By far the most fragrant package to arrive on my door this holiday season was a box from Nourish Natural Bath Products.
My skin is the most sensitive of just about anyone I know. If I put on so much as a thin layer of sunscreen or deodorant, I’ll get a bad rash and itch for weeks. What’s worse is that during the winter months I tend to suffer from extreme dry skin. But most lotions out there are filled with all kinds of chemicals and preservatives. And so I tend to have to suffer through the winter months. Worse, the last two weeks I went on vacation to Indonesia, where I got a bad sun allergy, so I need to be very careful of what I put on my skin so as to not make it worse.
Even if you don’t have allergies to chemicals, sulfates, detergents, and other nasty things you find in soap these days, think about what those things can do to your body over the long term of being exposed every single day. It’s a crime, especially considering that nature gives us natural moisturizing oils and butters that work better than chemicals, are better for your health, and better for the environment.
This is why I was very happy to hear about Nourish soap. Their story on their Web site is a classic story of the good old American entrepreneurial spirit. It’s the story of a mother who started making natural soaps for her family and turned it into a retail business which continues to be run by her daughter and son-in-law.
I had the pleasure of trying a sample of their Orange and Tangerine Goat’s Milk Soap and their Lavender and Rosemary Goat’s Milk Soap. You can tell right away that the soap is hand-made from natural ingredients, wrapped in eco-friendly paper.
The soap right away looked a lot higher quality than what you find in the supermarket or drug store. It almost had the hardness and consistency of a good cheese, and it smelled absolutely wonderful.
When I used the soap, it worked into a rich lather. And unlike the greasy, chemical film I feel after washing with regular soap, my skin felt great afterwards, with no adverse effects to my skin.
What is exceptionally cool about this soap is the story of how the company procures the goat’s milk with which to make the soap. They teamed up with Bethesda Academy, an award-winning school for boys grades 6-12, whose students raise Nigerian Dwarf Goats on their organic farm. The milk from the goats is provided to Nourish, who uses it with organic coconut oil, olive oil, and shea butter to make their luxurious all-natural soap. $1 of every soap bar sold is donated back to Bethesda Academy.
While $7 for a bar of soap may seem excessive, the benefits to your skin health, to the environment, to a world-class school for boys, and to a company that still believes in the highest quality makes this one of the best purchases you’ll make all year.