Hi! My name is Amanda and I'm a married mother of 2 awesome boys. We live in a beautiful, rural part of New Jersey, and always have. We've been immersed in nature our entire lives, and as adults, have really grown to appreciate how lucky we are to live where we do. There are forests, lakes, rivers, and TONS of hiking opportunities. Our little town actually backs to the Appalachian Trail, which is where my shop name stems from. My husband is an avid AT hiker and although I don't have much mileage on it to speak of, I do love spending time on our local section of the trail. 😊

So other than a love of all things nature in general, I happen to love working with herbs AND true essential oils. I incorporate BOTH in almost all of my formulations. That's different than most botanical curators. I also prefer to extract my own herbs as opposed to purchasing pre-made extracts, the same way I prefer to cook with fresh veggies and herbs, rather than frozen or dried. Quality and freshness is JUST as important in skin care as it is with your food! That's why I truly do make your item when you order it. I don't like my precious creations sitting around!

Consequently, I am VERY picky about where I source my ingredients from. I only choose small, reputable dealers for all of my ingredients and supplies. Using these tiny companies helps ensure quality AND freshness. They are all also focused on safety, and sustainability. Their values reflect ours. We won't use larger companies that don't share our values. That would go against the entire concept of this shop. In fact, some of the herbs I use, I actually grow myself using 100% Organic principles.

My entire line is made from SCRATCH, 100% by me. I love waking up in the middle of the night with an amazing idea in my head for a recipe or product. It's the most exhilarating feeling in the world!
That feeling is one of the main reasons I do this.

My husband and assistant is equally passionate. He's an artist by nature, so he helps me with graphic designs on occasion, and often with the non-skin care items we curate. He actually makes those little wood circle pieces you see in my jewelry! (Currently out of stock. Sorry!) And he doesn't have a fancy laser cutter. He does it by hand, using an old fashioned table saw with a very thin blade, not to mention very steady hands. :) We are both 100% self-taught in everything we do here. It's our passion, so we love putting in the "work" it takes.

I hope you decide to join us and become a part of the Wild Appalachian Natural Essentials family! Check back often for updates and new products. Feel free to subscribe to our occasional newsletter containing exclusive offers by emailing: WildAppalachian [!at] gardener.com. Simply put the word "subscribe" as the subject, and your name as the message! Thanks so much for checking us out!

❤️Amanda Connelly
Owner and Curator