A natural skincare brand pops up in Perkins Rowe this weekend
A pop-up shopping experience in Perkins Rowe, June 26-28, aims to introduce Olive and Alder Co., a natural skincare brand that sells homemade, sustainably sourced botanicals, to a new market.
Like many businesses formed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Shaelynn August started selling natural skincare products from her parents’ basement in Wyoming. At the time, August was caring for her mother, who was battling cancer. She began using her handmade products to help reduce her pain and stress.
August says she always wanted to help others, and that year she saw an opportunity to share these products and give others the relief she had experienced. Her botanical apothecary has been through many evolutions, including three name changes. The name Olive and Alder Co. represents new beginnings and strength, says August, referencing the olive branch in the biblical story of Noah and the resilience of alder trees.
“The alder tree is a specific tree that is planted by rivers,” August says. “Its roots grow to the river and drink directly from the river, and that’s just a representation of who I am in general, that I lean on God for everything, and that the alder tree is very strong and sturdy.”
The types of products August produces have shifted over time based on what she has seen that the community needs. Throughout these changes, the core principle of clean production remains. August has sourced many of her ingredients from the same vendor since 2020. When choosing a new supplier, she says she considers the source’s sustainability, eco-consciousness and environmental footprint.
Olive and Alder Co.’s latest best-selling product is a calendula tallow balm stick. Tallow has been a hot topic in skincare and wellness communities. The ingredient is not without controversy, and August says she often gets questions about how her tallow is sourced. She is happy to assure customers that her product comes from a sustainable operation that she researched heavily.
“I started looking around, and I found a really amazing place up in Delaware that actually raises its own cattle,” she says. “They render it in house, package it in house and ship it directly to me.”
August says customers use her tallow balm for chronic skin conditions, acne scarring, dry skin spots and more.
Another popular line of products includes her magnesium butter and spray, which she has been selling since 2020. For August and for her customers, this product comes with a personal connection.
“I started that magnesium collection because of my mom. When my mom was battling cancer, I was building this business from the very beginning,” she says. “My skincare enters the most intimate moments of people’s lives; what I give to them, it enters their hands and then goes home with them.”
Currently, August handles all aspects of production, from ordering ingredients to assembly and packaging. The shop owner hopes to scale her business and, one day, become a national brand. And she is ready to take the next steps toward that goal.
This weekend’s Olive and Alder Co. pop-up at Perkins Rowe will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27, and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 28. The pop-up will take place in the space next to Altar’d State.
Keep up with Olive and Adler Co. on Instagram, Facebook and on their website.
