Refugees are in the always in the news, usually being unfairly demonised by the appalling untalented shysters that pass for politicians ( particularly pertinent today before the election!) but we are noticing a different kind of refugee.. a definite and significant influx to our website and store of clients returning to quality,  having realised that most commercial skincare is all about packaging and has no substance!

We employ 12 women and they all started off ,when they joined the business thinking that- for example-one of the largest global “natural” beauty chains was a truly natural, authentic product, until we educated them on reading a label, and they realised the massively chemicalised, industrial nature of these products.

Indeed what we are always horrified by is the sickly, hugely overscented goo that passes for so called “natural” products, but unfortunately that is what people think is “natural” because they may have not encountered an authentic, subtly scented product such as ours.

As a client, Jenna wrote to us recently “The difference the Beer and Honey shampoo has made to my hair is simply astounding – I do not get dandruff any more, and my scalp doesn’t get that dandruff itchiness either! I had never thought that I’d be free of either of those things! I’m fairly sure now that it was the chemicals in commercial shampoos, specifically the sulfate foamers and cleansers that have been irritating my scalp, as it simply doesn’t happen anymore. Paired with the apple cider vinegar rinse, this is the best shampoo/rinse combo I think I will ever find – no more itchiness, scabby piles of skin building up on my scalp, bad smelling shampoos, or that dreaded ’snowflakes’ covering my shoulders! I can’t really express in words the difference the Beer and Honey shampoo has made to my hair  - just thank you!!!! Also in Hobart, there is one other store that states it sells “fresh, safe “products. But if you merely walk past “Rush” ( you can guess who she means!)  you can smell that horrible, chemically stench wafting out the door. I love that when I open my drawer in the bathroom what I can smell is a light hint of honey, with a dash of rose geranium (that’s the scent I have in my moisturiser – heavenly!), and I’m not knocked off my feet by that obvious chemical smell.”

The new clients tell us that they are amazed by the quality and outstanding value for money ( which is very heartwarming, all say aaahhh) and the returning refugees from overpriced overpackaged mainstream products tell us that nothing works as well, and importantly in these straitened times, are very economical.

Indeed our Baby Bee Baby  products have been around for 20 years, long before chemical free baby care was thought of,and we are now seeing teenagers who were brought up on it, and have continued their love affair with our products, which is warm and fuzzy.

The way I look at it, and the reason I started the business, is simple- naively perhaps- I LOVE authenticity and honesty in all things- people, products, movies..and wanted to make something I was proud of.

It is a bit like eating handmade good bread, or beautiful locally grown neon green pungent olive oil, CWA rhubarb and rosepetal jam,homemade pesto with sun hot basil from the garden ( not that commercial crap filled with sawdust cheese, and in one brand, cabbage???!!!)  or a beautiful solid piece of handcrafted furniture glowing with effort, all are a pleasure to use or consume.

it is the realness of it, the untainted, unadulterated, unmessed with nature of things in the that I love….you can see that someone has carefully made it by hand, and you can taste the effort, and in our case feel it.

Luckily we have an abundance of all of the above in Tassie, which is in itself a very REAL place to live, indeed mainland refugees come here all the time seeking a refuge- quite literally- in a place that has a slower, quieter more authentic existence, where community is important, and the noisy external stimuli are exchanged for the tranquillity of nature- navel gazing!

A good example of REAL is one of our ingredients raw,direct expeller pressed ( cold pressed) coconut oil.

Remember frying yourself in the sun in your teens ( we all did it, even in sun starved Britain!) using coconut oil for suntan oil?

I LOVED the smell of that, of course all “coconut”mainstream skincare products are synthetically scented.

Most coconut oil such as copha, is deodorised for commercial use, but in recent years we have been proud to source the most fantastic, yummy intensely coconutty oil from the South Pacific, which has the most fantastic health benefits, externally and internally.

I would highly recommend the book on their site by Bruce Fife ” Saturated Fat May Save Your Life” which offers fascinating insights into the health benefits of coconut oil.

We use it in all our Moisture cream, Body Creams, Cream Cleanser  and Balm products, and the natural true coconut oil scent is just wonderful….I am currently making some delicious curries, muffins and laksas with it too!

Best of all these people have brought social and economic benefits directly to the island people, enabling them, by developing their Direct Expeller Method machinery, to press their own oil on site instead of having to take a poor price dictated by the multinationals that owned the giant pressing plants, and in addition preserving all the fabulous lipsmacking, skindrinking goodness of the oil.

Have a look at their site which is very informative..

It’s all good