Nikki Wrangler has a lot going for her: a beautiful home in Scottsdale, a baby on the way, and on a more superficial level, some seriously great skin. While her enviable complexion could be credited in part to her maternal glow, we know the real source stems from something else near and dear to her heart.
Seven years ago, Wrangler was working in Los Angeles as a makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics. But as she became familiar with the clean living trend in California, she began to take a closer look at what was really on her makeup brushes.
"I just start realizing that everything I was putting on people's skin had garbage in it," says Wrangler. "The more I researched about clean eating and clean living, the more terrified I got about the products we were putting on our skin."
See also: Transitioning to a Natural Beauty Routine? Here's What You Need to Know
It was at that point that Wrangler began dabbling in DIY cosmetics. She created small batches of soaps and body scrubs, gifting them to friends and family on holidays.
"The more products I started to make for myself, the more I wanted to give them to people," says Wrangler. "I felt like I needed to do people a service and teach them about clean skin care."
But what began as a hobby quickly evolved into something more substantial. Now, Wrangler is in her third year of being a full-time-business owner. Her signature line of all-natural skincare products, Flora Apothecary, is now sold online and in 14 different retail shops around the Valley, including Camelback Flowershop, Frances, and La Grande Orange.
Her brand offers candles ($16), soaps ($8 and up), elixirs ($12 and up), lip treatments ($10 and up), body polishes ($30), and even a collection of shaving soap ($8) and beard oil ($20) for men. All her products are vegan. Their plant-based ingredients are sourced within the United States and feature things like mango butter and avocado oil.
Oil is key to Flora Apothecary. The line, which Wrangler established after moving to Arizona, was created with the desert in mind.
"All scents are made with essentials oils so they make it more of an aromatherapy experience; whether it's lavender and calming or peppermint and energizing."
At this point, Flora Apothecary is a one-woman team. Wrangler creates, packages, and distributes each product from her at-home studio in small, artisan batches -- a necessary chore when your collection is free of chemicals and thus has a shelf life of six to nine months.
Still, she wouldn't have it any other way. "I think there are plenty of other alchemists out there like me that want to bring clean, affordable, natural skincare to the masses," Wrangler says. "It's our way of rebelling against Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and all those other chemical-based companies that are filing products with crap."
Although Wrangler has been in the green beauty business for several years now, she feels that, in a way, she's just getting started.
"It's constant growth, it's constant change, and I am constantly trying to strive to produce a better product for the people," says Wrangler. "So I take feedback. I take constructive criticism all the time. I take what people are look for, what they want, because the people drive my business and, anything that they're looking for, I try to give to them."
In the future Wrangler wants toexpand her line to include moisturizers, masks, and possibly even her own storefront. For now, however, she's taking it one step at a time. Her upcoming projects include a serum set to be released sometime this summer and a collaborative collection new scents (and possibly a kitchen soap) with Camelback Flowershop.
For a full look at the Flora Apothecary line, visit www.floraapothecary.com.
