Random Musings: The Spark

Some light reading...

If you would have told me two years ago that in a short time I'd be a green juice drinking, synthetic chemical fearing, psuedo-yogi, I would have said, "b*tch, please." I was never unhealthy per se. However, my view of healthy simply meant daily workouts and a calorie restricted diet (regardless of the processed or unprocessed nature of the food.) So what happened? I read Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Dilemma" and my entire view of food and what it means to be "healthy" changed. And in one fell swoop I jumped on the wellness bandwagon - raw brownies, green smoothies, grass-fed anything. You name it, I gave it a shot - all in the name of health.

But I was missing one key ingredient - all the crap that I was slathering over my body's largest organ on a daily basis. I needed a push though. I found it when I picked up a copy of "No More Dirty Looks." (Not featured in the picture because I have since passed it on to other friends in need of a rude, but oh so necessary awakening.) I was shocked, stunned, appalled. I was suddenly privy to what big corporations and the FDA (and everyone in So Cal) had known for years. There was no one testing the flood of products hitting the shelves every year. I began dissecting label after label in search of purity. Phthalates, parabens, PEGS, triclosan...all of those gloss-over ingredients suddenly had meaning. 

I searched Whole Foods, Target, and Walgreens for "green" products that would better my life (and more importantly, my skin.) What I found was disappointing. The products were either green-washed or low quality. They were simply created to satisfy the growing wellness market - not because the companies wanted to make a difference, but because they wanted to make a dollar. I knew there had to be something out there better than Yes to Carrots... 

There had to be people that wanted to create high quality (real) organic/wild crafted/natural products that performed. I began reading blog after blog and soon discovered this beautiful underground world of small businesses sourcing oils from all over the world, picking jasmine at dawn, using chirally correct aloe vera. People obsessed with quality. People like me.

Natural beauty is addictive and it has become a great love of mine. I get excited when I discover a new brand with new insights, new ingredients, a new vision. And rather than trying to destroy the competition, these little businesses have fostered a supportive community (exhibit A - Fashion's Night Out.) This is why it is critical to vote with your dollar and help these companies grow - put down the Yes to Carrots face wash and pick up Acure Organics Cleansing Creme. 

Whew - that was longwinded. So if you are ever reading this blog and thinking "that girl is a little obsessed," well it's because I am.