"I wanted to create a product that would immortalize my memories, elevate natural beauty, and enjoy naturally glowing skin."
- Honey
The story of balms begins in the hands of my grandmother Milka and passes through the heart of my mother Rada.
Let me tell you how I brought Milotka to life and created it in their memory, because I had the vision. The past years were marked by numerous calls, and the questions echoed in my mind: “Aren’t you going to produce the balms?” and “What will we do without them?” The truth is that I have long wondered how I would pass on this long-standing work, which I witnessed since I was a child.
But between the thought and the decision lies a long, often hesitant path. The days passed, and the desire grew. One day, while sorting through my grandmother and mother's belongings, I discovered a world that seemed to have been waiting to be found for a long time. I came across dozens of containers, scales, test tubes, as well as numerous ingredients that I had helped them procure over the years.
At that moment I remembered the calls.
I remembered the diligence. I remembered the request of relatives and friends. And with a heart filled with compassion I said to myself: “At least you have to try, it would be a sin to leave all this work in oblivion.” Wonderful, but difficult to implement. While grandma and mom had the education and qualifications to make the balms, I was more likely to promote them than create them.
As a marketer by profession, I would be able to publicize them and tell the world about them, but not produce them myself. Or so I thought. I had already firmly decided to try and find a proven technologist with whom we could together assess whether it was realistic to breathe new life into these recipes. This set the stage for countless meetings and conversations. Although many of the technologists liked the idea, most found it challenging. But I didn't give up. When you believe in your vision, the right people will find you. No problem!
I found a professional with many years of experience in Bulgarian and international companies.
A person who, like me, takes challenges to heart and does not know the words “difficult” and “impossible.” It was important for me to preserve the original recipe, but at the same time to modernize it by offering high-class cosmetics.
I wanted the balms to be natural, regenerating, hydrating, and protective against the adverse effects of the environment. We followed in my grandmother's footsteps. I wanted to take an active part in the process and read a lot of specialized literature on the subject.
As I delved into the history of world-famous perfumes, one fact stood out - the combination of geranium and lavender is the basis of many legendary fragrances. A piece of the puzzle fell into place and we added lavender oil to the balms. Instead of distilled water, we relied on chamomile floral water, which soothes the skin. However, we replaced the rose from my grandmother's recipe with geranium, which turned out to have amazingly similar properties to it, but has a more subtle aroma. In combination with lavender, a truly irresistible scent was obtained.
To add to the magic, we also added vitamin E, often called the "vitamin of youth" and one of the most powerful antioxidants in nature.
So the natural origin remained at the core of everything, as I demanded it to be throughout the entire process.
That's why we kept the main part of the beneficial ingredients in the original recipe - olive oil, cocoa butter, honey and beeswax. It is the wax that makes our products thicker, and hence the name "balm". The question remained about the color - the delicate yellowish tone in the more intense formula. It traditionally comes from olive oil, but we reduced its amount in order to achieve better absorption of the cosmetics.
This in turn led to a new challenge - how to bring back the original color from the grandmother's recipe. The solution was simple: sea buckthorn! Still rarely used in balms, it naturally colors yellow and has countless regenerating properties. I applied the same uncompromising approach to choosing the packaging, which should be a natural continuation of the natural origin of the balms. I settled on elegant glass jars with fine oak lids - a detail that adds aesthetics and character.
The outer packaging creates an equally designer feel and is like opening a luxury perfume. The handmade box also received recognition from the prestigious Formes des Luxe exhibition in Monte Carlo in 2024.
The packaging won the “Perfume and Cosmetics” category, for which I am infinitely grateful.
The feeling of having your work appreciated and recognized on an international level is incomparable. Then came the most exciting part - testing the two formulas. I selected a narrow circle of ladies aged 25 to 65 who use high-end cosmetics, are not afraid to experiment and are connoisseurs of naturalness.
Thanks to their helpful advice, recommendations, and comments, I have refined the formulas to an even higher level. As I finish this story, I realize that every step in this journey takes me back to the women who started it all.
From my grandmother I took wisdom. From my mother - precision. And from all of you - the confidence that this journey has meaning. You inspire me to move forward. And today I thank not only me, but three generations of women whose hearts are behind Milotka.
