botanica, an accredited cosmetic formulating school, where I continue my education today, pursuing an Advanced Diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation. Currently, I have completed my Certifications in: Cosmetic Stability Testing, Natural Cosmetic Preservation, Organic Anti-Aging Skincare, and have also completed my Diploma in Beauty Brand Business Management. This has unlocked a passion and confidence in me that I never imagined!
Something that sets me apart is my passion for cleaner ingredients and using nature’s flowers, nuts, and berries in my formulations. My preservatives are ECOCERT/COSMOS approved, as are the majority of my ingredients. I source local herbs and infuse them in my oils, along with flowers and berries. I use organic cold-pressed oils and unrefined butter to keep the nutrients in the ingredients, and everything is made in small batches to keep the quality exceptional. I am also currently exploring CBD in skincare and cosmetics and have obtained my Hemp Producers License in the State of Ohio to legally sell my products. My lab has been fully inspected and is fully compliant with Good Manufacturing Practices.
My line can be found in Wooster at Local Roots, in Wadsworth at Uniquely Handmade for You, and at many Farmers Markets, and pop-up shows!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This road has been full of challenges! Firstly, I have a 12-year-old daughter that I homeschool full time, and between that and going to school myself, it has been a huge learning curve for me to juggle everything and manage time. She is a very busy child and has a full schedule of travel gymnastics, which keeps me running back and forth from Wooster to Wadsworth three times a week, plus traveling to and from in- and out-of-state meets on many weekends during the winter. Consequently, it has taken me much longer than I originally expected to finish this program, but my daughter has always been my first priority. Alas, I try to give myself grace and remind myself that when this is over, I plan on learning hair and makeup formulation as well, and my education will truly never end, so I need to just enjoy the ride! Other than my busy schedule as a mother and wife, I have had to learn how to run a small business with zero prior knowledge, which has been SO stressful at times! Things like building a website, keeping expenses, and filing state sales and business taxes are all very new to me. But to be honest, the most stressful part was being inspected and going though the process to become licensed for Hemp Producing and for Cosmetic Manufacturing. It was months of stressful preparation, which definitely paid off. Going into this industry, I had no idea how vast my knowledge would have to become in so many different and new categories. But it has made me feel so young and exhilarated again to be conquering new things.
We’ve been impressed with Honey Bee Loved, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Honey Bee Loved started as a simple melt-and-pour soap hobby and evolved into a Luxury Natural Skincare line featuring herbal-infused oils, local honey and hydrosols, and quality unrefined butter and oils in my formulations. Lavender Dream Whipped Cream and my Rejeuvenating Rose Facial Cream are both top sellers, along with my Rose Quartz facial serum. My Lavender Dream is a labor of love; as someone who has personally struggled with migraines and sleep issues since I was young. This formula was written and reworked over a year’s time and has now been perfected. This decadent cream features organic lavender and chamomile infused sunflower oil, a triple butter blend of cupuacu, shea and lavender shea, magnesium, argan, and shea oil, and of course, the star, pure CBD isolate. (I use a pure isolate that is very strong and effective, yet safe for the whole family. and my products are third party tested for purity.) This is scented with a dreamy essential oil blend that includes Roman chamomile, ylang-ylang, clary sage, and lavender for an extra calming effect. Magnesium and CBD are incredible at helping with inflammation, cramping, aches and pains, and sleep disorders. I have yet to see any CBD product such as this, with lavender and chamomile infused oil, magnesium, and the incredible butter blend that I formulate. It’s truly one-of-a-kind.
In addition, Rejeuvenating Rose is a facial product that took me many months to write, develop and test as well. It is a formula that I am extremely proud of, as it contains so many powerful ingredients and extracts, including two high-powered plant-based anti-aging active ingredients: D’Orientine S and Fision Wrinkle Fix. These two alone are proven, powerful active ingredients that have scientific studies backing their performance. However, this cream has an entire menu of proven age-fighting ingredients, including rosehip and rose-infused jojoba oil, rosehip seed oil, evening primrose, blueberry seed oil, orchid extract, helichrysum extract, and two exotic kinds of butter with incredible anti-aging properties, cupuacu, and bacuri. (My creams also contain gentle yet effective natural preservatives that are ECOCERT-approved, the highest standard for Organic Skincare in the world. My school teaches the ECOCERT standard, and most of my ingredients follow this high standard.) Once people try it, they’re hooked!
My lab has been ODH inspected and certified for GMP and compliance. My formulas are stability tested, microbial tested, and pH balanced in my lab. I also have my Ohio Hemp Producers license, and produce my CBD products at Local Roots currently, until I have my own brick and mortar.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Shop at Local Roots in Wooster, Uniquely Handmade for You in Wadsworth, or follow my pages to see what market I may pop up at! I am commonly in downtown Wooster for the Farmer’s Markets during the summer and fall. I have local pick and delivery, and my website ships all over!
Contact Info:
- Website: honeybeelovedcosmetics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honey_bee_loved_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Honeybeelovedbyme
