Meet Whitney Belford | Creator of Urban Apothecary

We had the good fortune of connecting with Whitney Belford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Whitney, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
Funny thing is, there is no end goal. The more minds I can expand to a holistic lifestyle the better. I’m constantly striving to educate people on why my skincare is not comparable to those on the supermarket shelf today. My goals and ideas are ever changing, yet still the same mission. I have no definite end goal, but I do know I want to build a legacy for folks to remember me by training their brain to know that there’s always a holistic alternative. Whether it’s, skincare, food, or medicine. There’s always something that Mother Earth can give us to heal and remain in touch with her. That’s what my company and I stand for and I’m open to where it can take me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I take my company a little farther and grow anything I can to incorporate into my products. I use dried wild flowers that grow on the farm and herbs that I grew in our garden to top soaps and make teas. Everything is made in small batches by hand to ensure quality is always consistent. I am proud to know the old ways of life and to continue to help people learn them as well.

Urban Apothecary started as a hobby and has flourished. I quickly realized if I was looking for clean, holistic skincare, so were others. I have spent many hours researching and developing to give you the best quality skincare in its most natural form.

The trial and error was the hardest. I started out with not much money to waste ingredients. Shelf stability for the lotion was also tricky. It took a while before I was comfortable putting it on the shelf to sell. the biggest lesson i’ve learned is time. Making sure i’m not rushed and everything sets up like it’s supposed to. If i’m pressed for time I usually opt to do it another day.

My brand gives the consumer a holistic alternative to skincare, and an option to opt out of harmful chemicals. My story thus far is just a snapshot, there’s so much more I want to expand and create and so many more lives I want to help.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First, I would rent my good friends logde at Rock Creek Lodge. This would give us a relaxing home base for the week. It’s a private area with ponds and decks to walk or just sit. We could make a fresh pot of coffee in the mornings and gently mosey into town. We would spend the day walking down main street El Dorado to some of the local boutiques and antique shops. We would have lunch at La casita where in my opinion has the best street tacos. Dinner and drinks at Beijng Bistro for sushi and Mai Tais. Then back out to the country for a peaceful evening watching the sun go down.

We would make a day for kayaking on Sante Fe Lake which is privately owned and has some pretty cool hiking as well. This would be more likely a picnic lunch. A charcuterie board would be my choice.

Wichita would be the next stop where we would experience a relatively new place called Grow. It combines plants and alcoholic beverages for a one of a kind experience. We would have to make a stop at The Workroom where Urban Apothecary and many other talents are featured. Dinner in old town at one of the many restaurants and nightlife.

One of my favorite things to do is breakfast and berry picking at Elderslie Farms. It’s a unique one of a kind experience. They have homemade food and goat cheese that they make in house from their own goats. Swinging back through El Dorado to visit Jillian at The Pearl. She has a small shop on her property where she makes one of a kind, hand made jewelry. Her company is called Sandcastle Jewelry. Her space is so creative and fun!

The rest of the time would be spent resting and relaxing at Rock Creek Lodge. Everyone should experience a stay in the Flint Hills!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to all of my customers who support and not only believe in me but believe in my products and my mission. To every single author out there writing books to educate the reader on self healing, plant identification, canning, making herbal medicine etc. We need you to help keep the holistic lifestyle alive. To my husband to encourages me and pushes me to continue to grow.

Website: www.urbanapothecaryks.com

Instagram: @urbanapothecaryks

Image Credits
Professional images taken by The Studio, El Dorado