Meet Mary Spinelli | Apothecarius

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Spinelli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Having been raised by parents who were very label-conscious with regard to ingredients, I was taught to always read my labels. And I was guided to always purchase products that had the cleanest, most natural ingredients possible. Money was tight in my early childhood, so we practiced sustainability out of necessity more than anything else. My mother could find 100 uses for an egg carton! These tenets are the foundation of my very being, and they are naturally the foundation of Hyssop Beauty Apothecary.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Hyssop Beauty Apothecary creates gender-neutral, small batch, handcrafted skincare and beauty products using all-natural ingredients using sustainable ingredients, packaging materials & manufacturing methods. A cruelty-free company, we never test on animals.

We are unique because all of our handcrafted skin care products are 100% natural. We use no artificial colorants, no artificial fragrances, and no synthetic ingredients in our products. For example, we color our bath bombs and soaps using natural ingredients such as alkanet root, French green clay, and turmeric.

Consistency and staying true to our identity has been the key to our success. Even though we’re a small indie-brand, we take great pride in the consistency of our formulas and making sure that every product we sell fits within our brand’s identity. Are the ingredients ethically-sourced and cruelty-free? Are they 100% natural? Are the ingredients and packaging sustainable? The answers must always be yes, yes, and yes!

Unfortunately, skin care is a very unregulated space. We’ve learned along the way that many skin care companies take shortcuts by using lesser quality ingredients, or by imitating other companies’ formulas. We’ve learned that staying focused on making the best products with the highest quality ingredients always wins a customer’s loyalty.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Nutley is a small town in New Jersey. So small, in fact, that you can easily walk from one end of town to the other! (and mostly through parks!) There are so many hidden gems in our little town, though, and I love to show my best friend my favorite spots whenever she visits.

Sunday
A great way to start the week is by visiting Nutley’s weekly farmers market on Sundays. We’ll purchase fresh fruits and vegetables for the week, and sip on a fresh lemonade while we shop the various handcrafted vendors.

Monday
Mondays are a quiet day in Nutley, NJ, and many of the smaller merchants are closed. This is a great day to walk or bike through the beautiful parks in town. A relaxing day calls for an oxygen session at Bliss Oxygen Bar!

Tuesday
A day of shopping is always a fun time in Nutley! We have many small shops that sell unique items. Some of my favorites are DiLaRu Boutique, The Curious Shopper, Makeup Classes, and Seven x Seven Boutique.

Wednesday
A light and casual lunch at Pita Bowl is the perfect way chill out after a day of shopping. Pita Bowl has a cute private patio, and delicious vegan options such as vegan spanakopita. Not far from Pita Bowl is Jersey Axe House on Centre Ave, where axes may be safely thrown for fun. Afterwards, we’ll head straight up Centre Street to Cowans Public. Cowen’s has a historic, speakeasy vibe, and they create the most unique craft cocktails in Nutley. Their crispy cauliflower tacos are pretty amazing, too!

Thursday
Art day on Franklin Ave. in Nutley! We’ll start with painting some pottery at Art on the Ave. Lunch at Thai Essence will be the perfect midday break. We’ll order a delicious green curry with vegetables and tofu. Next, we’ll walk over to Pretty Handy Gift Shop and Makerspace where we can shop local handcrafted goods. We’ll continue our walk down Franklin Ave, and will have dinner at a local casual spot, Luna Woodfire Pizza. It’s a lively and casual eatery with excellent food. Afterward, we’ll end our day with a paint and sip session at Pinot’s Palette.

Friday
Friday night in Nutley presents lots of fun options. If the timing is right, we can catch a play at Nutley Little Theater. Nutley Little Theater is in a little barn tucked into the woods, but the talent is great! And it’s right down the block from several fantastic restaurants. Bella Luce is a short walk from Nutley Little Theater. Bella Luce serves authentic Italian food, and they often have live music.

Saturday
A walk through Kingsland Park will take us to the perfect photo op at Kingsland Park Waterfalls, a really beautiful view any time of year. Just beyond the falls is Kingsland Manor. Sometimes, Kingsland Manor has open house tours! We’ll finish the week with some delicious pizza from Ralph’s Pizzaria. Ralph’s has been voted the best pizza in Nutley countless times. And they’re always accommodating to special diets. They offer gluten-free pizza crust, and they’ll leave the cheese off for a vegan pizza, too.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to sustainable haus mercantile in Summit, NJ. The owner, Janette Spiezio, is a leader in the zero-waste community. I am inspired and learn from her daily!

Website: https://hyssopbeautyapothecary.com/

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