Indie Beauty Profile
Leyna Allred, Urb Apothecary
Simplicity is a core tenet of many botanical personal care brands. Urb Apothecary is no exception; the brand story is simple, the ingredients are simple, the product formulas are simple. Accordingly, the entrepreneur behind Urb Apothecary paints a simple picture of her brand.
Name: Leyna Allred, Founder and Owner
Indie Beauty Company: Urb Apothecary
Launched: March 2013
Headquarters: Santa Cruz, California
Cash flow: For the year ending December 2016, Urb Apothecary’s annual revenue was $250,000. And Allred takes pride in having grown the business and being profitable in the second year of operation.
Team work: 2 part-time employees
Distribution: Urb Apothecary is sold globally through our ecommerce site urbapothecary.com, etsy shop urbapothecary.etsy.com and at brick-and-mortar stockists.
Years in beauty: 4
Years at Urb Apothecary: 4
Entrepreneurial experience: I was raised in an entrepreneurial home, but this is my first owner operated company.
The business: Urb Apothecary brings the healing power of plants into daily beauty and grooming rituals, reconnecting individuals to their own natural beauty and while being mindful of their environmental impact.
The wow-factor: Every product is intentionally made in my studio in Santa Cruz. And I place the highest importance on sourcing materials from only the purest quality fair-trade, organic, and local suppliers, ensuring that each product is not only improving the life of the customer but also being socioeconomically conscious.
The customer: Female 22-40 with some disposable income, active, traveler, eco-conscious, and active on social media.
Milestone moment: Having features in Women’s Health, Marie Claire, and other popular publications.
Advice for fellow indie beauty entrepreneurs: Never doubt that you are capable. And, failure isn’t something to fear and shouldn’t be the reason you don’t move forward with your dream. You can always start again, wiser and more prepared if that does happen.
Just one: Asked about her go-to product, Allred says it’s Urb Apothecary’s Highlighting Serum.
