We are plant people, intrigued by the scent of flowers and plants, ever curious about the natural world around us. One might say we are enthusiasts of many things, from sacred geometry and ancient technologies, to traditional herbalism and modern science, we follow the threads laid out before us. There is certainly synchronicity at play in the way that the plants present themselves to us as conduits of wisdom.

Grass and Root Apothecary was created out of the love and curiosity we have for medicinal plants. We started making products for ourselves, then friends and family. One thing led to the next and here we are today with GARA.

Our goal is first for the earth, for the well-being and health of the plants we incorporate in our creations and the ecosystems that support regenerative agricultural practices. We grow many of the herbs we use in our formulations and firmly believe that the direct connection we have with this process is essential. We source all of our ingredients directly through small, organic cultivators, and meticulously vet each ingredient for potency and purity. All of our formulations are plant-based, 100% organic and handcrafted. We do not use plastic in any of our packaging or shipping materials and do our best to eliminate any unnecessary marketing material.

In honoring our commitment to the earth, we are able to create powerful herbal compositions that we can offer to you, our community. It is our intention, above all, to maintain quality over quantity, to honor nature’s cyclical rhythm and to preserve the ancient knowledge of plant medicine.

Our philosophy is to work with the body’s natural defense and regenerative mechanisms for overall skin and body wellness. At GARA, we take a wholistic approach to personal care, choosing each ingredient with the utmost care. While acknowledging internal and external signs and signals from the skin, the body’s largest organ, we can potentially move toward recovery and homeostasis.

Each batch is seasonal, distinctive and handcrafted. We grow or ethically source all ingredients, and distill and process many of our own oils. We focus on sustainable, slow skincare and are involved in each step of the process: sowing the seeds, tending the garden, harvesting and processing herbs from our micro-farm. We also partner with other organic cultivators for more specific or unique herbs.

We utilize miron violet glass for solar infusions and distill each hydrosol in the traditional method using a copper alembic still. Many of our hydrosols are created from plants native to Southern California, and all of them are distilled of fresh plant material. We distill specifically for the hydrosol in its purest form.