Do you ever wonder why you should bother ‘splashing out’ on a ‘fancy’ jar of natural/alternative products when you can pick up something mainstream from the supermarket for pennies?

I totally understand.

When I was a teenager, I used to be the same – I used to see TV ads saying how wonderful this new super hair serum or life-changing cleanser was and I’d make a note to get it next time I was in Boots.

I didn’t have the first idea about how to read ingredient lists, back then, and the problem of plastic was, truthfully, not in my consciousness at all, so it didn’t occur to me that there was anything wrong with amassing piles of squeezy bottles which were mostly formulated with water plus some harsh preservatives, synthetic additives, texture-forming fillers, fragrance-forming ingredients, petrochemicals, or whatever else, plus the rather small amount of whatever active extract I’d actually wanted it for.

These products often did the job and I was often perfectly happy with them, so there was no issue as far as I was aware.

What changed for me was fundamentally a shift in my awareness and knowledge that spending money comes with responsibility (as whatever we buy, we are essentially voting for more of!), plus an interest in a more wholesome way of being and living.

The other day, I met an eighty-six-year-old woman who told me (sweetly and proudly) that she had been loyal to a well-known moisturiser (I’m not sure if I should name the brand!) all her life and that was all she needed. It made me smile, and I thought ‘good on you’ (her skin was lovely!).

But she’s not my target audience; my customers are those who go a little deeper with their care and intentions, which is reflected in their choices around purchasing from slightly more off-the-radar businesses who are in turn conscious of packaging, ingredients, cruelty/lack of, creativity, sensory pleasure and have a healthy interest in being aligned with gentler, plant-based wisdom.

My natural, handcrafted skincare, haircare and home products won’t be for everyone, but if you think they might be for you, welcome!