Images courtesy of Ashley Carpenter
Ashley Carpenter is an ACHS Certificate in Natural Products Manufacturing and Diploma in Aromatherapy graduate and current AAS in Complementary Alternative Medicine student, and the owner of Outlandish Remedies.
First becoming intrigued by holistic health when a friend introduced her to herbal medicine, it wasn't until her uncle was diagnosed with cancer that she became more actively interested in learning more. "I started researching things that could help him. I learned a lot about what causes cancer, and what holistically to do to that, and that’s kind of what led me down that path," Ashley says.
After her youngest child was in school, Ashley considered going back to college but had trouble finding one that accepted financial aid for natural product manufacturing. Then, she found ACHS and was very excited to see that financial aid was accepted. "I signed up to get my certification in natural products manufacturing so I could open a business making natural products," she says. She had already been making herbal salves on her own, and was ready to open a business.
Ashley opened her business, Outlandish Remedies, in September of 2018. Two years later, she recalls the process as being tough but exciting. In her online store, she offers lip balms, herbal salve, tattoo salve, aromatherapy roller balls and more. The tattoo salve came about because of an idea from a friend who was a tattoo artist. "He gave me the idea to make one in a tube so you wouldn’t have to touch it to put it on," Ashley says.
Out of all of her products, Ashley says that her favorite is the herbal salve. "It's our go-to, we use it on everything," she says. Among the ingredients are Arnica, Lavender, Calendula, Comfrey, Rosemary, and the essential oils of Rosemary, Lavender, Frankincense, and Tea Tree.
Ashley will be starting her AAS in CAM degree at ACHS in January. "I want to know more about herbal medicine as well as aromatherapy and want to be able to offer that with my business. Types of herbal extracts and other things that could also help someone if I were to do a consultation with them. But also, I want to eventually be able to make tinctures," she says.
Where did the idea for her business name come from? "Outlandish means different, or out of the norm, is kind of how I thought of it," Ashley says.
Another service that Ashley offers as part of her business is aromatherapy consultations. It's a new offering that can be done over the phone or over video call. Ashley explains what the consultation entails: "I would basically ask you what your day to day is like. And what issues you’re having and how that’s affecting your daily life, and get a feel for what you’re going through so I can offer oils that would help."
In the area of aromatherapy, Ashley also offers essential oil roller balls that support easy breathing and help ease headaches.
When the pandemic hit, it put a pause in Ashley's business plans. "It shut the farmers market and I wasn’t able to do it. We also ended up moving back to Tennessee in mid-march, so that kind of affected things too. They didn’t have anything open here and I wasn’t able to join any of the craft fairs to get me out there," Ashley says.
Although the pandemic slowed her plans, Ashley hopes to open her own brick and mortar store sometime next year. Living in a small community in Hartford, Tennessee, Ashley hopes to expand the holistic health offerings in the area and give more people access to it.
You can visit Ashley's website here, and can also follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I am the social media coordinator for the American College of Healthcare Sciences, the Institution that publishes this blog. However, all opinions are my own. This blog may contain affiliate links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. This article has not been reviewed by the FDA. Always consult with your primary care physician or naturopathic doctor before making any significant changes to your health and wellness routine.
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