Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Osorio Veliz.
Carla, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2016, I was working for a non-profit. Basically, I had a 9am-5pm job and did not feel I was able to use my creative potential. I had been involved in the East L.A. community for quite some time, organizing in different grassroots collectives, one of them The Herbal Freedom School and Jardin Abundancia.
Many of us were curious of our indigenous roots and herbalism. It was the same year I turned 30 years old, and I gifted myself a retreat in the Bay Area where I became inspired by other Womxn of Color to create and make medicine in the form of non-toxic, herbal, and with ancestral intentions.
I came back to my community in East L.A. motivated to launch myself into being more creative, and I decided to leave my 9am-5pm non-profit job to start my own creative project: Ixoq Arte.
Has it been a smooth road?
In the beginning, I would even doubt myself, of my potential capacity. I start it by reading different herbalist books and meeting with other herbalists in the community to get feedback and advice from them. This gave me more confidence and a desire to make (Do It Yourself) D.I.Y. non-toxic body care products keeping in mind my Mayan roots and learn more about traditional medicine.
Some family members and friends were skeptical of the natural ingredients, asking me, would it even work? Would it last? Is it strong enough? We have been conditioned to believe that a doctor from a medical institution has all the correct answers about our bodies when it has stripped us from learning about ourselves about what is better for every individual body.
Especially for Womxn of color, migrants, trans, queer, non-binary people who most of the time do not receive adequate medical treatment or even treatment at all. Most of us are heavily relying on our traditional ancestral knowledge to treat a scrape, burn, acne, menstrual cramps, abortions because we live under a white supremacist patriarchal system denying us from basic rights and needs.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Ixoq Arte is a D.I.Y. herbalist project with the intention to preserve ancestral traditional medicine. I focus on making natural body products that will help the community feel good and a sense of wellness and well-being. Some of my favorite products are my herbal salves from ~sweet dreams~ salve which helps with insomnia and to relax after a busy day. I also make natural deodorant creams, lotions, and body scrubs.
The natural deodorant creams were the first product I created in 2016. I do not use baking soda, instead, I use arrow root powder, coconut oil, and shea butter. Many of the products I make do not have an extensive amount of ingredients, I think that’s what is also unique because our bodies do not need too many ingredients to feel good. I also have a very special grounding spray which helps to cleanse energy and gives you aromatherapy to reduce stress and anxiety.
I am most proud of the educational component Ixoq Arte provides. In all of 2018, I was able to provide workshops on how to make your own natural deodorant cream. I partnered with my good friend Daisy Cuellar who is a tea connoisseur, and we provided a total of 8 workshops, reaching a total of 80 participants.
All of the workshops were intergenerational, from having mothers and their adolescent children participate was great to see because I know they won’t be adding aluminum to their bodies and are starting early to use alternative body care products.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Most definitely! I think we forget how much people in Los Angeles like to try new things and meet new people.
Pricing:
- 4 oz Natural Deodorant Cream $14
- 4 oz Natural Lotion Lavender Scented $16
- 2oz ~Sweet Dreams~ Salve $20
- Grounding Spray $10
- Green Tea Scrub $10
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ixoqarte.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ixoq_arte?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=1cf3lia40s5tg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ixoqarte/
Image Credit:
@bel_rodri92
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
