Palm Oil - What's all the fuss?

One of the ingredients we use in making our soaps is Organic Palm Oil. There is a great deal of controversy over this ingredient. As an eco-conscious producer, it is very important that I closely scrutinize every ingredient I use in creating products.
We take our responsibility to conservation and stewardship seriously.  We all share one birthright, our position as stewards of the environment. No matter what your position is in life, you own this birthright and the duties and responsibilities that go along with it. We know that what we do matters and the choices we make every day make a difference. We choose to use Organic Palm Oil because of the properties it adds to the finished products we produce. The Organic Palm Oil we purchase is more expensive, but we feel it is well worth it. It is where we get our Palm Oil that makes a huge difference.
So let me share with you some of the controversy surrounding Palm Oil. There are parts of this globe where Palm oil is grown and harvested and refined that do not take stewardship as a serious responsibility. They view Palm Oil as a key commodity and exploit nature in order to produce the cheapest product in the highest volume. To that end, they have endangered wildlife and stripped indigenous forested areas. They also exploit the communities and upset delicate balances all for the production of Palm Oil.

However, not all Palm Oil is grown in these areas. There are communities that grow, harvest, and produce some of the finest Organic Palm Oil all while being excellent stewards to the land. The Palm Oil used in producing Très Spa Soaps comes from such an area. The family farmers practice sound land management through sustainable planting, harvesting and processing systems in a manner that is sustainable for economic, social, and environmental viability.  The lands that the Palm trees are grown and harvested on are repurposed from other previous agricultural uses (cattle, banana, rice, etc…).  Along the entire supply chain, suppliers are affiliated with globally recognized environmental programs such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), ProForest and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).
As consumers you have the power to affect changes. If the products you purchase contain Palm Oil, ask where they get their Palm from. If it is not certified Organic, sustainably grown, or they do not certify that it is Orangutan friendly, then make the choice. As a producer, I have the power to help you by verifying where my raw materials come from.  The Palm Oil I use is stamped Green Palm Sustainability, greenpalm.org and EcoCert Organic, ecocert.com

A Day at the Spa

I love beginnings. I always have. To me it is very important how you start anything, be it a day, a trip, a work of art, laundry, anything. I believe there is great significance in the first moments. It’s like when you meet a person for the first time. It is instant and primal for all of us. We make an assessment that tells us how we feel about that person and those feelings set the tone for that relationship going forward.

For me, starting this new year, I wanted to bring more balance into my life. Running a business and growing it requires a great deal of time and it gets very easy to put yourself last on the list. But, the most important thing to do is to take good care of yourself especially when there are greater demands on you. So to cement this plan I decided to take a day and visit the spa.

Of course, those who know me, know how much I truly value a day at the spa. It is like no other place. You can go in feeling one way and come out completely transformed. This is the philosophy behind all of the products that I create; transformation. It is a simple thing really, yet so often overlooked. How you nurture your skin or sent your environment can have profound impacts on your sense of well being.

So with my gift certificate burining a hole in my pocket, where did I go for this wonderful day at the spa? Sen Spa in San Francisco. It is located on the Presidio and is in one of the depot buildings. Don’t let the plain outside fool you, the inside is a sight to behold. They have done an amazing job of maintaining the historical features while still transporting you to another world. The floors are original and the open beamed ceiling brings in a lovely filtered light. I got there a bit early so that I could relax in their meditation room before my treatment. The ultimate in relaxation, a soft flowing wall water fall caressed the ears and the sights were filled with shapes that counter balanced the hard sharp lines. The visual tones of browns, greens, and rust orange made an excellent backdrop to the carved wood pieces hung about the walls. It was nice to sit and think about….nothing for a while.

Then it was my turn for my treatments! I had their Heaven on Earth treatment and added the Senzen scalp treatment for good measure. There are lots of other treatments to choose from but I choose this one because of the essential oils used. In winter, I love spice scents and this treatment was full of them. The treatment specialist was amazing and I am certain I dozed off a time or two in pure bliss. I wish I could tell you more about the treatment itself, but the expert practitioner had done such an excellent job of moving through the phases, that I just followed along and let go of any thought or care. I can tell you that I emerged feeling completely revived. Peaceful yet energized at the same time.

Happy New Year!

Of all the Holidays, New Years is my absolute favorite. Why? Because, for me, it is a time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. It is also a time to rejoice in what you had accomplished in the year. To celebrate the triumphs and mourn the tragedies.  But don’t spend an eternity caught in an endless loop of regret or in cheering for what was because the New Year is upon you and it is time to put aside that which you no longer need to carry with you.

The New Year…

New years are fresh with possibilities.  You can start January 1 with a clean slate. It is as if an artist has just gotten a blank canvas. With all the possibility of their imagination, they have only to apply the paint to the canvas, and by their will, express what they wish to share with the universe.

In the New Year, we are all artists. We are all given the blank canvas and all we need to do is apply the paint. What would you like to create in 2012?

My first act for Très Spa was to simplify the Blog Posting so I moved it over here. Wherever here is in the cyber world.

P.S. If you missed New Years Eve, don’t worry. You can celebrate New Year’s twice since the Chinese New Year is right around the corner. While I am sad to leave the Year of the Earth Rabbit behind, on January 23, we will usher in the Year of The Water Dragon! The celebration will last for 14 days and the Dragon will replace the Hare on February 4^th.