Los Poblanos

Penny Rembe started making lavender salve on her kitchen stove sometime in the late 1990s. She and her husband Armin, an oncologist and organic farmer, had been tending a 25-acre property along the Rio Grande since 1976. When they planted their first rows of Grosso lavender in 1999, the personal care line wasn't the plan. The farm was.

But the salve kept selling out at the farm shop. Then friends wanted the lotion. Then the body wash. Three decades later, Los Poblanos produces a full line of botanical skincare from USDA-certified organic lavender grown, harvested, and steam-distilled on the same New Mexico soil where the Rembes planted those first cuttings.

Their son Matt took over as CEO in 2004 and has grown the operation from 6 employees to more than 140. The family still owns the whole thing — no investors, no equity partners, just a three-generation partnership structure (Los Poblanos LLLP) that keeps decision-making at the kitchen table.

What sets this brand apart is the seed-to-shelf control. The lavender essential oil in every product comes from their own fields. They distill it on-site in copper stills. The formulations are simple — short ingredient lists built around that oil — and they don't chase trends or seasonal launches. The core line has stayed remarkably consistent because the farm dictates the pace, not a product calendar.

Pricing lands in artisan territory ($6 for a lip salve, $25 for lotions and body wash, $38 for the skin care oil) without tipping into luxury. You can find them on Amazon and at select retailers, but the best selection ships direct from their farm shop in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.

Products

• Lavender Salve (signature product, 2oz and 4oz)
• Lavender Lotion and Body Wash
• Organic Lavender Skin Care Oil
• Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner
• Lavender Peppermint collection (body wash, shampoo, lotion, lip balm)
• Blue Corn Body Scrub
• Botanical Candles (Desert Lavender, Pinon Grove, Spanish Cedar)
• Lavender Bath Salts
• Lavender Honey and pantry items

Why We List Them

• Family-owned since 1976 by the Rembe family — now in its third generation
• No outside investors or corporate backing
• USDA-certified organic lavender grown and distilled on their own 25-acre farm
• Seed-to-shelf production: they control every step from field to finished product
• Short, transparent ingredient lists with no synthetic fragrances or fillers
• Available direct and through select retailers nationwide