The Home Front: Practising self care in the home

Credit to Author: rebeccakeillor| Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2020 13:39:15 +0000

Health, wellness and self care are always hot topics in January, given New Year’s resolutions, and what better place to start thinking about small daily changes than in the home?

We caught up with three companies dedicated to making us feel better, one bar of soap or drop of diffused oil at a time.

A desire to create something that brings joy to peoples’ lives and is what first inspired Helen Platts, founder and owner of the Bowen Island Soap Co., to start making the beautiful bars of handmade soap that she now ships around the globe.

“My target market is outdoor explorers. People who like to get out and about and enjoy the beauty of the world, and share it with others, so I base my products around that,” she says. “My hope is that my products will bring people back to that mountain they climbed or that secluded beach they were on through touch and scent, and help them relive and remember those positive and happy moments,” she says.

Using organic, plant-based ingredients, and steering clear of the harsh chemicals often found in commercial soaps was also a big motivator for Platts.

Handmade soap by Bowen Island Soap Co. Photo credit: Bowen Island Soap Co. for The Home Front: Practicing self-care in the home by Rebecca Keillor [PNG Merlin Archive] PNG

“I have sensitive skin, so I know that if something is good for my skin it’s probably going to be good for most people,”she says. 

Platts says the vibrantly coloured creations she turns out are achieved through her pouring technique, something known as CPOP, a hybrid of cold processed and hot processed soap.

“I get to make pretty soap, but it cures faster than traditional cold processed soap, so I get the best of both worlds,” she says.

Platts has a design degree and a masters in business, and that shows in the packaging and presentation of her products.

She recently added a skin balm and hair conditioner to her range, and says the positive reviews she gets from her customers — one woman told her her conditioner is the first hair product that hasn’t made her scalp react — makes all the hard work involved in running a business worth it.

“When I get feedback like that, I know I’m on the right track,” she says.

Sonia Chhinji and Fouad Farraj founded super hip, Vancouver-based, premium home and body basics company Woodlot five years ago. Originally known for their clean, plant-based coconut and soy candles, they’ve since expanded into soap, skincare, mists and essential oils.

“The intention of Woodlot has always been focusing on creating wellness products that allow you to slow down and take a moment for yourself,” Chhinji says.

Plant-based coconut and soy candle by Woodlot. Photo credit: Woodlot for The Home Front: Practicing self-care in the home by Rebecca Keillor [PNG Merlin Archive] PNG

For their customers, says Chhinji, this experience begins when they’re  unboxing a Woodlot candle or soap. (Their packaging and branding is very design-forward and intentional).

“We want people to enjoy the scent, enjoy the texture, and experience the product as a whole,” she says.

Many of the Woodlot scents are inspired by the Pacific Northwest, Chhinji says.

“We’re from here. Our company started here, and we love the Pacific Northwest, so a lot of our scents have the fir, the cedar and pine. We’re very much inspired by Stanley Park and our own backyard. The feedback we get most often if we talk to a customer who is in London or in Ontario or New York, they’ll say: ‘I love Cascadia, it reminds me of home’,” she says.

When it comes to essential oils for the home, it’s hard to skip over Utah-based essential oil company doTERRA, founded in 2008, and known globally for its “therapeutic-grade essential oils”.

“We find that when people diffuse oil in their environment it has a very big impact on their ability to cope with challenges and it can really help them regulate their tension and lower stress levels and impact emotions,” says Shaunna Sorenson, senior director of global product marketing for doTERRA.

The brand has just released a new line of products, named Adaptiv, which features a blend of therapeutic oils that includes wild orange, lavender, copaiba, spearmint, magnolia, rosemary, neroli, and sweetgum, to help people cope with modern day stresses.

Therapeutic essential oils by Utah-based doTERRA featuring their latest Adaptiv range. Photo credit: doTERRA for The Home Front: Practicing self-care in the home by Rebecca Keillor [PNG Merlin Archive] Douglas Barnes / PNG

“We look at the world we live in right now and recognize there is stress, tension and difficulties (that) abound with people of all ages struggling to cope,” Sorenson says.

Adaptiv is doTERRA’s response to current tensions, she says.

“We felt there was an opportunity to hone in on these concerns,” she says.

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