Be Rooted Botanicals
By Pam Nectar Gharibians and Julie Horner
When Molly Hildenbrand first moved to Santa Cruz from the East Coast in 1996, she took an herb class and learned to make salves and beeswax lip balm. Her move coincided with the passage of Prop 215, the medical marijuana initiative. Long a fan, it was natural that she would transition into the healing world of cannabis to make herbal medicine. After decades spent learning her craft through the Women’s Herbal Symposium in Laytonville and working in local health food stores, Molly saw an opportunity to create a line of topical pain relievers rivaling other offerings. “I make things that I like myself,” she said. “If I like this, other people might like this too.”
Everything came about at the right place at the right time. Hildenbrand started Be Rooted Botanicals three years ago with a topical cream that includes a proprietary blend of CBD, Arnica, St John’s wort, Helichrysum, blue tansy, and other essential oils and herbs. Handcrafted in small batches in her Felton shop and using organic full-spectrum cannabinoids, the flagship Be Rooted CBD Arnica Cream relieves pain, arthritis, inflammation, sciatica, neuropathy, as well as eczema and psoriasis. CBD is gaining notoriety for supporting healing for a number of issues including anxiety, sleeplessness, and epilepsy, among other things. The cream is absorbed very efficiently through the skin. “It’s not only about the CBD,” Hildenbrand says. “I like a full spectrum, which includes all the cannabinoids, and also other herbs that are good for whatever you are trying to accomplish. They work synergistically. So it’s about all parts of the plant, not just that plant but all the plants mixed together that make it really effective.”
This small, woman-owned family business in the Santa Cruz Mountains has a bounty of products available including Love Lotion Highway 9, CBD Better Bath crystals, and Bandits Blend Mask Spritzer (based on thieves oil and wonderfully aromatic). Be Rooted Botanicals is available in health food stores throughout California. Locally available at Aum Herbs, Wild Roots, Felton Nutrition, Mountain Feed & Farm Supply, Scarborough Ben Lomond, Mountain Spirit, Felton Mercantile, and Redwood Coast Glass. berootedbotanicals.com
Featured photo: Molly Hildenbrand at Be Rooted Botanicals in Felton
Photos by Julie Horner
The San Lorenzo Valley Post is your essential guide to life in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We're dedicated to delivering the latest news, events, and stories that matter to our community. From local government to schools, from environmental issues to the arts, we're committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased coverage. We believe in the power of community journalism and strive to be a platform for diverse voices.
