NORFOLK-BASED ESTELÍ OFFERS ORGANIC OPTIONS
By Rachel Kester
Inside each Estelí bottle is a story—one meticulously composed by founder Adriana Green celebrating the healing power of plants, the beauty of the human body, and the magical link between them. The Norfolk-based skin care brand, founded in 2016, uses organic, wildcrafted botanicals and minerals to craft body oils, mineral soaks, and perfumes.
“The human body is miraculous and amazing, and I want to offer people support,” said Green, who moved to Coastal Virginia in 2024 from Greenville, South Carolina. “I think my products are great for that purpose. They’re not doing anything to disrupt the body.…It’s not about correcting and fixing but enjoying and honoring.”
Estelí offers small-batch, cruelty-free products, ranging from Oro Rosa Supercriticals Face Oil to Magnesio Mineral Sleep Spray, all of which are handcrafted in Green’s home studio. Each concoction is a unique assemblage of simple yet powerful ingredients, such as hydrating sea buckthorn, antioxidant-rich hibiscus, and calming frankincense, with rosehip and palmarosa frequently included.
“Rose is such a wonderful ingredient; you can use the fruit of the rose, petals, [and] the flower for aroma,” Green said. “Palmarosa has a lovely scent….I integrate that into my body oil, and people love it. It’s also the star of our first fragrance, Verano. That scent is basically lots of citrus, but palmarosa kind of mellows it out.”
These natural perfumes are a no-rush process. “For perfume, you have to invest time,” Green said. “You can’t just put oils together and that’s the scent. It grows, it cures. I might love the scent when I’m doing it, and then two weeks later, it [smells] disgusting.”
The fragrance world has been a rediscovery process for Green. In college, she worked at a perfume counter where the intense smells often triggered headaches; Green also once despised patchouli but has since come to appreciate its complexities.
“I believe aroma has a crucial part to the whole healing process,” Green said. “I started adding aromas to my skin care and thought it was so much fun. There aren’t many clean fragrances in the market.”
Estelí blossomed during a somewhat frustrating time in Green’s life. Despite trying to live a healthy lifestyle, she noticed her body was still very sensitive as she was dealing with autoimmune issues. Confused as to what was happening, she began investigating the beauty products she was using, thinking they might be the culprit. After reviewing the concerning ingredients, she was inspired to make her own. Green soon began studying herbalism and formulation, including training through Formula Botanica, an organic cosmetic formulation school.
“I fell in love with the process,” Green said. “I love nature and plants, and that’s my theme for Estelí.”
Estelí is also a love letter to its namesake—a city in Nicaragua where Green’s mother is from and where she experienced a revelation.
“Before I went, I had acne, and I was bringing all these beauty products to cover up,” she said. “[Estelí] is so humid [that] once I stepped out, all my applied makeup was melting down my face. I was forced to really simplify where there was nothing on my skin.” Green was enchanted by the city’s pace of life, fresh air, and plants, noticing how much healthier her skin was. “I felt Estelí was sort of what I wanted to create with these products—simplification, nature, and adding nothing that disturbs the body’s natural function but gives support,” she said.
Estelí’s intentional approach is a breath of fresh air in an industry often pressuring people into buying expensive, chemical-filled products. Green is working on a new spring-inspired fragrance and expanding Estelí’s reach throughout the commonwealth, especially in local spas and retail shops. Those interested in exploring its products can do so through Estelí’s site or online retailers such as Nordstrom, Garmentory, and Love.com. For more information, go to estelibody.com.
Rachel Kester
