The first time I watched a product line I designed go from samples to actual production it really amazed me how tiny decisions can add up to huge differences in what lands in a landfill. It was really important that as we looked at scaling up this product line, we tried to avoid scaling up how much was being thrown away. Carly and I both live a relatively low-trash lifestyle, with the vast majority of the what we dispose of ending up in a recycling bin or compost heap, and there’s no reason for this to be any different.

One of the great things about using botanicals in what you make is that almost everything can go into a compost pile. This includes the paper filters we’re using to purify things, and the small amounts of paper products we’re using for cleanup. Growing your own plants for using in your products means that you always have willing consumers for your compost, so a lot of what we’re doing circles back on itself. Most of what we’re making is oil based and doesn’t mix with water so we don’t use much of that, either. Almost everything that’s left – most of our product packaging going out and the things that come in (shipping boxes, plastic bags of packages, etc.) can either be reused or recycled. It’s a nice feeling to make great things all day and not have a bunch of trash heading for the landfill when you’re done.

I’ve been using my own oil based face wash for a long time now. I love it, but I was almost out and tired and didn’t really have time to make more (it’s not a fast process), so I decided to use something else I had. Now I’m trying to calm down the epic breakout I woke up with yesterday. I had kind of forgotten my skin could be this bad. Lesson learned. I’ve made up more face wash for myself and we’ve added it + the oil moisturizer I use after washing to the list of things we’ll be including in the shop.

(I know that I probably should have included a photo of the destruction, but my ego couldn’t take the hit.)

It’s really important to us that we have the best possible texture in everything we’re making. This takes some careful testing, especially because we don’t want to resort to synthetic additives. We’re not planning to package things in the standard lip balm tubes that are in the picture, but they make for a great way to test different formulations of lip balm and solid moisturizer bars. What we’re really looking for is the best balance of melting into your skin when you use it without melting when you’re not using it.

Another thing you can really see in this photo is the difference that real infused botanicals make. The different shades come from the plants we’re using. The colors show in the tube, but they aren’t strong enough to show on your skin. They smell amazing, and they all have different benefits for your skin.