An Interview with Julie Clark of Province Apothecary in Toronto

Need a change in your skin care regime? Thinking of going natural? Julie Clark has the answers!

Julie started making organic beauty products out of her kitchen in New York City during her time as a costume designer and stylist. In 2010 she left NYC to study Aromatherapy, Holistic Health and Esthetics in Toronto. Province Apothecary features an individually-tailored approach to skin care. 

I met Julie in the summer and had the opportunity to have some customized products made and talk to her about her organic beauty product business http://provinceapothecary.com.

 AT: This venture started off in New York. Why were you in New York? 

JC: I was a stylist and costumer designer before becoming a holistic health practitioner and aesthetician in Toronto. I’ve always had skin issues and I started trying to make my own products while in NYC. 

 AT: The hours in your career in New York would likely have been variable, how did you find the time to experiment with natural skin care products? 

JC: I am a workaholic - I love working, researching and making products. I took a few classes in NYC and moved to Toronto because I found a great school here that taught me so much. I didn't really start making 'real' products until I moved to Toronto. While in NYC, I was completely experimenting and it was all fun - we make time for the fun things in life. 

AT: What did you feel was missing in the market and how did you meet the need? 

JC: I wanted a natural eczema cure. I had been on steroids for 25 years and it just wasn't working for me. I felt like there was a natural way of curing my eczema, but it wasn’t available! It took me 4 years to figure it out and I had so much to learn in the process. I am so happy that I can share all my knowledge with my fellow holistic aestheticians at our skincare clinic, our facial clients and customers now. We have developed an all natural, organic, pure + potent cream that heals and soothes all forms of eczema, and I couldn’t be happier about filling that need!

AT: Why the move back to Canada? 

JC: I couldn't find a program in the US that suited my needs, and I am Canadian. I was so homesick and when I moved back to Canada I was truly excited to be home. I also started the line on the premise that we would use primarily Canadian ingredients. I am a strong believer in eating locally and seasonally and I think our skincare products should reflect that as well. 

AT: Where do you source your ingredients from? 

JC: All over the world. We take the most care in sourcing our ingredients. We always start in Canada, looking for local farmers or suppliers and we build a strong relationship with them. The quality is so important to us so we do lots of testing. We also want our ingredients to be organic or wild-crafted, ethically sourced and sustainable. If we can not find a source in Canada we look to the US next and go from there, always ensuring our high standards are met. We are so fortunate to work with such incredible and passionate people!

A big part for us is also giving back to the earth. We care about our planet and the farmers that plant and harvest PA’s ingredients so we source from small farms and companies across Canada, and donate a percentage of yearly sales to the ‘Canadian Organic Growers’, ‘Canadian Honey Council’ and '1% for the Planet'.

AT: If you could give one piece of advice to those of us who know nothing about skin care, what would it be?

JC: Stop using soap on your face! Your skin is a reflection of your internal health. (Oops, that’s two, but they are both so important to me!)

AT: What are your favorite products?

JC: I love balms and oils. I have extremely dry skin so I use our Hydrating Rescue balm 10-15 times a day to keep my hands hydrated or (at times) they start cracking, I love using pure, cold pressed organic oils in all our balms and on my face... I just love layering oils and balms and feeling hydrated from the outside in!

Thanks for your time and expertise Julie!