Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Dyer.
Hi Molly, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began in my career by going to school to become an acupuncturist. There, my training included both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Once I entered the herbal program, I realized that I was most passionate about herbal therapy.
My father was a doctor, and I received excellent care growing up in a small town. As an adult, I became more aware of how difficult healthcare can be to navigate when providers are rushed, systems are fragmented, or care becomes so specialized that the bigger picture is missed. I know western medical care can be done well, but I found myself searching for therapies that would keep me healthy and in balance so that I only need to go to the doctor when necessary. While I deeply appreciate my medical providers, I have found that herbal therapy alone can be very powerful and prevent too many visits to the doctor.
After founding Light & Dark Acupuncture and Apothecary, I gradually discovered a passion for treating skin disorders. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing inflamed, uncomfortable skin become calm and healthy. The Herbal Skin Shop grew from this clinical work as a way to help those with skin disorders find herbal skin products that I have personally used in my practice to support skin health rather than the products they find from one-size-fits-all skincare trends.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been anything but a smooth road. I went to school for clinical herbalism and acupuncture, and even then I dreamed of owning an herbal shop. What I did not learn was how to run a retail business. I had to teach myself everything from sales tax, inventory, finances, and marketing, to shelving, website design, SEO, facility maintenance, and online sales.
When you own a small business, you are responsible for every part of the operation, and there is rarely enough time to do everything the business needs. I spent nearly ten years building the shop one small step at a time. There were financial setbacks, challenges with my space, and many lessons about how much product to purchase, what people will buy, and how to communicate why a product may help them.
By far, the biggest challenge has been finding time to run a shop while also seeing clients for up to eight hours a day. My client schedule is packed for weeks and I have such a passion to run this herbal shop that I’m still attempting to do it despite how wildly busy I am.
This challenge is one reason The Herbal Skin Shop became primarily an online shop. I developed a hybrid model that allows customers to have products shipped or to purchase the products and then schedule a local pickup time. I can offer pickup appointments during breaks in my clinical schedule, which gives local customers a chance to ask questions or see if they need anything else in my shop without requiring traditional retail hours.
I have slowly figured out how to build the shop in the spaces between seeing clients, managing my practice, maintaining the website, handling the finances, creating educational content, and more. I am in constant collaboration with the people who help me keep everything running, such as my incredible administrative assistant, my trustworthy and independent renters, my thoughtful and attentive laundry delivery man, my creative social media coordinator who has been my best friend since childhood and my hardworking bookkeeper who also teaches dance for my side business, Tappy Feet. What an incredible team I’ve established to make sure operations run smoothly.
Learning how to run an online shop while seeing clients (and also running a side business teaching adult tap dance) has required patience, creativity, and a willingness to learn from every mistake. Each challenge, each failure and each success has helped me create a business model that fits both my clinical work and my original dream of running an herbal shop.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Herbal Skin Shop?
The Herbal Skin Shop offers carefully selected herbal products for people dealing with conditions such as eczema, acne, psoriasis, rosacea, and other chronic skin concerns. What sets the shop apart is that I only carry products I stand behind because I have seen their clinical effects. I am not interested in selling products simply because they are popular or heavily promoted. I want people to have access to herbal options that are thoughtfully chosen, practical, and genuinely useful.
I am especially proud of the website. My friend and social media coordinator originally created it, and she did a beautiful job. Since then, I have continued updating it myself and taught myself how to design and customize a Shopify website so that it reflects the feeling and purpose of the brand.
I am also proud to carry products from local companies such as Björn’s Colorado Honey and Boulder Broth. Their products are exceptionally high quality and fit naturally into the holistic approach of the shop.
Education is another important part of the brand. I want customers to understand their skin well enough to make informed decisions rather than feeling influenced into buying products that may not be appropriate for them. The website includes educational information, and local customers often ask me about diet, lifestyle, and other factors that may affect their skin. I am happy to offer basic guidance, while those who need more individualized support can book a consultation with me.
Most of all, I want people to know that Traditional Chinese Herbalism has a long history of supporting skin conditions and offers powerful healing possibilities. The Herbal Skin Shop brings that tradition together with clinical experience, education, and a holistic perspective.
How do you think about happiness?
Tap dancing makes me happy. The movement, connection and laughter of a community bonding through rhythm and dance. It’s primal and it brings me so much joy. Other things that make me happy are herbs, tea, books, my pets, learning, family, deep talks with my partner, vacation, exploring with no agenda and seeing my clients heal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theherbalskinshop.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theherbalskinshop
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theherbalskinshop
