A big thank you to EcoBold for not only supporting eco-minded people and businesses, but for also featuring Supernatural Botanicals today.  The following article is courtsey of EcoBold.  Visit their site to learn more about the great work they are doing…then let it inspire you!

The founder of Supernatural Botanicals, Robin Feltner has a chemistry background and she just knows what ingredients should or shouldn’t be inside skincare products. This line is completely paraben-free and phthalate-free. Learn more with the interview below:

Tell us a little bit about the background and story of Supernatural Botanicals.
Supernatural Botanicals is an eco-chic bath & body company specializing in skincare that follows Green practices and principals, and formulates its products with intent and purpose.

At the inception of Supernatural Botanicals, we knew we wanted to create a company that knows its demographic. Growing increasingly disappointed with mainstream bath & body stores catering to teenagers, Supernatural Botanicals wanted to target the grown sexy woman demographic. We also wanted to focus on being Green and creating products that not only feel and smell amazing, but products that are highly beneficial for the skin.

We created products formulated without Parabens or Phthalates. Green products come from natural and organic ingredients, and that’s exactly how we formulate our products…with intent and purpose, and as natural as we can. After literally hundreds and hundreds of prototypes, we formulated perfection, bringing to you natural products that smell as incredible as they perform.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? 
I’ve always had “entrepreneur” in my genetic makeup. I was selling homemade cards to neighborhood ladies at the age of 4. I wanted to grow up and have a double major as a fashion designer and interior designer. That dream never materialized. In hindsight, I wish I would have had a mentor to help me prepare, telling me which art and business classes I should have taken.

What’s wrong with standard skincare products and why do you think such ingredients are allowed? 
I believe lack of quality ingredients poses a huge threat. Not only has quality fallen by the wayside, but we also should be concerned with the toxins in the products we are using every day. Many common ingredients have been proven by scientists to be harmful, yet manufacturers continue to use them because they are inexpensive, thus allowing for more profit.

How did you choose your ingredients and what to put in each product? 
Extensive research! Having a chemistry/pharmacy background, I’m always extremely cognizant about using quality, natural ingredients.

What’s the biggest lesson you learned while starting Supernatural Botanicals? 
I’ve literally learned a wealth of knowledge in forming my company. I’ve learned that customers sincerely do appreciate companies that are going the extra effort to keep them healthy. I, too, have learned how many mainstream companies use cheap fillers in order to make profits. 

If you could choose just one of your products, which one would it be? 
Extremely hard to narrow that down as I love all of the products. I do favor our Beach Body Spray. Not only does it smell absolutely amazing and I get numerous compliments on it every time I wear it, but it’s a multitasker. It works great in your hair, giving your hair extra volume and beautiful scent. I even use it as a linen spray on my bed sheets. It’s also our best seller.

Describe a typical day in your life.
I’m an early riser. I tend to get a tremendous amount accomplished in the early hours. I work on the business end of the business from 5-8…networking, emails, following up on orders, PR, social media, etc. From 8-6 I’m in our workshop, formulating skincare products and filling orders. The day flies by, and I’m always hungry for more hours at the end of the day. In the past, it would be very common to find me in my workshop until as late as 11 p.m. I’ve luckily learned time management, and the importance of accomplishing that task.

What’s one thing we could do to have an awesome skin, naturally? 
Check your labels. Use products that do not contain parabens. Don’t be fooled by companies that splash the name of an all natural ingredient, only to flip the label over and realize that they natural product they are promoting only has trace elements within it, and is filled with other harmful fillers. 

If there is one thing/thought/idea that you could pass on to the next generation, what would it be? 
One huge concern I have for our next generation is the condition of our planet. Global warming and eco concerns will certainly be a problem in which they inherit. My hope is that we can educate the masses enough to get everyone on board with being green and eco-responsible. 

What’s your # 1 green tip? 
Recycling is an easy way to start being green. Every human being on the planet creates waste. There’s absolutely no reason we shouldn’t be more responsible for the garbage we create. This is also something that even children can learn and be a part of. If we start them early, it will become second-nature to them.

Our Farmers Market Collection of soaps are always in demand in the summertime.  Raspberry-Lemonade has a sweet and tart combination that just screams summer.  Our Sun-Ripened Strawberry soap smells exactly like a fresh, sweet, just-picked strawberry from the vine.   Savannah peach has a true juicy-peach scent and is wildly popular.  Your mind instantly goes to Savannah.   Yuzu is our citrus soap, bursting with grapefruit and orange scents.  Perfect for summer.  Crisp and sweet.  Our big 6 ounce bars feel great in the hand, and are beautiful for gift giving.  Made with all natural ingredients, our soaps are perfect for the face and body.  After you’ve washed your face with an amazingly scented soap, you’ll never go back to ordinary cleansers.  They wake you up, and the scent stays with you.  Fantastic!  Visit our entire Farmers Market Collection.  Sensational!

• Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
• Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.
• Unplug appliances when you’re not using them. Or, use a “smart” power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts “phantom” or “vampire” energy use.
• Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
• Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.

So it’s no secret that we here at Supernatural Botanicals are tree-hugging, granola-eating, Earth-loving people, so an event like Earth Day 2011 is a celebration for us.  In our effort to be Green, we ask that you do one thing kind for the planet today.  You can approach this in a myriad of ways…try to walk instead of drive, recycle something, reuse something instead of chucking it into the garbage, avoid putting toxins down your drains,  reduce your consumption, plant a tree, start a garden.  Simply, live a cleaner, more eco-friendly  lifestyle.  Start today, and see if it “sticks” tomorrow.  Stand for something, have a cause.  Happy Earth Day!

Painted floors are an eco-friendly way to freshen up old wood floors without replacing them. Make sure to use an eco low VOC paint, readily available at Home Depot…and places like that.

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Our adorable new Supernatural Baby Collection is now available at Supernatural Botanicals.  Gorgeous retro-esque packaging, this is what every eco-baby needs.  Check out the new collection here.

Did you know that 84% of all household waste can be recycled?  Recycling is one of the easiest ways to go Green, yet makes a monumental impact to the environment.  At a bare minimum, everyone should be recycling.  Take care of the waste you create.  Be eco-responsible.

Here’s a sneak peek at our new line at Supernatural Botanicals, Farmers Market Collection.   Our new Farmers Market Collection soaps and lotions will be introduced this week on the website.  Featured:  Sun-Ripened Strawberry, Savannah Peach, The Irishman (for our new men’s line), Raspberry Lemonade, and Yuzu.  They are so yummy!  Stay tuned…you’ll love this!

Sometimes the cure for pests can be found right in your cabinets. Stay pest-free with an eco-friendly DIY repellent:  Simply dab pure vanilla extract or lavender oil behind your ears and on wrist and neck to stay bug-bite free while outdoors.  Remember, mosquitos are at their worst at dusk.

What could be better than winning the HGTV dream home?  Winning the HGTV Green home!  The HGTV 2010 Green home offers so many fantastic gems, like the mud room/recycling center (seriously..that room spoke to me!)  The third floor tower room would be the perfect place to blog from!  Love it.  Take the tour below, then enter to win it at HGTV.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6RmCVQXS3w