Meet the teacher-turned-beauty formulator behind award-winning clean beauty brand Pickle’s Potions & Lotions

What started as a search for natural beauty products 10 years ago has turned into a full-time, family-run business for Kristin Mutchler, the founder and artisan behind Pickle’s Potions & Lotions. Mutchler’s journey started after she discovered she was pregnant.

“As first-time moms are prone to do, I started researching everything and discovered that my skincare products were full of highly suspect ingredients, from hormone disruptors to toxic fragrances,” she says. After being underwhelmed by the natural alternatives available and discovering she had a baby who was prone to eczema, Mutchler resolved to create a skincare brand that would be both effective and safe for everyone to use.

We spoke with Mutchler about her journey as a business owner and beauty product formulator as well as her CertClean Clean Beauty Award-winning product Vegan Lash + Brow Serum.

How has Pickle’s Potions evolved since you started creating your own products?

Pickle’s Potions has grown from a mom’s DIY kitchen creations to a full-fledged international business with a lab and a beautiful new shopfront. I have a background in science and have gained certifications in aromatherapy, herbology, and an advanced diploma in organic cosmetic science over the past few years. We have grown steadily, so much so that I was able to resign from my fourth-grade teaching position to fully invest in my business. We are now a family-run operation, with my husband’s graphic design abilities helping launch us further into the market while I formulate and create the products.

Why did you create this product? What need were you fulfilling?

Our Vegan Lash + Brow Serum was selected as one of the winners in the Mascara category this year and it was a huge honour. I formulated this product five years ago in response to a personal request from a client who had undergone chemotherapy and was eager for her lashes to regrow. I used oils that have historically been used for hair health along with locally grown herbs that are known to promote the structural integrity of the hair, along with increasing the strength and texture.

Would you say this is your best-selling product? If not, what is and why?

The Lash + Brow serum is definitely our best-selling product and can be found in numerous salons and boutiques. It is gentle and non-irritating, harnessing the natural power of herbs to support natural hair health and growth.

We have thousands of reviews on our site with people sharing their experiences, which is so fulfilling to me as a formulator.

What are the ingredients of this product and what do they do?

I use a variety of herbs that I infuse for weeks in beneficial botanical oils to extract their full benefits.

Burdock is used to promote healthy hair and reverse thinning. Horsetail is high in silica and selenium that encourage proper hair growth. Nettle helps to combat hair loss and strengthens hair regrowth. Meadowsweet can boost scalp and hair health.

Rosehip seed oil helps in repairing and renewing damaged hair follicles. Camellia seed oil is an Asian beauty oil that has been used for centuries that helps condition the hairs and encourage growth.

What does winning this award mean to you?

As a very small, family-run brand, this award means so much. To be recognized on an international scale for one of my formulations is incredibly encouraging and validating. I love what I make and my local customers do too, but to have something I created be seen and valued as equal among these other fantastic brands is just amazing.

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