CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - At the intersection of North Main and West King streets in Chambersburg is a boutique that aspires to be an anchor of diversity
acceptance in the growing downtown area.
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - At the intersection of North Main and West King streets in Chambersburg is a boutique that aspires to be an anchor of diversity
acceptance in the growing downtown area.
Dr. Rachel Day opened The Good Life Apothecary at 85 N. Main St. on Nov. 24, 2020. She considers it a complement to her other business, OneSkin Dermatology at 211 Grant St.
Day practiced dermatology in the area with a health system from December 2017 to September 2019, then opened OneSkin on Oct. 28, 2019. She called the practice “a skin-health and wellness community” that prides itself in really getting to know what is happening in the lives of its patients to provide comprehensive care.
“Our job is to keep you well,” said Day, 34. “We’re here for more than your skin. It’s been a really neat evolution,” including adding Dana Hull, a certified registered nurse practitioner who specializes in using man-made hormones derived from plant estrogens that are chemically identical to those the human body produces to treat peri- and post-menopausal women.
Day sees 12 to 20 patients in a day, as opposed to a typical dermatology practice where 35 to 45 patients are seen daily during shorter visits.
The name OneSkin is meant to convey the dual meaning of “one,” first as a singular entity, but also as many people together sharing the same vision. That sense of showing one face, one purpose to the world motivates her to provide complete life-enhancing services to the community.
When Day noticed the space on North Main Street was available for rent, it took her only six weeks to turn it into The Good Life Apothecary, which she said is meant to be “a place of pure joy. “It’s a space where we curate items, emotions and conversations,” all of which are meant to steer people toward a good life.
The boutique doesn’t offer medicinal products, but items that allow patrons to “shop their values,” as the website says, with wares created by local artisans, and/or businesses owned by women and minorities; and eco-friendly/sustainably sourced products sold at fair-trade prices. Day selects items that are aesthetically pleasing, fill gaps in the local retail market and come from people who place a high priority on doing what’s right.
Those who wander through the store’s 980 square feet will find glassware, bags, beaded bracelets, handmade gold jewelry, and plates and mugs crafted from bamboo. They hail from nearby Washington, D.C., and from more distant locals such as rural Kansas, California, India and Vietnam.
“I’m an emotional buyer,” Day said. “Anything from the store is something I would put in my home, for the most part.”
The Good Life Apothecary also offers virtual showroom shopping with gift wrapping, front door pickup and shipping options; private in-store shopping for groups of three to eight people; registries for birthdays, graduations, weddings and babies; consultations for home and business interior designs; and items suitable for corporate and client-appreciation gifts.
Downtown Chambersburg Inc. President Sam Thrush said The Good Life Apothecary is a welcome part of the growing boutique presence in downtown Chambersburg.
“She has a following,” Thrush said. “I think she’s been doing an outstanding job” with marketing and social media, and is helping the downtown thrive.
At the house she shares with her husband and three children - a 7-year-old daughter and 3-year-old twins, a boy and a girl - she lives what she sells. An environmentally conscious soul, she uses only cloth napkins and numerous recyclable products. She prefers to get her produce from local farmers.
“Convenience is killing us,” Day said, when driving often takes the place of walking, and fast food is consumed more than fresh.
A biracial woman, Day is candid about benefiting from white privilege because she doesn’t look Black.
“That’s only 50% of my story,” she said.
That narrative includes growing up at a time when racial color-blindness was touted, when people were encouraged to view everyone as the same. She wants her children to understand that all people are unique and come from diverse backgrounds, all of which deserve to be celebrated, and all of which are invited to enjoy her boutique.
“Whoever you are, you are welcome in the space,” Day said.
She originally wanted The Good Life Apothecary to be within her dermatology office, but its 2,800 square feet would not accommodate it. The shop at 85 N. Main St. is less than half a mile from OneSkin, a five-minute walk she can make during her lunch break.
She keeps in constant communication with artist Zach Hendricks, her only full-time employee at the boutique.
“He’s building the brand,” Day said.
Day wants to host events, but COVID restrictions have limited her ability to do that. She’s planning a “store in store” affair for Jan. 18 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - during which business owners of color can sell their products at The Good Life Apothecary. She wants it to be a multiday event - with masks and social distancing - to celebrate minority-owned businesses.
Until then, the boutique will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 717-446-0657; go to Thegoodlifeapothecary.com; or email thegoodlife@oneskinderm.com.
More information about OneSkin Dermatology can be found at https://oneskinderm.com or by calling 717-744-0330. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.