As featured in the Spring 2022 issue of 65° Magazine

When then-28-year-old Bonnie Jean Burns visited a girlfriend’s house in the quaint yet bustling city of Santa Cruz 12 years ago, what she saw changed the trajectory of her life.

There were jars of every size, filled with herbs, bundles of green leaves hanging from the ceiling, fresh bread made from scratch, and homemade kombucha fermenting on the counter—and that was just in the kitchen.

Up to that day, Burns’ lifestyle had been very different from her friend’s. At the age of 18, Burns had yet to taste an avocado and was a self-proclaimed picky eater. She grew up with a strong distaste for vegetables and fish, instead opting for TV dinners and fast food. But when she entered that kitchen, something within her changed. The colorful, natural foods surrounding her made her want to be able to eat anything and everything. “It sparked this deep passion in me that felt very intuitive and personal,” says Burns.

She began trying new foods, taught herself how to cook, and dove into studying herbalism, the practice of herb-based medicine. Burns now lives in the Santa Cruz mountains, surrounded by nature and doing what she loves: sharing her passion for wellness with the world as a yoga instructor, massage therapist, and small-business owner. Her passion manifests itself in myriad ways. While yoga and massage therapy are two vital avenues for wellness in her life, her journey with herbalism has led her to a life of balance, which for her is what wellness is all about.

As a child, Burns was trapped in a never-ending cycle of illnesses. She ate poorly, got sick often, and, in her teen years, experienced irregular menstrual cycles. Her body was in a constant state of distress. Herbs birthed in Burns a calling that changed how she lives. She began studying their properties, purchasing a variety of herbal skincare products from local herbalists and transitioning to primarily herb-based medicines. “I started to heal myself,” she says. “It was nice to finally have more responsibility and control over my health.”

Two years ago, Burns finally invested in her dream to start her own herbalist apothecary. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, she had been working at a spa in Big Sur while running a private massage therapy business. When those jobs ended due to the shutdown, she suddenly had time to focus on things that truly brought her joy.

Having thought about attending herbal school since she was in her 20s, Burns enrolled in The Herbal Academy in April 2020, and worked on do-it- yourself projects at home, making herb-infused, crystal-filled candles that she would share on Instagram and experimenting with body butter recipes and tinctures. Her well-stocked home apothecary eventually spawned Earth Care Apothecary, the newest venture in her wellness journey.

Upon starting her company, Burns found the perfect way to share her passion for personal wellness and the earth with her community. By incorporating her personal values and what she wanted out of her own skincare products, she built a 100 percent organic, toxic-free, food-grade apothecary that she took to farmers markets all over Monterey Bay throughout 2021, eventually garnering so much interest that she launched her first website in early February 2022.

Now, Burns is able to earn money while investing in her own physical and mental health and teaching others how to do the same. In the process, she continues to grow, learn, experiment, and teach about the benefits of herbalism. “I don’t know where this journey is going to take me,” she says, “but I know herbalism will be in my life for the rest of my life.”

For more information, visit earthcareapothecary.com.