Our Roots

Coming from a family steeped in the tradition of farming and gardening, my mother knew the name of every flower, and my father knew the name of every grass type and weed.

I loved all plants, especially the beautiful dandelions. Yes, you read that correctly; I love weeds! Even from the early days of my childhood, such appreciation of all plant types contributed to my philosophy that flowers and weeds are Nature’s helpers to aid and heal us.

My father taught agriculture at the local high school. I spent my summers learning from him the ways of the natural world. Dad gave me the famous leather bound book entitled “100 Things for Boys to Do”. The chapter that immediately captured my heart was “Extraction of Perfume from Flowers”.

I grew up in the beautiful, small town of Weiser, Idaho. One of my favorite pastimes was visiting a local pharmacy on the main street of town. I am forever grateful to our old pharmacist, who would let me search the wooden shelves in the back of his pharmacy looking for perfume and soap making supplies. He took the time to answer my questions and custom ordered my first gallon of glycerin. I was blessed to be raised around a group of people who, even if they didn’t know you, would take the time to help in mentor. I know this is one of the reasons we are still inspired to support hometown businesses today.

Each spring the ladies from our neighborhood allowed me ‘Violet picking privileges’. After three weeks of gathering violets from all over the valley, there I stood with my precious vial of violet perfume. It would be untrue if I told you it smelled of beautiful violets, for in reality, it more closely resembled rubbing alcohol and traces of Bertolli olive oil.

As a young adult I spent several years traveling through Europe, living the life of an artist. Renovating old living spaces and painting mythological Cretin and Atlantean history, much of my time was spent studying art history and techniques, while learning how to make painting supplies from scratch. Researching a shampoo and glycerin soap project, I ventured to the Monasteraki area of Athens, near the famous spice market, known to house perfumer’s workshops.  This is where I found my calling. I proceeded to write a list of every job I loved or thought was interesting. The epiphany of my next calling came from this list.

Equipped with my experience in botany, extracting, and creating exquisite fragrances, I moved back to Idaho in 1984 to start Camille Beckman. Within a few years I had hired 25 women to help gather weeds and baby’s breath, which were dried in a barn and woven into delicate, charming wreaths and sold to local florists. Our business consisted mainly of the creation and distribution of dried flower wreaths, potpourri, silk roses and lace gift items.

In 1989 I gave birth to my daughter, Roshan Jihan, and rekindled my childhood love of making soaps and lotions. These soon became the bulk of our work as our body products began to help the lives of all who tried them. I have always attributed their transformative results to the quality, wholesome ingredients we use and the loving intent through which they are made.

From our signature Glycerine Hand Therapy, which is a modern rendition of my Aunt Rose’s kitchen cream, to our NEW Everyday and Women’s Wellness collections, each Camille Beckman product and collection is a reflection of our never ending journey of learning. I am grateful to continue learning the ways of Mother Nature with my daughter Roshan, who now works with me and continues to help me grow my understanding and connection in the same way I taught her. As we continue to deepen this knowledge together, we look forward to bringing you new products and ways to use her goodness to support our lives. For all things we are eternally grateful.

Susan Camille Beckman Roghani