#68 Reclaiming Wellness As Our Birthright with Bonkosi Horn

In this episode of the Black Girl In Om Podcast, co-founder and creative director of Freedom Apothecary, Bonkosi Horn (she/her), joins BGIO founder Lauren Ash (she/they) in conversation around reclaiming self care and wellness as our birthright. Freedom Apothecary is a space that centers Black women & WOC coming together in community along their self-discovery, healing, and wellness journeys through holistic lifestyle practices and rituals. All of the products they carry are nontoxic, clean beauty, and created by women. Lauren and Bonkosi talk about offering ourselves grace as we bring further awareness and active intention to what goes on and in our bodies. While mainstream wellness conversations can get a bad rap for being only for a certain type of person, Lauren and Bon discuss how true self care is our birthright as Black women. We deserve to prioritize our experience and nurture a relationship to self. Bonkosi is here to help us along this journey, and to connect us with a network of like-minded women through Freedom Apothecary! While their physical space is in Philadelphia, you can access an abundance of clean women-founded offerings from them wherever you are through their website (FreedomApothecary.com). True wellness should be accessible to everyone because, as Bon says, “It’s a right. It’s not a luxury.”

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT

- How tapping into what she was craving positioned Bonkosi to dream up Freedom Apothecary

- Where to start when making a choice to divest from brands and products with dangerous ingredients.

- An App that helps you to choose the safest beauty and household products by allowing you to see what ingredients are in them and alerting you to which ones are toxic.

- Resources that help Lauren to feel more empowered in her choices around the products she uses

- Bonkosi’s advice for doing DIY skincare right Bon’s experience growing a brand that is centered on wellbeing specifically for women and women of color

- The process of learning to ask for help when you need it How motherhood encourages intentional prioritization and boundary-setting

Freedom Apothecary is reopening, safely and slowly the first week of April, so head over to FreedomApothecary.com to find out more about their many offerings or to book an appointment at their Blend Bar!

Keep up with Bonkosi Horn on Instagram and twitter @Bonkosi

For 20% off of Organifi’s delicious completely plant-based and low-sugar organic superfood blends, head over to Organifi.com/blackgirlinom

If you're interested in offering support to BGIO's very first physical healing space for Black women, head over to gofund.me/8de0022e