We recently connected with Elle Al-Muslim and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Elle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.

I began my company after years of making skin and hair care products for myself and those I love. I would receive requests from family and friends if they had an issue with their skin and/or hair growth and strength. I started making products to resolve their issues and they would come back asking for another batch. My little sister called me one day and expressed she suffered a tragic loss of a loved one and had, as a result, broken out in hives. It was on her face and body and nothing she tried seemed to work, She asked me to make something that would clear it up quickly as it was another reminder of what she had recently suffered. The Tea Tree + Ylang Ylang African black soap and body butter combination we feature was created to heal, soothe, and maintain healthy, nourished skin. This product has relieved eczema and shingles as well as creating comfort without breaking the bank.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an Afro-Latina of Panamanian and Nicaraguan descent. Growing up, my mother taught us to live and heal naturally. Using items often found in the average American home, she cared for us from head to toe in the most holistic way possible. Having that instilled in me since childhood, I have used these methods to create my skincare and hair care products as an adult and shared them with family and friends. As I shared the products I create with family and friends, I was urged by them to launch my company and make these products available to others. As a result, in 2020, Apothecare-Me was established. Apothecare-Me currently has available whipped body butter, African black soap shower gels, lip balm, aluminum-free deodorant, beard balm, hair growth oil, and a stimulating scalp spray. All products are made from unrefined ingredients and scented with essential oils. Many of the ingredients are food grade and contain no synthetics like “fragrance”. The scents currently available are Lavender+Lemongrass, Tea Tree+Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood, and Pink Grapefruit. The essential oils are 100% pure and blended with each batch.
Using Apothecare-Me’s products can resolve issues that range from minor skin irritations to more severe ones that can be caused by allergic reactions to some of the more severe issues associated with psoriasis and similar ailments. Maybe you don’t have an ailment and just want great skin care products. Apothecare-Me is designed for all skin types. Being able to help people feel comfortable in their own skin through healing and maintenance using healthy self-care products is something in which we take great pride.
At Apothecare-Me, the goal is to create products that are effective yet attainable to everyone. I don’t believe a healthy lifestyle should be out of reach for anyone.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

There are many lessons that come with starting your own business. Some are great lessons and you truly appreciate the experience. Unfortunately, the more unsavory lessons are repeated until learned and a new method is adopted. For myself, I had to learn that a defeat does not have to mean a delay. Upon deciding to start Apothecare-Me, there seemed to be defeat after defeat. From deciding on the name to branding and marketing, I couldn’t seem to win. The name I was originally set on was taken by another company. The branding and marketing company pulled out and I was left to learn and then execute the website and logo among other things. With every defeat, I was further delayed and it took some time to understand that the delay was a mental delay moreso than the outside issues. I was overthinking and underperforming and, in turn, the reason for the delay. After realizing that, I had to get in front of myself and talk through each issue without slowing down progress.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Our products are made in small, handmade batches to ensure quality. Although these recipes originated in my youth, they have been modified over the years to include other nutrient-rich ingredients. I felt comfortable with my original recipes and methods of production but they didn’t always ship well. I had to make modifications to ensure that the products held up during shipping. That was a bit of a challenge as chemistry was not a class in which I felt comfortable or even passed for that matter. The other challenge was incorporating preservatives. I had not used preservatives in my own products but knew I couldn’t sell certain products without a preservative. Again, a chemistry lesson with many bad batches as a result. I’m happy to say that that lesson is learned and I was able to curate the product with a natural preservative that is safe for all skin types.

Contact Info:

• Website: apothecareme.life
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/apothecareme.life/