When she was younger, Beatrice Dixon suffered from bacterial vaginosis for eight months. One night, an ancestor gave her the ingredients to heal herself in a dream. From that insightful dream, she created the formula for a healthy, clean feminine wash. In 2014, Dixon launched The Honey Pot Company, a plant-based feminine hygiene line created with a goal to provide women with a healthy alternative to feminine care that is free of chemicals, parabens, carcinogens and sulfates.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, and what inspired you to start The Honey Pot Co.?
My name is Beatrice Dixon and I am the Co-Founder and CEO of The Honey Pot Company. I have the fortunate blessing of being able to make amazing, healthy, natural feminine care for girls and women around the world. I started The Honey Pot Company out of necessity. Necessity is the mother of invention. I was tired of being unable to get rid of a recurring BV infection so when my ancestor came to me in a dream and gifted me with the formula - everything changed. I made the formula and within a few days my symptoms were gone. That’s how The Honey Pot Company started.

What does a day in your life running The Honey Pot Co. look like?
No two days are the same. One day I’m on calls with manufacturers and doing interviews for publications and podcasts and another day I am meeting with attorneys or quality assurance consultants to compliance protocol. I have my hands in all aspects of my company as I want to be well-versed in all aspects of what happens and how my brand is being put out into the world.

Did you always know that you wanted to build your own company, if not, what other careers were you interested in pursuing?
It wasn’t really a matter of building my own company even though I have been entrepreneurial most of my life. I think it was more about the fact that I birthed the product and I felt obliged and compelled to create this brand to help countless other women. I felt I had to do this and that it was my calling to put these products out into the world so if that meant building a company - so be it.

What does success mean to you and has that changed as you became older?
Success means doing what you love and being fulfilled by your work. I don’t see success on the level of financial or status accumulation. If you love who you are, and are working to be the best version of yourself - that’s success. If you love others and treat them with respect - that’s success. Success is about living an authentic life and 100% being yourself!

What was the hardest part of your journey with your company and how did you build yourself back up?
The hardest part is navigating all of the obstacles that come your way both seen and unforeseen. It’s truly like trying to steer a ship in troubled waters with zero guidance and hoping you don’t run the ship ashore. There’s a lot of faith and trusting your gut that has to happen but there’s also a lot of leaning on your team for assistance and getting experts to consult and help out so you’re making the best choices possible. I look at challenges as a chance to grow and expand so I’ve always become a better person when I come through the other side of difficult times.

Do you have any morning routines or evening rituals to help you stay balanced?
Yes! I meditate every morning. I also workout regularly and drink lots of water. I get lots of sleep or at least I try to. I also love taking hot showers in the morning and evening as they really help calm me and get me centered and balanced to either take on the day or prepare to end my evening.

What is the biggest misconception or unknown fact about feminine hygiene that most people don’t know about?
I think the biggest misconception is that you don’t need feminine hygiene products. There is a phrase that many people have heard stating your vagina is a self-cleaning oven. This statement is true. Your vagina is a self-cleaning oven and does not need to be cleansed. You do not need to use douche to clean your vagina. Your vulva on the other hand does need to be washed daily. Your vulva is the external part of your reproductive system and needs to be cleaned with a gentle wash in order to reduce bacteria build-up which can lead to infection, irritation and inflammation. Your vulva and vagina are sisters - they both have their own needs and should be handled accordingly.

What are your top 3 tips for women who are just starting to look into more clean and sustainable alternatives to drug store products?
1. Seek products that do not have artificial fragrance, dyes, colorants, sulfates and parabens. You really don’t want to put such harsh ingredients anywhere near your honeypot as she is the most absorbent part of your body.

2. Seek products that are cruelty-free as cruelty-free brands are obligated to disclose their ingredients and manufacturing processes in order to get the certification which means they are inherently cleaner products.

3. Ensure you do not have allergies to essential oils before using natural feminine care. Many natural brands utilize essential oils within their formulas for beneficial purposes. Best thing to do is go to your local health food store and swab lavender, mint, rose or aloe essential oils on your inner elbow and let sit for 12-18 hours. If you do not have any reaction to the oils - there’s a good chance you can handle essential oils in your feminine care.