Are you 90% perfect? We are!

For the last few months I have been using a philosophy in the store to help customers understand why we have chosen to keep some product lines and fragrance oils in the store. There are a lot of articles and news pieces and stores talking about all the harmful chemicals in the personal care industry ... and we are one of them.. I am very excited that the day has finally come that the general public is learning so much and educating themselves about why many of the large companies have given us very few options about what is in our soaps and lotions and makeup and such. This gives us, and many other great small companies the opportunity to show how great products and ingredients can be without all the chemicals.
In this post I am not going to list brands, or many chemicals or what is good or "bad" about them all. Today, what I want you to consider is how perfect you want to be, or can realistically be with products and ingredients in both your food and personal care choices.

So, here is my philosophy and how I got to it.

IF you could afford to choose your food, and your personal care products and their ingredients to be as perfect and healthy as possible would you do it? If you were told that to be healthy you could never eat junk food, or ice cream or use your favourite French soap, or Lilac scented lotion or anything with artificial anything in it... would you do it?

Na, me either.

I am totally willing to work toward a goal of eating the best I can afford/ have time for. I am totally willing to give up some of my less healthy habits in food and skin care if I can use/have them occasionally and not feel guilty about it.

The thing that bugs me, is there are stores out there: health food stores, co-ops, and even some boutiques that lecture you to get rid of all things with chemcials and ONLY use things with no artificial scent, no artificial colour, no parabens, no petroleum, and on and on.

That is GREAT!.. but, honestly I think there is only a small percentage of the population that will, is willing or will even try to be 100% perfect. I think in some cases people are tired of hearing it and use whatever they want anyway and avoid talking about it. They don't want to know or learn about chemicals, they don't want to read labels, they want to just assume they can trust the companies that sell to them to not use cancer causing, dehydrating, fossil fuel crap in their products.

So, the 90% rule came out of all of this thinking, and I have successfully made sure the product line up at the store is 90% perfect. I guarantee it!

If you can aim for 80-90% of everything that you eat, drink or put on your skin and hair to be the best quality natural ingredients YOU can AFFORD then you are far ahead of most people and likely well on your way to being super healthy. Personally, I have almost totally given up processed, packaged food of all sorts, but I have the occasional cocktail and dessert a few times a week. On my body I chose to use mostly paraben free, petroleum free, silicone free, and sulfate free products. My makeup, is my 10% cheating in personal care, I don't wear much, but I like my 18 hour wear lipstick!!! and I am not giving it up anytime soon... just like I am not giving up Ben and Jerry! I mean halloooo! who are we kidding?
100% perfect?! ? Pleeeeease!
I have a "perfect" vegan friend that "occasionally" eats an Indian meal complete with butter and yogurt ingredients.... I don't believe anyone can be 100% perfect.

So, 90% it is then! ?

Give me the chance and I will make sure you have a skin, hair and household cleaning "diet" that gets you well on your way to 90%... Give me a few more minutes of your time and I can help with your food diet too!
... but that, is another blog topic!
I hope a grand summer, and fabulous holiday weekend (in Canada this weekend) is/ will be/ has been yours!

I'll be in one on the patio with a cocktail in her hand and bright pink lipstick with a gorgeous natural fragrance wafting from her pulse points!!

Cheers!
N

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Soapy Soap Soap Soap!

So excited! I get to make Soap tomorrow morning!
We don't have a kitchen at the store, so this will be backyard soap!
I have made lots of bath products over the years, but making cold process soap is a type of creation I have a feeling I will get addicted to, so I am a little afraid of starting. I made some with friends in December and it was an honourable attempt, and I was lucky enough to have help from someone and their tried and true recipe.
My goal, sometime soon... if we in fact get this store through the recession... is to have quite a few soap types made here at the store by me and the staff.

I have about 1000 ideas that no one else seems to be doing, and if I see one more bar of chemical based garbage soap, or one more boooooring handmade bar with the top 5 everyday essential oils I will pass out! Don't get me wrong.. some of my
fave soap makers use those top 5 oils, and I will use some of them too, but my goal is never to be the same as everyone else. Since unique fragrances are my gig there will some interesting experiments on the way if I get the chance.
As you know the store is in some pretty serious financial trouble, so if you want to see the fruits of my labour coming out over the fall and holiday seasons you better get to shopping at ellenoire!... while your at it, boycott your big box stores for a week and shop local! Yes, your budget will change, but I bet some fun will come of it! Think of all the new recipes you will have to create, and the time you will save driving and parking and such. Let me know if you need a hand finding local meat, produce, clothes etc.. I am good at it!