For Heather and Nathan Kreider, soap-making turned out not to be the “safe” hobby they imagined. First, they made more than they could use or even give away. Then they found it such a creative relief that they started making lip balms and bath bombs. Their stockpile grew.
By 2010, Heather was finishing nursing school and working, and Nathan was working as a massage therapist. They continued inventing new products. Soon they’d created enough to start an actual company: Makes Scents Natural Spa Line. Both had a background in luxury spas, and they chose this competitive market. Heather, who is also an aesthetician, was able to go full-time in 2014, and Nathan joined her in 2016.
“It was awesome that Nathan could be here with me; he’s my best friend,” says Heather. “There were a lot of challenges we’ve had to overcome. We thought we’d have to give up our business, but we fought hard and did everything we possibly could to keep it going. They always say right when you’re about to give up, your big break is right around the corner. That’s what really sustained us.”
CRANBERRY & PUMPKIN & JAVA, OH MY!
Today, their natural products can be found in luxury spas all over the U.S., as well as in Canada and Europe. Heather is “obsessed” with their body butters and their Sea Sanctuary scent, which just won an award from a national spa trade magazine. Other products carry tempting titles like Cranberry Hydrating Gel Body Wrap, Pumpkin Sorbet Body Scrub, and Java Junkie Body Butter.
In addition to their own signature lines, Makes Scents custom-formulates private-label products for resort hotels and day spas. So you could be enjoying their beautifully designed products far afield and not realize they were created here in Lancaster.
The intentionality and positivity involved with creating these products incorporates designations like organic, sustainable, gluten-free, cruelty-free, vegan, and more. And that’s before you start counting the products’ natural benefits.
BACK TO LANCASTER'S ROOTS
Inquisitive and with a deep interest in health and wellness, the Kreiders began tracking the CBD/hemp trend. When hemp was legalized nationally in 2018, they did intensive R&D, hired two compounding pharmacists who specialize in the cannabis industry (one is also a chemical engineer), and formulated their own line of hemp and CBD products.
They christened this sister brand Hempfield Botanicals, in honor of our history. What you might not know is that in 1683, following William Penn’s vision for the Commonwealth, one of the first laws passed encouraged all farmers to grow hemp. George Washington actually traveled to a mill in the village of Paradise to learn how to better process his own hemp.
A NEW ERA FOR HEMP
Today, Hempfield Botanicals’ customers comment on how much its products help with their pain, their sleep issues, their anxiety, and their quality of life. “It’s fulfilling,” Heather says, “not just for Nathan and me, but for our whole team, to be producing products that are really helping people, making a difference in people’s lives. It’s amazing to see the benefits people are receiving.”
She points out another benefit: “CBD does not necessarily affect your brain stem like opioids do: suppression of breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, etc. CBD brings you back to normalcy—to homeostasis.” Depending on the terpenes (aromatic oils that bring distinctive flavors and properties), CBD can promote energy or relaxation.
Hempfield Botanicals’ products don’t include gummies because of their low absorption rate. Instead, they feature specially formulated oral oils, presented in hempseed oil because of its many benefits. Two top sellers are their CBD Salve and Muscle Recovery. Like their other offerings, such as face oils that help with acne and 40 Winks (good for sleep), these are tested so customers receive the same formula every time. Look for the product launch of Herbaceous Hemp Body Butter and Sugar Scrub this month, part of a CBD-free, THC-free, vegan line of hemp oil spa products.
Makes Scents Natural Spa Line Hempfield Botanicals
336 N. Charlotte Street, Suite 100 Lancaster, PA 17603
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20% off with code SSM20 through 2/29/20
