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Q&A with Wilder North - Why we're different!

Q&A with Wilder North - Why we're different!

Published by Marissa Masterson on Feb 9th 2021

Hey Guys! So I thought it might be fun to share a bit more about our brand, me personally and why it's a passion. As you probably know by now, transparency is our policy so nothing should come as a real shock but I'm just going to lay it all out there! You also may have noticed that I rarely do videos - I'm a reserved person so I don't get to talk to you guys a whole lot but it doesn't mean I don't have a lot to share. I hope you've gotten to know me a little bit through my blogs. 

marissa masterson

About Marissa

Q. Who's behind the brand?

A. I'm the sole proprietor, operator and formulator. I alone, do all the website maintenance, social media, newsletters, formulations, label design, batching, bottling, packaging, shipping and customer service. The only thing I have help on is sometimes gorgeous product photography.

That's why, once in a while you might notice a typo or an error, because it's just little me! Although I love every minute of my job, it's a challenge because I am also the full time mother of a 6 year old and a 2 year old which means my days are mostly for my kids and my late nights are for Wilder North! I squeeze in tasks here and there during the day and have 3 days per week of child care so I leave the bulk of my work for those days. 

Q. What drives you? 

A. I have to answer this in 3 parts. My family, my passion for health, my worth ethic.

So obviously I don't just run Wilder North Botanicals for fun. It's how I provide for my family and that means a lot rides on us being successful. It's super important to me to provide the best quality products though. If I'm asking you to pay $50 for a little bottle of the best serum ever, I need to make sure the value is there. That's why we use the finest active ingredients I can get my hands on. 

Health has been a big part of my life for many years in some form or another. I've always been into exercise, eating my veggies and taking supplements, and in the past 9 years I became focused on going green, eating clean and working out harder than ever(well until I became pregnant). I may not always always follow my own rules, but I like to limit gluten, sugar, soy, meat and dairy - basically eat an 80% plant-based diet with lots of green supplements like wheatgrass. That overflows into my passion for green beauty, where I like to incorporate superfoods, powerful plant extracts and basically anything from the earth that is amazing for your body. 

My worth ethic is just something we capricorns are born with, lol. From selling friendship bracelets in grade school, slinging lemonade in front of my house, working 16 hour days in the hospitality industry, working overnights alone at a hotel, stacking wood, or slaving away in my garden, work is just something I thrive on. I'm incredibly happy I get to be home with my child AND be my own boss. I have never been too keen on authority and I'm a bit of a control freak so Wilder North meets my work desires on my own terms. 

Q. What are you doing when you aren't running Wilder North?

A. Besides getting my kids snacks? You will find me doing normal super-mom tasks, cooking, cleaning, play dates. But I also love my vegetable gardening in the summer, I'm a big movie person, exercise fanatic, love hiking and being outdoors. I assist my husband with a lot of house projects, really dirty jobs-type stuff! I'm a big wine fan and used to make wine before I had kids(jeeze I need to get back into it!). I love music, indie, alternative and folky stuff, Tori Amos, Radiohead, Boy + Bear, Bob Marley.... a wide variety of everything. I have a very small and close circle of friends and am lucky to have found some amazing friends and allies in the green beauty community.

About the Brand

Q. Do you use all-natural ingredients?

A. Yes! And I know how the word "natural" can be a tricky thing to understand these days so let me elaborate. We use only natural, organic, wild-harvested or non-gmo ingredients in their most pure form; the lion's share being plant-based. We never use synthetic, highly-processed ingredients, preservatives, parabens or toxins of any kind. I'm always happy to give you a list of ingredients, tell you why we use an ingredient, divulge the origin, breakdown the benefits and more. No secrets here, except our formulas.

Q. Are you certified organic?

A. No, but we do use as many certified organic ingredients as possible. To obtain the USDA Organic or Organic certification requires a big investment and rigorous process for our micro-business. Although we would very much love to obtain this certification in the future, it's something that's not as important to me, as providing quality, clean, and beneficial products and being transparent about all our practices. For example, we can only obtain wildcrafted marula oil right now which is an amazing ingredient that we don't want to omit. We will likely have to find an honest way to change our formulations in the future to obtain the organic certificate, without compromising the quality. We also have a huge number of products and it would require organic certification for each - a cost that I don't want to pass on to our customer. Ultimately, it's more important to serve you with the best product possible, than to display an Organic stamp on our brand. That may mean we get passed over sometimes because it's not as easy for a passerby to determine our level of green... but I truly want our customers to know and trust our brand without insignia. 

Q. Do you test on animals?

A. Absolutely NOT! We are certified cruelty-free by PETA and part of their Beauty without Bunnies program. I'm a huge animal lover.

Q.Are all your products vegan?

A. No, but the majority of them are. It's more important to us to create quality, natural, ethical and sustainable products than to exclude animal products all together. That being said, the only animal products we use, or will ever use, are Honeybee ingredients. All our products are vegetarian and gluten-free. Our products that contain honeybee ingredients are clearly marked on our website with the gold honeybee logo to make it a bit easier for our customers to recognize. If you wish to read more about why we chose to use honeybee ingredients, click here! Also, look for the Cruelty-free logo which will have the word "vegan" included if that product is vegan.

Q. What is the shelf life of your products?

A. Since our products are 100% all-natural and we do not use any unnatural preservatives whatsoever, our products do have a shelf life, typically 9-12 months unless otherwise noted. The shelf life of the hydrating mist is about 3 months since they are water-based which should be enough time to finish a bottle. If our products are kept out of direct sunlight, untouched by water and at room temperature or below, they will stay fresher longer. We also use Vitamin E, manuka honey, grapefruit seed extract, and leucidal liquid in some of our products to extend the natural shelf life and keep products from oxidizing so they remain potent. In the rare case that you purchase one of our products and find that it is not fresh, please email us so we can handle this on a case-by-case basis. Our products are not meant to sit on a shelf and be saved for a lengthy time. They're made to be used fresh and daily!

Q. Why is the product I received different than the color on your website or different than the last one I bought?

A. The color and texture of our products can change batch to batch... sometimes even the scent! Natural ingredients vary in color and texture but it's nothing to be concerned with and does not affect the quality or benefits of our products. We do our best to match up the colors every time but it's just not always possible. 

Q. What do you do to be green?

A. One thing I'm proudest of is that we run on Solar Energy! The laptop that I'm writing on right now is powered by the sun! We make more than enough electricity and send some back to the grid! We also run off a well, so all the dishes we have to do are cleaned with pure water from a natural aquifer below the ground! We use glass containers which can be reused or recycled. We use as much paper packaging as possible and try to keep our packages as light as possible. We use paper shred for padding, as well as tissue paper to tightly wrap each bottle. Sometimes we have to use a little bubble wrap but it's usually recycled from packages we've received. We do use bubble mailers in small enough orders because it keeps the packages light-weight, padded and affordable to ship - I want you to be able to choose an affordable shipping option. We do all our marketing through the internet, so no mailings or flyers, but we do used recycled paper for our instruction cards included with gemstone tools. 

Q. Why are your products at a higher price point than some other brands?

A. As with most brands, our products are priced based on the ingredients used, cost of the packaging and labor involved. We use the very best, highest quality, most natural ingredients possible and unfortunately they are hard to come by. Pure Bulgarian Rose otto is one of the most expensive ingredients we use and we use it in more than 6 products. We price our products as low as possible while still building our business. We try to provide a lot of value through our Rewards, Referrals and Affiliate programs. Plus free shipping on US orders of $100+ is pretty sweet. We are indeed a business want to stay in business, so I really hope all our customers feel they are getting a great value. 

Q. Do you work with beauty bloggers?

A. This answer has changed in the past few years. I only want you to try my products if you are truly interested. That means I no longer push them on bloggers, influencers, friends, relatives or anyone who doesn't express interest. I recognize that everyone has their own skin care goals and lifestyle and I want all the feedback I receive to be genuine. We also don't pay for sponsorship - we did a few in the beginning but I wasn't that happy with the results and it felt very forced. I would say, if you are a blogger and really interested in our products, go a head and order some trial sizes or sign up for our affiliate program. I always appreciate an honest, well-written review. What's more important to me, is the feedback of my customers and estheticians who have put faith and trust into their purchase and fully experienced our customer service and products. 

Q. Why do you have so few trial sizes? Why are there no samples?

A. It's hard to keep all the different sizes in stock. The trial sizes sell out rapidly and we have to have all the different sized containers and labels in stock. My priority is to have serum trial sizes in stock all the time but we do run out. The reason we don't usually make samples is because it wouldn't be enough product to let you get a fair result... it can take 4-6 weeks for skin to adjust to new products.  Our trial size serums are approximately a 30-day supply which is the perfect amount of time to let your skin adjust and see results. It's still a good amount of product so we do charge for them but I've found that's the norm with many other green beauty businesses our size. AND, we now offer a free trial size serum to every order of $40+, which is anywhere from a $12-$18 value!

Q. Why do you have so many different products?

A. Although there are definitely products that can work for all skin types, I believe its also important to have options because each individual's skin is so different. There are so many wonderful ingredients and one combination may we perfect for almost everyone except you. So, I try to put forth a well-rounded variety of highly beneficial products. This can be overwhelming for some, but I am happy to recommend something for your needs so rest assured you always have a guide. On top of that, we can make custom serums specifically for your skin!

Q. Why such an emphasis on gemstone tools?

I truly believe gemstone tools are a match made in heaven with holistic skin care. Promoting your skin's beauty through health benefits like detoxification, tension release and increased circulation is the ultimate way to care for your skin. Not only that, but using a specially selected gemstone tool on your skin, creates a self-loving ritual that you deserve!

What's in store for the future

Q. What are some of the new products you will add in the future?

A. A Cucumber Matcha Facial is on my wishlist, as well as a thigh smoothing balm. The ideas are endless and I'm not one to tie myself down to just one idea so you can be sure we will always be adding... that may mean we say goodbye to a product or two but we have a few best sellers which we will always keep. Do you have an idea or special request? I make individual custom products for those interested!

Q. Any plans to be available in major stores?

A. The answer is a firm "No". Mass production isn't really what I signed up for, and although things can always change in the future, I really enjoy creating everything myself, by hand in small batches and sending them off personally. We do love being able to ship worldwide so hopefully everyone who wants to, is able to get their hands on our goods. We do have serums available as wholesale to estheticians, spas and brides which is fun.  I have no desire to sell in amazon, to chain stores, or any large retailers. No Thanks to Sephora and the like.

Q. Any other changes or happenings we should know about?

A. We have a new program called the Wilder Beauty Babe Membership! Details about that are HERE, but it entitles you to free shipping on every order, 5% off, a $10 coupon each month and more!

We also have the new Wilder Professionals Finder, where you can search for a holistic wellness professional in your area. This includes holistic estheticians, accupuncturists, health coaches and more. Plus, if you're a professional, you can sign up to be added to the network for free and gain some awesome perks!

We get a lot of complaints that people miss the sales or release dates. I think this is due to instagram's new algorithm. The best way to stay up to date is to sign up for the Wilder North Insider, sign up for notifications on instagram, or like and comment on our instagram posts - which will help our posts appear in your feed. 

Any other questions? Feel free to email or facebook message me! marissa@wildernorthbotanicals.com

marissa and juliette

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