What inspired the creation of your company, and when did it start?

Qet was born because of a need ~ essentially my skin made me do it! I should also mention that my thyroid had something to do with it, too. I was suffering from skin sensitivities, Rosacea, and thyroid and hormonal swings that couldn’t be tamed. I made the decision to purge every harmful and questionable ingredient out of the bathroom. Selfishly struggling to rid my body of the topical and oral meds I was given, in early 2010 I started to research, test, and develop limited, premium, proven, plant-based raw materials. I needed to take care of the inside, and heal, nurture, and make my skin and body happy again. I noticed a change almost immediately and knew I had to share it. If we have a stellar salsa recipe, we have to share it, right?! In early 2013 we launched with over 40 products, and it’s been a love affair ever since.

What is your brand’s mission, and what causes drive you and your team?

At Qet Botanicals, we continually strive to not only find the highest quality, truly pure ingredients to start with, but it goes so much further than the drops that we weigh, blend, and marry together to formulate a finished product. We build relationships within our walls, and more importantly, with our customers. The driving force behind our team comes from our customers. They share their skin secrets with us. They share their fears with us. They share their tears of joy with us when they’ve overcome a battle they’ve been dealing with for years that shows up on their skin. Skin is a sensitive subject (literally!) and it can be frightening to jump into the unknown. Luckily, our Qet friends know that we disclose every drop we formulate, we don’t use anything pre-mixed or pre-made, and our small, fresh batches are free of the harmful ingredients so often found in even the cleanest treatments. Our testimonial page is filled with heart-felt stories and discoveries.

How is your brand socially responsible?

From the very start, we looked at each component that we touch, use, and implement, to see if there was/is a better and smarter way to do it. To limit materials, our half boxes were designed and put into use. This not only reduces materials, ink and waste, it’s all that is necessary to house our treatments. Our labels are also tree free. Because of these efforts, it has earned our brand a sustainability award for sustainable packaging. Our printed materials are made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper, we use renewable energy powered web hosting, have carbon offsets for shipping, and we’re a certified Green Business. Regarding our actual treatments and products, we’re all about nature’s bounty and proven record to heal and nourish our skin and bodies. Our raw materials, dried botanicals, healing herbs – all of this goodness is not made, it’s grown. We use organic ingredients whenever possible and work with those who practice sustainable farming, wild harvesting, and honesty.

What does your brand do to lower its ecological impact and/or promote environmental health and well-being?

Every action has a reaction, and every product, when used, has to go somewhere, doesn’t it? It’s not just about what we’re absorbing into our bodies, but it’s about what we do with the waste when we’re finished. Plastic packaging may be necessary for some items, for safety reasons, but we focus on using recyclable glass whenever possible, and the majority of our treatments are packaged in it. We’re able to re-use clean recycled and reusable materials when shipping our orders. Because we do all of our own formulating, manufacturing, filling, and shipping from our private facility from start to finish, we’re reducing our carbon footprint, employing friends within our community, and are making a difference within our walls and outside of our area to our near and far customers. We pay attention to shelf life of our active ingredients, include a freshness date on each product we make before sharing it, and because our products are anhydrous, organic whenever possible, and full of beautiful limited, proven, premium ingredients, we can avoid using harsh preservation methods that are not only harmful to our bodies, but to our environment.

Proudly, we are also a part of the EWG Verified program – every single one of our products that fits into their categories has been verified and is an approved part of this program. Manufacturing practices, preservation methods, percentages of actives, and other factors are closely scrutinized to meet their team’s high standards of truly clean and safe beauty.

Does your company perform animal testing and/or use animal-based ingredients in your products? Why or why not?

All of our products are cruelty-free. We’re huge animal lovers over here ~ with all of us, our friends, and our families that are willing and eager to try anything new that we’re developing on and working, why would we need, or want, to do any testing on little critters? Even though we’re certain that a few of our furry friends would benefit by a little botanical rub down, or some softening skin or (fur!) serum, we keep our treatments within our walls and within our human circle of friends.

We also ensure that where we get our raw materials, botanicals, and plant actives, there has been no animal testing involved. We do know that animals tend to love our products; one of our customers tells us that every time she uses our body serum on her legs, her cat loves to lick, lick, lick her legs. If you’ve ever been licked by a cat, you know how scratchy their tongues are – that might actually be considered human cruelty! 🙂

Where does your company make/manufacture your products, and why?

All of our products are our own formulations and are made in our private facility here in Wisconsin. We are responsible for our own formulating, manufacturing, filling, labeling and shipping. This is important to us. Yes, it may be faster for us to have a company step in and take over part of this routine, but just like our customers, we need to know of every drop that is being used in the formulations, as well as the quality and integrity of the ingredient itself. Our treatments are like our children… from the very first drop or petal from a single ingredient, we smell, test, measure, and blend it together to make the final formula. We spend time with each product from start to finish, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. For us it’s not just about being a brand, because we’re so much more than that. We’re the formulators and the users of our own treatments as well. We’re just as passionate about what goes into each product as what doesn’t.

Describe your design philosophy – how do you balance quality and affordability?

We spent much time doing market analysis, demographic studies, cost comparisons, and getting to feel our brand’s personality while putting the design elements together. We want affordable, quality ingredients that any one in any age range can afford. Rather than artificially inflate our prices so we would never have to experience a price change, just like our ingredients are grown, we grow with the market and reflect our prices as things change.

It’s not necessary to do this often, but it’s also not realistic to expect things not to change. Because our products are made of 100% pure ingredients, they are also very concentrated. People are always amazed at how little is need. Without any fillers, product extenders, or unnecessary fluff getting into the mix, our treatments are not only premium, top shelf products, they make sense on the pocket book for each use.

The big picture has to make sense for all of us, and it also has to allow us as a company to remain sustainable. Our focus isn’t on fancy, glitzy packaging; it’s about showing-off the celebrity ingredients on the inside.

Tell us a little about the ingredients/materials you use. Generally, why did you pick them over other options?

We’re completely and totally in love with plants and the powerful, healing nutrients that they’ve provided to the earth, the soil, the sky, the seas, and to people for all of these generations. Harvest time, wind patterns, environmental stresses – these things can change the color, natural aroma, and sometimes even the texture of an organic plant product. Synthetics remain the same… organics do not.

It’s another nuance of natural products that we love. There is a difference in quality in materials, and continually striving to find sustainable and quality ingredients matters. We also look at the shelf life of our actives. We don’t expect our Qet friends to keep their products in their refrigerators, and we make sure that at the source, the shelf life of our individual celebrity ingredients makes sense to use in our treatments.

We take pride in each ingredient and use nature’s botanicals and their proven results as our guide. As we mentioned, the goodness that comes from our botanical oils is not made, it’s grown. We love this. We use organic ingredients whenever possible and work with those who believe in the value of sustainable farming and honesty. It all matters, doesn’t it?

What are the next steps for your company?

We continue to develop, test, and listen to our customers and their needs. We continue to build relationships with our customers, and if there is a need that needs to be filled, we will certainly try to fill it. The reason we have the current selection of products that we have is because these are the items that stay with us, day-to-day, through the day. What we carry on our skin, scalp, hair, body throughout the day, trickles into our everyday lives more than we know. Why not have it as fresh and fabulous as possible? There are constant new synthetics and fancy-named items coming to market. We’re not interested in that angle. We’re sticking to the true ingredients and wholesome goodness from plants and nature that synthetics sadly try to duplicate, but can’t. There is just no comparison to the real thing.

How do you view the future of conscious consumption?

Well, just having you ask this means that people are standing up and taking notice. Years ago, this wouldn’t have been a question that would’ve ever come up. People are getting smarter, and everyone is seeing the crunch and feeling the effects of all of the world’s innovative products. Now we have to find ways to environmentally dispose of the thousands of chemicals, products, and materials that have come to market in the last 100 years.

Even some of the mass-production companies are taking steps for cleaner practices and better, biodegradable packaging materials. Does it take small efforts from larger brands, or does it take larger efforts from smaller businesses? Yes, and yes. We’re seeing both sides stand up and take notice of our environment and its fragility. Even the smallest of efforts matters. We have to continue to be educated, stewards of the land that we tread on, and aware of what we’re really giving back to the earth.

As a parting sentiment, if you could only use one word to describe your brand ethos – what would it be?

True