Brooklyn Herborium Brand Story — What’s Truly Essential for Skin and for Life
What is Brooklyn Herborium?
Brooklyn Herborium is a natural skincare brand born in Brooklyn, New York. Guided by the simple philosophy of “only what the skin truly needs, only as much as it needs”, the brand offers handcrafted skincare rooted in plants and natural ingredients, proposing a lifestyle that nurtures both body and mind.
Founders
Brooklyn Herborium began with the encounter of two women:
Molly
With a background in art and graphic design, Molly began handcrafting natural cleaning products and baby care items after becoming a mother. Her vision of creating safe and beautiful things for her family helped shape the brand’s world.
Ema
An experienced esthetician, Ema developed and shared skincare rooted in Chinese medicine, as well as her own unique skincare line. With deep knowledge of skin and body, she has trained many estheticians through her facials, treatments, and education.
The meeting of these two women marked the beginning of Brooklyn Herborium.
A Meeting at a Yoga Class
The story began about 15 years ago at a class called Mama Baby Yoga in Brooklyn. While practicing yoga and watching their children play freely, Molly and Ema met and naturally grew closer.
At that time, Ema was continuing her skincare work from home, while Molly was handcrafting natural products for her family. One day, during a walk with their babies, Molly made a suggestion:
"Why don’t we combine your skincare knowledge with my craft and design, and start a business together?"
From this simple yet heartfelt idea, Brooklyn Herborium was born.
From a Small Shop on Columbia Street
The very first base of Brooklyn Herborium was a small storefront on Columbia Street in Brooklyn. The space was modest, and in the beginning, they offered only small batches of handcrafted skincare products. Word-of-mouth soon spread, and the shop expanded into a larger workshop and retail space. Today, in addition to selling products, Brooklyn Herborium also offers facials, therapies, sound healing, and a place where people can learn about skincare and natural remedies.
The Simple Philosophy of Brooklyn Herborium
At the heart of Brooklyn Herborium lies a very simple philosophy: “Only what the skin needs, and only as much as it needs.”
For example, one of their signature approaches is a simple yet effective moisturizing method that combines oil with a mineral mist. They deliberately avoid preservatives and instead focus on treatments that draw out the skin’s natural strength.
Their message to customers has always been “less is more, and more natural.” Rather than chasing mass production or sales-driven thinking, Brooklyn Herborium is dedicated to delivering only what is truly necessary. This, they believe, is the essence of who they are.
Handcraft and Community
Every Brooklyn Herborium product is carefully handmade, together with their team known as the Herbal Crafters. Each item carries the warmth of human touch and the heartfelt intentions of its makers — qualities that cannot be replicated through mass production.
Beyond creating products, Brooklyn Herborium also provides apprenticeships and educational opportunities for those aspiring to become estheticians or to learn natural skincare practices. Through these efforts, they maintain deep ties with their local community.
Brooklyn Herborium is more than just a brand; it is a shared way of life.
