We loved interviewing Stephanie Diamond, the founder and herbalist behind our favorite new brand Chiky Botanica. Learn how the brand developed and how her positive mindset fostered an incredible self-discovery in her entrepreneurial journey!
Hi Stephanie, we’re so glad to be able to finally feature your brand! Please let us know a little about yourself and your inspiration behind creating Chiky Botanica.
My name is Stephanie Diamond. I am the owner + herbalist behind Chiky Botanica.
Chiky Botanica is the lovechild of a longtime appreciation of beauty and wonder, a deep respect of the natural world, and a reverence for the tradition of herbalism and medicine making.
Chiky Botanica’s evolving product line is a reflection of the places that inspire me, of the plants that call to me, and the seasons of the earth. The seed to start Chiky Botanica was planted after a decade spent traveling and exploring the world, steeping myself in various traditional healing modalities and traditions and years of studying Traditional Western Herbalism. Chiky Botanica was created as an homage to freedom and beauty, to being a bit wild yet refined, natural yet luxurious.
What is Chiky Botanica’s brand message?
We believe that self care rituals should be enjoyable and feel special.
“Our intention is to offer products that invite a moment of pause in the the midst of our busy lives.”
We are dedicated to creating highly effective, organic, herbal apothecary products that provide lasting results that you can see and feel.
How do you differentiate your business from others in the clean beauty industry?
All of the products in our collection are carefully handcrafted in small batches with organically cultivated or ethically wildcrafted herbs, in attunement with the seasons and with reverence and appreciation of the land from which they come. The line is entirely vegan and cruelty free.
“Each product is enhanced with handmade flower and gem essences to create truly holistic products for balanced health and wellbeing.”
Chiky Botanica is dedicated to keeping things simple and sustainable, purely focusing on whole, organic ingredients in all of our formulations and taking extra time and care to infuse each and every product with love and lots of good intentions. We are dedicated to keeping things simple and sustainable, through avoiding absolutely any artificial or synthetic ingredients in any of our formulas.
Based on your strong brand identity, who are your specific target audience?
Our target audience is women, age 25-65, who are interested in wellness and a holistic lifestyle. Most of our customers are on the west coast and rocky mountain region.
How do you source the ingredients to formulate your beautiful products?
All of the products in the collection are made with organic oils + essential oils and ethically wildcrafted or cultivated herbs.
“Our workshop is located on a ranch in the mountains of Southern California, and many of the herbs we source for our products are harvested from the land which they are made on.”
In this extremely competitive marketplace, what were the challenges you encountered when building your own brand and how did you manage to overcome them?
The beauty + skincare space is incredibly saturated. When I was launching Chiky Botanica I had many moments of questioning how I would stand out.
“Throughout the process of brand development, I continue to trust my gut and make decisions that reflect my truth.”
I love engaging with customers and meeting like-minded people who relate to my brand. I’ve learned that if you are authentic and original, you’ll discover the people who are naturally drawn to your creations. I am no longer intimidated by other brands in the field, rather I see them as a source of inspiration. There truly is a space for everyone.
As a growing niche brand, does social media play an important part in your marketing strategy?
Our instagram has been a vital means of connection with our customers. We post content regularly and aim to cultivate an engaged community of women who can relate over health and holistic beauty. Our page is dedicated to being a positive space to inspire wellness.
We’re so excited to be featuring your Serene Serum in our November box! Can you please tell our audience a little more about this wonderful concoction?
Serene Serum is our best selling product and for good reason! This ultra calming facial serum is our answer to sensitive skin.
“A blend of therapeutic botanical oils combine to balance skin that is irritated, red, uneven in tone, blemish-prone or tired-looking.”
Blue Tansy and Lapis Lazuli Gem Essence help create a cooling experience that is incredibly soothing, restorative and regenerative at a cellular level.
We love how even small businesses can make a big impact in sustainability. What movement does your brand advocate for?
We do our very best to create as little waste as possible. All of our products are packaged in recyclable glass bottles and we pack + ship with recycled paper boxes and packing materials. We donate money to a variety of different charities including United Plant Savers and One Tree Planted. We believe it is of utmost importance to preserve natural ecosystems and plant species for the sustainability of plant medicine in the future.
Before we wrap this up, do you have any exciting news that you’d like to share with our audience?
We are happy to offer 25% off our entire site to Nourish subscribers with code NOURISH25. Stay connected via instagram to learn more about our new product releases, updates and sales!
Find Chiky Botanica’s Serene Serum in our November 2020 box!