Supernatural Botanicals

She makes healthy beauty products for a living, and for fun, she discusses “all things girly” on her blog. Read all about it and see how you can join in on the fun.

Two years ago, Robin Feltner launched both her blog and her all-natural bath and body company, Supernatural Botanicals. The blog was intended to be an extension of the business, but in many ways, her business is now an extension of the blog.

“I started the blog to keep women, primarily, informed and up to date on the latest trends and information in beauty [and] health,” Feltner says. “But soon thereafter, [it] took on a life of its own.”

Since its launch, the blog has opened doors to new customers, business opportunities and higher search engine rankings. More recently, it’s given Feltner the chance to meet several big stars like Diane Keaton, Valerie Bertinelli, Patricia Heaton, Ann Compton, Helen Hunt and Tony Bourdain.

The blog initially served as an open forum for people to share their insights on her products, ideas and the emerging eco-friendly industry. The blog helps Feltner gain candid insight from customers and readers that she didn’t have access to otherwise, she says. “Anonymous comments can be brutally harsh at times, but it’s exactly what I was looking for,” she says. “I wanted an open dialog where they could express and/or request anything they wanted.”

The blog’s tag-line is “Discussions on All Things Girly,” which offers Feltner — and her readers — a wondrously wide range of topics from which to choose. Typically, you’ll find blog posts with beauty, fitness and eco-living topics, but occasionally you’ll find something else that strikes Feltner’s fancy.

“I’m passionate about being ‘green,’ so that crosses over into my writing quite a bit,” she says. “Beauty and fitness is a given on a girly blog, but interior design and events in Cincinnati have certainly had their share of time in the spotlight on my blog as well.”

Some of her favorite blog posts include: 

• “Thoughts on Business Casual”
• “For the Love of Vintage”
• “Diane Keaton in Cincinnati”

These popular topics drew a crowd, and even attracted the attention of the Smart Talk series organizers. They contacted Feltner two seasons ago to represent Cincinnati as their ambassador for their Connected Conversations series. “It’s been amazing,” she says. “And I have met some of the most incredible people in the process” — Keaton, Bertinelli, Heaton, Compton and Hunt, just to name a few.

But the star power didn’t stop there. Another group found Feltner’s blog and asked her to represent Cincinnati bloggers at the recent Tony Bourdain speaking engagement.

But the big question: Has the blog beefed up her bottom line? The answer is yes, Feltner says. “The blog has helped me reach a greater customer base,” she says. “If you are doing a random search on eco bath and body in Cincinnati, you’ll most certainly find my blog amongst the top Google searches.” A successful, updated blog is a powerful PR tool and her blog is a big reason why Google goes ga-ga for her business, she says.

The blog also helps to add value to her current customers because it invites readers into her life. “I have found that readers enjoy the experience of stepping into my workshop or kitchen to see what I’m doing via pictures I post on my blog,” she says. “I find blogging a unique way to get personal with my customers and readers. It’s important for me to interact with the readers so I can be specific about giving them exactly what they want.”

She doesn’t just interact on her own blog, though. Feltner is a self-proclaimed advocate for reading others’ blogs, too. “Being ultra-connected to each other is an advantage that we’ve never had in the past, and is especially beneficial for business owners,” she says. “Although my personal interests span from green global issues to lipsticks, I do tend to visit particular blogs regularly.”

She says she adores SavortheSuccess.com, a Web site for women entrepreneurs that offers insight into what’s working (and not working) for other women in business. Another favorite of hers is Pink Magazine, which provides inspiration and tools for women in business. She also gives props to her friend Julia’s blog, Hooked On Houses, which covers her love of houses and interiors.

In addition, Feltner belongs to a local group called Cincinnati Women Bloggers. “We are a successful group of women bloggers in the Cincinnati area, and that Web site is an incredible resource to find blogs on all things local, as blog topics vary vastly,” she says.

Last but not least (at least we don’t think so), Feltner shows some chic love. “When I want to know what’s going on in the city, Cincy Chic is positively my first stop,” she says. “I have always found that if it’s worth being known, Cincy Chic knows about it and I’ve attended many local events after learning about them on Cincy Chic.”

Visit Cincy Chic for the article.

PHOTO CREDITS
Photographer: Neysa Ruhl
Model: Robin Feltner
Location: Lofts@4120

Farmers Markets Flowers are a staple in my house every summer.  Farmers Markets have more than fruits and vegetables, they are also known for their gorgeous flowers (usually sold on the cheap).  In fact, for a well-rounded Farmers Market experience, you should leave with your hands full of fruits, veggies, herbs, breads, soaps, and, of course, gorgeous flowers.

Soapbox Cincinnati is an online magazine that I read regularly, so I was pleased as punch when they decided to feature Supernatural Botanicals as a Featured Growth Company.  A huge THANK YOU to the folks over at Soapbox Cincinnati and especially to Alyce Vilines for writing such a great article. 

The following is from the SoapboxMedia website. 

A self-proclaimed “girly-girl,” Supernatural Botanicals CEO Robin Feltner makes no apologies. If anything, she considers her feminine nature at the very center of her company’s success. In early 2008, after a lifetime of creating her own personal skincare products at home, and gifting family and friends with the same, Feltner launched Supernatural Botanicals, an eco-chic bath and body company, located in Delhi.

A combination of her passion for beauty products and her disillusionment with what was available on the market (“I didn’t want to smell like bubblegum,” she said) prompted Feltner to begin mixing her own formulas. A former pharmacy major at the University of Cincinnati, Feltner has a healthy knowledge of what is beneficial, as well as what is potentially harmful, to the skin.

“Ninety-five percent of what we put on our skin is absorbed by the body,” said Feltner, who sees no reason to use unnecessary chemicals and preservatives “with the array of organic ingredients available to us in nature.”

Feltner relies on centuries-old recipes to create her products, using pure essential oils, vitamins, high-quality beeswaxes, botanical extracts, and pure cocoa butters to produce her extensive skincare line and prides herself on adhering to green practices and principles in their manufacture.

Feltner also speaks passionately about her target market. Though the Supernatural Botanicals line has shown universal appeal, Feltner defines her targeted customer as the 25-and-older “grown, sexy woman.”

Offering a wide selection of organic body lotions, spa soaps, linen sprays, a botanical skincare system and more, the Supernatural Botanicals company has garnered popular national attention in its two short years in business. The company was recently contacted by “Everyday with Rachael Ray” magazine for a feature in an upcoming issue because of the many favorable web posts they’ve received about Supernatural Botanicals.  Consumer demand in their east-coast-to-west coast distribution has spawned the development of a soon-to-be-released hair-care line, as well as a line of men’s skincare formulas.

With business booming, the company is also quickly outgrowing its home base and they are already anticipating the need for additional employees to deal with the busy holiday season ahead.

Those are impressive problems to have for a company born in the midst of a recession. Feltner sees the economic climate as a blessing. “I wasn’t looking for instant success. In this economy, I have had to work for it and I feel a great deal of pride in that.”  It seems beauty, after all, is more than skin deep.

Writer: Alyce Vilines
Source: Supernatural Botanicals CEO Robin Feltner

Gary Chang, an archetect  in Hong Kong, has created the most amazing apartment in a space that’s about as big as most of our kitchens in the US.   Utilizing his 330 square feet to the max, he has created a sliding wall system that will just blow you mind.  What a genius mind he has for design.  Take a tour of his apartment here: 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg9qnWg9kak

So it’s May here in Cincinnati, otherwise known as zone 6, and everything in my garden and yard is starting to bloom.  It’s such a beautiful time of the year when plants are such a beautiful spring-green.  The rain has been good this season, thus far.  Here’s what’s happening in my yard.  Having luck in your yard this year? 

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Cilantro.  This gorgeous cilantro has taken root and is spreading quickly.  Good thing, because I’ll need at least a cup of this cilantro this evening for a homemade salsa I’m making.  It makes salsa and Pico de Gallo come to life with freshness.

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Parsley.  I haven’t had a chance to plant this outside yet as I’ve only had it a few days, but it looks great sitting in my kitchen windowsill.  I’d let it grow there all season, but I want it to expand.  I’m going to need a lot more than this to make Italian dishes all summer long. 

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Annabelle Hydrangeas.  These will definitely be the sweetheart of my yard when they are in bloom.  They produce enormous white flowers that are between 8-12″ wide!  They also produce lots of flowers.  Perfect if you like having vases of flowers around your house (like I do.)

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Backyard.  The perfect place to be.  I love it here.  I don’t like that all the grass is worn off under the tire swing, but you try keeping 17 neighbor kids out of your yard.  I surrendered.  They have fun, so what’s a little rough spot in your lawn at the end of the day?  There are bigger fish to fry than that.

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Flowering Cherry Blossom Tree.  I planted this about a month ago.  It accepted its chosen location very well, but I am concerned about some of the leaves…note the top right leaf has tiny holes in it, which appears to be from pests.  I will spray it with organic pest killer this weekend. 

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Dwarf Anjou Pear Tree.  Another freshly planted tree, about a month into the ground.  I cannot wait for fresh fruit! 

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Dwarf Granny Smith Apple Tree.   Planted about a month ago, it’s doing a great job of getting rooted in place.  The fruit trees will be treated organically, of course.

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Dwarf Granny Smith Apple Tree.  Up until about four days ago, I thought this tree was dead.  It has been in the ground for over a month without even a sign of life.  Luckily, I waited before I decided to pull it out of the ground.  Four days ago, I noticed these little stubs.  It’s a beautiful thing!

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Inside of composter.  Okay, brace yourself on this one.  This is the inside of my composter.  You’ll find things like a huge tree root system, coffee grounds, celery, salad, leaves, etc.  This will take almost a year to break down and turn into soil.  But think of the organic material I’ll have for next year, and all the garbage I’ll be saving from the landfills. 

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Earth Machine Composter.  This is the what the composter looks like, tucked back into the corner of my yard.  It blends right in behind a pine tree.  Best of all, I’m helping save the Earth.  Love that!

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Bartlett Pear Tree.   It won’t produce fruit this year, but when it does…yum!  Nothing like eating fruit right from the tree when it’s still warm from the sun.

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Rows of  lettuces.  This is new this year, a raised vegetable bed.  These were all planted this past Saturday from seed, and I took these pictures on Thursday evening.  Less than seven days, and they are sprouting already. 

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Raised vegetable bed.  I’m so excited to add this bed to my yard this year.  Because my yard is filled with bunnies and squirrels, growing veggies on the ground in the traditional method is pure hassle.  A raised bed is a great way to keep out pests , to assure your soil is completely organic, and it spares your back when bending over when gardening.  I have rows of designer lettuces, spinach, strawberries, and tomatoes in this bed.

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Stargazer lilies.  These were planted as bulbs, and have been in the ground for about five weeks now.  These will produce sensational Stargazer lilies throughout the summer.  Perfect for cutting and putting in vases around the house.  Gorgeous in bouquets.   Each stem will produce at least a half dozen huge flowers. 

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Rosemary.  Rosemary just screams “put me on some roasted potatoes!”  This herb will spread out and become a wonderful addition to my Mediterranean meals I make this summer.

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Garden Salsa Peppers.  The first peppers are emerging from the baby flower pods.  Last year my garden salsa pepper plant produced tons of peppers.  If they keep on producing abundantly, I have no problems making salsa every weekend!  Bring it!

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Dill.  Okay, so she’s not prettiest girl at the dance.  Dill is not a very attractive herb.  It grows eratically and in awkward shapes.  But, there’s nothing like fresh dill.  It’s superb in dips, in salads, on seafood, and on my infamous cucumber sandwiches.  Delicious when you mix it with lettuces in your salad.

Did you know that old athletic shoes can be reused?  Old shoes are used to make basketball courts, tennis courts, and running tracks.  Shoes can be recycled at your local Dick’s Sporting Goods stores. 

It’s Earth Day.  It’s an attempt to bring cognizance to taking care of the planet. 

It’s a day to recycle.  It’s a day to change your light bulbs out for more efficient ones.  It’s a day to change the filter in your air conditioner.  It’s a day to plant a tree.  It’s a day to conserve water. 

Whatever you do today, make sure you do something for the planet.  Then continue that habit tomorrow.  And then the next day.  And so on.

Been wanting to compost to reduce your garbage output, create soil for your garden, and save the planet’s eco system at the same time?  Composting can be daunting and, admittedly, make a huge mess of your backyard. 

Luckily, The Earth Machine does this for you in one contained unit.  And, what makes it even better is the deal they have worked out with Hamilton County Environmental Services.  They are offering a one day only sale on The Earth Machine for $35, (regularly $100.) 

They will have two sale locations, one at Cincinnati State Technical College and one at Princeton High School.  The sale will be on Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

If you aren’t lucky enough to live in Cincinnati, contact your county’s local environmental services and ask them about The Earth Machine.  

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwhU-KT_Iqo

The average American consumes five times more energy than the average global citizen or 10 times more than the typical Chinese.

If the typical Chinese consumer used as much oil as the average American uses, China would require 90 million barrels per day—11 million more than the entire world produced each day in 2001. 

Source:  Worldwatch Institute

Cathy Erway’s new book, The Art Of Eating, depicts her two year journey of swearing off restaurant fare.   Cathy’s blog, Not Eating Out In New York, was the inspiration for her book.  Not only did Cathy lose 10 pounds within a few months of eating in, but she cherished the act of making delicious dishes.  She says it slowed her down and lowered her stress.  Turns out, eating in is ultra-frugal as well.  Cathy says she ended up saving about $75 a week by eating in.  Not only did she learn confidence in the kitchen, but she learned she had a great deal of discipline to say no to the restaurant scene for two years.  This book is such a fun, informative read.  Highly recommended!  Think you could swear off restaurants for two years?