Business Spotlight: Island Thyme Celebrates 20 Years

— by Madeleine Treneer —

Eliza and Chris Morris at their Island Thyme workshop

Cardamom, cucumber, jasmine, lavender and sandalwood: these are a few of the natural ingredients which are incorporated into Island Thyme’s botanically-based skin and body care products. Island Thyme soaps and salves, balms and lotions are dreamed up and produced at their Olga farm and apothecary studio by entrepreneurs Eliza and Chris Morris, who seek ingredients from around the globe to create a line of products rich in natural and beautiful scents.

Island Thyme is an Orcas Island business founded in 1996, building off Eliza’s environmental studies and experience in organic farming, and utilizing Chris’ creative skills in art, design and building expertise. Always passionate about aromatherapy and the healing properties of plants and herbs, the couple have built a thriving enterprise from a small-scale, home-based business.

Even before Island Thyme, Eliza cultivated her interest in herbs and plants. Growing up in New Hampshire, she majored in philosophy at Bryn Mawr College outside Philadelphia, then pursued an environmental studies masters degree at Evergreen State in Olympia, where she met Chris. She later studied organic agriculture and apprenticed under an herbalist on Cortez Island in Canada. She was looking for another location similar to Cortez, an island of 700 year-round residents, but a little less remote. She moved to Orcas Island in 1992 to run an organic flower farm and subsequently discovered her interest in soap-making from natural ingredients at Rainwater Farm.

Meanwhile Chris, who is also from the East Coast, moved to Orcas’ Olga community in 1993 to be with Eliza, initially using his art and design skills both in construction jobs and for Island Thyme’s production facilities. For example, the soap production is based in the original homestead farm’s chicken coop which was totally reconstructed. Now fully devoted to Island Thyme, he participates in all aspects of the business but is particularly involved in the soap production.

Island Thyme Farm, near Olga

Eliza began Island Thyme as a part-time off-season business to supplement the seasonal organic flower farm, which they had bought from Wendy Thomas. Like many island families, they supplemented their farm income with multiple part-time jobs, but when their oldest daughter was born thirteen years ago, they decided to take the leap to focusing all of Eliza’s non-maternal energies on Island Thyme.

Olga Artworks was an early key customer, as well as fairs like the Odd Fellows Christmas Bazaar and the summer Farmers’ Market on the Village Green. Later they expanded their sales outlets to the Orcas Co-op, the store at Doe Bay, the Rosario spa, the Orcas Village Store at the ferry landing, and more recently at Crow Valley Gallery. The Farmers’ Markets are particularly useful as a source of direct feedback and suggestions from customers.

Island Thyme’s products range from classic pungently scented salves and creams to unusual creations such as the Blue Heat and Red Heat healing balms, the lavender-peppermint headache stick, and the Eucalyptus-fir respiratory stick. One of their recent additions is the ginger cardamom scent, one of Chris’ favorites. They are also working on developing an all-natural baking-soda based deodorant, and possibly some candles perfumed with the same wonderful scents.

Some of the natural ingredients are essential oils, hydrosols like rose water and natural emollients such as Shea butter and jojoba oil. Ingredients such as these are sourced from all around the world as well as from their garden. For instance, most of their lavender comes from France, some from Bulgaria, and the cedar wood comes from north Africa.

The Island Thyme products are unique compared to those of other natural herbalist beauty and skin care companies. “Our creams, like the lavender rose cream and the calendula cream, are beeswax-based emulsions, which is not common among most companies, because it is hard to achieve,” Eliza says.  “You are not going to find a natural sandalwood lotion lying around, because it is expensive. The legitimate sandalwood comes from Australia,” Chris says. Island Thyme has unusual scent combinations with recipes formulated from raw ingredients alone, unlike many competitors.

On the soap production line

The couple try to offer a wide range of vibrant and attractive color mixes for the soaps. They achieve this using natural dyes such as alkanet root which is used to obtain a soft rich mauve shade found in some of their soaps. “It is not easy to get the right consistency for soap, and the right proportions in the process, as some ingredients thicken more quickly than others. There is a balance; it should turn out more like pancake batter, not like playdoh,” Chris says.

In the future, Island Thyme plans to try to reach out beyond the San Juan Islands to achieve a regional presence. They also plan to organize monthly summer tours of their farm and garden, with perhaps classes on the horizon.

For more information about the imaginative and addicting products created by the entrepreneurs behind Island Thyme as well as their personal story, visit their website, islandthyme.com Interaction with customers is welcomed by the founders.