My name is Eric Dale and I am the founder of Arcadian. We are a hair and skin care brand based out of Knoxville, TN and we have a small team that helps us keep this machine going on the daily.
How and when did you get started brewing your own products?
Around 2014 was when I started making things in my kitchen. Started with a beard oil and beard balm mostly for personal use and I think we sourced most of the ingredients from various stores in my area. After passing some around to some friends, a local salon asked if they could buy some and that’s how all this started. A little later we came out with a couple oil based pomades and eventually moved on to the things we make and sell now.
What’s behind the name?
We were trying to come up with names for our original scents back then when we came across the word used as an adjective. It can mean simple, peaceful, restful and so on and we knew the branding was going to have a minimalist aesthetic and that’s why we paired the two.
If you had to choose a ‘hero’ product/s from your line which would you say it is and why?
Definitely our Matte Paste. It's my personal favorite from the line because of the resilience and ease of use. Also, rinses out with water. One reason I prefer it so much is because I can wake up in the morning, toss it around a little bit and still be good to go for a second day. That's if you're skipping morning showers like me. Haha.
If you had any advice for budding home brewers who are interested in making their own products what would it be?
Do a good amount of research online and do a good amount of experimenting with the actual raw goods. You'll learn a lot from just making a few formulations with a small amount of ingredients. Start small with only a few ingredients and build up from there so you can assess what each thing is doing if it makes you more comfortable. Don't be afraid to make a bad formula, that's how you learn. You can learn a lot of things by accidentally doing it wrong the first time. Oh yeah, and get a good scale.
If not answered above, what are some of the challenges of being an independent brewer that the average consumer may not be aware of?
There are definitely your standard small business startup stresses that go along with any business. Specific to this industry, learning how to constantly scale your formulas and making your own operations is a big challenge we face as we grow but it’s also one of the most fun. There are A LOT of mistakes made along the way that people don’t always see online. But sometimes they do!
How important is packaging/labeling?
Very...for better or worse. I think it's often an overlooked aspect of the design of a product. People put a lot of work into the actual product inside the packaging (pomade or not) and then sometimes throw the packaging together at the last minute. The branding and packaging is the first thing people are going to be exposed to when they see a product. The way you choose to market yourself can be integral in getting someone to try your product or check out your brand. With that being said, hopefully, it’s obvious that the product actually performing well is still something you don’t want to ignore.
What can we expect from Arcadian Grooming in the future?
We have several new products on the table we’re trying to release this year. A Banana Powder Face Wash is one that we’ve teased a little on our Instagram. Expect to also see a lot more content like we've been putting out lately - videos, product demos, behind the scenes from the lab, etc.
What did we miss?
Oh man, I don’t know. I think you guys covered a lot in only 8 questions but, if anyone does have any questions, just shoot us a message on our social media accounts or send us an email! We love hearing from you.
But wait there’s more!
Just want to say thanks to everyone that’s helped this brand grow over the last couple years! It’s been a wild ride and we definitely aren’t planning on slowing down anytime soon...thanks to you!
Thanks!
Be sure to check out all of the Arcadian Grooming products on our site here.
