our story
we are purveyors of thoughtful aromatics and bodycare. we don’t follow trends—we follow the seasons, the stars, and your body’s wisdom.
there’s no glamorous origin story here—just a nudge from a pal and a curious heart.
in 2008, i was asked to contribute something for the launch of a new local maker market, and my journey into soap making began. I liked the idea of creating something beautiful that was also functional. my first batch of soap was lavender eucalyptus—still a best seller today.
i’d once dropped out of high school chemistry, yet here i was—captivated by the quiet magic of blending science and art, guided by creativity and curiosity.
after crafting my first batches in the kitchen, i transitioned our basement into a makeshift studio and explored candle making while waiting for my cold process soaps to cure.
my passion for sustainability, my husband’s talent for hands-on creative solutions and our shared love of craft beer sparked the idea that made us early pioneers of the up-cycled bottle candle movement. while considering how to create a candle line that was truly unique, i literally woke up one morning with a clear vision: this abundance of beautiful bottles deserved a second life—one filled with warm light and delicious scents.
i soon moved out of the basement to make my soaps, candles and body products in-house at salty not sweet, the shop my friend built from that original craft fair idea. i loved the maker process so much i began offering soap making classes, eventually up-scaling my square footage for a a brief stint in a studio at the screw factory.
completing my first yoga teacher training in 2012 inspired the next evolution in my work. i committed to only working with natural ingredients as i began creating for my new communities of yoga practitioners and wellness seekers—balms for muscle and mind, yoga mat sprays, a chakra line rooted in subtle energies.
as my wellness practices expanded, so did my approach to formulating. i slowed down. i began to honor the unseen elements—breath, ritual, rhythm—and how they infused each product with meaning.
hi friend! i’m mkm, a cleveland-native taurean, born on earth day.
all products are handcrafted and blended with intention in a dedicated studio space by melissa klimo-major, a certified aromatherapist, engaged student of botanical body product studies, and a yoga instructor and mindfulness facilitator. mkm’s product lines are functional and simple, created to enhance a lifestyle that embraces connection between people and planet.
i spent almost twenty years on the east side of cleveland making natural goods for body & home (terra verde, the burning river candle co) and teaching social yoga events (balance & brews, the beer yogis national tours) before joining the world in the long pandemic pause in 2020. now, living and working in old brooklyn brings me back to the zipcode my dad’s family emigrated to generations ago, and my apothecary and studio space is just a long stone’s throw from the home where i spent my early childhood years.
i tend to my roots here, reviving my very first brand under the refresh of apothecary verde.
the apothecary and its studios and classroom is a space for mindful humans to slow down and connect over natural, small batch goods and practices fed to us from the earth.
welcome.
💚, mkm
apothecary verde founder, L1 certified aromatherapist, yoga alliance E-RYT-500, yoga alliance YACEP, yoga medicine therapeutic specialist
