LA GRANDE — Lorraine Ferron is the producer of a line of moisturizing salves specially formulated with locally grown or wildcrafted herbs to support skin care for the active outdoors person under a variety of weather conditions.

Educated in naturopathic medicine and acupuncture, Ferron moved to La Grande from Portland in 2018 to open her practice, and she immediately noticed the lower humidity in Northeast Oregon. After spending time outdoors, “my skin really suffered,” she said.

“I like hiking, cross-country skiing, and climbing — my three main outdoor interests,” she said. “I also I love river floats, camping and backpacking.”

However, that all takes its toll on the skin.

As a long-time herbalist, Ferron decided to do some research and create a moisturizer that would support her skin in the outdoors. Using a combination of herbs, she created a variety of eight herbal salve formulas and produced hockey-puck-sized lotion bars each packaged in round metal can. Each can bears a label printed by another La Grande business, Evermine Labels.

Most of her salves are designed for human skin, but she did create one salve product called Snow Paw Protector to protect dog paws against harsh winter conditions. Currently, that is her only salve formula made just for dogs.

Setting up shop

After producing several salves for the active outdoors person, Ferron decided to sell them commercially, so in August 2018, she established Dr. Lorraine’s Adventure Salves LLC.

“They are all moisturizing formulas designed to lock in and support the skin, but then each one has different herbs to address issues that come with outside time,” she said.

She has winter, summer and all-season salves to choose from. Each lotion bar is 1.2 ounces and sold for $12. Her products include Foot Rub Puck, which is designed for cracked heels, and it has some anti-fungal ingredients added to it.

Among her summer moisturizers is After Sun Salve created to soothe minor sunburns. Rocked Hands Salve, one of her newer formulas, is designed for treating the dry, cracked skin of rock climbers. The Log Splitter Salve is quite a bit softer, she said, and it has similar healing properties to Foot Rub Puck.

She created a summer salve that helps ward off pesty insects called Mosquit-Away and another to heal bug bites called Bug Bite Balm. One of her winter salves called Winter Chap Salve is designed to soothe and heal chapped skin.

Currently, Ferron manufactures her salve products in a dedicated shop in her home residence. However, this summer she worked with Northeast Oregon Economic Development District and won an Individual Development Account grant that will help her improve the manufacturing process in her shop.

“I plan to use the grant to redevelop my production process so that it’s much more efficient,” she said. “I’m also going to expand my business to include beekeeping.”

Quality ingredients

Ferron uses beeswax in her products and currently has a suppler outside this region. But with her new grant funding, she plans to take up beekeeping herself and produce her own beeswax.

“I’m looking for wax that smells good, is clean and offers a rich quality to my salve formulas,” she said.

In terms of herbs, she does grow some of her own plants, but she also looks for high-quality herbs grown in the Blue Mountains. “That means I go out at the right time of the season and check on the herbs in the wild, and when harvest time is right, I’ll harvest them,” Ferron said.

As an herbalist, she’s also a conservationist, so she is careful not to over harvest herbs grown in the wild because she wants to ensure their growth and availability for years to come.

Ferron received her undergraduate education at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, graduating in 2005 with a bachelor of arts degree in linguistics. In 2017, she earned dual degrees in naturopathic medicine and Oriental medicine through the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland.

“I went right into a clinical practice in Portland for a year, and then in 2018 I opened my practice in La Grande,” she said. “Shortly after COVID began, I went to telemedicine visits only.”

Five-year plan

Although she retains her naturopathic and acupuncture licenses, Ferron’s focus is the development of her salve business. Her five-year business plan includes expanding manufacturing to employ other people and maintain a sustainable rate of growth.

Local customers may opt to pick up their orders at The Press Room coffee shop, on Washington Avenue in the old Elks Lodge. Ferron will send a notification by text to the customer saying when the order is ready to be picked up.

“I also sell my salves at the Farmers Market in La Grande, at Blue Mountain Outfitters and the gift gallery at Art Center East,” she said. “I also sell online at Genuine Wallowa County, and I offer gift cards for $25, $50, $75 and $100.”

Learn more and shop at https://drlorraines.com.