We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Patti Overbeck a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Patti, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My story began when I was young, and my mother was always looking for natural remedies to care for us. We had the mindset that God put everything that we needed right in front of us. Later, I married a “do-it-yourselfer”, someone who was passionate about making everything from scratch. Our mission at The Herbal Apothecary is to replace every product in your home with eco-friendly alternatives. We are inspired by the idea of returning to simpler times when products did not have ingredients that we couldn’t pronounce. Our goal is to promote well-being and a healthier lifestyle offered at an affordable price.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Most people might not know what an Apothecary is. A modern-day apothecary, like ours, specializes in herbal remedies, and natural health products such as herbal teas, essential oils, organic skincare and other eco-friendly items.
At The Herbal Apothecary, we offer a wide range of self-care products such as elderberry cough syrup and healing salve. We also carry products for your home to clean, wash and enhance your living space with pleasant aromas. Our herbal teas can help with stomach or sleeping issues, while our luxurious bath products are designed to pamper and sooth you. For skincare, you can build a complete routine with our herbal face steams, clay masks, foaming face wash, refresh and toning sprays, hydrosols, and cold creams. Our licorice root roller is particularly effective in relieving blemishes.
In addition to our products, we provide a personalized scent creation service. We work closely with clients to research, and develop custom scents that meet their needs and capture the properties they desire. We also offer custom tea blends tailored to elevate your tea experience, blending your favorite herbs, to create a personalized cup that reflects your unique taste and addresses specific ailments.
Our event space is available for rental and is perfect for workshops such as beaded bracelets, candle making, soap making, and other product making activities. We also invite outside experts to host informational sessions, and customers can rent the space for birthday parties or showers.
We are excited to announce some new additions coming soon. We will be introducing a tea bar, and a facial steam room for two. Additionally, we also will offer red light therapy, further enhancing our range of wellness services.
What sets us apart is our dedication to providing natural, eco-friendly alternatives that promote well-being and a healthier lifestyle. We take pride in our ability to create personalized products and experiences for our clients, ensuring they receive the care and attention they deserve. Our mission is to reconnect people with nature and offer holistic solutions to modern health and wellness challenges.

Have you ever had to pivot?

For the last 19 or so years, I have been an elementary public school teacher, a role I have cherished deeply. My passion has always been to help students gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life. Now I am pivoting to balance my career as a teacher with owning a business and having a family. My new focus is on educating others about eco-friendly practices and overall wellness, through my business, The Herbal Apothecary. This allows me to continue teaching, but in a different capacity. I help people learn about herbs and essential oils and how to use them effectively. My goal remains the same, to help people and our environment thrive.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

At The Herbal Apothecary, we make about 90% of our products. My journey began out of necessity. I needed affordable, non-toxic laundry soap. From there, I expanded, making the next product and then the next. The creation process starts with a lot of research and note-taking. We experiment like scientists testing various recipes using natural ingredients which sometimes act unpredictably. For example, using Castile soap or soap nuts in a recipe for shampoo can be challenging because they don’t make suds that people expect in their shampoo, which can seem like failure. Once we develop a working product, we test it to make sure it meets our standards. The final step is packaging and pricing, resulting in a product that I am proud to offer.
In addition to our handmade products, we also carry other products that come from other local small businesses or women owned businesses that we want to support in our community. We also offer free event space for other businesses to hold workshops fostering collaboration and support.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theherbalapothecaryfl.com
• Instagram: theherbalapothecary_fl
• Facebook: The Herbal Apothecary FL
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=the+herbal+apothecary&find_loc=Saint+Petersburg%2C+FL

Image Credits

Patti Overbeck, David Overbeck, Shelby Overbeck, Lyle Pace, & Danielle Kelleher