Jackson Meets Clary Collection
Clary Collection Bath + Body Oil and All Purpose Balm — Shot Inside Sidereal Haus on Vintage Milo Baughman Leopard Print Chairs
PHOTO CREDIT: Bailey Beckstead
Clary Collection needs no introduction. Within the health and wellness space, this organic beauty brand, lauded by the likes of VOGUE and Allure, embodies strong ethos of a female led business. Embarked at the helm of soul sisters, Jen Auerbach and Adriel Denae, Clary Collection desires, “to bring the powerful, comforting, healing, calming and safe effectiveness of herbal traditions to others.”
Recently, the ladies and brand celebrated its four-year anniversary after first launching in November 2016 —out of their kitchens no less — in Nashville, Tennessee. Denae and Auerbach found comfort and kinship in being pregnant at the same time, laying the groundwork for the evolution of the brand itself and its trajectory. Fast forward to 2020, the line now encompasses everything from skincare products and balms to soaps and hair oils. Though, the All Purpose Balm and Bath + Body Oil are hero products from the very beginning within the Clary Collection range that are ideal for any Jackson native or visitor facing extreme dryness that’s known to the region. Fortunately, for anyone staying at Sidereal Haus, guests are gifted with their very own sample selections from the brand. Here, Auerbach chats with Sidereal Haus founder and longtime friend, Jessica Kaplan, on everything from babies to bath needs:
Clary Collection Co-Founder Jen Auerbach
The advent of Clary is quite special, how did it all begin?
“I moved to Nashville from NYC in 2014 and needed some friends! I love poker and southern BBQ, so I invited some soon to be new friends over. Adriel Denae, my now Clary co-founder, walked in 8.5months pregnant and beat me at the game. I later found out her grandad won a cabin on a lake beating a friend at poker. She kept that quiet...
We started talking about her struggles finding safe, clean, and easily accessible skin care during pregnancy and what she was supposed to use on her baby. Shortly after, I found out I was pregnant, so our conversations got more in-depth about clean living. Our transition into motherhood sparked many changes in us, one of which was a new awareness of the value of clean skincare products for ourselves and our families. Recognizing that the skin is the body's largest organ and that it absorbs a great deal of toxins we set out to source clean organic skincare. However, we continually came up short. The ‘organic’ market is saturated with ‘natural’ claims, but oftentimes ‘clean’ products still contain harmful components and harsh extracts.
Adriel had made a balm in her kitchen. When I told her we should start experimenting with more products focusing on the traditional craft of oil infusion, where flowers and herbs are slowly steeped in warm oil, we began to learn how to gently transfer the healing qualities of plants to nourishing oil bases. The way our great grandmothers and her grandmothers did. We formulated uncomplicated, but effective blends and learned that adding wildflower beeswax as an emulsifier transformed the infused oils into a protective balm. In the Oil and Balm, we found the solutions we’d been seeking to chronic dryness, eczema flare-ups, sensitive irritation, allergic reaction, scrapes and even bug bites while helping us cultivate a great sense of personal empowerment and creative satisfaction.”
Clary Collection’s Studio in Nashville, Tennessee
How do Adriel and you balance the business together as partners?
“Hmmm, balance! As partners you need to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. I enjoy marketing but went to 14 different schools and left at 15, so I clearly suck at math. Adriel loves numbers and logistics. I would usually be against business and friendships, but Adriel balances our relationship beautifully. I am so thankful every day I get to talk to my best friend and grow something so special together.”
One of the most important aspects of Clary, since its very beginning, is paying homage to the environment and sustainability. It's number one if your manifesto? Where did these ethos stem from?
“When sourcing our materials, we needed not to be another plastic brand. We use recyclable aluminum tins for our best selling balm and glass bottles for our oils. All of our oils and herbs are sourced ethically through certified farms. We are in the process of offering aluminum caps and stamping our products with ink to do away with labels and all plastic elements.”
Clary Collection Bath + Body Oil and All Purpose Balm — Shot at Sidereal Haus During an Early Season Snow Storm
PHOTO CREDIT: Bailey Beckstead
Can you share a bit about the design of Clary — everything from the bottles to design, packaging?
“I was renovating my home and found an old shoe polish tin from the 40’s in my basement. The font was classic and timeless. Just how we wanted Clary to be. We love the style of old medicine in apothecaries, hence choosing green glass, green beauty, and green bottles.”
Congrats on your four-year anniversary! What’s next in store for Clary down the line?
“We are about to launch our new site this week and package free Clary in the new year! We recently collaborated with Maggie Rogers for her record release gift set and have some other awesome collabs coming up next year! Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know!”
Australia is definitely a country that is ahead of the curve across all ways of life. Can you share a bit about your time spent in the country and its influence in Clary?
“I was raised between London, Thailand, and Australia growing up. Australia's beauty and agriculture has been ingrained in me. When I think of Australia, I remember my safe, clean green upbringing. That's how I want each clary user to feel.”
Why did you think partnering with Sidereal Haus would be a good idea for Clary?
“Apart from the founder being a total badass and a massive supporter of Clary since the beginning? Sidereal Haus is a beautiful, thoughtful curation in a magical surrounding. We love the thought of each guest being able to moisturize and hydrate after a long day on the slopes.”
Jackson is one of the driest places to live. Skin is destroyed on a daily basis living at that high of an altitude. How do you think the Clary customer will fare in that environment?
“As long as you have a clary balm in every bag and pocket, I think you would manage well! It's your dry hands and nose rescue remedy!”
To purchase Clary Collection, and its entire range, please check out its website here!