Todos Organics – a small batch beauty brand based in Berkeley CA: Our signature product is Botanically Infused Coconut Oil for use on hair, face, and body

Hola! My name is Angel, and although I live in Berkeley CA now, I spent my childhood outdoors, picking plants/petals, poking toads, and climbing trees all by myself in rural Massachusetts (seriously, I’m an only child, and we lived in the middle of the woods). Not surprisingly, when I became a young adult I yearned for adventure, so I packed what I could carry, hopped on a train and ended up here, in Northern California.

Soon after arriving, I met my would-be husband- salsa dancing of all places! My husband grew up in a completely opposite environment- Acapulco, MX. It’s a huge city, in a tropical climate, and he is one of 12 siblings! But you know what they say, opposites attract, so here we are, 15 years later, with 2 wonderful girls of our own. Even though we are from such different places, we love showing them the best of BOTH our cultures, from maple syrup to mole and everything in-between.

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, but not many role models to look up to (entrepreneurialism does not run in my family). Thankfully, I live in the SF Bay Area and small business resources/inspiration abound! I have really enjoyed connecting with the small business communities and institutions available to me. It is one of my many hopes that my girls will see this journey and the business I am building as inspiration for their own adventures and possibilities.

I have been making natural bath and body products for 7 years. I got interested in using natural products while in massage school at the National Holistic Institute in Emeryville. We learned tons about health, but one lesson that stood out for me was that what goes on your body, is just as important as what goes in. When I started reading labels, I was surprised to find chemicals, fragrances, and parabens tucked into products we were using on clients- even in high-end spas! Determined to find a solution, I started making my own products. My infused coconut oils were the most popular and useful product, so I decided to perfect the process, and that’s how Todos Organics* was born.

Todos Organics is a small batch beauty brand based in Berkeley CA. Our signature product is Botanically Infused Coconut Oil for use on hair, face, and body. A unique 8-week enfleurage process utilizing whole plant parts is how we create subtle yet sophisticated oil infusions like chai spice and vanilla rose. There is absolutely nothing added to our oils, no essential oils, fragrances, chemicals, or preservatives, and they’re packaged in recyclable glass containers. We proudly source the majority of our ingredients from Mexico, including our certified organic coconut oil (from Colima), and vanilla beans (from Veracruz).

* Todos is pronounced “toe-dose”, and it means “all”, “everything”, or sometimes “everybody” in Spanish.

Todos Organics officially launched in November 2014 after spending all summer in a business planning class at the Renaissance Entrepreneurial Center in SF. We threw caution to the wind and decided to just go for it with as much capital as we could muster. We opened a business credit card through my bank, asked family and friends for donations, and pulled the rest of the funds needed out of our own pockets.

The past 9 months has gone well, but we’re ready for the next bump up. We’ve spent some more time in marketing classes to refine our “brand vision” and need new packaging designed that reflects this (also need to add barcodes to our new packaging). We definitely need to buy larger quantities of bulk materials, and to hire a production assistant to help us gear up for the upcoming holiday season. Lastly, renewing insurance/permits/licensing and hiring a bookkeeper will keep us on track so we can stay focused on our bigger goal of being able to donate to non-profits in our community with services helping Latino families.