Creating her own business to sell skincare products was never part of Sudhi Baumberge ’ s plan . It simply occurred naturally . Sudhi grew up on a ranch between Lead and Sturgis where she still lives today .
“ When I was growing up , our mom was an herbalist ,” Sudhi said . “ She taught me and my sister everything I know about wildcrafting .”
Wildcrafting , Sudhi explained , is gathering things that grow wild in nature like flowers and herbs . Along with her love of herbs , Sudhi ’ s mom was very interested in health .
“ She was a nurse , and she always tried to keep us healthy and used things that didn ’ t have a lot of preservatives ,” said Sudhi .
As a result , Sudhi became a label reader and discovered she disagreed with the way certain commercial products were made . “ I was so disappointed in the cosmetic industry and all the chemicals and preservatives they put in there ,” Sudhi explained .
So between 20 and 25 years ago , Sudhi began making her own skincare products . She learned the process through research , information gleaned from customers at the health food store where she worked and herbalist courses . Additionally , Sudhi had a history of working with herbs and an understanding of their properties .
“ I just love plants . I ’ ve always liked growing them and using them . They ’ re like magic to me ,” said Sudhi .
After sharing her products with loved ones , “ My friends kept telling me I should make a business out of it and start selling it .”
At first , Sudhi resisted the idea because she didn ’ t consider herself a good marketer or businesswoman . She simply enjoyed making the products . With the help of her sister , however , Sudhi eventually began BeeHill Sisters , which is named for a special hill on the ranch .
To make her skincare products , Sudhi grows a collection of herbs in her garden and greenhouse . These include rosemary , comfrey , borage , sage , peppermint , oat straw , sweet marjoram , chamomile , calendula , arnica and thyme . She also wildcrafts yarrow , red clover , uva ursi , usnea , oregon grape , mullein , red raspberry , nettle , mint and bergamot .
From here , many of Sudhi ’ s remaining supplies like coconut oil , shea butter , aloe vera , castor oil , beeswax and vitamin e are ordered from Frontier Co-op and other organic businesses .
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