The Secret Garden

Certain words can evoke strong imagery in your mind.. Like Garden Apothecary. It immediately sends me to place filled with wonderful smells and delicate creations. A little while back, I stumbled upon Silkka Garden Apothecary on Instagram and was drawn to the products and description of how they smell. After looking into Silkka further, I found that Liisa Allen (the founder and crafter) makes small batches by hand each week and strives to keep the ingredients simple, which I love. I became so intrigued that I had to order a couple of things. Liisa was so kind to surprise me with some of her other products to try and I’m so happy she did! A few have become fast favorites, which I have listed below. Silkka ships out of Canada, but not to worry- it shipped to me in N.C. super quick!

Sweet Orange + Mango Body Balm: This has to be one of my favorite smelling products right now! The scent is light and fresh, and a little bit sweet. The balm is very moisturizing and just what I need as the weather turns colder. I love using it before bed and waking up with amazingly moisturized skin! A little goes a long way, but since I can’t get over the smell and pretty much want to bath in it, I’ve been using a lot! Cost: $13.33 USD

Grapefruit Mint Cleansing Balm: This was one of the surprises, and in all honesty, it wasn’t even on my radar. I had done some balm cleansing before but never purchased a balm solely for cleansing (if you think balm cleansing sounds cray, you need to try it!). This is a knock out product. Not only do I love the refreshing scent, this takes away any traces of makeup without stripping my skin. It also contains Grapeftruit essential oil which helps to clear congested pores. Cost: $15.11 USD

Rosehip + Pomegranate Facial Oil: I’ve just started to get into face oils the last couple months and have learned quite a lot about them! You can use them on their own, but for extra moisture, you can layer them under your face lotion which is what I’ve been doing with this at night. The smell is floral and girly but not overwhelming. A little goes a long way. Cost: $17.78

Of course, I wanted to know even more! So Liisa was kind enough to give some insight into her work and answered a few questions below:

MP: I love that Silkka is free of any chemicals or toxins. Why is it important to you to keep your line natural?
Liisa: I began developing products, first and foremost, for my family, and so of course it was extremely important they be kept free of any harmful synthetics. There are so many unnecessary ingredients in everything these days, from our food to our personal care products (and practically everything else), that creating products with only truly beneficial ingredients became very important. Whether we’re talking skincare or life, I am a firm believer in “less is more.”

MP: Just the term ‘Garden Apothecary’ sounds dreamy! What is your workspace like? I’m imagining millions of amazing smelling extracts and oils everywhere.
Liisa: Thank you! I feel very fortunate in that I have a dedicated workspace in my home. Since looking after my two-year-old takes top priority, this is an ideal situation at the moment. My workspace isn’t huge, but it’s more than enough space to meet Silkka’s current needs.

It’s part office and part storage, so I’ve got the requisite desk and office equipment, as well as shelving for all my finished products. My husband, who’s extremely handy, just built me a rack for my growing number of labels (and for our recent 5th wedding anniversary I asked for a soap mold – doesn’t get much more romantic than that, does it?). As much as I would love to be surrounded by my beloved essential oils, they’re not stored in the workspace, but in a cupboard since I like to keep all carrier and essential oils in a dark, cool location to extend their shelf life as long as possible. (But rest assured that the cupboard smells incredible!)

I love my houseplants, and so any vacant space is filled with potted plants. On the window sill there are jars of dried rose petals, chamomile, marshmallow, calendula and lavender that I use for various infusions. Over the winter I’ll be sketching out some plans for a new garden, where I’ll be planting, harvesting and drying some of these very herbs for future products. (My dream from the beginning!)

MP: How long have you been crafting these lovely creations?
Liisa: Like a lot of new mothers, I began to take a closer look at the ingredients in personal care products when I was pregnant with my first son, in 2010. I started experimenting with various ingredients soon after his birth, and I was immediately hooked. In that first year I remember dreaming often about ingredients and waking up with ideas for products! Some of these early attempts failed miserably, mind you, but part of the journey was learning about the ingredients and how they “behaved” and interacted with each other, especially over time.

I have always been interested in entrepreneurship, so starting Silkka Garden Apothecary seemed like the next natural step, given that I had found something I was extremely passionate about. (Silkka, by the way, is Finnish for pure/natural.)

MP: What is your favorite product from the line (I know it’s hard to play favorites)?
Liisa: I’ll be honest, it’s actually not that hard! I love all the products, of course, but the one I am not without year-round is Rosehip + Pomegranate Facial Oil. Most of my current products are really geared towards “winter skin” (is there anything more moisturizing than a balm during those excruciatingly dry winters?), but I love both the efficacy and smell of Rosehip + Pomegranate – it’s floral and fruity and really not like anything I’ve ever smelled before. (I sometimes use it on my hands, or sparingly on the ends of my hair.) However, now that Blossom Hydration Mist and Vanilla Love Body Oil (part of the “Bloom” collection) are almost ready to go, my facial oil has some steep competition!