I founded Awake Organics in 2017 with a simple aim: to earn some income while staying home to raise my children.

I'm very proud of my legacy as part of three generations of homesteaders on the Saskatchewan prairies. This is how I learned how to create basic natural products from scratch. I remember making face masks from crushed-up seeds with my mum, and my Gran pulling out jars of homemade cold cream from the fridge to soothe my sunburn.

When my daughter was born with a full head of hair in 2005, I used a baby shampoo that caused a bad reaction. I became determined to remove harsh products from my home and create healthy, gentle formulas inspired by my family traditions. I perfected my skills and formulas over several years. Then when we relocated to England in 2015, I started selling my simple products at local markets.

What began as a kitchen-table project, has now blossomed into a multi-award-winning business with thousands of customers all over the world. My children are about to leave the nest, and while I have achieved my original goal, my wholesome values have never changed. This is a family business, we use the finest natural ingredients that get results, and we still freshly make our products.

Melissa Kimbell, Founder and CEO