Today we’d like to introduce you to Bettina Hernandez.
Hi Bettina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
One could say I’m a skincare junkie. I’m addicted to lip balm and love a great smelling bar of soap. Growing up my grandmother always stressed the benefits of taking care of our skin and more importantly to moisturize. I had always struggled with sensitive skin & finding products that wouldn’t dry out or irritate it. Im my twenties I discovered three ingredients that changed my skincare routine for ever…tea tree, hempseed, & coffee. Tea tree & hempseed facial products have always been readily available, but a coffee eye cream/ serum was sometimes impossible. So I decided that I was going to make some from scratch. Soon after I was making all my skincare products and giving all my extras to friends & family. When I started getting requests for products to purchase I decided to start my own business.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve been in retail for over twenty-five years with a background In management and merchandising so running my business was pretty smooth. I did however struggle with production. Between ingredients & packaging not being available, trying out new recipes, and not making enough product it certainly wasn’t smooth sailing. Needless to say, I learned from my mistakes and made a plan for the new year.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Avenue B Apothecary started out as a need, I needed an all natural coffee eye cream that wasn’t going to irritate my skin or break the bank. My skincare line is made from scratch in small batches using organic and raw ingredients. The coffee, coconut oil, and cocoa powder are materials already found in my kitchen and when possible, I shop local for packaging and ingredients.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
More and more people are realizing that it really does matter what you put on your skin. They’re looking for products that are simple with few ingredients that will help with their skin needs. The skincare industry is definitely shifting from a chemical base to a more natural one.
Pricing:
- Coffee infused eye cream $9.00
- Soap $4.00 -$8.00
- Aluminum free deodorant $7.00
- Cuticle balm $6.00-$10.00
- Lip balm $3.5-$6.00
Contact Info:
- Email: bettina7632@gmail.com
- Instagram: @avenuebapothecary
- Facebook: Avenue B Apothecary
