Maine entrepreneur gains traction with Wild Blueberry all-natural beauty line
In one of the most rural corners of America, Nancy Lowry is hard at work building a conscious company. Lowry calls herself a farmer, and as someone who lives and works on a 12-acre farm, she certainly qualifies. But she’s more than a farmer. She’s an entrepreneur who’s making a name for herself as the owner of a certified organic personal care beauty line.
Indian Meadow Herbals is riding a “Farm-to-Face” beauty trend that took hold on the West Coast and has been gaining traction across the country. Not surprisingly, her strongest markets are in San Francisco and now Baltimore.
“Our products are designed for American women who are buying skincare products with ingredients in mind,” says Lowry. “Personal care products, historically, have been filled with synthetic chemicals, preservatives, alcohols, and parabens. I wanted to create something for women seeking a clean alternative.”
For 22 years, Lowry has been hard at work doing just that. And she’s managed to nurture her company from the tiny, largely unknown town of Eastbrook, Maine, home to about 120 families, with a meager population of 423 residents. The region may be short on people, but it’s not devoid of beauty or opportunity.
The expansive landscape surrounding the business includes forest, marsh, ponds, and thousands of acres of Wild Blueberry barrens. The rocky acidic soil in this region is especially hospitable to Wild Blueberries, which have thrived here for over 10,000 years. It turns out, these tiny antioxidant-rich berries take center stage in Lowry’s top-selling line of beauty products, aptly called: The Blue Line.
“The Blue Line uses certified organic Wild Blueberries grown right here in Maine,” explains Lowry. The same anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties that make Wild Blueberries a healthy food are the reason they work on your skin. “It’s pretty simple,” explains Lowry, “what’s good for you on the inside is extremely beneficial on the outside too.”
Lowry is passionate about the benefits of botanical skincare products and the reasons why they matter. “People don’t often stop to consider that fully 60 percent of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your body,” she states.
Where to find Indian Meadow Herbals
Getting your hands on Indian Meadow Herbals products is relatively easy. They are available online and are sold in nearly 300 grocery and health foods stores across the country. The Blue Line, a certified organic skin care system made up of five Wild Blueberry inspired products includes the following:
- Wild Blueberry Facial Cleanser
- Wild Blueberry Lavender Facial Mist
- Wild Blueberry Cream for Mature Skin
- Wild Blueberry Lotion for Sensitive Skin
- Wild Blueberry Eye Cream
The most popular Blue Line product is the Wild Blueberry Cream for Mature Skin. Why? Probably because as women age, they become more focused on their skincare, and customers who use the Cream for Mature Skin report that their skin looks great and their face is “dewy,” reports Lowry. All five Blue Line products are certified organic, and packaged in deep-violet Miron glass, which is proven to protect products against the harmful effects of light.
Lowry’s company is USDA-certified by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. In addition, it recently passed FDA inspection and is in the process of being approved by The Environmental Working Group, a third party seal of approval.
Making a beauty product from scratch
A certified herbalist and Lowry’s original business partner developed Indian Meadow Herbals’ formulations. Using Wild Blueberries as a product ingredient took a leap of faith and some experimental ingenuity, but Lowry says her team felt strongly that the health attributes of the Wild Blueberry plants could and would deliver potent skincare benefits. The formulation process involves harvesting and winnowing the Wild Blueberries at their peak of ripeness in August, freezing them to stabilize them, then thawing, drying, and using a slow-heat process to extract their valuable oils and bio-chemical constituents. From there, the Wild Blueberry extracts are mixed with other herbs and oils and then strained, resulting in a high-quality botanically sourced beauty line.
“I’d never heard of a Wild Blueberry beauty line,” says Lowry, “but we were surrounded by acres of Wild Blueberries and given their health properties, we knew it was worth a try.”
Lowry’s journey as an entrepreneur has pushed her in unforeseen ways. “I never thought I’d be in sales,” she confesses. But the challenges have been worth it. “On a daily basis some random retail customer will call me and say, ‘Please don’t ever stop making your products,’” she says. “It’s really nice to hear them say that.”
More than just a source of pride, her business represents a moral and ethical contract with customers. “I absolutely won’t sell someone something I do not totally 100% believe in.”
Holiday Promotion: Special Skincare Offer
The snow will soon be flying over the fields at Indian Meadow Herbals, and Lowry expects to sell a large volume of holiday gifts and stocking stuffers. For a short time, she is offering an “Indian Meadow Herbals Goes Crazy for the Holidays” promotion. Click here to learn more.
