LOUSIVILLE, Ky., Aug. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- It started in Valerie Gritton's kitchen. She had a book open to the 112th page and decided she'd give the recipe a try. The book, based on homemade all-natural skin care products, had several recipes for massage oil that looked interesting to try. Based on her initial combination of ingredients, one idea turned into another and, pretty soon, she had built an entire line of luxury bath and body products infused with both all-natural ingredients and essential oils.
"It really was a happy accident," said Valerie Gritton, founder of Cleopatra's Garden. "One day I started making basic massage oils for my sister, who is a massage therapist, and everything just grew from there, and each product was inspired by something different."
For example, the body oil Nefertiti smells exotic and luxurious and draws on Valerie's impression of the ancient Egyptian Queen of the Nile herself. Meanwhile, Aphrodite goat's milk bath blends lavender and rose petals with dead sea salts, an interpretation of the Boticelli painting, The Birth of Venus. Ballers beard oil was a more serious creation and was developed in the wake of Kobe Bryant's death.
"When Kobe Bryant suddenly passed, I was in the middle of trying to figure out some scents and names for the beard oils. And I really had a desire to create a product that was reflective of those men in our lives who are really larger than life," Valerie said. "You don't have to be Kobe Bryant to mean that much to someone and/or to be that presence in someone's life, and so, it was my way of honoring him and all of the men who play that role for someone. That's really where the name came from – and so the scent merges orange and leather essential oils, along with dragon's blood, which made me think of basketball and sports, and those men who fight every day for what they believe in and who they are."
Overall, Cleopatra's Garden took several years to develop and was even shelfed for over a year in Valerie's basement as COVID-19 thwarted momentum. As a single mother, Valerie's focus had to shift to getting herself and son through lockdowns and home-based schooling. Her other communications business, P-O-P Content & Communications, also was impacted by COVID as her clients were all directly tied to the restaurant industry.
"It was like my life changed overnight, as so many others did," she said. "I was shifting away from the business I had for nine years – and actually took down the business website – just so I could focus on homeschooling and managing our day-to-day. Although I never forgot about the business in the basement; I just wasn't sure what I could do with it or even when."
After a fateful conversation while out running errands, Valerie decided it was time to move the business forward. She narrowed down the product lines and worked on the branding with help from family and friends. She went through state and local permitting processes to make products for retail and secured commercial manufacturing space at a small business incubator. She also sold her house in order to invest back into the business.
Today, Cleopatra's Garden features a line of body oils, bath oils, goat's milk baths, and beard oils. Each product is designed to help men and women (and even children), feel good about themselves and their skin.
"Cleopatra's Garden the body oil, really is the one that started it all. I made that first batch just with products I had in the kitchen and couldn't believe how beautifully scented it turned out to be. From there, I spent several months developing recipes for other products and spent a lot of time going through the process of trial and error, just to get everything the way I wanted it to smell. It's been a long journey, but I'm so glad we made it. At the end of the day, my son watched his mother start a business and I have products and a brand that I absolutely love, and are so personal to me. And I hope, to the people that use them. Everything is made by hand and I just want to hug each and every one (and trust me, I have)."
About Cleopatra's Garden ™
Cleopatra's Garden was founded in early 2019 as an experiment that turned into true joy. Built on the belief that the use of all-natural elements can nourish and nurture our skin and ourselves, each product is created by hand and uses the highest-quality, all natural ingredients and essential oils. The product lines include body oils, bath oils, goat's milk baths, and beard oils. For more information visit: http://www.cleopatrasgarden.global
Media Contact
Valerie Gritton, Cleopatra's Garden, +1 5022164670, [email protected]
SOURCE Cleopatra's Garden
Share this article