Fertile Alchemy Founder Brittany Braggs Wants Women To Positively Embrace Reproduction, Even Before They’re Ready For Kids

Brittany Braggs believes women shouldn’t only discuss fertility when they’re having difficulty with it. The Houston-based holistic health coach, Reiki practitioner and doula is putting a positive and preemptive spin on reproduction with her budding brand Fertile Alchemy.

The brand is starting off with an aromatic oil developed to promote hormonal balance and diminish anxiety, but Braggs foresees it as a broader resource for women seeking to connect with their femininity and fecundity.

“Instead of waiting until something goes wrong, my brand is designed to encourage women to think about fertility today. Especially for millennials who might have children in the backs of their minds, I don’t want them to feel stressed out about getting pregnant in six years,” says the 29-year-old. “If we think about it now and eat healthily, exercise and reduce stress, we won’t have to confront those issues.”

Fertile Alchemy Aromatic Oil has its roots in Braggs’ coaching practice. She created custom essential oil blends for clients that two-and-a-half years ago led to its formula. Braggs selected ingredients to support fertility, emotional stability and PMS relief. Priced at $24 for a 10-ml. size and $44.99 for a 1-oz. size, the product contains clary sage, geranium, ylang ylang, lavender, frankincense and jojoba oil.

“The smell is soft and nurturing, and that’s what I want women to feel when they’re in my presence. I’m bottling that up and sharing it,” says Braggs, adding, “Emotional wellness is a huge aspect that we don’t talk about much with fertility. The aromatic oil will help you feel more centered and grounded, which is exactly what you need if you are trying to conceive a baby and, in general, it’s what we all need these days as women.”

Braggs recommends women apply the oil twice a day and set fertility intentions while they do so. She applies it to the back of the neck, inner ankles and wrists, where she explains there are acupressure points corresponding with the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. “My acupuncturist incorporates it into meditation. She feels it helps her meditate in a more feminine way. I really love that, and I had never really thought about it that way before,” says Braggs.

She’s devoted $2,000 so far to producing Fertile Alchemy Aromatic Oil and was surprised that customers scooped up 20 units from her brand’s website on Black Friday with minimal prodding on her part. Braggs is busy drawing up a business plan to guide Fertile Alchemy on a course to revving up future sales. To date, she’s had her sights on stores catering to indie beauty and wellness shoppers. Department stores could suit the brand, too.

“The goal is to be in high-end stores that aren’t just limited to wellness, but I think we need products designed for reproductive health everywhere. You should be to find them in Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom or Target. I would like to be in stores all over the country and world,” says Braggs. “My ultimate goal is to generate enough revenue to be able to have a holistic wellness center for pre-conception and pregnancy. It would have acupuncture, nutrition, energy healing, whatever women need, and I would like to collaborate with other women for it to be something that’s for women by women.”

Braggs acknowledges reaching her ultimate goal won’t be easy. She’s faced enough small stumbles along the way to selling Fertile Alchemy Aromatic Oil to know the road to success can be bumpy. Braggs shelled out $300 for bottles that she later scrapped.

“In the last three months, I’ve wasted time and money. I’ve learned a lot. If you are looking at packaging, just because it looks cute online, and it’s at a price you can afford, don’t buy a large amount,” she says. “I tried black packaging first because I love how it looks and, then, I realized it doesn’t matter what I like. It’s about how it feels in my customers’ hands. It has to feel soft, clean and nurturing. I decided on white.”

Braggs is still open to tweaking Fertile Alchemy’s look, but is satisfied she’s steered the brand toward an aesthetic that has the customer in mind. “My ideal client is a woman who invests in her health,” says Braggs. “All the bottles she has in her bathroom are beautiful, and my bottle needs to fit in with the other things she has on her counter, which means I need a more high-end price and a product that goes with that.”