American women spend an average of $600 each year on beauty products. Most of these have been marketed to us as ‘luxurious’ and ‘pampering’–but even high-end products that you find at places like Neiman Marcus are made in a factory using all kinds of synthetic chemicals. Really, what is luxurious about that? In contrast, consider the small, independent company A Natural High, owned and operated by Valkyrie Lang.
Lang boasts an impressive list of credentials, including formal training at the Pacific Northwest Herbal Symposium, the Breitenbush Herbal Conference, Northwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and an apprenticeship with herbalist Colette Gardiner. She also graduated from the Australasian College of Health Sciences in 2003 with a certificate in Homeonotanical Therapy.
A Natural High was founded in 2000 with an investment of only $2000. The line features over 100 different premium, personally formulated therapeutic body care items, natural products and herbal extracts which are sold online and at select boutiques and health food retailers.
I had a chance to ask Val a few questions about her company and the amazing products she’s created:
What is the #1 reason your customers keep coming back for your products?
Although the quality of my products keep my customers happy, let’s face it, there are lots of great bodycare products out there. My customers keep coming back for a very simple reason: They trust me. My customers have either met me in person, talked to me personally on the phone, or been referred to me by another ecstatic customer. I don’t get a lot of “drive-by” web traffic. And when I do, I truly believe they take a chance and order from me because they can tell from my website that I am FOR REAL. I offer natural, handcrafted products with great ingredients. Typically, I don’t refer to my “customers” by that name. They are all part of the A Natural High“family” because once someone buys from me, they come back 90% of the time and by again. I have relationships with my customers and although I have not met them all– I have many people I talk to on the phone once a year (and they have been ordering from me for 5 or 6 years)– I recognize their name, or their voice, or remember what they ordered last time- they are like friends to me.
What are your personal favorite products?
If I was stranded on a desert island, I could not live a day without my Intensive Skin Treatment or one of my lip treatments/balms. The Anti-Aging and Facial Firming Serum is also another personal fav that has taken about 5 years off my face!
What do you tell people when they ask about the difference between ANH and regular drugstore products?
There are MANY differences between my products and what someone could buy at Walgreen’s. Firstly, my products are handcrafted in microbatches. What that means is that all products are made by a real person, mixing it up by hand, just like a chef would do. Secondly, I have personally formulated all but 2 of my products– I started formulating in 1995 and it’s an art. More intuition and creativity than science, but chemistry does play a part. Thirdly, I have sourced the globe for the highest quality ingredients and try to buy organic when I can. As a small manufacturer, I can buy the higher grades whereas a huge company has to buy commercial grade ingredients due to quantity and price points. Lastly, anyone can email or call me directly and ask me anything about a product- the ingredients, how it’s made, why I choose certain essential oils, if it’s indictated for their situation. My ANH “family” likes that! And if someone is not happy for any reason, they can let me know and I can make it right. Try to do that at Walgreen’s!
What makes ANH sustainable as a whole company?
I have been blessed to be celebrating my 10 year anniversary in a few months. If it wasn’t sustainable, I wouldn’t still be doing it- I would have crashed and burned by now. However, I will say that I stepped back about a year and a half ago because I was burning the candle at both ends. As an entrepreneur, I have always given 110%, but after having a baby it became too much for a while. My daughter was born on a Tuesday, and I was back at the market selling my goods on Saturday, after being in labor for 27 hours. At the time, I didn’t think anything much of bringing a 4 day old baby with me and breastfeeding her between customers, but now I look back and think I may have been a little crazy! My daughter was known as the “market baby” at the 2 markets I was doing, she came with me the first 2 years of her life and now she tries to sell product at the ripe age of 5! ANH is going through another transition right now and when it emerges, it will be a even more evolved, sustainable company.
