The first thing I ever sold was Elderberry Syrup. I made it in my kitchen, put it in a jar, and handed it to local friends like it was the easiest thing in the world.
It wasn't. I just didn't know yet what I didn't know.
If you make herbal things and you've ever thought "I could sell this," here's what I wish somebody had sat me down and told me first. I'm not a lawyer, and the rules depend on what you make and where you live. But these are the questions you need to ask before your first sale, not after.
1. What you say about it decides what it is.
This one surprised me the most. In the U.S., the same jar of salve can be a cosmetic or a drug depending on the words you put next to it. "Softens dry hands" is cosmetic language. "Heals eczema" is a drug claim, and drugs have a whole different set of rules.
So the first habit to build is watching your words: on your label, in your captions, everywhere. Talk about what your product is and how it feels. Let your customers tell their own stories.
2. "Natural" doesn't mean shelf-stable.
Anything with water in it, like a lotion, a cream or a spray, can grow things you can't see. Oils and butters with no water behave very differently. Before you sell something, know which kind you're making and what it needs to stay safe on someone's bathroom shelf for months, not just on yours for a week.
3. Your label has a job.
Ingredients listed from the most to the least, your business name, how much is in the container, and how to use it safely. A pretty label that leaves those out isn't finished. There's also a newer federal law for cosmetics, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act. Very small businesses are exempt from some of it, but not all. Look it up for your own situation before you launch.
4. Price for the weeks, not the minutes.
This is where most of us undercharge. An infused oil can sit for weeks before it becomes anything. Your price has to cover the herbs, the oil, the jar, the label, the shipping box, the fees, your hours, and the time that batch sits there taking up a shelf. If you only count the ingredients, you're paying your customers to buy from you.
5. Start with one thing you can make well every time.
Not twelve products. One you can repeat, batch after batch, that comes out the same. Consistency is what turns a first sale into a second one.
My first "category" was elderberry. After I mastered the syrup, I created DIY kits and then an elderberry tincture. It was all elderberry just in different forms.
If you want the whole lesson
I recorded a full lesson on exactly this for Daughters of Eve School of Herbalism, a Christian herbalism school started by Amber at Grace Walk Farm. I'm one of their mentors. My lesson is the business side: claims, shelf life, labeling and pricing. It's the stuff I learned the hard way.
Founding pricing runs through October 31. [Look at the course]
I'm an affiliate for Daughters of Eve and earn a commission if you enroll through my link, at no extra cost to you.
And if you just want to see what all of this looks like in real life, everything in my shop is made in small batches right here on our farm: [Shop Misty Creek Acres]