Company Origins
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. Oh, how times were different then. 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 a lifetime of experience gathering information on 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 ongoing new releases, 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 push me towards growing 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
The Rosebud
Our signature trademark, the hand tied rosebud, is rooted in my passion for herbs, plants and flowers. A major goal when establishing this business was to provide jobs for stay-at-Home mothers. The delicate fabric rosebuds which appear on many of our classic products are individually hand tied by someone in this highly dedicated group-a tradition still carried on to this day.
The Foundation
In the mid 90’s my husband and I started the Camille Beckman foundation with the purpose of serving the women, children and elderly of our world. To date, we have worked with over 120 organizations to build orphanages, schools, educational programs, food banks, medical missions and much more. While we must accept we cannot be all things for all people, we are passionate about doing what we can for those whom our expertise can help the most. We envision a world where women are empowered with knowledge, freedom and opportunity; where children and elders care for eachother, and where all beings realize their complete connection to the Earth and all that is.
May all beings have food to eat, clean air to breath, clean water to drink and shelter over their heads. May all beings have others to share love with and know their true purpose. May all beings be happy; may all beings be free from suffering.
Ingredients
We pride ourselves in using the very best ingredients within all of our formulations. We are known to spend years cultivating the perfect ingredients and ratios for our formulations and strive for complete transparency with our customers. Read on to learn more!
MOST USED INGREDIENTS
Glycerin
A natural lipid found in our skin, glycerin is hyper replenishing, defending against dryness and restoring the skin. Our vegetable glycerin is safely derived from plants and purchased with special attention to ensure a food safe, kosher grade product.
Sweet Almond Oil
Extracted from almond kernels, sweet almond oil is rich in Vitamin E, monounsaturated fatty acids, proteins, potassium, zinc, minerals and vitamins. A non-comedogenic oil, it is typically safe for people who suffer from oily skin and acne, providing luxurious moisture without clogging the pores or making the skin greasy.
Aloe Leaf Juice
Known in ancient Egypt as the ‘Plant of Immortality’, aloe vera is cactus plant that produces a clear gel in it’s leaves which is known to help topically heal wounds and soothe the skin. In naturopathic medicine it has a large variety of other healing properties that benefit us on the outside, inside and even within our vital organs.
Proprietary Herbal Blend
Mallow Extract: Anti-inflammatory properties for delicate, sensitive skin
Ivy Extract: Reduces inflammation, speeds up healing, soothes the body & increases oxygenation
Cucumber Fruit Extract: Hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties. Rich in vitamins, polyphenols, polysaccharides, minerals and other nutrients.
Elder Flower Extract: Anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. Rich in Vitamin A, C, B-1, B-2 and B-3
Arnica Mountain Flower Extract: Reduces sweeping & provides pain relief for dryness, bruises and sprains
Pellitory Extract: An old English secret for protecting skin against moisture loss