What supposedly was a long time coming, felt like an overnight cataclysm. The healthy and active person I was became drastically ill, plagued by a myriad of symptoms that never fully went away for 8 solid years. Those debilitating symptoms cut short my activities and I lost all my clients. Even eating became a battlefield, for my body seemed to reject pretty much everything except fruits. My memory started to flail, and I was experiencing tremendous body aches.  The search for a diagnosis left me with hundreds of thousands of dollars of bills, hopping from one doctor to another. None of them found what was wrong with me.
I wish nobody to feel the level of frustration and despair that I endured during those times. I later found out that my symptoms came from an undiagnosed Lyme disease.

And as I found myself abandoned by the medical system, a dear friend of mine (possibly carrying the divine message) recommended I study herbalism since she knew about my deep passion for holistic practices and healing traditions.
Although I doubted whether or not I would be physically and mentally capable to study, I pushed through and enrolled in a herbalism course. Two days in, I felt as if I belonged there. It was a grounding moment and for the first time in a long time, I felt clarity. My teacher sensed the connection too and encouraged me to keep going. I felt renewed hope and joy.  In a matter of three weeks, I started creating my blends, testing anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial medicines.
I'd take specific herbs every two hours and a couple of weeks later, my appetite came back. There's a memory that is very dear to me, with the visit of my mom from Israel. She used to cook for me to help restore my appetite but to no avail, until one day I looked at her with a smile on my face and asked jokingly "mom why are you starving me?" She burst into tears of joy and cooked me a hearty meal that I ate all up. It was the happiest moment of my life. 

 

A shift had happened and from that moment onwards, my condition improved little by little, one symptom after the other. During the process, I came to the following conclusion:

My esthetician and aromatherapy background allowed me to concoct skin treatments and products but with this added herbalism knowledge, I felt the urge to create products that would encompass all these disciplines.

I believe we cannot separate the body from the mind so my products were formulated with the intention to also provide results on the limbic system, aka our emotional brain. That's where therapeutic grade essential oils come in, in synergy with anti-inflammatory herbs, and high-quality carrier oils with a small molecular structure to penetrate easily onto the skin. That is the core of Vered Organic Botanicals. 
 

Retrospectively, I see this as a divine intervention, the universe sending me a strong message to finally create a healing process for myself, to ultimately become wiser and more resilient. It was in my destiny to reevaluate my life and change my perspective on skincare and beauty. I am not interested in tackling skin issues, I am invested in providing products that soothe and nourish the skin and mind together. 
 

When Vered Organic Botanical was released, things took off very quickly. I had to let go of my activity as a facial therapist, after 30 years of doing it with love and passion.
Vogue reached out, many magazines features ensued and I would find my products in my dream retailers.  I was living the dream in NYC, working tirelessly to match the City’s frenetic pace, until a couple of heartbreaking and soul-crushing events occured and froze my world. There was no other option than to step back and take a break. 

But as Leonard Cohen said « there’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in », and what those challenging times taught me is that I don’t have to look for the light outside if I remember the fire I have inside of me.  That spark has always been there, and I intend to to nourish it and fuel it.  It is in my nature is to share and open up. I love to serve, I relish in seeing others feeling healthier and better. Happiness is only real when shared.

Vered Organic Botanicals is my way to empower and uplift people.  

 

 

Today, I am finally in a place where I set boundaries; I found my own rhythm as opposed to trying to catch up with the fast-paced city life. I choose to connect with people based on their energy, frequency, and authenticity.
If that means fewer press features and a shorter retailer list, then so be it. I learned to recenter, thus diving deeper into my inner strength and instrincts to create and formulate. I make everything myself in my lab and I rejoice in the fact that every product is a direct creation of my mind and soul. My lab is my sancturary where I feel empowered and uplifted. The noise from the outside world is far away. When I work, this is when the light comes in.

 

My definition of success may not be the one given by Forbes and applauded in our society, but I am fine with it.

 

 “My mission is to create high-quality products with the highest frequency to improve people's overall well-being. Inhaling my products alone will give healing benefits since the aromatherapeutic benefits goes through our limbic system; our emotional brain”.

 

So far the feedback was amazing, which means everything to me. My clients’ love and loyalty is the sign of success for me, it is no longer defined by the number of retailers that carry my products.  My circle is small, I love what I do, I know who I am and I have the honor to have clients that were already with me in 2010. After the huge expansion of organic beauty, my clients’ loyalty is the ultimate gift. I vow to carry on with Vered with the same energy, authenticity, and commitment to excellence to honor their loyalty.  As a woman and as an independent entrepreneur, it is hard to open up and share my most vulnerable moments here, but Vered Organic Botanicals is not another skincare brand: it is a manifestation, an embodiment of my soul, bottled up in a beauty line. I am Vered Organic Botanicals. Every creation comes from my heart and soul and every inch of my energy is poured into my products.

 

It is my honor to share my world with you and I deeply hope my story can provide some comfort and strength to anyone feeling knocked down or on the verge of giving up in the face of adversity. Never give up hope, because we only see the present, without being aware of the greater vision and what truly lies ahead of us. 
 

As this Japanese Proverb goes “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” You got this.

We are beautifully flawed, we are vulnerable, hurt, and in pain, but we're also resilient, full of life and inner joy and energy. It's all in there, we just need to keep going to unleash those parts.


Love and light,

Vered