“Be good to your skin, you’ll wear it every day for the rest of your life” – Renee Rouleau

Red Antler Apothecary saved my skin. I’ll say it again… Red Antler Apothecary saved my skin. Dramatic right? Well for years I had suffered with rosacea and one fateful day I walked into Red Antler, picked up some soaps and the rest is history. And finally, after all these years I am writing about some of my favorite people in Lowell. People who care about you, your well-being, and  what’s at the very core of your issue. Whats even better is that as good as they are at making soap, there are a million and one other things you can do at their shop and that is what I am here to talk to you about today.

Rachel and Rick, co-owners of Red Antler are a husband and wife team. They are both incredible people who really love what they do and work hard to create a space where everyone is welcome. They also work individually with you to try and make sure you have what you need for your well-being. Most of the time me and Roosevelt when we go in to pick up our soaps, we also stop and chit chat with Rick and Rachel if they are around. It is always fun conversation. Over the years they have built up an amazing team around them, all who have an incredibly important part to play in the daily running of their store. Almost 5 years ago their store started out less than half the size it is today. In it they sold their soaps, house cleaners, herbs and more. Expanding to who and what they are today with two locations ( one in Salem, MA), they just tripled in size and added new, exciting areas of the shop like their new Herbal tea bar.

So what can you do at Red Antler Apothecary? The list seems endless. As I chatted with Rachel last time I was there going over what we were going to collaborate on for this post, I was taken aback at all the things that actually go on there on a daily basis. I mean I’ve been going for so many years and didn’t know all these things. I mean HOW did I not know? It was great learning even more about what they do and how you can incorporate into your daily life. I want to paint you a picture today, one in which when you see the finished product you’ll head on oever to Mill No. 5 and explore Red Antler yourself.

I want to paint you a picture, of all the things you can do at Red Antler

So lets walk into Red Antler and talk about everything you can do and learn. When you first walk in, you see to your left and in front of you the Herbal tea area. This is where you can stop to grab some immune boosting tea. Then you can walk a little further in and start exploring their shelves and goodies. After walking in if you go to the right all the way you are in an entirely new area. This has their soaps, shaving accessories, house cleaners, walls of herbs and more. Want some more details? Keep reading 🙂

Love this wall of bags

Some of the other items to purchase

Shaving tools

• Pick up raw ingredients

What does this even mean right? Well you can go pick up herbs, oils etc and use them to create your own mixes. For example they sell liquid soap for cleaning, or hand washing right? Well you can get some oils and infuse those items. They have over 300 herbal varietals and over 60 essential oils. Many if not most are sourced locally or foraged, otherwise the rest is bought organic, fair trade. How’s that for variety?

• Consult with an herbalist

Yes that’s right. Herbalists on site to help you with all your needs. From teas to learning about an herb you’ve never heard about they are their to help you out. Expect incredibly knowledgeable people who pretty much have an answer to everything I have ever brought up.

• Tea tasting

Their newest venture is a full herbal tea bar. It is pretty cool. When I went I tried three different teas, all for different things. Whether its for boosting your immune system (hello we live in New England, all the immune boosting needed) or an anti anxiety tea they probably have at least one thing you will love. Some of the tea blends are tried are below.

• • Nutritive Red | Daily blend, hibiscus gives it its color and tartness. Daily immune boosting, a large dose of nutrition
  • Nutritive Green | Not your momma’s green tea. Daily herbal tea, minerals, milky oats & nettle. Adaptogenic Holy Basil
  • Anti-Anxiety Daily | nutritive properties, relaxes you, keeps you cool headed

All the tea please

That honey though!!

Splish, splash I was taking a bath…

Some of their other teas that I didn’t try are as follows:

• • Daily Allergy support tea
  • Chaga Chai
  • Golden Milk ( YUM cant wait to try, one of my favorites.)
  • Cava cava

Along with their teas, at the same counter you can get shots of elderberry syrup, oxymel immune boosters, candied burdock root and more. I tried burdock root for the first time and it was so interesting. GO immediately.

• You can buy soap

Well I already raved about the soap right? Well here I go again. Some of our personal favorites are the Milf & Honey or the Black Magic Animal. Both have been wonderful for our daily skincare routines. The Milf & Honey has this beautiful smell and lather. Makes my skin super soft. The Black Magic Animal is a little stronger, but good for skin woes. I have tried many other soaps of course as well. Some leave you relaxed others leave you ready for the day. They create and concoct so many different, wonderful soaps that often I wonder if I should just buy every single one and have them in my house always haha.

All purpose liquid soap

• You can enroll in classes

Yes, you read that right. In the new year they will be offering classes on how to make soap and a variety of other things. They have offered them before but with all the transition they have been going through they wanted to wait to do them again. Go, learn something new. It’s the way of the Maven 🙂

• Enroll in a “sudscription”

This is exactly what it sounds like. Its a subscription to receive soap on your doorstep. Sometimes even soap they don’t have in store ( shhh that’s a secret). Exclusive, special soaps that are handpicked for you. What could be better??

• You buy books

Yes, they have books on herbalism, and you can learn so much about doing things yourself, picking up ingredients and more. It is cool to peruse the bookshelf and see what you can learn.

Being the Maven has introduced me to so many areas in local business that I may have never ventured into if I wasn’t such an explorer but it is by stepping outside of our comfort zones that we can learn the best things in life. There is a lot to do at Red Antler Apothecary in Lowell, MA. Go lose yourself in their shop, learn something new and come out smelling like you just rolled around in a field of flowers or honey ( whatever floats your boat).

Smelling like a million bucks,

Life as a Maven

• This post was sponsored by Red Antler Apothecary, all opinions are my own as is everything else on my blog. If you have any questions please reach out.