Our Founder

 

Meet the woman behind the magic...

Aliya Trinity - Founder, Formulator, and CEO of Alywillow

"I have always been inspired by the beauty of nature and the idea that our ancestors lived without synthetic chemicals. So, as a young adult I took on the challenge of using only plants to make the things I needed for my body and skin care. Every time I ran into an obstacle, I would just keep repeating this mantra, - If my ancestors could live without synthetic chemicals, then so can I.

I've been working on and off with therapeutic and medicinal plants for decades. But it was an accident in 2007 that caused a bone in my back to snap into three pieces that became a turning point in my life. I was pregnant at the time of my accident and I spent the next few years looking for a natural solution to relieve the chronic pain and swelling. Eventually, I developed Minty Relief and I still use it every day to reduce the pain and swelling in my back. 

This accident coincided with several other traumatic experiences that spun my life into an uncontrollable whirlwind, flipping everything upside down and rearranging it. At the time it felt like the universe was against me, but it is because of these challenges that Alywillow exists. Through sheer determination and several decades, I have achieved what so many said wasn't possible. I have single-handedly created over 150 products for the body and skin that are made of pure plants and some of them can do amazing things (just read our reviews).

But really, 30 years ago I didn't know that I would create Alywillow (Aly is one of my nicknames and the Willow is my sacred tree) and my journey with the plants started around 1995 when I accidentally put myself to sleep (a few times) with some plants. That's when I really begin to realize the power of the plants. They each have a language and a spirit. In my Native American culture we refer to the plants and rocks as our cousins and if you listen to them long enough, they will help guide you.

For instance, did you know aloe likes to touch another aloe plants? If left alone, they will often grow sad and unhealthy. Let them touch and they will start having babies! Did you know that tea tree can be toxic to your body? That's why we don't use it in any of the Alywillow products. These are things the plants taught me and over time, science has confirmed. Even as a child, I could hear the trees whispering, the emotions of the wind, and the wisdom of the owls. Imagine if nature whispered secrets in the wind, almost like music. I happen to understand the melody of that music and am able to turn those messages into products that bring more health and well being into your life. I also love science - so researching the chemical composition of plants still amazes me.

Aliya

 

Who am I? I am an earth loving, tree hugging, barefoot walking, mother, grandmother, public speaker, herbalist, botanist, chemist, meditation guide, natural born shaman, and spirit enjoying a human life on this beautiful planet we call Earth.  As a insatiable autodidact and the curator of too many hobbies, I am always absorbing and learning. You might see me covered in chicken poo cleaning the barn, meditating on the top of a mountain, writing computer code, or surrounded by beakers in the lab... it just depends on the moment.

Alywillow started by accident. In my early twenties, my skin was horrible and I would desperately try to hide the blemishes with makeup. That's when I developed Alywillow's first formula... Lemon Laughs, and my skin problems went away. Through the years I have seen many people use this simple cleanser to get rid of their acne and facial blemishes. Now people ask if we create makeup at Alywillow. The answer is - only color-sticks (for your lips, cheeks, etc...). But really, if we could make your skin so healthy that you don't need makeup, wouldn't that be cool?

My hair has been greying since I was 18 (I am over 50 now) and I just keep it natural. This way I can enjoy the changes of the seasons of my life. We don't make hair dye at Alywillow, but we create lots of other products that can give you the healthiest hair of your life. It turns out that healthy is often beautiful! Plus, if you still want to use hair dye, our products are ultra-gentle and won't strip it out.

Thankfully, determination has always been one of my character traits. My mother would probably say I'm stubborn, but it was my determination (to do whatever was necessary to heal my body and my broken heart) that made me commit to a path of discovery that took me back and forth across the United States and eventually landed me in my own little sanctuary in the mountains of Virginia. 

This little mountain home was right next to a river, and it was just a simple way of life. Sometimes we didn't have power or running water, but we were ninety percent self-sustained by the land and river and this natural oasis gave me an opportunity to heal my body, mind, and spirit… and raise my wild son in the trees.

Here, I reconnected and journeyed to the land of my ancestors to heal my ancestral past and I spent years listening to the wisdom and intelligence of nature. I truly believe, as my ancestors, that the trees and the rocks, the wind and the water are like our cousins, and the Creator placed us all here together to live together and help one another. And this is also where the Alywillow recipes started flowing from me like water from a stream.

In 2015 I moved back to Raleigh, NC (my hometown) to introduce Alywillow and start building the Alywillow team. This was a delightful experience because we were improving so many lives. Just read our reviews and you’ll understand. At one point, you could find Alywillow in several of the Raleigh malls. However, right before the pandemic I rearranged things and focused more on our wholesale program. So now, Alywillow has huge growth and thank goodness I was able to move back to my beloved Appalachian Mountains - the sweetest place in the world.

My favorite place is still tree canopy. But don't be alarmed if you see me hiking a mountain in the morning and in a wheelchair by the afternoon because even though I have learned to reduce the pain and swelling in my back, I still have a shattered bone in my spinal column that limits my movement. 

The integrity of Alywillow is important to me as is my pledge of authenticity - these values are behind the making of every Alywillow product and it is these high standards that ensure you the very best!  Yes, I still run the lab and formulate everything for Alywillow. I also still oversee the production of our products, oversee our wholesale program, and manage our team. You see, I'm not in this business for the wealth of it. I'm in the fields and in the labs - working to connect and help as many people as we can - making life on Earth a little easier, one person at a time. :-)

This is why our products are only available online and in our wholesale program to small businesses. I've been invited to put Alywillow into the big-box companies, but those large companies (and others like them) are actually bad for the economy. My goal is not to be the wealthiest or biggest company. It's to restore health and strengthen people and strengthen communities... to make life better.

2023 is going to be a great year for us! I have purchased a rather large old warehouse and we'll be restoring it and turning it into the new Alywillow haven... I hope you'll follow the journey. It is sure to be an interesting one.

Please contact me if you ever have any questions or ideas for helping expand Alywillow. Together we are able to make the world a better place." 

Much love to you all..

Aliya Trinity

Speak with Aliya

You can Speak with AliyaThese consultations are suggested for...

  • Customers - to discuss your concerns or specific allergy issues.

  • Wholesalers  - to discuss offering Alywillow products at your store or to complete your final review and graduate from the training program.

  • Public Speaking - if you are looking to bring more awareness of nature, health, and kindness to your group, ask Aliya about speaking.

 Love unconditionally