Say hello to Om Organics: a clean skincare brand handcrafting accessible, effective, and natural products in Invermere, B.C. Made with herbal ingredients at high concentrations that actually work for all skin types, Om Organics’ products are gentle, all-natural and made with the highest-quality plants and herbs recognized for their potency and efficacy (think Marula Oil, Blue Tansy Oil, Gotu Kola Extract, Schisandra Extract and more). And the brand’s origin story is just as good as its products; we chatted with founder Kari Asselin to learn more. —Noa Nichol
Hi Kari! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.
I’m a busy mom of two and the founder of Om Organics—a pure, potent and totally clean skincare brand. As a busy founder and mom, I’m all in on growing my young family and business, often working late into the night in order to balance it all. When I’m not at Om’s apothecary, formulating new all-natural skincare products, or preparing pitches for major retailers, you can find me spending time with my two children and husband, soaking up British Columbia’s beautiful natural landscape.
When and why did you launch Om Organics? What niche were/are you aiming to fill?
Having been an aesthetician for over a decade, I had access to some of the “best” skincare on the market. Yet I couldn’t seem to manage my own skin challenges: sensitive, reactive and breakout prone skin. I started creating plant-based formulations in 2012 and saw incredible results. I knew I was on to something big! Pure, potent and totally clean skincare that could target anyone’s unique skin concerns. I quit my job, maxed out my credit cards and began a three-year, intensive journey into the world of natural cosmetics. By 2014 I was selling out of my natural skincare products at the local farmers market and by 2016, Om was incorporated,and we opened our apothecary in downtown Invermere. Present day, we’re stocked across Canada in over 120 retailers, available in Indigo and are rapidly expanding. Yet our objective to bring accessible and all-natural formulations to households across North America remains unwavering.
What products do you currently offer, and what makes them unique?
My vision was to craft a line of all-natural skincare products that were effective and could address any skin type or concern. Om Organics has a full range of skincare products that are customizable and buildable. We also have a robust body care line that’s filled with luxurious formulations and well-loved products, in our signature Om scents. All of our products are jam-packed with active, all-natural ingredients meaning you get all of the good stuff, at an accessible price point! Did we mention they’re CertClean certified, plant-based and cruelty free?
How do you ensure your products are really suitable for all skin types?
Our range of skincare products are buildable, customizable and often multi-purpose. By leveraging powerful and natural ingredients with specific therapeutic properties, we’re able to craft formulations that perform across skin type categories and can target unique skin challenges.
What are some of your favourite ingredients to use, and why?
Where do I start?! Nature is medicine and the ingredients we use like blue tansy oil, prickly pear seed oil, marula oil and black cumin seed oil have transformational properties. For instance, blue tansy oil is derived from the blue tansy plant (also known as Moroccan chamomile) and is known for its calming effects on the skin, ability to reduce redness and fight inflammation, all while hydrating. These properties make blue tansy oil a powerhouse ingredient for dry, sensitive and blemish-prone skin. You can find blue tansy oil in products like Om’s Blue Azul Soothing Cleansing Emulsion and Clarity Purifying Concentrate.
What would you say Om’s “hero” product is? What kind of feedback have you received?
Our Coconut Dew Hyaluronic Cream is by far our best selling and #1 repurchased product! The feather-light and quick-absorbing formulation leaves skin with an undeniable glow, making it a staple for hundreds of Om customers. With over 200 five-star reviews, it’s so well-loved that we even offer refills (along with a few other Om products) at our apothecary in Invermere, B.C. and wholesale it in bulk to boutiques and retailers across Canada.
What’s your personal skincare regime like?
Balancing this incredibly busy season of life means that my routine needs to be minimal, quick and effective in order to be sustainable. In the mornings, my streamlined routine starts with a warm face cloth to moisten the skin, followed by the Cucumber Tea Brightening Serum straight from the fridge. Then I apply a few spritzes of the Pink Coconut Hydrating Mist and a light layer of Youth Infusion Hydrating Face Elixir. These three products create the perfect base for my minimalist makeup routine. In the evening, I cleanse my face with Kaolin + Coconut Radiant Cleansing Balm to remove makeup. I tone with Pink Coconut Hydrating Face Mist and then I apply the Bilberry + Tacuma Antioxidant Eye Cream, followed by Om’s Youth Infusion Hydrating Face Elixir blended with a few drops of the Marula + Cactus Nourishing Face Oil. This more robust routine takes me less than 3 minutes and I wake up with great skin.
Win! A $150 Om Organics Gift Card!
Congrats Sherry N. of Ancaster, ON, who will receive a $150 Om Organics Gift Card! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadaily.ca. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.
October 25th, 2022 at 10:19 am
@inkypinkypeony You created and all natural skin care line to address all skin types ❤️
Glad to have found you!!
October 25th, 2022 at 10:51 am
My skin needs a hydration boost as it tends to be dry and sometimes itchy @lovekaiserpuppy
October 25th, 2022 at 11:14 am
My skin really needs acne treatment tho.
@linshiwei7
October 25th, 2022 at 11:50 am
Night time moisturizer
Langley
@roseaz
October 25th, 2022 at 5:12 pm
moisturizing @rosehavenca
October 25th, 2022 at 6:54 pm
I need all the moisture I can get!!! @jaders_13
October 25th, 2022 at 7:16 pm
acne treatment
@jayjayjay12331
October 25th, 2022 at 8:04 pm
My skin needs a detoxification mask now that summer is over.
@saffron.threads
October 26th, 2022 at 5:13 am
I need a rich moisturizer and wrinkle minimizer @sherylyoung
October 26th, 2022 at 9:13 am
What treatment does my skin not need right now?
@aliceltranty on IG
October 26th, 2022 at 4:13 pm
Going into the winter months, my skin will need a moisturizer and possibly even a serum for nightime repair.
@msdanieli
October 27th, 2022 at 4:31 am
My skin needs hydration now that it’s starting to get cold in Ontario ?❄️
IG: @thriftyy.ladyy
October 27th, 2022 at 1:00 pm
anti aging @maryandcedar
October 27th, 2022 at 1:26 pm
hydration! the change in weather wreaks havoc on my skin!
@rachelanncartwright
October 27th, 2022 at 2:13 pm
It could use some calming
@jan_leeu
October 27th, 2022 at 5:31 pm
Moisturing treatment
October 27th, 2022 at 5:32 pm
Oups I forgot my IG in the previous comment : @melcami1
October 28th, 2022 at 9:45 am
I need gentle hydration for my skin @sapphirerose58
October 28th, 2022 at 3:42 pm
I need some moisturizing
@amira_and_amir
October 28th, 2022 at 4:33 pm
Anti aging serum
@mmsittie
October 28th, 2022 at 9:43 pm
Moisturizing dry skin during cold weather!
IG: @juelzdinh
October 30th, 2022 at 12:14 pm
my skin needs a hydrating facial.
@604girl
October 30th, 2022 at 6:32 pm
My face needs moisture therapy constantly so dry.
@adventuresincan