Supernatural Botanicals

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.

Phthalates are used to enhance fragrance or make it last longer. They are commonly found in perfumes, fragrance, hair products, deodorants, body lotions and nail polish. Unfortunately they are NOT required to be listed on labels as they are classified as proprietary. This is a cause for concern as consumers have no real way of knowing which products contain them. In order to be a savvy consumer avoid products that claim an ingredient as ‘fragrance’ or ‘perfume’. They are believed to cause cancer, disrupt DNA and have been linked to birth defects.  Always read your labels and use products that are phthalate-free.

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Just because you can’t pronounce an ingredient that is included in your lotions doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing.  Case in point …Butyrospermum Parkii.  Sounds scary, doesn’t it?  It’s the formal name for Shea Butter, an ingredient extremely beneficial for your skin.  How about Tocopherol?  Sound like a chemical?  It’s not, it’s Vitamin E.  Ascorbic Acid, that certainly can’t be good for your skin.  Wrong again.  Ascorbic Acid is Vitamin C. 

I had a great time with the girls over at Cincy Chic.  They featured Supernatural Botanicals in their “Go Green” issue. 

Cincy Chic is the only online lifestyle publication for women in the Greater Cincinnati area.  Each week, this dynamic e-zine publishes a feature story, a fitness Q&A column, a movie column, a “Chic Spotlight” which highlights a newsworthy local woman and five editorial departments in the following topics: health, beauty, fashion, social and career.

This online-only publication was recently honored with the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s “Best New Product or Service” 2007 Women’s Business Award. In addition, Cincy Chic’s editor and publisher, Amy Storer-Scalia earned a national Web-writing award from ASHPE in 2007 and a national feature writing award from ASBPE in 2006.

Many thanks to Amy Storer-Scalia and Linda Palacios of Cincy Chic and Neysa Ruhl from Neysa Ruhl Photography for making me feel right at home. 

Click here to go directly to the article. 

   Look through your current stash of beauty products and check for these ingredients: Diethanolamine (DEA), 1,4-Dioxane, Formaldehyde, Hydroquinone, Thimerosol, Toluene, Parabens, Petroleum and Phthalates. All are known to potentially harm your health and the environment.  Avoid at all costs!

Still not reading those labels?  Consider this…. Chemicals found in most underarm deodorants have been detected in breast cancer tumors, according to a British study.  More than 90 percent of cosmetics and some deodorants contain chemical preservatives called parabens or hydroxybenzoic acids.  British researchers found parabens in 18 of 20 breast tumors, proving for the first time, they can accumulate in the body.  Parabens have been shown to mimic the action of the female hormone estrogen, and estrogen can drive the growth of human breast tumors.  Parabens are found in thousands of cosmetic and health and beauty items, and even foods. 

Be cognizant about what you are putting on and into your body.  Choose your products from companies that refuse to put your health at risk.  Supernatural Botanicals  is committed to an all-natural approach to skincare.  From our point of view, it is unconscionable to create products that could potentially put your health at risk.  That’s why our motto is, Eco-Chic, Green, and All-Natural.  There are enough things to worry about in life….and Supernatural Botanicals gives you one less reason to worry.