As a child of the Seventies, being eco-friendly (and a bit of a hippie) is in my blood…
My dad was a builder (before he retired) and during my childhood he had a company building earth shelter homes and geodesic domes. He was ahead of his time. My mom had always made her own cleaning solutions with water and vinegar and a splash of peppermint or orange essential oil. She regularly used herbal remedies for prevention and to treat minor illnesses.
Growing up we always had a garden and let the toads and spiders keep our plants healthy and bug-free, as I do in my own garden today. Now I fill my organic vegetable garden with my own hydroponically-started non-GMO seedlings and am slowly-but-surely transforming my suburban yard to all-edible landscaping.
I’m a certified Aromatherapist and have been using essential oils long before they were mainstream. In fact, the only place I could buy them back in the 80’s was at a store that also sold witchcraft supplies and spell books! Of course I bought some of those, too. ;) I have recently added Reiki Master to my credentials and follow many Ayurvedic principles in my daily life.
When I went to cosmetology school, it could only be the Aveda Institute because they shared my whole-body wellness mindset. I graduated with honors in April of 2000.
When it comes to beauty products, I am extremely selective. So much so that I could not find products that I felt were natural enough in the mass-marketplace and through salon distributors, so I created my own line of natural hair and body products I call Mandala Apothecary. My products are made with sustainable, botanical ingredients that WORK, and are free of synthetic fragrances and other harsh ingredients.
Since I have always made my own perfumes and healing remedies using essential oils, the holistic self care rituals are now available beyond my inner circle.
I am always looking for ways to be thoughtful to the world we live in and welcome ideas for other ways to keep it beautiful.