‘The natural approach’: Cary Apothecary sells local, nontoxic products inspired by owner’s Lyme disease journey

When Cary resident Tami Moore-Kedzie was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012, she was bedridden for about a year and came up with an idea to open her own apothecary business.

“I was thinking if I ever get better, I want to give people some kind of resource where they can just learn that there are other things that you can integrate into your life that might help you that are nontoxic if you are feeling stuck somewhere,” she said.

Cary Apothecary, located at 395 Cary Algonquin Road, had a grand opening last week. The shop sells locally sourced gifts and items such as soy wax candles from Crystal Lake and honey from Woodstock. Other products include gemstone jewelry, coffee, bath bombs, essential oils, items that can be personalized, and a chemical-free botanical bug spray.

“They’re all-encompassing wellness,” said Moore-Kedzie, a special-education teacher at William Fremd High School in Palatine. “Everything is nontoxic and has a purpose behind it.”

Moore-Kedzie started diving into the world of natural and holistic medicines after many trials and errors with traditional treatments for her Lyme disease. The disease is a bacterial infection from infected ticks that can be treated with antibiotics if caught early. For Moore-Kedzie, the disease spread across her body and joints before getting properly diagnosed.

“I couldn’t tell anymore if I was sick from the disease or from the medications,” she said.

Friend Katie Collins said she remembers Moore-Kedzie struggling for months with misdiagnoses, treatments and trying out medicines when she first was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Since then, she has cut out sugars and became mindful of what she puts in and on her body.

“I really think what pulled her out of the weeds was the natural approach, and she has been doing that ever since,” Collins said.

The store is a representation of Moore-Kedzie’s holistic journey and her creative side with fun gifts, lifelong friend Sarah Schnabel said.

“She always takes challenges and turns it into a positive thing,” she said. “I think this store is a really great demonstration of how she was able to overcome her health struggles and focus her energy in a really beautiful way.”

All of the products in Cary Apothecary have been personally tried by Moore-Kedzie, making her knowledgeable and intentional with her products, Collins said.

“She is the most selfless, caring, giving person I have ever met,” Collins said. “It’s to no one’s surprise that she is opening a store to help others live a healthy, nontoxic lifestyle.”

The store is described by Moore-Kedzie as a “family project” with equal effort put in by her parents, husband and children that helped paint and decorate.

“I’m hoping it’s a breath of fresh air for people,” she said. “I want people to be able to come in and find something that they can easily integrate into their everyday life that will benefit them.”