Meet the ladies of ˈärdər

ˈärdər botanicals is a mother/daughter owned canna-wellness brand, focusing on luxury products made exclusively for women. Co-Founders and Co-Owners, Heather and Nicole Lambert, operate their e-commerce business out of Augusta, GA. The company’s unique approach to the rising CBD market, combined with their focus on cannabis education, are great assets in bringing mainstream focus to legalization and reform efforts throughout the state.

Who is ˈärdər botanicals?

Heather – “We are a canna-wellness brand creating infused luxury products for women. Both my mom and myself are life long sufferers of endometriosis, something we sadly have in common with too many women. The pain, bloating, fatigue, etc. that accompany that condition, can range from an annoying nuisance on the best days, to totally debilitating on the worst. Searching for better treatment options is what led us to cannabis as a natural treatment alternative, and soon after we formulated our first product, Blood Magick Menstrual Relief Balm.

We chose CBD because well, we’re in Georgia, a non-legal state. Honestly, I don’t think either one of us expected the results we got. The difference in relief with CBD alone was astonishing. So much so, we made everybody we know try it, because we just couldn’t believe it ourselves. Family and friends, turned into friends of friends, and before we knew it, we had created this business that neither of us saw coming. We kept that same plan going forward with other products, choosing very intentional ingredients for very specific issues. It’s not that the products in our Blood Magick line won’t work for other ailments, or even that it won’t work on men; it’s just going to work best for period-related issues, because that’s what we created it for."

Ok so, you two work together, what’s that like?

Nicole – “We have been in the industry for 2 years now, not long by a lot of standards, but this has been the most rewarding experience of my life. After finding out personally how much CBD helped, we both just became obsessed with learning everything. Heather was fresh out of Georgia Southern University with a BS in Biology, and preparing to begin medical school when all of this started. She was home in Augusta for the summer, shadowing doctors at Medical College of Georgia, when things took a different and unexpected turn. At first I felt total panic, but that soon turned to relief when I realized that now we wouldn’t have to pay for medical school!

Seriously though, I’m so happy that we get to work together every day. She could do this without me, but I know I wouldn’t be doing it without her. We work extremely well off of each other, and Heather’s bio-medical background easily transitions into this business. At the end of the day, they both are about healing and helping people. I’m just extremely lucky that we are both passionate about the same thing, and at the same time.”

That is a bold move after so many years of preparation. Heather, can you tell us a little bit about that?

Heather - “I’ll be honest, it’s hard not to become disillusioned with the current state of medical care. It was frustrating to see patients unable to benefit from better treatment options, not because doctors don’t know how to help, but because their hands are tied, bureaucratically. It’s a dark side of medicine that I was desperately trying to find a way to stomach, but this business has given me a way to do what I feel called to do, in a way that benefits my own mental and physical wellbeing. I’m able to help people faster with incredible results; I couldn’t be happier!”

That explains the healing side of things, why the direction of luxury products?

Nicole – “We wanted to approach the CBD market by formulating products that incorporate cannabidiol as an active ingredient, rather than the primary selling point. It’s our magic ingredient, so to speak. At the moment there are still so many people who have never even heard of CBD, or have a false perception of cannabis as a whole. We want to reach those people, so we basically worked backward. We took special ingredients we already loved treating ourselves to; hand harvested salt from France for our favorite detox bath, silky smooth organic shea and mango butters for our balm, real 24k gold and crushed crystals, herbs, botanicals and fruits from around the world. What we make for ourselves, are the same products we make for you. We do this as a small way to indulge ourselves, and we wanted other women to feel pampered like that. Who says self-care has to feel medicinal? If we can deliver a beautiful package that feels like a gift, but also has the ability to enhance your overall wellness, we’ve achieved our ultimate goal.

The rest, the aesthetics, that’s just us. We’re both very detail oriented people, and care about presentation and customer experience just as much as we do a great product. When you look at our website, or get one of our packages, that’s 100% us. Our personality, our style, basically we’re just putting ourselves out there and hoping people like us, so they also connect with our brand. It’s terrifying, but has also been a great lesson in self-acceptance.”

For those that don’t know what CBD is, could you give us a crash course?

Heather - “So, CBD stands for Cannabidiol, which is one of many cannabinoids found in the Cannabis sativa plant. It’s best known for its anti-inflammatory, anxiety reducing, and even cancer fighting effects; but it really is just so much more than that. Everyday there’s increasing scientific evidence that supports CBD as being beneficial for both body and mind. Studies have even shown that many people may be suffering from cannabinoid deficiency. It’s like a vitamin, or essential nutrient. Our bodies have an endocannabinoid system. It makes sense that it would need to be maintained for ultimate health and wellness.

We took great care to ensure our products contain only the most potent, clean, domestically grown cannabidiol available on the market. It can’t be stated enough how important it is to know where your CBD comes from. You don’t want toxic pesticides, or any other bad things in something that is meant to be good for you.”

What are some of the things people can look for when selecting a CBD product?

Nicole – “Well first I would say, research! We have some great links on our website to honest, accurate information that can get you started.

Ask questions! Lots of questions!

Where do the products come from? Where do the ingredients that are in it come from? You want to know the quality. Do you want a product made with CBD Isolate from China, or one made with phytocannabinoid rich industrial hemp, sourced from an organic farm here in the US?

What part of the hemp plant was used in the formulation of the product? Was it seeds, stalks, leaves, parts, or blooms? It makes a difference!

Are they State and Federally compliant? Are they licensed and insured? You want to know that the product you’re putting in your body, is what they say it is. Right now, with no FDA mandate, it requires a bit of investigation. In this industry it’s hard work to operate legally. You jump through 20 hoops, where other businesses may have 5. You want someone who has taken the time and extra expense to insure their product for your safety. Even fully legal CBD businesses are considered high risk to banks and credit card processors, and because of this, suffer extremely inflated operating costs compared to other business types. This has prompted a staggering number of companies out there to attempt to operate with absolutely no license or insurance at all.

Last thing, lab reports. Too many out there are waiving them around as a selling point for their product. They truly can be invaluable tool, but if you don’t know how to read it, what to look for, it’s very easy to fake or misrepresent the results.”

What’s next for ˈärdər botanicals?

Nicole – “Right now our primary focus, and something we’ve really been looking forward to finally sharing, is the release of additional products within our various lines. Body Magick, Blood Magick, and Sex Magick are all getting some new and exciting additions we plan to have available very soon.

Locally, we are planning to host some evening events to talk about CBD and other wellness related topics, at Studio 285 in Evans, GA. They have an amazingly beautiful salon that transforms perfectly into a larger space for education. We’re putting a lot of work into it, and want it to be a unique and fun experience for attendees. Even though the focus is learning, it will feel less like a classroom, and more like a gathering of friends, with treats, and even some surprises. We promise it won’t be boring! We’re also planning a series of smaller evenings at Studio 285too in Atlanta as well, so that’s another location you can hopefully come and connect with us.”

Heather – “The thing we’re looking forward to most is the Oscars in February. We’ve been invited to participate in the TMG International Pre-Oscars Gifting Suite. They have a special CBD Lounge hosted by Madison 8 and MG Magazine, which will feature a few different brands in the industry; us included! We’re beyond grateful for the opportunity to display our products, and meet some amazing people. At first we were really nervous about going because we’ve never done anything like this before, and our brand is still relatively new, but we have a lot of support and encouragement; and a few friends making the journey with us.

Illustrator Karen Cairns, whose beautiful work graces everything from our website, to the artwork on our packaging, is even flying in all the way from the U.K., just to be there, and hang out with us. This will be our first face-to-face meeting, but we feel like we’ve known her forever. We’ve met so many wonderful women in such a short amount of time, and we just want to keep that momentum. Being a part of the women’s cannabis community, and not just a company that sells products has been our greatest asset by far. Everyone is always so welcoming and quick to help each other. We need more of that. A lot more.”