Meet Maggie Saltiel | Social Worker & Creative, Owner of Botanical Touch

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Botanical Touch is a line of small batch, handcrafted herbal self-care products inspired by the healing powers of plants and pleasure. Botanical Touch products are femme-centric and purpose-driven, with a mission to support reconnection and reclamation of self and body. Products include an all natural lube, after-shave oil, bath soak, and yoni steam blend, and a soon-to-be -launched line of postpartum care products. Botanical Touch products are all natural, non-toxic, chemical free, paraben-free, and fragrance-free. All ingredients are organic, vegan, and fair trade/locally sourced whenever possible and include herbal ingredients intentionally selected for their medicinal properties for optimum health and healing for body and spirit. Simply put, Botanical Touch products are actually *good* for you, and believe or not, this alone sets BT apart from others in the industry. However, I’m most proud of the larger-picture mission of Botanical Touch: to combat societal messaging of shame and disconnection, to cultivate pleasure, play, and preservation of the bodies that house us, and to build community around empowerment. Botanical Touch strives to be a partner in the revolution it stands for and I get really stoked about that.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a sucker for a high-quality cocktail with fresh ingredients and live music, so Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox would be at the top of the list!! They have super good food too. There’s lots of places to see local music too- like Larimer Lounge and Cervante’s Other Side. I would take them to the Denver Art Museum and take a walk down Sante Fe Art District. US Thai would be a must. I’d then probably skirt out of town and take them on a hike with lots of trees!! Maybe a natural hot spring?!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Absolutely! My favorite part about Botanical Touch is that it was built in community with so many purpose-driven creatives, healers, practitioners, facilitators, and organizers in Denver and beyond. Botanical Touch got its start with a little table at The Coop At 1st’s Market (https://thecoopat1st.com/). The Coop at 1st became a little hub for local artisans and healers and laid the groundwork for Botanical Touch to strive to be more than just a product line or business, but a community partner. Botanical Touch is now partnered with Denver-based Sovereign Soul Collective (https://www.sovereignsoulcollective.com/) and Warrior Womxn (https://www.warriorwomxn.com/ ) – both amazing femme empowerment collectives that offer opportunities for connection, growth, and healing in the community. Botanical Touch also partners with Denver-based psychotherapist Hannah Shoshana (https://www.hannahshoshana.com/) for an annual 4-week “pleasure and shame group” where participants can explore their relationship with pleasure and shame and develop a stronger connection with their unbridled, authentic Selves. Looking to the future, Botanical Touch is excited to be collaborating with The Smut Project (https://smutproject.com/) – a Denver-based “femme-centric, kink, and fetish based arts and culture organization” that provides art and resources that breakdown stigma in these domains. Aside from collaborations with other aligned businesses, I view Botanical Touch as an ever-evolving collaboration with its own community. For example, the after-shave oil was formulated per request from my little sister who had been using a similar but much more expensive oil from a big corporation. Friends and family have prototyped my formulas, provided feedback on packaging, and given ideas for future developments. Even the name “Botanical Touch” was born from bouncing name ideas back and forth with my housemate. Botanical Touch’s roots are humble and intimate. I like to think of it as taking self-care back into our own hands. All of these people have played a huge role in Botanical Touch becoming what it is. I have found inspiration, support, mentorship, love, encouragement, and infinite potential for collaboration from each of the above businesses. In purpose-driven/social/femme entrepreneurship, I truly believe there are no threats or competitors, only resources and partners.