Let me introduce you to our new series called - 2 MINUTES WITH A MAKER. I will be presenting you makers and designers we work with, whose work we admire and stock their products in our shop. As the title suggest these will be short posts, a few questions and answers, a snippet of their work and life.

I'm starting this blog series with MOA - Magic Organic Apothecary. I love their products, especially their Green Balm which I use for dry and irritated skin, eczema and even as make up removal. It's a truly amazing product! This product comes in a larger pot but also as a set of three mini ones; perfect to keep in your handbag or give to your family or friend. 

 1. Who are you? Where are you based?

I’m Charlie, the founder of MOA, which stands for Magic Organic Apothecary.  I live in Oxfordshire with my husband and two children. I work mainly from home. We’re planning to head back down to our roots in Somerset sometime this year.

2. What do you make /create?

We create affordable natural and organic skincare, our products are very therapeutic and we don’t use bad ingredients such as petrochemicals, SLS or artificial preservatives.  Everything is made in the UK and we’re a small multi- tasking team.  Our original product, the Green Balm is a multi-purpose healing balm with a lengthy list of uses for all kinds of skin ailments. The MOA range is growing slowly but surely, taking time to make sure that each product is special.

3. What's special about your products? 

Our signature herb is the humble yarrow, used for thousands of years for its healing powers and a favourite amongst many herbalists’ due to its wealth of properties…we use this herbal extract to calm, soothe and repair. The yarrow we use is grown on an organic farm in Somerset. Our therapeutic products create a real sense of wellbeing. My background is in art and design and I draw all the illustrations by hand. I am constantly inspired and enjoy capturing the folklore and magic behind the botanical ingredients…I like to think that the finished product is something magical and special to behold!  

4. Any plans for future? 

We are looking into ways to use less plastic in our products and to make them more eco and reusable. All our future products are vegan. We are in the midst of developing new products for 2018, I wish we could bring them to life sooner, it’s a long process! I hope to make more solid plans once we are settled in Somerset.

5. 3 things about you

I was born under the cancer/leo cusp, which is called the cusp of oscillation, a conflicting mix of water and fire and so I’m a mixture of shy and extrovert, I’ve grown up with books on astrology and love anything witchy and magical. I have a couple of tattoos; one is a geometric diamond design and the other a flower outline inspired by the amazing Japanese painter Audrey Kawasaki, her work is phenominal. I would like to get more, they say it’s addictive and it must be! I come from an arty family! My late father was a professional artist, as is my mother, my late grandmother painted and my siblings are all talented artists too. My children also seem to have inherited a flair for drawing and design.

Thank you Charlie!

MOA in our shop , MOA website