Hi there!

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My name is Erika. I’m an herbalist, a photographer, a breathwork facilitator, and a forever student on a lifelong quest to learn as much as I possibly can about what supports humans in obtaining vibrant health.

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My journey began when I was around 17 years old. A dear friend of mine had introduced me to vegetarianism which soon led to an interest in all things health and wellness-including what herbs can do for the body and mind. As a teenager, I was in and out of the doctors office trying to find a remedy for excruciating menstrual cramps which was superficially tended to with birth control. I spent years on all different kinds of birth control, and while it did help with my pain levels, my menstrual cycle was anything but normal. I would bleed for 3 weeks per month (and did so for years) before finally realizing this wasn't only not normal, but not healthy. Its safe to say, I kicked birth control to the curb.

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After this, my painful periods were back in full force, my hormones were so out of alignment I would constantly be on an emotional roller coaster, I gained weight, my acne took over and I felt helpless. Since this time in my life, I have been on a journey of finding hormonal balance while easing menstrual pain that would sometimes leave me face down over the toilet, writhing in pain.

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I tried everything from heat patches to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on my uterus, and while these provided temporary relief, I would still find myself dreading the day my period would arrive. I was prescribed 1000mg ibuprofen for my pain, which only worked part time and even landed myself in the hospital after taking too much. I’m someone who respects and deeply appreciates the access we have to life-saving pharmaceuticals, but who also didn’t want to be on so many if there were alternatives and lifestyle changes that would support my body’s ability to thrive.

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It safe to say, this wasn't a long term remedy.

So, I turned to herbs. 

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Herbs are the natural form that medicine is derived from. I began searching for tea blends and simple tinctures that would help alleviate my pain, and it wasn’t until I enrolled at The Herbal Institute and began creating my own formulas that I was able to find long lasting relief. After only one month of daily consumption of my Soothe blend, I no longer felt any pain during my menstruation. In doing this for myself, I felt this was something I needed to share with others as I know I'm not the only one with this experience. Thats when Bloom Apothecary was born. 

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I started Bloom Apothecary because I believe it is my life’s work to share the information I needed when I was struggling, and to offer plant remedies to the collective in a way that resonates with people from all walks of life. My goal is to bring balance to the conversation without judgement, as someone who understands that both herbs and modern interventions have their place. What started as a personal guinea pig experiment on myself, led to herbal medicine journey and desire to bring this to the world as another option. 

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I am grateful every single day that I get to do this work, and hope to pass on the lessons that helped me reach a state of wellbeing I never thought I could achieve.

Thank you for being here with me.