Virginia-made options to help you meet your health goals this year.
Soothe
Honey Bee Soap
Tailored Touches, Richmond
Melissa Simmons comes from a long line of beekeepers, so she uses honey and beeswax in many of her products. Here, she combines five natural oils with cocoa butter, honey, beeswax, and a succulent blackberry sage fragrance for a soap that’s as nourishing as it is attractive. TailoredTouches.com
Goat’s Baa Goat’s Milk Lotion
Timberwood Farm, Rhoadesville
Barbara Johnson says concern about using products with ingredients they couldn’t pronounce led her family to develop their own line of all-natural skin care products. Their Goat’s Baa soaps and lotions use milk from their herd of Nigerian dwarf goats, which makes the soaps and lotions rich and moisturizing. TimberwoodFarmAndFiber.com
Ayurvedic Body Oils
Bright Body, Richmond
Launched last summer, Bright Body’s trio of oils are multipurpose moisturizers that can be used on your skin, scalp, and cuticles, or to massage achy joints. The three formulas are intended to warm, cool, or stimulate different skin types; they all moisturize, rejuvenate, and improve circulation. MyBrightBody.com
Healing Botanicals Coloring Book
Molly Suzanne Co., Rockingham
Molly Suzanne’s hand-drawn book illustrates plants and their health benefits in 30 custom coloring pages. She says, “My hope is that others can use this for years to come as a learning/resource guide.” She has also released Native Virginia Flowers. MollySuzanne.co
Sip
Elderberry Syrup
Hannah’s Handcrafted, Powhatan
A folk-medicine favorite, elderberry is thought to boost your immune system, tame inflammation, and reduce infections. Hannah Setzer makes her syrup with organic fruit, spices, and raw Virginia honey. Sip a spoonful every day or mix it into cocktails and tonics. Setzer recently introduced hemp-infused syrup and jelly. HandcraftedByHannah.com
Stay Healthy & Sane Wellness Tea
Wild Roots Apothecary, Sperryville
Herbalist Colleen O’Bryant uses locally or regionally grown organic herbs to craft her wellness teas, tonics, skincare products, and more. Her Stay Healthy & Sane Wellness Tea helps ward off illness while calming the nervous system. WildRootsApothecary.com
Fire Cider
Red Root & Co., Harrisonburg
A new take on a traditional recipe, this wellness tonic is made with spicy herbs, fruits, and vegetables. The concentrated extraction of plant nutrients will support your immune system, increase circulation, reduce inflammation, and break up congestion. RedRootCompany.com
Snack
Keto Bagels
Rising Sun Breads, Martinsville
Darla Main-Schneider says Keto Bagels were developed last year when numerous friends began the keto diet and couldn’t locate low-carb breads locally. The bakery makes three flavors: Sea Salt, Everything, and Jalapeño Cheddar. RisingSunBreads.com
Keto Brownies
SweetNanaCakes Bake Shoppe, Waynesboro
Known for her cakes, cookies, and macarons, Shannon Tinsley created Keto Brownies when a customer asked her to bake a low-carb dessert. The brownies, which have an avocado base, led to a whole line of keto treats. SweetNanaCakes.com
Chocolate Silk Pie
Kickshaws Gluten-Free Bakery, Fredericksburg
Kathy Paz-Craddock says her vegan and gluten-free chocolate silk pie was inspired by a challenge from her son. “It’s his way of getting me to make him new favorite desserts.” In addition to being gluten free, most of Kickshaws’ treats are vegan and free of the top allergens. KickshawsFXBG.com
Gluten-Free Empanadas
Ana’s Twist, Lorton
Ana Garcia has been making her Ecuador-inspired empanadas for three years, stuffing them with organic quinoa and locally grown vegetables. Dairy free, egg free, and gluten free, the colorful empanadas are flavored and tinted with beet juice, spinach and cilantro juice, carrot juice, and purple corn flour. AnasTwist.com
This article originally appeared in the February 2021 issue.
