From Soil to Skin: Why Sustainable Skin Care Is Our Vision for Now + Beyond
Ahh, a new year.
Breathe it in.
As we ring in 2023, we are so thankful for all the ways our beautiful community has shown up + supported us the last year.
We invite you to join us as we reflect on the impact of our brand before stepping into 2023. And not just our impact on your health, but the planet too. At the end of the day, our goal isn’t just to give you the non-toxic skincare products of your dreams (though it's our passion!).
Our goal is to be a holistic company in all areas. We want to leave a trail of good wherever we go. Who said we have to stop at toxin-free skincare?
We wanted to take a minute to pause and dig deep.
To remember where our resources come from and what sustainable skin care really means.
The ingredients we source + the impact we’re making on the environment matter. Regardless of our goals to create sustainable skin care. Because the health of the planet directly affects our health.
We’re excited to go behind the scenes. We’re going to show you our practices + plans to continue supporting regenerative practices. On top of that, we’re excited to finally close the loop with our new recycling program (launching soon).
We want to proudly own our title as sustainable skin care. Here’s what sustainable skin care means to us.
Sustainable Skin Care Must: Source Ingredients Crafted with Regenerative Agriculture
Regenerative agriculture is continuing to gain traction in farming practices. (We couldn’t be more excited.) This ultra-sustainable farming method is the ultimate way to respect Mother Earth. To us, sourcing from regenerative agriculture is a must in the creation of sustainable skin care.
So here’s all the deets on what regenerative agriculture can do for our planet – and your skin.
Regenerative Agriculture Debunked
It sounds complex, but regenerative agriculture is simple. It’s a type of farming that goes back to many methods our ancestors used. They rotated items throughout different areas of the farmland. This kept the soil full of biodiversity + nutrients (and fed the animals).
Like humans, soil also needs a variety of nutrients and bacteria to thrive. Somewhere along the way, humans stopped farming this way because of industrialization. Things became streamlined and mass-produced with little respect for the environment.
Regenerative agriculture is different. It values the long-term health of the soil and land over mass-producing.
This type of restorative agriculture includes regenerative practices like:1
- Incorporating crop rotation and cover cropping
- Increasing plant and crop diversity
- Using conservative tillage practices to prevent erosion and improve soil health
- Integrating animals, managed grazing and pasturing
- Composting and waste reduction
There’s no set definition for regenerative agriculture.
But there are five main principles most farmers would agree on:1
- Improving soil health
- Increasing biodiversity
- Aiding in carbon sequestration (carbon capture)
- Incorporating humane treatment of livestock and farmworkers
- Improving the overall larger ecosystem as a whole
Regenerative agriculture is all about letting nature run its course + produce crops. It’s the way mother nature intended.
Why Sustainable Skin Care Should Use Regeneratively Grown Ingredients
Even without the aspect of regenerative agriculture, our products are sustainable skin care. Sustainable skin care usually entails:
- Minimal plastic
- Recyclable glass containers
- Plastic-free shipping
- Ethical sourcing
All of which we do. But from the beginning, it’s been our goal to take things a step further.
The work is never done – especially with how much our planet needs us. We want to create a better future for our children + future generations.
Utilizing (and supporting) regenerative agriculture reconnects us to the earth in a way nothing else can. It helps you realize the intricacies of how our ecosystem functions. It brings value, honor, and intention back to the ingredients being sourced.
In short, it takes us back to our roots.
But we don't want to stop at sourcing ingredients that are ethical and organic. We’re always looking for ways to be even more eco-conscious and impactful with our choices. We want to honor our responsibilities as a sustainable skincare brand.
Here’s how we support regenerative agriculture and sustainability through our sourcing:
- Our powders and clays come from a company with 100% solar powered facilities, saving energy + fuel.
- Our emu oil is from small farms in the U.S. devoted to humane and environmentally positive practices. They’re certified by the AEA (American Emu Association).
- Our jojoba oil comes from a net-zero facility. It’s first-press quality. In other words, it's also free from chemical extractants or solvents, which can damage the environment.
- We only source essential oils that support ecological and sustainable practices. They must not damage the earth or surrounding community with farming or distilling.
While there’s always room for growth, we’re committed to supporting regenerative practices (and farmers). It's an important partnership knowing that they value the earth’s resources as much as we do.
We’re proud of the ingredients we source, knowing they are quality + supporting sustainable skin care for us all.
Other Sustainable + Regenerative Practices We’re Supporting Through Sustainable Skin Care
Regenerative agriculture is just one piece of the puzzle. There are plenty of other ways to get involved in regenerative and sustainable practices.
And you bet we’re in on it.
→ Honoring Our Nose-To-Tail Philosophy With Animal-Based Ingredients
We choose farmers that are already ethically processing animal products. Why?
This is the best way to respect the resources we have.
All our animal-based ingredients are sourced from mindfully farmed animals. This reduces waste + honors the life of the animal. Every part of the animal is given a purpose in regenerative and ethical farming.
Here’s a real life example with PP products: the tallow we source from grass-fed cows.
We only source our beef tallow from distributors that receive affidavits from each farm. These affidavits state that the animals are pasture raised (and never fed GMOs). They also ensure that the animals are raised + processed humanely. It’s the most sustainable way and environmentally-friendly option.
Some of these farms have even fought for change in this industry to push back against inhumane harvesting practices. They’re leading the movement for sustainable farming methods.
That's why we're so passionate about supporting these ethical, eco-friendly partners.
→ Sourcing Small-Batch + Wild-Crafted Ingredients for Our Sustainable Skin Care
We’re not doing the earth any favors if we source ingredients that are carelessly mass-produced. Even when it comes to seemingly small-impact plants like herbs.
Sure, we could find cheaper ingredients to source for our sustainable skin care. But we aren’t willing to make that sacrifice.
We intentionally source wildcrafted ingredients whenever possible for their:
- Heightened purity
- Potent aroma
- Beneficial complex properties
- Enhanced + powerful benefits
Especially in artisan-distilled small batches, like ours.
Wild-crafted ingredients grow stronger and heartier to survive the conditions. In turn, they develop even more rare, rich + complex properties than organically-farmed plants.
The best part: sustainably harvesting these plants protects the earth + its precious resources. And when we aren’t able to source wild-crafted ingredients, we turn to a small southern California family-owned farm.
We even source wild-crafted palo santo.
Our palo santo is sustainably sourced from fallen trees from protected forests. The communities that gather it are utilizing the power of wild harvesting in a sacred practice. It also empowers the locals to financially support their families AND protect the precious forests.
On top of that, these communities are planting tens of thousands of trees in surrounding forests. So this makes it not only a sustainable but also a renewable source.
To us, the beauty of sustainable skin care is the ripple effect that reaches and positively impacts each person + plant along its path. We’re not mindlessly consuming natural resources. Instead, we’re working to actively restore them by partnering with distributors who want to make a difference.
Green Skin Care Products: We’re Closing the Loop With Better Recycling Options For You
Ever felt that inevitable twinge of guilt when you go to the recycling center? When you toss your plastics and know that most of them won’t make it through the system into a recycled product?
Us too.
Sustainable skin care doesn’t stop at sourcing ethical ingredients. The materials used to package those products matter too.
We knew if we wanted to push ourselves as a sustainable skincare brand, we needed to do the hard work. We had to find a solution for skincare empties.
Our products are always made with minimal plastic, and created to be recycled or reused. But we had to look at our broken recycling system in the U.S.
That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce a new way for you to reduce + reuse.
We’re launching a partnership later this month with a widely respected organization. It will bridge the gap to support all your recycling needs. So we can all contribute to recycling in a way that ACTUALLY helps the planet – instead of ending up in a landfill or being burned.
Before long – as a PP customer – you’ll have the power to help us make our sustainable skincare even more sustainable. To us, this is a big full-circle moment that we’re really excited about + eager to share.
It’s time to close the loop.
So keep an eye out for more details later this month.
Return to Your Roots with Sustainable Skin Care
As the new year welcomes us, it’s imperative that we reconnect – with our impact, with our earth, and with our skin. We believe in the power of a bird’s eye view.
We don’t believe in isolating your skin from your body. There’s a bigger picture with all the products you put on your skin. We want to honor the roots and history of where we all come from – where our ingredients come from.
Reconnecting to where your sustainable skin care comes from makes your routine that much more meaningful + sacred.
So here’s to sustainable skin care – together we make a positive change for our planet, one product at a time.
Join us?
XO
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