Welcome to the back alley, a place where under-served communities have traditionally gone when the medical complex has failed them — and few populations have been more neglected than trans and disabled folx.

Back Alley Botanicals is a dream almost ten years in the making, a project that has slowly grown from my own needs around skincare and HRT support to providing herbal products to my community members with chronic pain.

These herbal aids have been created by us, for us, to help us find more independence and freedom in our daily lives. Whether you deal with chronic pain or are in the throes of second puberty, our products are here to boost you through.

Our Ethics

I believe in reciprocity with the land and in sustainable farming techniques. Practically, this means that the ingredients I use are certified organic, organically grown, or responsibly wildcrafted, and my packaging is recyclable. I use a local-first ethos when sourcing: If I cannot grow enough of an herb myself, I attempt to source it locally from small farms before I reach out to larger suppliers.

As a person of Western European decent, who is living on stolen indigenous land in a country that systemically oppresses people of color, I wish to provide reparations on behalf of myself and my ancestors. As well as sourcing herbs from indigenous and BIPOC farmers, Back Alley is committed to giving 10% of profits to local organizations including NAYA Family Center and Black Food Sovereignty Coalition.

A note on wildcrafted herbs: The term “wildcrafted” generally denotes a plant that has been harvested from the wild. While I am an avid forager, my preference is to grow these plants in my own garden instead of taking them from the forest. This way, I can rewild my own space while also carefully monitoring the plant population — especially in the case of endangered or over-harvested plants. All of the Pacific bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa) and Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) used in our products are lovingly grown in my own garden.