Love Potion №9: Interview with CEO Kecia Hielscher
Formulary 55’s Love Potion No 9 Collection featuring a luxurious shea butter soap and candle duo that enchants the senses. This captivating set blends Italian Bergamot, smoky amber, Peru balsam, jasmine, and musk, complemented by sweet honey, delicate rose, and a sparkling hint of champagne. The collection leaves skin silky-smooth while imparting an irresistible lingering fragrance. All products are crafted without phthalates, parabens, or SLS, and are proudly vegan and cruelty-free. Available on their website through May.
Company CEO Kecia Hielscher started her journey into entrepreneurship when she purchased Formulary 55 , a Colorado based brand know for luxury bath, body and home products featuring sophisticated botanical fragrances. Hielscher brings her nearly 20 years of fragrance experience with brands such as Williams Sonoma and Nordstrom to this new acquisition. She recently discussed Formulary 55 via an email exclusive interview.
Meagan Meehan (MM): How did you get interested in scents and what prompted you to buy the Formulary 55 Company?
Kecia Hielscher (KH): Truth is, I’ve been obsessed with fragrance forever, but professionally I have been working with fragrances for nearly 20 years. Starting at Williams Sonoma where I was part of the team that developed their early soap and lotion line. At Nordstrom where I worked with some of the top home fragrance companies, which led me to a Chief Merchandising Officer role for a national candle brand. Whether it’s a fragrant candle while I’m reading or a wonderful bath that fills my bedroom with scent, I’ve always loved creating beautiful fragrant spaces. When I discovered Formulary 55, it was like finding a kindred spirit! The modern botanical vibe and wellness approach just clicked with me immediately. All those years working with fragrances professionally suddenly made perfect sense — like everything in my career had been preparing me for this. The connection felt so natural, I couldn’t imagine not taking advantage of this opportunity.
MM: How involved were you in the development of the new soap and candle scent “Love Potion Number Nine”?
KH: Love Potion №9 has been in the line and is a well-loved fragrance but it needed a packaging ‘face lift’ so I wanted to try something a bit different for us by adding a red heart to the front of our signature botanical packaging to try a pop of color. It has been very well received. I also wanted to complete the story by adding a new tin candle for bath ambiance so that they soap and candle fragrances harmonized.
MM: How have you expanded the company since acquiring it?
KH: I have doubled the employee count to ensure we were set up for success in taking care of our customers’ orders. As a result we have reduced our shipping time from 8 weeks to under 5 days which has been a gamechanger. We have also launched two new categories in 3 new fragrances including our Nourish Daily Body Oils and Bath Salt Soaks which work together to provide a relaxing bath experience followed by using our Nourish Body Oil post-bath for maximum hydration and radiant looking skin.
MM: What are the kinds of aromas and products that consumers respond most positively to?
KH: Our key fragrance profiles center around the woody/earthy, floral and fresh olfactive spaces which we have become globally known for, with top fragrances like Palo Santo & Oud, La Nuit, Sea Salt & Lavender, Vintage Peony, Jasmine & Marigold to name a few. We offer these in our shea butter soaps in a large and petite size which are all hand-made and hand-wrapped in Colorado, as well as our shea butter hand & body cremes in jars and now ‘on-the-go’ tubes.
MM: Be honest, which items are your personal favorites and why?
KH: I adore our new Nourish Daily Body Oil in Jasmine & Marigold! I use it daily and my hands and nails are immediately ultra-hydrated and I love the lingering fragrance! I adore our shea butter soaps and rotate my fragrances monthly and I love our Herbal Tonic Refreshing Mist that sits on my desk for a daily pick me up in-between calls.
MM: What do you wish more people knew about the benefits of breathing in pleasant scents?
KH: There are a few but the main benefits of breathing in pleasant scents for me, are not just about the immediate feeling of enjoyment but also the longer-term effects on your mental and physical health. For example, for stress relief, scents like lavender & sandalwood have calming effects that lower cortisol levels (a stress hormone) making you feel more relaxed. Another reason I love pleasant scents is that scents like citrus or jasmine, can uplift your mood since they are known to boost serotonin and dopamine levels (neurotransmitters responsible for feelings of happiness and well-being). And my last favorite, pleasant scents can evoke happy memories or positive emotions.
MM: What has been the best feedback that you’ve gotten about your products so far?
KH: I love reading the reviews we get every day and the overwhelming best feedback is that our customers’ love our fragrances and want them in more products. We had so many requests to enter the body oil category that we decided to try it with 3 fragrances and one review we received really made my day: “Nourish Daily Body Oil in the Sea Salt & Sage is absolutely stunning. The scent rivals any high-end brand and the oil is perfectly formulated to hydrate without feeling heavy.”
MM: What are your ultimate goals for the future of the company and is there anything else that you would like to mention?
KH: I’m planning to double the business this year and get our products into more hands and shelves across the country. Once we get folks to try the products they come back to get more and that is the highest compliment we strive for every day. We care about the quality of our ingredients, we take time to make everything by hand, and with thoughtfulness, joy and precision we hand wrap each item to bring a bit of luxury to all of our ‘every day’s’.
