My family moved to America from Kyrgyzstan when I was seven years old. Growing up, my mom cooked traditional cuisine from our Slavic culture, even after we moved. Liver pate, fried liver with onions served over rice, and soup with organ meats were common dishes at our house. My mom also tended to a huge garden and livestock; we had our own chickens, and sheep and goats for milk and meat. When it came to herbs, my mom made her own tinctures for medicine. That lifestyle was very normal for me. 

However, once I hit my teen years, I noticed how different I was from my school friends. I told myself that I would never labor in the kitchen and garden all day like my mom. Slowly, I began adopting the American standard diet. My college years consisted of me eating low fat foods, having coffee for breakfast, a small salad or cup of noodles for lunch, and drinking tea for dinner. You would think that I would be skinny eating that way, but I constantly struggled to maintain a constant healthy weight. Around the same time, I started experiencing IBS and an increased amount of allergic reactions to commonly used products such as laundry soap, mascara, lotions, medications ect... I constantly struggled with seasonal allergies followed by recurrent sinus infections.  These recurring issues prompted me to slowly begin detoxing my skin by switching the products that I used daily to non-toxic swaps. 

It was during this time that I started going on short-term mission trips to Ghana, Africa. I was in awe of how hard women in Ghana work to provide for and nourish their families. I also discovered Ghana’s gem, shea butter, and its amazing moisturizing properties. I began making my own Shea butter lotions and gifting them to family and friends. During one of those trips I had an idea to start a skincare company using shea butter, which is produced primarily in Western Africa, to help support these women. That idea sat dormant for a while. 

Fast forward a couple years and my health journey brought me here- to an ancestral and whole/real foods approach to nourish myself and my family. I found myself adopting my mom’s way of living, something that I thought I would never do. I no longer struggle with IBS and my allergic reactions are non-existent. Having children further prompted me to read ingredient labels and use herbs to maintain good health and herbs for medicine. That’s how SunGarden Blends was born, from a desire to nourish my family. These are products we use and love. I hope that by sharing a little piece of our home, that you too would crave to make changes for the whole well-being of your family. 

With love,

Olia