When you buy something in the wellness space, sometimes you can’t help but wonder: “Does this work or did I just spend my 401K on chic snake oil?” In the world of adaptogens and CBD, you probably find yourself asking this question more often than not.

Upon trying Grown, you realize that some products can deliver, fast.

Say hi to Domingo Rodriguez, the founder and creator of health tonics brand Grown. Having worked with an herbalist on the formulations, Rodriguez has created a line of adaptogenic tonics that, dare I say, actually “hit.” We asked Rodriguez all about his brand, why adaptogens, and what he’s excited about in 2019.

Domingo Rodriguez/He/London UK.

I’m English, Dominican mix from Liverpool England, via Kentucky USA. I did my masters in Fashion Design in London with my graduate collection being scouted by ASOS.com for two exclusive capsule collections that launched my own line. I’m currently head of Design of womenswear brand Siran and launched Grown last year as my ultimate passion project turned real.

At the moment I’m moonlighting in adaptogens, my day job in fashion can be highly stressful. Especially leading uptown fashion week. Originally, I was looking at herbs and mushrooms as a natural remedy to help me balance stress and cope during these difficult periods. I began by sourcing the ingredients for myself. I was making powdered herbal tonics but it was becoming time consuming mixing and blending before I left for work in the morning. Once I cracked my liquid formulas as quick and easy way to incorporate them into my everyday diet, then I launched the brand. With my mixes you can drip them under your tongue on the way out the door in the morning, or put in your coffee or tea knowing you’ve got your days amount with out any hassle.

Adaptogens simply help put you into balance. If you're tired they will help energize you, if you're stressed they will calm you down.

Adaptogen are designed to be taken everyday in small, consistent doses. Multiple adaptogens and herbs taken together have a synergistic action, they work in unison to create a greater combined effect. I formulated my products to lean towards being more energizing, balancing or calming depending on the mix.

While the common effects of adaptogens are help your body stay in balance, they all have their own traditional uses. Reishi is calming, Cordyceps is great for exercise and oxygenation. Ashwaganda is also great for de-stressing. For me, adaptogens have really helped build my resistance to stress. That’s not to say I don’t get stressed, but they simply help me bounce back to normal much quicker. My favorite in the winter months are the medicinal mushrooms, our “Mushroom Tonic” is a formula of 8 difference mushrooms that help balance and support support the immune system.

The term ‘adaptogen’ was originally conceived by Russian pharmacist N. V. Lazarev in 1947, but they have been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. There’s a lot of ongoing research going into this relatively new class of herbs happening, with clinical studies and even branded versions of adaptogens coming out.

For me, our liquid tonics are just a really simple way to take adaptogens with out any hassle or preparation. They are pre extracted so you can take under the tongue or in any liquid. Originally, I was planning on a powdered formulation but it became such a chore to use a blender to mix drinks. Powders also didn’t work well in cold drinks, as they don’t mix well and can leave a residue.

10 drops a day is all you need. We are using a new process that uses duel extracted herbs and mushrooms that get molecularly combined with a liquid (Glycerine, that’s naturally sweet) so you can easily add them to any drink. The Morning and Evening Adaptogen formulations can be mixed with the Mushroom Tonic too, as they will work in synergy as a potent double dose.

My favorite is the “Evening Adaptogen”. It's a calming and balancing mix of adaptogens, mushrooms and herbs that's great for de-stressing, calming anxiety and unwinding before bed. I take it anytime I’m feel stress coming on and it helps me bounce back to my normal state. It’s our top selling product in the UK, in the US our Morning Adaptogen has been the best seller.

We have two new formulas which I’m super excited to launch, one being a spray adaptogen formula that will be out very soon! I can’t say much more yet but watch this space!

Follow Grown on Instagram and visit their site here.

How to Make Your Adaptogens Do the Most