We've always been the type to push ourselves a little further to see if we can get something just right. While we loved our liquid soap (it's been our signature products for the last 10 years!), we had this feeling we could work on the formula and improve it. So, about a year ago, we started the process.
We knew our goals:
Earlier this year we started working on it in earnest. We were determined to make it work. And we did! We finished partial batches and started using them at home and loved them. We scaled up. We tested, and tested, and tested.
The end result is a product that we hope you will love as much as we do. We added high oleic sunflower oil (which is fantastic for your skin!) as well as more vitamin rich jojoba and avocado oils. The end result is a lovely soap that is a little thinner than our previous recipe, but is oh, so wonderfully moisturizing.
With this change, we also made the decision to switch to a shelf-ready box for our hand soap. Not only does it look lovely on a shelf, it includes more story-telling so your customers have all the important information at their fingertips.
Ingredients (INCI): Water, Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) Oil*, Olive (Olea Europaea) Fruit Oil*, Potassium Hydroxide, Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) Seed Oil*, Sodium Chloride, Jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) Seed Oil*, Avocado (Persea Gratissima) Oil*, Fragrance†, and Citric Acid // *certified organic †blend of essential oils
Ingredients (common names): Water, Coconut Oil*, Olive Oil*, Potassium Hydroxide, Sunflower Oil*, Salt, Jojoba Oil*, Avocado Oil*, Fragrance†, and Citric Acid // *certified organic †blend of essential oils
Note: our new recipe has a different density than our previous recipe, so we recommend that you do not mix them. If you are using the soap in a refillery environment, use the current soap down as low as possible and clean the container prior to the swap. Additionally, encourage your customers to clean their liquid soap dispenser before adding the new hand & body wash.
]]>Sounds simple, right? Well, every country chooses to interpret the INCI a bit differently. As a business, if you are exporting to Europe, for example, you have to follow the European INCI guidelines.
In the United States, the FDA says ingredients should be listed by their common names but the INCI or names in alternate languages can be listed in parentheses after the common name. Since Whispering Willow sells within the US, we have always used common names, but have started to make a slight change.
Started in July of 2023, you will begin to see our labels transitioning to include the INCI names along with the common names in our ingredient listings.
For example: "Olive Oil" will now become "Olive (Olea Europaea) Fruit Oil".
Continuing with labeling requirements, our boxes will list the INCI ingredients and end with the word "fragrance"; however, we continue to scent only with essential oils and a disclaimer on the box will explain it.
In short, our ingredient listings will look longer (and a bit different) because of the added words, but we promise they are still the same products you know and love. 😊
]]>For the first time this year, we started to question that commitment. Not asking whether we would continue to donate to charity, but asking if we could be doing more. We researched options, spent many hours discussing it, and in the end decided to make a change.
As of July 2023, Whispering Willow is a proud member of 1% for the Planet.
We will be donating 1% of annual sales to non profit partners addressing today's most pressing challenges including climate change, food and water scarcity, pollution, and wildlife preservation. This allows us to support the causes that mean the most to us and for our giving to change and to evolve over time.
We've always been environmentally conscious. In our younger years, our dream was to live in an Earth Ship. 😊 That dream has passed (although we still think they are fascinating and absolutely gorgeous!), but we do our best to live our lives with the environment in mind. We've carried those same principles into our business.
At Whispering Willow, we:
We hope you'll join us in this new (and exciting!) step forward in our journey.
Be Well,
Julia & Wayne
]]>In honor of their dedication, in the US we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week the first full week of May. Join us in thanking the teachers. Give them a small gift, a card, a smile, or just take a moment to stop by a classroom and tell them what a difference they are making in your child's life. 🙏
If you'd like to purchase a small gift, we have a few suggestions:
Our Self-Care Gift Box has a bar of soap, lip balm, salve, and soap dish all boxed up and ready to go. It makes an adorable, easy gift and will hopefully remind teachers to take a few moments for self-care when they can.
We imagine that teachers understand the importance of handwashing better than most. 😊 Our hand soap comes in a frosted glass bottle, is made with organic oils and essential oils and is wonderfully moisturizing. Tuck it into a small gift bag & you have the perfect Teacher gift.
Last (but definitely not least), our Lavender Eye Pillows. These may be small, but they pack a powerful punch. You can warm them in the microwave or cool them in the freezer. They can be placed over the eyes, or to soothe muscles when needed.
Hopefully we've given you a few ideas of gifts for teachers. Regardless of what you choose, please do take a moment to thank the teachers in your lives during Teacher Appreciation Week (and every opportunity you have!).
]]>We've found the best way for us to focus on the business and do some serious planning is to just get away. This year, we rented a house in Cheshire Village near Black Mountain, NC.
Our routine included sleeping in, walks with the pup, a couple hours of work in the afternoon, another walk, and then dinner. Honorable dining mentions include: Little Sprout Carry Out, Mac's Burgers & Cheesesteaks, and Sake Sushi.
We had a lot to accomplish and managed to get through most of it. Of course, getting through meant making plans for a lot of work in the coming months but the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and we took those first steps on our little retreat.
The broad strokes of the changes that you will see upcoming include:
To be honest, it's a lot...but it's also pretty exciting. Being able to get away and focus on work without the interruptions of work and life was great. We returned home focused and well-rested and loving Black Mountain even more.
We will keep you posted as we near completion on some of these projects. Until then, be kind to yourself and those around you.
Be Well,
W
And, as things go when you are running a small business, we found out that we then needed to learn about FDA and FTC rules (if nothing else we are rule followers). Thankfully, we are members of the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild and the Guild is lucky enough to have a guru when it comes to this stuff named Marie Gale. So, we bought all her books and did lots of reading.
We thought we'd share a few common questions we get related to the messy business of soap making.
If you're a natural company, why do you use sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide?
Sodium hydroxide & potassium hydroxide are also known as lye. They are necessary to make soap. When lye, which is a base, is combined with the fatty acids in oils, a chemical reaction occurs called saponification. Saponification is what creates soap - liquid or bar depending on the lye that you choose. During this process, the lye is neutralized. Basically, if the soapmaker has done their job well, there is no lye remaining in the finished product.
If there's no lye left, why is it listed on your labels?
Great question! According to the FDA, soap can be soap (yep), or soap can be a cosmetic. It depends on how you talk about it. If you say that your soap does anything other than just clean, you have made it into a cosmetic which means per the rules & regs you need to include ALL the ingredients that went into the pot when you made that product. As we have already established we are rule followers, we list them all to err on the side of caution.
Why do other people's labels sometimes say "saponified oils of (xxx)"?
If soapmakers choose to talk about their soap only as soap - saying only that it cleans, not that it moisturizers, etc - then, they can use the wording listed above. They did still use lye to make the product. They just chose to leave it off the label because, just like ours, the lye doesn't exist in the final product that folks will be using on their skin.
We hope this lesson helps shed some light on what can be a very confusing topic (even for us and we've been doing this for 12 years now!). Of course, if you have any questions, please reach out to us anytime.
Be well,
Julia
Self-Care
We understand self-care to be a recognition that you need and deserve to pay attention to your well being in an acute and perhaps urgent manner. This can express itself in so many ways. It can be treating yourself to a nice dinner with that special someone, making time for a long soaking bath, or planning a weekend getaway to clear the mind and settle the spirit.
Sometimes self-care can be thought of as pampering and having a luxurious and perhaps out of reach vibe. But self-care can also mean hitting the easy button for dinner (think pizza...delivered), taking a minute for three deep breaths before a meeting, or choosing the long way home for a few extra minutes of "me time".
An acquaintance recently shared a self-care story. They frequently go on business trips that involve all day meetings and then group dinners (aka...business meetings with food). On particularly challenging days, they make a point go to their room before dinner where they turn out the lights, pull the curtains, and curl up in a ball under the covers for 20 minutes.
Know that this person loves their job. They simply recognize that an intense day (and evening) of analysis and decision making requires time to recharge and have found an effective way to accomplish that. Some may think of this as weakness, and they would be wrong. This is self-awareness, insight, and strength that makes this individual a highly successful and sought after professional.
Self-Keeping
We see self-keeping as day to day maintenance that helps you pace yourself over the long-term. This can be finding an exercise routine and maintaining it, committing to certain healthy diet choices, a good sleep routine, keeping a doctors appointment, or maintaining a medication regiment.
Honestly, it can be as simple as taking a shower. As a chronic illness fighter, Julia knows this battle first hand. MS in particular can cause intense bouts of fatigue when you are in a flare that makes something as simple as a shower feel overwhelming. It may be the only thing you accomplish that afternoon or that day, but it is a win to be celebrated all the same.
Prioritizing these basic tasks and accepting that some days you just get to do the basics is the heart of self-keeping.
Summary
In short, we understand self-keeping as the group of habits and routines that we weave throughout our lives to help us function in the ways that are important to us.
Self-care is what we do when these habits and routines are strained by external or internal forces and we need to make an extra investment in our wellbeing.
While we as a company focus and discuss self-care often, self-keeping is our foundation. They are complimentary elements to living a balanced and healthy life.
Be Well,
J & W
]]>As Whispering Willow has grown I've noticed the same challenge, it takes a lot of resources to make these products for our amazing customers. We've always used the familiar phrase Reduce, Reuse, Recycle as a blueprint for how to be more eco-friendly in our operations and while we have taken steps to reduce the use of plastic and we recycle all the cardboard and plastic we can, we know that in order to make progress we have to embrace that second principle: Reuse.
Enter closed loop manufacturing. A closed loop manufacturing process reuses materials from the creation and delivery of a product to make new or additional products. Our desire to embrace this philosophy was encouraged by many of the refilleries we've been working with who buy our hand soap and body wash in 2.5 gallon containers.
Our refillery partners wanted to return their containers so we could reuse them and we were happy to oblige. However, we soon realized that the cost of shipping these large plastic bottles made this process unsustainable plus the containers were not made for that level of wear and tear. We needed a better solution.
One thing you may not know about Julia, my business partner and much better half, is that one of her super powers is researching any topic on the internet. It may not sound like the sexiest super power in the world but it sure comes in handy (and it is a little sexy). She was able to find a local supplier that makes collapsible containers for storing and shipping liquids.
With this last piece of the puzzle in place, we launched a new product and a new process. When a refillery orders our hand soap or body wash in a 2.5 gallon pouch we include a return shipping label in the box. Once the refillery has emptied the pouch they rinse it, tuck it back in the box, and return it to us. We then wash and sanitize the pouch, hang it to dry, and ready it for another batch of soapy goodness. And with that final step, we have closed the loop. Because of the collapsible nature of the container, the refillery can save up several pouches and return them all at once in single box, making this a more efficient, and cost-effective process.
While we are currently only offering this process with our 2.5 gallon body wash and hand soap we hope to expand it to our 64oz refills including our hand soap and body wash as well. The more folks we can get closing the loop, the better it will be for everyone!
Be well,
W
]]>Our preference has long been to use distilled water in our products. Because we live in a fairly rural area, we don't have a water delivery service and we have relied on plastic containers of distilled water. We reused these containers as part of our processes for as long as we possibly could and then we would recycle them, but ultimately, we knew we wanted to move away from introducing plastic in the first place.
When we moved into our new space earlier this year, we had more room for the first time and the chance to make some big changes.
So, meet our new friend: Our very own water distiller!
While to many it may look like a very large piece of metal (which it definitely is!), it was on our wish list for many, many years and was such an exciting purchase! Now we can create our own distilled water for our liquid soap, bar soap, and linen spray!
We also changed our processes so we bottle directly from our equipment into the final glass pumps, 64oz containers, or 2.5 gallon containers, so we don't need any additional plastic.
As a result, our plastic usage in the studio has dropped dramatically. We re-use any bubble wrap we receive and are left with a few odds and ends (mostly received from our vendors) including the plastic that arrives wrapped around our pallets.
Are we perfect? Far from it, but this was a huge step we've looked forward to for a long time. And, as long as we continue re-evaluating and making incremental improvements, we can continue to be proud of our progress.
]]>Laurel Hill Farm and Preserve is a 240 acre property that is home to goats, bees, chickens, some amazing livestock guardian dogs, and a friendly (!) turkey. Amy & her family oversee the property and care for the animals with help from Kassi who also runs her flower business, Kindness Flowers.
To say the farm is picturesque is an understatement. Amy is the nicest human ever and she is surrounded by such a gorgeous space and animals that are clearly adored.
When we arrived to pick up our milk, she asked us if we wanted to meet the animals. Of course, we agreed!
We're not sure you can tell how much we are giggling in all these pictures, but our faces hurt from laughing so much.
We loved the goats, but the picture of the day was definitely this one:
When we set up the appointment to pick up goat milk, we never thought that holding a TURKEY was in our future!
We had a great time. We came home with lots of goat milk, some amazing goat cheese, gorgeous flowers, eggs, and a relationship with a wonderful new partner.
Now when you pick up a Goat Milk Lavender Bar to pair with any of our lavender goodies, you'll know the exact source of the goat milk and that the goats that share their milk with us are well loved and enjoying a good life.
Be well,
Julia & Wayne
]]>While Whispering Willow as a business is not plastic free, we evaluate our choices each year and push ourselves to try to be a bit better than we were the year before. Additionally, we are always evolving in our personal lives to be more eco-conscious.
While we know the thought of eliminating single use plastics can be overwhelming (it is for us too!), everyone can take little steps. Little steps each year lead to a large impact over time.
Plastic Free July has some great ideas and you can register to receive emails with more information. We thought we'd also share some choices we've made in our lives so far.
Choices we make personally:
We know we still have a lot more to do. For example, we still use toothpaste in a tube. I would like to try transitioning to a solid toothpaste option. If you have suggestions of brands, we'd love to hear them!
We do use ziplock bags once in a while and would like to buy a few Stasher bags and transition away from plastic bags completely.
Our countertop cleaner comes in a plastic bottle. Our hope is to start experimenting with recipes and making our own that we can put in glass. Stay tuned for news there!
Choices we make as a business:
We know we can do more as a business too and we have plans to continue making small shifts in our operations. As we mentioned before, small changes over time lead to a large overall impact.
One exciting note: We added a check box to allow customers to search for refilleries directly on our stockist locator. Are you a refillery and want to be added? Email us and let us know!
Do you have resolutions for Plastic Free July? Share with us here or look for our Plastic Free July post on Instagram or Facebook.
Be Well,
Julia & Wayne
]]>The benefits of being an entrepreneur are endless but, let's be honest, it's not all rainbows and sunshine. Even when you aren't at work, you are. There are always "opportunities" that need to be addressed whether it is managing employees, maintaining the shop, updating displays, customer outreach, or deciding what lines will help you make the most of the holiday season (which always seems to be right around the corner).
Daycations can be a nice addition to your Summer schedule and can actually be more rewarding than a traditional getaway. As the name implies, daycations are vacations that last a single day and require significantly less planning, effort, and expense than a traditional vacation. The key is to make your daycation something that is easy and fun that will be meaningful and restorative for you.
But before we discuss what a daycation is, let's be clear about what it is not: It is not taking a day to catch up on errands, to reschedule missed appointments, and knock out those one or two (or five) chores that you just haven't been able to get to. Yes, you may be glad you got these things done and you may feel a bit less stress but this is not the same as nurturing your mind and spirit.
We encourage you to bring intention to this experience. Do you need some time alone? Perhaps, you have a relationship that you want to nourish? Once you have your basic intention, plan the day accordingly, leaving plenty of space for spontaneity and organic experience.
For Wayne, day hiking at a local state park is an ideal solo getaway. He is always restored by time spent in nature. If we are interested in a shared experience, then perhaps we would tour a botanical garden and seek out a nice meal at a restaurant we've never tried. If our time is more limited, something as simple as a nice dinner out and a movie can be just the escape that we need.
Whatever experience speaks to you, this time spent solo or with meaningful folks in your life can become a steady spring that feeds and sustains you.
Be Well,
]]>
The woody, evergreen scent of Rosemary brings calm and comfort while providing alertness and acuity. The clean, citrus aroma of Lemon provides positive energy that enhances your mood. The result of this unique blend leaves you relaxed and aware with a generous and accepting spirit.
As with our previous Seasonal Scent, we will be offering Rosemary & Lemon in our bar soap, hand soap, body oil, hand & cuticle salve, and linen spray. Rosemary & Lemon items will be available for purchase from May through August.
Be Well,
]]>1. Develop a Routine - Life can make this a challenge but it is best if you go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time every day. It is also good to perform relaxing activities before going to bed such as reading or listening to soothing music, doing gentle stretches, or taking a warm bath.
2. Create the Right Environment - It is important that your bedroom be a space that is conducive to sleeping. The temperature should be comfortable or slightly cool and the room should be dark and quiet. Avoid light-emitting screens while in bed.
3. Regular Exercise - Getting exercise throughout the day will help you sleep better at night. However, the NIH recommends not exercising within three hours of bedtime[1].
4. Monitor Food & Drink - The Mayo Clinic suggest not going to bed when hungry or overly full. Also, avoid nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine before bedtime as these all have stimulative effects and will make it harder to go to sleep[2]. Finally, avoid drinking lot's of water before going to bed as you will likely have to visit the bathroom several times during the night, interrupting your sleep.
5. Manage Stress - Stress can make it difficult to go to sleep, keeping our mind active and our body tense. Try writing down the items that are causing you stress with the intention of setting them aside until the next day. Developing other habits such as yoga, journaling, or meditation to help manage stress on an ongoing basis.
6. Use Aromatherapy - The sense of smell can be a powerful tool in helping you get to sleep. Whether you use incense or candles, linen spray, or even a scented eye pillow, incorporating aromatherapy into your evening routine can facilitate a good nights rest.
We're not sure that we can all return to sleeping like a baby again, but we hope these habits assist you in getting a good nights rest. As always, if you are having ongoing issues with lack of sleep, please do consult a doctor.
Be Well,
]]>
1. Good sleep helps maintain a healthy, balanced appetite. Sufficient sleep helps our bodies regulate hormones properly, providing a healthy balance of ghrelin, an appetite stimulant, and leptin, an appetite suppressant [1]. Without enough sleep, the production of these hormones can become unbalanced, causing increased appetite and potential weight gain.
2. Lack of sleep can reduce productivity. Poor sleep can alter activity in certain parts of the brain resulting in poor decision-making and problem-solving while reducing your ability to learn. Lack of sleep can have the same effect as alcohol intoxication causing individuals to take longer to finish tasks, have a slower reaction time, and make more mistakes [1].
3. Poor sleep can have a negative impact on mental and emotional well-being. Apart from just being a bit grumpier when we haven't had enough rest, there is a strong correlation between chronic lack of sleep and depression. The same correlation exists between insufficient sleep and an increased risk of suicide [2].
4. Sufficient sleep can help prevent or reduce inflammation within your body. Patients with chronic illnesses such as IBD, Chrons, and Ulcerative Colitis have reported a strong correlation between poor sleep and disease activity and relapses [3]. Inflammation also plays a role in a wide variety of chronic and auto-immune diseases.
5. Lack of sleep elevates our risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. Studies have shown that those who get less than 7-8 hours of sleep per night are at higher risk of heart disease or stroke[4]. Likewise, a survey of 10 studies showed that individuals who get less than six hours of sleep per night are more likely to develop type two diabetes [5].
Our always-on, non-stop culture makes it easy for us to dismiss the importance of a good nights rest. Whether you are raising an active family, striving for career achievement, or just trying to get through the day; consistently getting a good nights rest is critical to your success. In our next installment of Self-Care Essentials, we will offer some tips for getting a good night's rest.
Sleep Well,
]]>
Our newest Seasonal Scent, Eucalyptus & Mint, is an uplifting reminder. The distinct aroma of Eucalyptus is cool, sharp, and slightly herbaceous. In pairing it with peppermint, we've created a crisp scent that tingles the nose slightly as you inhale, clearing the mind and bringing you into the present.
We are expanding our Seasonal Scent offerings this year. Our Eucalyptus & Mint scent will be available in our Bar Soap, Hand Soap, Hand Salve, Body Oil, and Linen Spray. We encourage you to embrace the season and to experience its comfort, stillness, and rest.
Be Well,
]]>In time, we came to the conclusion that while we loved that original recipe, we could and should do better. We have always been an eco-conscious company and our inclusion of palm oil in our soap never sat well. We made an effort to seek out sustainably sourced palm but this never felt like enough and it became increasingly hard to find. If you aren't familiar with the ecological effects of palm oil, take a minute to learn more.
So, at the beginning of 2018, we began experimenting with new soap recipes. While going palm-free was a major focus, the reformulation was also about what we were adding to the bar and not just what we were taking away. We wanted a richer lather, more vitamins & nutrients for your skin, and we wanted new packaging that did a better job of telling our story.
After many iterations, we settled on a wonderful recipe that we believe is a significant evolution for our bar soap. We started with old favorites like organic coconut oil, organic extra virgin olive oil, and organic shea butter. Then we added new rich ingredients like sunflower, jojoba and avocado oils - all organic as well. You may recognize these from our body oil and hand salve products. These oils are full of skin loving vitamins and are incredibly moisturizing. Finally, we added organic castor oil to help create a fuller, longer lasting lather.
To top it off we worked with the folks at YourBoxSolutions to develop a holster style box for the bar (goodbye paper labels and glue sticks). These beautiful boxes provide better protection for the soap during shipping, they give us more room to tell our story, they look fantastic on a shelf, and they allow us to be creative with styling the tops of the bars.
The result is a luxurious bar of soap that is more durable in a retail environment, more sustainable and eco-friendly, and more engaging for your customers.
As always, please let us know if you have any questions about our bar soaps or any Whispering Willow products.
Be Well,
If you have ever eaten cookies, margarine, chocolate or cereal you have consumed Palm oil. If you have ever used soap, shampoo, detergent, or lipstick you have used Palm oil. If you have ever filled up your tank with a biofuel such as biodiesel, you have likely consumed Palm oil. It would be a challenge to go through a day and not use Palm oil in some way.
It was the promotion of biofuels, led by the U.S. and Europe, and the inclusion of trans-fat-free palm oil in our food supply that were critical to creating unprecedented demand for Palm oil. Global annual production grew from 1 million metric tons in 1970 to 63 million metric tons in 2016.
As demand for Palm oil exploded, equatorial countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia quickly ramped up production. The trees grew quickly in the tropical climate and rich soil and export of the fruit provided a significant economic opportunity for these small countries.
Regrettably, the need for more land led to broad deforestation of the tropical rainforests in these countries. The cheapest way to clear land for Palm trees is a method called cut and burn. This process involves harvesting the timber in an area and then burning the debris. The results are devastating.
Locally, there has been significant habitat loss for species such as orangutans, elephants, rhinos, and tigers. Orangutans have faired the worse with over 50% of their population having been lost in the past few years. This method of clearing rainforests has also significantly impacted air quality for local residents creating a spike in air quality related illnesses such as asthma.
Globally, the cutting and burning of these rainforests have released huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Currently, deforestation accounts for 15% of the world's carbon emissions, equivalent to that of every car, truck, or train across the globe. These costs were not accounted for when calculating the environmental benefits of biofuels or other palm-based products.
There have been efforts to make palm more sustainable with the creation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Products with the RSPO seal must not be produced on land which is cleared by fire. While there is debate over the effectiveness of these measures we applaud their efforts and believe it is a good starting point. Significantly, RSPO estimates that it certifies only 20% of the globally produced Palm oil, leaving 80% of the market with no concern for sustainability.
There are arguments that abandoning palm altogether may cause more harm than good. The concern is that intense agriculture will fill the void left by palm, bringing with it a chemical cocktail of herbicides and pesticides that would wreak havoc on the delicate ecological balance of the rainforest. We respect these arguments, just as we appreciate that RSPO is working hard to make the Palm industry more sustainable.
Want to read more? The New York Times published a recent article on Palm Oil that caught our eye.
We have always used RSPO certified organic palm oil. That said, the more we read about the impacts of palm oil production, the more we felt unsettled by the industry in general. As a result, Whispering Willow's product line will be palm free starting January 15th, 2019.
Be Well,
]]>Behind the scenes, we began working on a major brand update which included revisiting our message and voice, reformulating our bar soap line, and giving our visual branding a makeover. Ten months in the making, this update launched on January 15th.
With all of the success we experienced with Whispering Willow we had some significant challenges personally. We said goodbye to two of our furry companions, Cassie and Holly. Both were quite old, 15 and 16 respectively and had failing health. A third member of our pack, Sparky, developed diabetes and a few months later formed cataracts that took his vision. Between the three, we estimate we made a 100 trips to the vet in 2018 for various infusions and treatments. Our pack is smaller now (just Sparky and Wilma) but still full of love.
In late Summer, we received the news that a family member had tragically taken their life, leaving behind a spouse and child. As we attended services, celebrated their life, and mourned with the family we were reminded that so many suffer in silence.
With all of the above happening in just a few months, the stress was understandably significant. Unfortunately, stress can have a serious effect on someone with MS and in the early Fall, Julia experienced an MS relapse. A relapse can take many forms. This particular relapse left Julia very unsteady, in a lot of pain, very tired, and out of commission for several weeks.
Let's be clear: this is no pity party. In so many ways, we are living the dream. We have a successful small business, loving families, and a wonderful marriage. We have simply gone through a tough stretch. And it is in these times that we tend to learn and grow. The past year has been no exception.
We have learned so much about gratitude and intention. We have also learned to pause, be mindful, and prioritize our own health and well-being. These experiences and lessons have not only shaped us personally but have also become an integral part of Whispering Willow.
As we worked on our brand update, we decided to instill our little soap company with the principles of gratitude, intention, and self-care. We took time, together, and wrote a manifesto that speaks to what has become so important to us and what we hope to help provide to our customers. The last few lines summarize it best:
Be Well,
Another Autumnal treat for us is making our Sugar & Spice bar soap. This has become something of a ritual for us over the years. We start with our rich and moisturizing soap recipe and add a blend of orange and clove essential oils and top it off with a pinch of cinnamon. The resulting scent evokes memories of cool Autumn evenings, long walks on rustling leaves and holiday's spent around the table with friends and family.
This year, we are excited to offer the Sugar & Spice scent to our popular hand soap. With the power of natural oils, our Sugar & Spice hand soap will cleanse and moisturize while providing a pleasant reminder that Fall has arrived.
What do you love about Autumn? We'd love to hear your stories about this peaceful time of year.
Be Well,
W
]]>Our story started in 2013. Our tiny soap company had been around just a few years. Wayne and I were both working full-time jobs and also working full time trying our best to build up our soap company. That meant many late nights and weekends spent doing production, packaging, and traveling for shows. We were tired. A lot. I had been to the doctor several times over the last year telling them I just didn't feel right but nothing was showing on blood work, so the assumption was that the stress and work was just running me down a bit so we kept moving forward.
In October of 2013, we did a crazy thing and signed up for a show on Saturday in Alexandria, VA and one on Sunday in Chapel Hill, NC. We climbed in Bubbles (our trusty soap van) and made the drive. Alexandria went beautifully but finished later than we planned and we were both exhausted. We realized we weren't going to be able to drive the whole way, so we stopped and slept a few hours, got up super early and arrived just in time to set up in Chapel Hill. It was hot and we were tired. I was having trouble walking. It felt like I was trying to navigate through quicksand. My legs got so incredibly heavy and I could barely move. I kept hiding in restaurants, leaving poor Wayne on his own under the tent. Somehow I made it through the day and convinced myself that I had simply overheated.
We drove home that night and I woke up the next morning with no feeling in my left leg. It was gone. Completely numb. Once again, I rationalized. I told myself that I had pinched a nerve with the long trip in the van. But, I did visit my PCP. He sent me to neurology. Who sent me for several MRIs (super fun for this claustrophobic gal!). It was a process, but by mid-October, I was told that I had Multiple Sclerosis. I was sent for five days of IV steroids and, because my MRI showed a very long spinal lesion, I was referred to an MS Specialist.
The same problem exists with MS. Because these lesions that MS'rs get can be anywhere on the brain or spinal cord, and because there are different types of MS, everyone's experience with MS will be different - different symptoms, different severity. To make things even more complicated, one day with MS may be great while tomorrow may not be. It is unpredictable. The cause is unknown. There is no cure.
By being diagnosed with MS, I joined the legion of people with invisible illnesses. I so often hear "you look so good!" While much appreciated (who doesn't love to hear that?!?), like so many other diseases, unless I'm wearing a brace or in a wheelchair, you can't "see" MS - the damage is visible only on MRI or through tests done by a neurologist. I also joined the legion of Spoonies. We who have severely limited energy and try to use it as wisely as we can. We are many and we are strong.
So, I function & life moves on in spite of a myriad of daily symptoms that are mostly managed by medications (neuropathic pain, tight muscles, periodic crushing fatigue). Every three months I go for an infusion that knocks out a small portion of my immune system in order to try to prevent my MS from doing any more damage. I am immensely grateful for that medication as I am quite sure I would be in a very different place without it.
Day to day is very “normal” by MS standards...except when it isn’t.
Flash forward to now. It has been almost five years since my diagnosis and it has been a rough year for us. Lots of stress all around - big (exciting!) soapy projects, lots of things going on personally and we lost two of our fur babies. I haven't been feeling well for a month or so but woke up one morning with a loss of function in my right arm. I started a steroid treatment which restored the function, but I developed an off-kilter feeling and a myriad of other unsettling symptoms.
After consulting with my neurologist, it seems that I have a new lesion high on my cervical spine or brain stem (the area of your brain that controls your sense of balance). It became clear that until this particular relapse has started to pass, I couldn't be left on my own. So, while our tiny soap company continues to operate, our big plans of Wayne heading off to a few shows had to be canceled at the last minute. We hate to disappoint people but every once in a blue moon, MS decides it has to be the priority in our lives and we need to give it that attention.
The other 99% of the time, we make a point to set MS aside, so we can focus on the life we want to live - not the life it is choosing for us.
Want to learn more about MS? The National MS Society has lots of wonderful information.
Olive oil is made up primarily of oleic acid which is a monounsaturated fat. Oleic acid is resistant to high heat so its moisturizing benefits carry through the soap making process. Olive oil also contains Omega-9 and Omega-6 acids along with small amounts of Vitamins E & K all of which have anti-inflammatory properties. This is why olive oil is a primary ingredient in Whispering Willow's bar soap, hand soap, and body wash.
It is important to remember that all olive oils are not the same. We only use Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in our products. Virgin and Extra Virgin olive oil are both "cold pressed" meaning the oil is extracted from the fruit by simply pressing or squeezing the fruit. Of the two Extra Virgin comes from higher quality olives with more robust flavor acid and flavor profiles.
Other olive oils are extracted using heat or chemicals. This is done because they are generally of a lower quality and would have an unpalatable flavor if not refined in some way.
Interestingly, olive oils can come in a variety of colors that fall along a spectrum from yellow to green. If you have ever noticed slight color variations between batches of our hand soap, this is one of the reasons. The exact color of olive oil is determined by a number of factors.
Whether you are using olive oil in the kitchen or treating your skin to some olive oil based goodies, we encourage you to be mindful of the type of olive oil you are enjoying. Finally, don't be shy about insisting on the very highest quality oil, you deserve it!
Be Well,
W
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Headwinds abound if you seek to live with more intention, more gratitude, and more self-care and acceptance. Fortunately, we can take steps to combat the negative current. Curating your media consumption can make a significant difference in your day to day mindset.
Starting your day consuming contentious political bickering does little to prepare you for a hectic schedule filled with delays, interruptions, and difficult coworkers. However, a few minutes reading a self-affirming article that encourages thoughtfulness and consideration can provide ballast that will keep you steady in choppy waters. We've recently discovered two magazines that have become part of our own rituals.
Project calm is a UK periodical (available at Barnes & Noble) that encourages mindfulness through making. Calm is filled with thoughtful voices that both instruct and encourage. It also provides inspiring photography and creative projects that challenge you to engage all of your senses.
Breathe is another UK magazine (also available at Barnes & Noble) that aims for a calmer and more relaxed you. In the most recent issue Breathe tackles living with claustrophobia, the root causes of guilt and the power of anger. These weighty topics are balanced with breathtaking photography, words of encouragement and wonderful little life hacks.
We find calm and Breathe to be complimentary with calm engaging on a very tactile level while Breathe gives you ideas to mull over for days. Adding these to your reading routine will be a solid step forward on your journey to a healthy, peaceful, and balanced life.
Be Well,
Wayne & Julia
P.S. If you have a favorite publication that you find speaks to you, please share it in the comments section below.
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With this in mind, we decided to make Basil the foundation of our first Seasonal Scent. The challenge was finding an essential oil that would pair nicely and enhance the base scent without distracting from that signature basil aroma. We decided to go with Bergamot as we discovered it provides a fresh light citrus scent that nicely balances the spicy balsamic elements of the basil.
We were acquainted with bergamot as Julia is an avid tea drinker and loves a nice cuppa Earl Grey. We enjoyed learning that bergamot grows on a dwarf variety of the Seville orange tree. The fragrant essential oil that we use is derived from the rind of the fruit which has a lime green color.
The combination of basil & bergamot provides a pleasantly sweet and spicy scent with a hint of balsamic and filled with the essence of summer. We are offering this scent exclusively in our line of hand soaps including our 8oz pump, 15oz pump, and 64oz refill.
Enjoy!
W&J
]]>This principle of being the change you want to see has been rolling around in my head lately as I have watched political strife wreak havoc with the social fiber of our country, as I've witnessed incredible angst and cruelty on social media and as I have mused on the increasing environmental stress we are creating for ourselves and our world.
I must admit that I have, on occasion, fallen victim to the 24-hour news cycle. I have spent more time than I care to admit parsing every word, checking to see how this or that issue is evolving and how it may impact our lives. Wherever you are on the political spectrum this behavior can be maddening and absolutely exhausting and does little more than lead you down a rabbit hole of anger and frustration. Lately, I've made a deliberate effort to turn off politics. I've come to realize that whatever impact this or that policy may have on us, it will pale in comparison to the benefit of me investing that same time and energy in our lives, in my and Julia's relationship and in our little soap company.
Earth Day always acts as a reminder that every step I take leaves an imprint on the Earth. This was brought into clear focus as I recently read headlines declaring that the great Pacific Garbage Patch was now twice the size of Texas (I've driven across Texas...it is big!). While we always recycle in our home and business (we even bring home recyclables when we go on vacation) and make an effort to use recycled and recyclable materials in our product packaging and our shipping materials; this kind of news is admittedly disheartening. While this was weighing on me a friend posted about Toby McCartney, an engineer who has developed a method for using recycled plastic to build roads. While this is a fledgling technology it is getting a lot of attention and has the ability to help solve our plastic waste problem (as a not-so-fun fact: only 9% of plastics in the US get recycled...yikes! ) It's amazing to see what solutions are just waiting to be discovered by creative and hardworking minds.
After taking a lengthy hiatus, I have recently waded back into the social media universe. It's been nice to catch up with friends and acquaintances but it's also been disappointing to see some of the dialogue that has gone back and forth. Rather than creating a meaningful conversation that leads to an understanding, I've witnessed several friends and acquaintances reduce those outside their own bubble to crude characterizations. All of this for the purpose of mocking "the other" and further insulating themselves from those they fear or loathe.
While I've been processing this and trying to inject some positive energy into the landscape I've also found a great source of encouragement. I recently started using a new app, InsightTimer, for my daily meditation. This app has a unique social element that allows you to see when other people are meditating and send them short messages of encouragement. This morning I meditated along with thousands of people of different faiths, nationalities, and races from around the world. At the end of my session, messages from fellow meditators in my local community and from as far away as Australia, China and Portugal were waiting for me, thanking me for meditating with them. As I reflected on this I noted that each of these people is working to make themselves and the world around them a little bit better.
We are such a wonderfully diverse society and we each have something to contribute to the environmental and social issues that surround us. We may not all be a Gandhi or even a Toby McCartney and that's ok. We may just be the person who puts a recycling container in their break room at work or invites a new co-worker out for lunch to make them feel more welcome or who responds to aggressive language or behavior with empathy and compassion. These little efforts will ripple out into the world and importantly, they will return to you as a much larger swell.
No one person can change the entire world, but we can all change ourselves. In doing this we take our first step in creating a world we want to live in.
Be Well,
W
When thinking about this process we broke it down into three parts: the boxes we ship in, the padding and filler within the boxes and finally the cushioning we use for wrapping our products before they go in the box.
The Boxes: If you've received an order from us recently it has likely come in a box with our name and logo on the side. We were getting plain boxes from Uline, a huge company with facilities across the country. Uline is amazing in a lot of ways but the cost of shipping the boxes to us was quite expensive and of course not very eco-friendly.
A fellow small business owner recommended we talk to Packaging Unlimited, a company that makes a wide variety of boxes and packaging solutions. We were thrilled to discover that they have a manufacturing facility in Lincolnton, less than 10 minutes from us. After figuring out the details we placed our box order, they ordered the paper and a week or so later our custom printed boxes were ready. I was able to drive over and pick up boxes. It felt great knowing that our boxes weren't traveling hundreds or thousands of miles and we were supporting folks in our local community.
Filler & Padding: We wanted to get away from using bubble wrap, plastic pillows, and foam peanuts as filler for our shipments. We scoured the internet and found a company called EcoEnclose.
EcoEnclose provides us with the corrugated bubble wrap (above) and other lighter weight paper filler that we use for padding within the boxes. These materials are made with 100% recycled materials and are completely recyclable and even compostable.
Product Wrap: Since many of our containers are glass we have to be really careful to make sure they are individually wrapped to prevent damage in transit. Bubble wrap is effective and is tons of fun to use to make popping sounds, but it broke our hearts every time we used it. Fortunately, EcoEnclose has an amazing solution. GreenWrap (below) is a paper-based product that creates a three-dimensional honeycomb pattern that brilliantly cushions our bottles as they make their way to you. Like the corrugated bubble above, GreenWrap is made 100% recycled materials, is both recyclable and compostable and is SFI certified.
These products have helped us create a more eco-friendly shipping solution that keeps your goodies safe in transit and doesn't clutter landfills or the Pacific ocean with mountains of plastic.
As a note, on rare occasions, you may find that darn plastic bubble wrap or pillows or maybe even peanuts in your package. These are materials that our suppliers sometimes use. Rather than toss them we reuse them in outgoing parcels. We encourage you to reuse or recycle them if you can. If you can't, ask the folks at your local UPS or FedEx store if they can use them. I have given a lot of peanuts to my local UPS store and they are always happy to take them.
I hope this has provided a behind the scenes view of how we process your orders and how we are trying to do our part to make the world a better place.
Be Well,
W
When we started researching ingredients for our line of soaps and moisturizers this amazing oil kept popping up. Just as avocados are healthy to consume the oil is wonderful for the skin. Avocado oil is rich in Vitamin E as well as potassium which are nutrients critical for and easily absorbed by the skin. This helps strengthen existing skin cells while fueling new cell growth.
In addition, avocado oil is rich in oleic acid. According to the NIH, oleic acid has natural anti-inflammatory properties. As a result, this makes avocado oil ideal for use in skin care products where dry skin, eczema, infections, and allergic reactions can lead to irritation or itchiness.
We have included avocado oil in our Body Wash which is a wonderful cleanser that lathers well and is paraben and sulfate free. We also use avocado oil in our Body Oil, a rich moisturizer that is quickly absorbed by the skin after a bath or shower. In fact, we are so enamored of avocado oil that we are including in our new line of bar soaps which will be released this Summer.
If you have any favorite avocado recipes (food or skin care) please feel free to share.
Be Well,
W
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As I've carved out some time in the past week to mow the yard, mulch flower beds and freshen our potted plants it has me reflecting, as nature always does, on the essentials of life. As I've watched the trees and flowers shake off their slumber I notice they give no thought to the year before. They are not pondering the beauty of their buds from the previous Spring, the flowers of a former Summer or the Fall foliage of yesteryear.
As I've gone about my routine I've begun to notice so many things that I've held onto that are just not part of my daily / weekly / monthly routine. Things I haven't looked at or picked up in years. Whether it's the books that I read in college, clothes from 15 lbs ago (yes, that's the right number) or various bath & body products that we've purchased over time (we've gotta see what the competition is up to) I have so much that I can purge from the nooks and crannies of our life.
So as I watch flowers and trees, the birds and the rest of nature's busy bodies go about their business I have resolved to join them in shrugging off last year's wilted flowers, fallen leaves and old skin. I will embrace each moment in all it's simplicity and brilliance and I will carry with me only that which is essential.
May you also be inspired by nature's awakening as it unfolds around you.
W
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