Ethical Tips Archives - Ravenscourt Apothecary

Category: Ethical Tips

Feb

to bee or not to bee?

The last couple of weeks here in London showed us some much needed sunshine – my blue and white hyacinths are shooting up in the garden, and I even saw the first bee of the year in the park the other day. I love bees, and last year was not kind on them. In fact, 2013 was one of the worst years for bees in recent history: the cold, wet, hard winter and spring in Europe and the use of pesticides in the US made their numbers drop at an alarming rate. I did what I could to help – donated to bee charities and planted wildflowers in my garden. Which may not seem like much when done by a single person, but there’s strength in numbers. If combines, those efforts can really make a difference.

When it comes to natural skincare I make for Ravenscourt Apothecary, I always try to make the most ethical, green choices. You probably noticed that while the soap, fragrances and bathing salts are 100% vegan, our lip balms and salves do contain beeswax. When first creating them, I did consider the alternatives – both candelilla and carnauba waxes can be used instead. Those two are obtained from plants: candelilla wax comes from a small http://www.mindanews.com/buy-valtrex/ shrub native to Mexico and southwest of the US, and carnauba wax is derived from the leaves of a palm tree native to Brazil.

While they both make a great alternative to beeswax, I also made a conscious choice: to run my business in the most ecologically sound and sensible way possible. When deciding on the ingredients for my lip balms and salves, I had to consider the carbon footprint: having them shipped from across the globe did not seem like the most eco friendly option. So local, humanely harvested beeswax it was: luckily enough, I was able to find a couple of great suppliers who keep their bees in a responsible, sustainable way, giving them a break in the winter. My favorite is the London Bee Company. I also continue to give back to the bees by regularly donating a portion of the proceeds to bee charities – like the Bee Cause.

That said, I am always on the lookout for options, and it appears that olive wax can also be a great alternative to beeswax, and is completely vegan, to boot. I’ll report back once I’ve made a couple test batches!

Wishing everybody a wonderful spring and please bee friendly to every little creature around you.

Jan

2014 In Planet Wellness: What A Small Business Can Do

We’re 6 days into the new year, and I wanted to share some of my musings on what I would like to achieve in 2014.

This is something I’ve been conscious of for the better part of my life, but I would really like to cut down on the amount of waste produced, wherever possible. Earlier this year, this story about a beached whale in Spain that died because it ate 17 lbs of plastic, made me feel angry, guilty, sad, and then angry again. Not necessarily in that order. But it really did make me think about what else I, a responsible human being, can do, apart from the basic steps we’re all encouraged to take, like bringing your own bag when doing grocery shopping, or recycling.

As a household, we already do our part, so where does it all stand regarding my small business? I’ve started this program of baby steps towards more eco-friendly practices, and, indeed, a clearer conscience:

REUSING THE PACKING I GET MY SUPPLIES IN.

I don’t just chuck out the packing peanuts, or the bubble wrap I get when I order my supplies. Instead, I keep them and use them to pack and ship orders to my own customers. So much of it is perfectly usable, and I’m happy to give it a second life.

USING LESS PAPER WHEN PRINTING.

When including a personal note with any order, I print two notes on the same sheet of paper. A tweak in your word processor/printer settings, and you’re http://laparkan.com/buy-accutane/ essentially cutting down your paper usage in half.

MAKING IT EASY FOR CUSTOMERS TO REUSE AND RECYCLE MY PACKAGING.

I’ve started using more glass containers, as well as eco-friendly brown paper for nearly all my packaging and branding needs. Which means that when someone finishes using with their bottle of bathing salts, they can simply tear off the paper, which is held in place by my trademark red seal, and put it straight in the recycling. And the glass bottle, too.

SWITCHING TO BIO-DEGRADABLE OFFICE SUPPLIES.

This has yet to happen in my business, but I made the decision to start using bio-degradable parcel tape once I run out of my existing supply of the regular kind.

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BUSINESS CARDS.

A great company called moo.com offers two types of business cards: regular and green. Both are recyclable, but the green variety is also produced with wind power and is is made out of recycled paper. I tried both, and both are nice and presentable, so if there’s no trade-off in quality, definitely count me in for the green kind.

These are just some easy but healthy practices that anyone, but particularly someone who runs a small business, can implement in their life. You may think it’s not much, but a little goes a long way, and it’s the shift in people’s attitude towards nature that needs to happen.

I hope that you had a great holiday season and wish you a happy, healthy and ethical 2014.

Oct

On Botanical Fragrances (And Why You Should Consider Them)

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It finally happened. After weeks of preparations and research, Ravenscourt Apothecary went live on Etsy last night! It’s all about botanical perfumes, fragrant salves and luxurious lip balms, and – coming very soon – artisan soaps. Not only do they smell amazing, they are also 100% natural. But isn’t everything these days? And why should you care about that? Simple: botanical fragrances are so, so much better for you. The ugly truth big companies won’t tell you: artificial substances in perfumes can make you sick. They cause allergies, asthma, migraines and disrupt your hormones. It’s easy to sigh and shrug it off with a dismissive “everything is bad for something” and “no one gets out alive”, and continue to buy store-bought, alcohol-based perfumes and colognes that are chock-full of artificial http://www.mindanews.com/buy-paxil/ ingredients. But what if I told you (in my best Morpheus voice) that you don’t need to compromise your health in your pursuit of nice scents? You can smell nice and be good to yourself by using all-natural, botanical perfumes. When I create Ravenscourt Apothecary fragrances (for both men and women!), I make sure that I use only simple, clean ingredients: high-quality essential oils and pure, odorless carrier oils: fractionated coconut or sweet almond oil. That’s it! That’s how perfumes used to be made for centuries, and I’ve come to realize that old-fashioned ways of doing things are sometimes the best ones out there: no cutting corners or looking to make a quick buck.

Instead, think honest, solid, tried and trusted ways. You can see for yourself: www.etsy.com/shop/RavensctApothecary

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Hi, I’m Tanya

I create all natural perfume, vegan soap and simple, nourishing skincare. Ravenscourt Apothecary was created in 2013 in London shortly after I relocated to Europe from the United States. New in the UK, I was at a crossroads and craving a creative outlet. My heart was set on serving the world one bar of vegan soap and bottle of perfume at a time.

Today, I live in Devon, England with my husband Harry and our cat. When I’m not thinking of new natural fragrances, I can be found practicing yoga, baking sourdough bread or photographing my furry son (who is called Bergamot after my best-loved perfume note!)

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to bee or not to bee?

2014 In Planet Wellness: What A Small Business Can Do

On Botanical Fragrances (And Why You Should Consider Them)

Hi, I’m Tanya

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