The Holistic Way

NEEDLESS TO SAY, BECOMING A PARENT IS A LIFE-CHANGING experience. Co-founders of brand new, natural and herbal-based wellness product company for children called Gryph & IvyRose, supermodel Karolina Kurkova and Rachel Finger, witnessed this first-hand when they became mothers themselves. What they also uncovered, however, is that they were unable to find a natural product line that they felt really benefitted their children’s overall wellness and health, whilst also being more contemporary and luxurious. That’s when their venture, Gryph & IvyRose was born. Haute Living had the opportunity to sit down with the duo of supermoms to discuss the company, its background, what it provides and what we can expect from them in the future.

Q: Tell us a little bit about Gryph & IvyRose.

A: Gryph & IvyRose was developed by parents who experienced life-changing results with herbal applications. We created a comprehensive and preventative wellness regimen for children that focused on supporting the immune function, both inside and out. Our proprietary herbal blends include functional ingredients that have been used over thousands of years, but with a twist to meet the demands of our modern children. The bath and body products focus on supporting the skin’s natural biome, the probiotics on the gut biome and our elixirs address specific challenges like sleep, mood, digestion and overall immune support.

Q: How did parenthood affect your desire to create this company/ product line?

RF: In absolutely every way. Alternative wellness wasn’t necessarily even on my radar until I had my twins nearly three months early. They had some delays common to prematurity but I thought that there must be better and safer ways to deal with the issues we were having at the time and sought out acupuncture and herbs for the girls. After seeing incredible results in just a week, I knew that I wanted to create something to share with other parents and children and being able to partner with experts like Orion [Nevel] (the team’s co-founder/in-house herbalist), Dan [Atchison-Nevel] (the team’s in-house acupuncturist) and Stephen [Cowen] (the team’s in-house pediatrician) made it a no-brainer.

KK: For me it was really my upbringing that influenced my desire to create a company like Gryph & IvyRose. I grew up in the Czech Republic surrounded by nature and beautiful ingredients from my grandmother’s garden. That is where I learned to appreciate the importance of quality ingredients. I then integrated those values into my boys’ wellness regimens and wanted to help create a way for other families to include quality ingredients that deliver wellness into their routines.

Q: Who is Gryph & IvyRose for?

A: It is formulated specifically for children, so it’s for any and all that want to create healthy rituals early on in life. But the products are really effective and are a great tool for parents too, who need an immune boost, sleep or digestive support.

Q: Why do you think it is important for us to adopt more natural and holistic everyday practices and get our children involved at an early age?

RF: I love the way that our pediatrician describes this necessity. He notes that while western medicine and science are incredible and often life-saving tools, it’s not a good option for daily health maintenance and non-emergency situations. We want to create lifelong tools for parents and for children to address different situations and introducing them early and teaching them about the effectiveness of natural ingredients gives them an open mind about using these safe, non-harmful tools throughout their lives.

KK: I think it is important to empower and educate children so that they do not lose their touch with nature and ancient practices, especially insect a fast-paced world. To create a sense of harmony in your child’s routine is a great way to set them up for a lifetime of well-being.

Q: Tell me a bit more about who is behind the company and why each decided to come on board.

RF: Orion, his father Dan (the acupuncturist) and Stephen (the pediatrician) have been connected and collaborating in their respective professions for decades. They are equally passionate and pioneers in their fields. Being able to spread education and create products to help parents and children has always been a dream of theirs. When I met them and saw the results with my children personally, I was so inspired and motivated to help share this message. Karolina and I were friends and she had also come to meet Dan and Orion and having always been exposed to natural and alternative methods, was already practicing a lot of these traditions with her boys. It’s a really dynamic and well-rounded team and I am so grateful and humbled to be a part of it.

Q: What are some of your favorite products that you offer?

RF: My favorites are the “Call it a Night Sleep” elixir and the “Belly Works” elixir because of the personal successes I have had with my children, but I also love the “Daily Embrace” shampoo because it’s a convenient two-in-one and the performance is amazing.

KK: I am a big fan of the chocolate hearts because they are my 4 p.m. chocolate fix but with benefits! Noah definitely loves the probiotics, both vanilla and chocolate, and he asks for them like candy. Tobin’s favorite is the “Call it a Night Sleep” elixir and even gives it to himself before bed as part of his nighttime routine.

Q: What can we expect from the brand, moving forward?

A: We are committed to producing safe, high quality and performance-based products that address common challenges in a natural way. I’m really excited about some of the launches we have coming up this year like focus elixirs and an eczema balm. Eventually, maybe the line will expand to include adults more specifically, but our focus for now is children.

BY DEYVANSHI MASRANI