"I ask a lot of questions about the origins of things we put into our bodies, and sometimes, ignorance is bliss, and maybe we are better off not opening that can of worms. I'm almost laughing as I say this, because, holy shit, I have worms everywhere."
My great aunt, Audrey, has a magnet on her fridge that reads, "I did what I knew. When I knew better, I did better", by Maya Angelou. I love staying at their house in Minneapolis whenever I attend the wholesale trade show at the Minneapolis Mart, and I often spend time on quiet mornings while everyone else sleeps, eating Uncle Don's Cheerios, reading and re-reading this quote. It reminds me nobody is born knowing anything. We live, we learn, we read, we experiment, and eventually, we know something. Sometimes we know what another human tells us, and sometimes we learn through our own experiences. Ours is a unique perspective, which is beautiful and true to us, but not always right. I won't even get started on "right", because what's right for one might not be right for all, and what's right today could be all wrong tomorrow. I will, for the time, just focus on what's better, in this moment.
When I was in college I took part in some really fun activities, some were good for me, and others were, well, questionable. On one particularly questionable evening, I ended up doing some pretty serious damage to my physical body. After a touch-and-go situation that I was lucky enough to come through alive to tell this tale, I was scared to use medications, or put anything harmful into my body. It was at this moment that I started seeking natural alternatives in pain relief and healing. It was in this time of my life, 20 years ago, that I discovered essential oils. I did a lot of reading, and even gave a presentation in my public speaking class about the benefits and therapeutic qualities of oils like Lavender for both physical and mental health. These were the things I needed at that time, and essential oils became my go to to just feel better about life.
Over the last 20 years I have continued on this journey to better. What started with essential oils moved far beyond. I started thinking much more about all the things we take into our bodies when we eat, apply something to our skin, or inhale what's hanging out in the air we breathe. I wanted to know not only what I was putting into my body, but how it affected my organs, my blood, my brain. Where did it come from? How was it processed? These are questions I think a lot of people ask, and sometimes, ignorance is bliss, and maybe we are better not opening that can of worms. I'm almost laughing as I say this, because, holy shit, I have worms everywhere.
When I got into making body products 14 years ago I thought I knew what natural was. I thought I knew about the world of essential oils, plants, and food. I knew enough...enough to get started. When I started my own retail brand in 2013, I had a baseline to start to do research, and enough experience to make some pretty awesome products in the kitchen of my rented farmhouse. I could find internet suppliers with ingredients I could experiment with, and enough curiosity to start to tiptoe into the world of natural bath, body, and home care. As I continue to learn I want to know more. "Where did it come from?" has expanded to "Who did it harm to get here"? And, "how was it processed?" is now "What will happen when it goes back to the Earth"? I'm getting answers to these questions everyday, and, with more answers come more questions. With more questions comes more research. With more research comes more ideas. With more ideas comes better. Better creations, a better company, better lives.
I love that you're here, reading this. I love that something brought you to this website, my story. I hope it's here you can believe that everything offered today is better than what was here yesterday. When something new comes along it's because it's better than what was here before. I am on a journey, a journey of learning, growing, and changing. When things are good, I will keep them good...until I can do better.
When I was in college I took part in some really fun activities, some were good for me, and others were, well, questionable. On one particularly questionable evening, I ended up doing some pretty serious damage to my physical body. After a touch-and-go situation that I was lucky enough to come through alive to tell this tale, I was scared to use medications, or put anything harmful into my body. It was at this moment that I started seeking natural alternatives in pain relief and healing. It was in this time of my life, 20 years ago, that I discovered essential oils. I did a lot of reading, and even gave a presentation in my public speaking class about the benefits and therapeutic qualities of oils like Lavender for both physical and mental health. These were the things I needed at that time, and essential oils became my go to to just feel better about life.
Over the last 20 years I have continued on this journey to better. What started with essential oils moved far beyond. I started thinking much more about all the things we take into our bodies when we eat, apply something to our skin, or inhale what's hanging out in the air we breathe. I wanted to know not only what I was putting into my body, but how it affected my organs, my blood, my brain. Where did it come from? How was it processed? These are questions I think a lot of people ask, and sometimes, ignorance is bliss, and maybe we are better not opening that can of worms. I'm almost laughing as I say this, because, holy shit, I have worms everywhere.
When I got into making body products 14 years ago I thought I knew what natural was. I thought I knew about the world of essential oils, plants, and food. I knew enough...enough to get started. When I started my own retail brand in 2013, I had a baseline to start to do research, and enough experience to make some pretty awesome products in the kitchen of my rented farmhouse. I could find internet suppliers with ingredients I could experiment with, and enough curiosity to start to tiptoe into the world of natural bath, body, and home care. As I continue to learn I want to know more. "Where did it come from?" has expanded to "Who did it harm to get here"? And, "how was it processed?" is now "What will happen when it goes back to the Earth"? I'm getting answers to these questions everyday, and, with more answers come more questions. With more questions comes more research. With more research comes more ideas. With more ideas comes better. Better creations, a better company, better lives.
I love that you're here, reading this. I love that something brought you to this website, my story. I hope it's here you can believe that everything offered today is better than what was here yesterday. When something new comes along it's because it's better than what was here before. I am on a journey, a journey of learning, growing, and changing. When things are good, I will keep them good...until I can do better.
The photo at the top of the post is the beginnings of our own luffa garden. It was experimental this year and won't yield enough to be able to supply our luffa scrubs, but by this time next year we will be well on our way to having homegrown luffas to put in our products!
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