When Maranda and Michael Johnson started The Good Stuff Botanicals, it was a way to help heal their own skin needs. Today, over a decade later, the brand has expanded to help people everywhere.  

“We come from nature, we’re a part of it, so let’s connect to it instead of trying to control it,” Michael said sitting in their Bigfork shop, sipping a homemade tea.  
Upon entering the production facility and storefront in Bigfork, patrons are hit with the clean smells of herbs and natural ingredients. A big community table is in the center, hosting samples of the products they create in-house. Further back into the store is the “Herb Cave,” a wall of ingredients used in the products.  

Products that are all natural, all organic and sourced from the woods of Montana when possible.  

Maranda and Michael married in 2010, both passionate about organic products and healthy lifestyles due to necessity. Michael developed psoriasis in his early 20s, and upon meeting Maranda, he had tried everything to soothe and heal his skin.  

Maranda stumbled upon a family recipe using cold pressed hemp seed oil and two years later they created the first product: Gypsy Cream, a repairing moisturizer. Micheal’s psoriasis improved and the pair officially launched the business after seeing its success and demand from the community. 

“Our whole business was born out of necessity, now it’s evolved into the necessities of other people,” Michael said, noting that anyone is welcome to come in and chat about what their skincare objective is. 

Just after launching, they found out they were pregnant with their first son. 

They started with farmers markets with their first-born — sometimes five days a week in the summer — by selling the first three products: Gypsy Cream, Mud Scrub, an exfoliating scrub made from bentonite clay, and Earth Tone, a natural skin toner modeled from the historical Queen of Hungary. 

Soon enough the three products turned into four, and so on. It usually takes the pair around a year to test a new product before it hits the shelves to make sure it's as good as it can be. 

When their second son was born in 2016, booth work and farmers markets did not seem to fit into their lifestyle well anymore. They transitioned to building their online store and expanding their product line, leading them to purchase the downtown Bigfork suite in September of 2020.  

They closed the deal, unpacked a trailer with all of the production gear, and were ready to go within a couple days. 

“We couldn’t miss a beat with production, so we had to be ready to go,” Maranda said. “It was important to get set up since the way we work is doing small batches often.” 

Prior to moving, the couple was operating out of the lower level of their house to create, package and sell products. Now, the storefront boasts green signage, clean, herbal smells and a massive willow tree standing tall above it.   

Maranda went to school across the street from where the shop is located. While she was a student, 801 Grand Drive was home to Vicky’s Jam Shop.  

“I’ve always loved that willow tree since I was little,” Maranda said.  

The Johnsons, along with their two sons, wildcraft as much as they can – meaning they source what they can from local nature, from cottonwood buds to arnica flowers. It's a way to spend time in nature but it is also a way to ensure that the products are truly natural and organic, Maranda said.  

Today, The Good Stuff Botanicals is in over 130 retailers and counting and have been featured in publications like USA Today. The products include no parabens, sulfates, alcohol, genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, and no artificial fragrances.  

“Just the good stuff, no funny stuff,” Maranda said. 

The skin absorbs 60% of what is applied topically into the bloodstream, Maranda said, so being conscientious about what goes onto the skin is important.  

The Good Stuff Botanicals is located at 801 Grand Drive in Bigfork and is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Products are for sale online — as well as skin care routine suggestions and blog posts — at thegoodstuffbotanicals.com. The products are also on the shelves of Sage and Cedar in Kalispell, Sykes Market, Withey’s Health Foods and more.  

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected].

 The Good Stuff Botanicals is located downtown Bigfork. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake)
 

    Michael and Maranda Johnson opened the Good Stuff Botanicals in Bigfork to create natural, organic skin care products. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    One of the first products that Maranda and Michael Johnson created when they started the Good Stuff Botanicals. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Michael and Maranda Johnson opened the Good Stuff Botanicals in Bigfork to create natural, organic skin care products. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake)