When you look at visual and written depictions of bodies, what do you see? What would it mean if when you looked “out there,” you saw someone that looked like you? What if that description, definition, or depiction was the very meaning of beauty?
Here are the bodies we see when we look out at the beauty industry:
white bodies
Thin bodies
“Fit” bodies
Heterosexual bodies
Bodies without lines or creases or marks of time
Bodies with all their limbs
Bodies before childbirth
Bodies free from pain
Bodies that are suffering to fit an idea(l) of beauty
There is nothing “wrong” with any of the bodies listed above. They are all bodies. The real trouble starts when you consider all the bodies that are not on this list. If we were to look at that statistically, we would see that the overwhelming number of humans on Earth do not fit into those bodies above. Personally, I could tick a couple of boxes, but definitely not all.
My own body is marked with time. It has scars from when my son was born. It is a body from the “Middle East”—a term dependent on a colonial vantage (middle of what? East of where?). I have some dark spots on my face where the sun has touched me. My arms are hairy. I wax my mustache. I try to pluck my eyebrows, but honestly, they have a mind of their own. My dry skin is well documented. I have a slight overlap in my front teeth that matched my grandmother’s when she was still alive.
Every day, I endeavor to come to terms with who I am and what I look like, and for the most part, I don’t mind my appearance, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t sometimes a victim of the beauty standards that are fire-hosed into my Instagram feed every day. Try as I might to curate my algorithm, they find me. And I find myself thinking, I should try this “anti-aging” cream. Or, my life would be so amazing if I had perkier boobs. When in reality, I also have dreamy dark eyes and eyelashes. My hair is thick and wavy. I love my complexion—olive skin that really comes to life under the summer sun. My cheekbones are defined. I have elegant hands and wrists. I am beautiful. And that is possibly the first time I have ever written those words.
Images on a screen. Words on a page. They hold so much power over our self-image. At Meow Meow Tweet, we recognize this. We understand the responsibility we have to you to represent more. Here is what we are trying to do. Here is what we want you to see and experience when you come into our world:
Brown bodies
Black bodies
Asian bodies
Trans bodies
Gender fluid bodies
Androgynous bodies
Differing-ability bodies
Young bodies and old bodies
Fat bodies
Freckled bodies
Acne-scarred bodies
Your body that is infinitely unique and human and yours
When we say “for all bodies,” what we mean is “for all people.” We want to welcome your body back into conversation with your whole self instead of treating it like a separate entity to be gazed upon or scrutinized.
We want to feel whole. We want to feel seen . We want to see ourselves as the very idea(l) of beauty (because how could we not be in our infinite uniqueness?). And we want you to feel and see all of those things, too.
The path to body positivity is harder for some. Enter body neutrality. It is a growing movement of influence that asks us to prioritize our body’s function and what it can do over its appearance. Maybe loving your body is more complicated work, a longer path—especially for bodies that experience chronic pain and illness (a growing number in our late-pandemic world). The body neutrality movement embraces a lifelong practice that changes with you, your age, and your changing body. We can get behind this, especially within an industry that eschews change and touts a time-capsule approach to aging and maturing skin.
As someone who lost their mother as a child and is now a parent, I am grateful every day to age. I see the wrinkles on one side of my face where I slept beside my child, my tired face pressed into a pillow. I see the faint smile lines etched into my skin. Body neutrality embraces change. A neutral approach says, “Hey body, I see you here, let’s live.” –Tara Pelletier, Co-Founder
You will not find traces of the gender binary in our marketing. There are no scents for men or women. All of the scents are for non-binary folks (😉 just kidding, scents have no gender, smell like grapefruit if you want to!). You will not find people of one race or ethnicity or body type. We feature many bodies, identities, abilities, and people. Also, cats.
As a small brand with limited resources, we are still working on gathering enough visual representation to show this spectrum of realness. We don’t have the funds for complex scouting efforts and elaborate photoshoots, but that doesn’t stop us from being intentional with our representation. Once you become aware of the industry's homogeneity, it is not that difficult to do things differently—humans are infinitely varied and beautiful.
We want you to feel a hug of vibrant acceptance when you interact with us as if you’ve just entered a sanctuary.
The beauty industry traffics in the idea of the outward gaze. That there is someone (or many someones) looking at you, judging you. It says that to be worthy of being beheld (and held), we must look a certain way.
This gaze appears in photographs but is also coded into language. Some of the words we encounter in our daily lives reflect social perceptions so deep they have become commonplace. We don’t even think to question them. Words like “fat” or “aging” are bad. Words like “thin” or “young” are good. Why?
How can we untangle ourselves from this web of shame? Our lexicon is one gesture toward changing the way we think about and talk about our bodies.
This is our internal brand guide that we are making public:
Language + Representation Guidelines
Blog written By Vera Kachouh
]]>Feet on the ground or head in the clouds?
Our two new scent pathways, Earth & Air, offer two distinct sensory experiences drawing from the realms of the waking world and those of dreams. We’ve infused these aromatherapy head-trips into candles, bath soaks (with salt for amazing skin!), and body soaps for a limited time only. Choose your adventure.
The aromatherapeutic properties of Earth are designed for groundedness. Put those feet down and feel rooted, like a tree. This essential oil blend exudes evergreens, woody-ness, the color green. It contains:
Black Spruce — for centering, calming, focus, and a sense of rootedness
Cedar — for strengthening connections (between self & others), finding satisfaction, and fostering acceptance
Patchouli — for grounding, balancing, mood-harmonizing, and to ease tension
This is a scent for anyone who wants to feel like they are bathing in a forest from the comforting embrace of home. Both feet on the ground now. Deep connections to self & spirit.
The aromatherapeutic properties of Air are designed for effervescence—lively, frothy enthusiasm. Euphoria. This essential oil blend leans on florals to welcome openness and invite a soft, dreamy state. It contains:
Neroli — for softening emotions & a lulling effect
Ylang Ylang — for sedative, euphoric, and reassuring properties
Patchouli — to dispel negativity, promote restful sleep and good dreams
This is a scent for anyone who wants to feel uplifted, reaching toward the metaphoric clouds, to new heights. Or to access an imaginative state that feels lost. Transcend the mundane. Get elated.
Earth & Air are available as candles, bath soaks, and body soaps, sold separately or bundled together. Like the natural elements they’re named after, they are in limited supply.
Written By Vera Kachouh
]]>
How to snail-crawl your way through the month, one anti-consumerist activity at a time.
]]>Slowvember—it’s November, but slower—is an anti-capitalistic way to approach what is usually a hectic shopping month leading up to the major holidays.
You know we like giving you permission to take it easy on yourself (and to buy less).
For November, we have a few strategies for making this month feel like a journey not a race. First off, give it a name, “slow-vember,” and you’ll instantly find yourself in ritual territory. To anyone who can’t understand, you can just say the following: It’s SLOW-vember! Time to CHILL.
Make a rough list (this is not homework, we’re chilling, remember?) of your favorite ways to take it slow. Ours: petting cats, reading for as long as we want, cozy fireplace hangs, pizza night. Consider scheduling them so you actually do them. This is valuable time spent connecting with yourself or your loved ones and recalibrating your nervous system. It deserves a place on the calendar.
If you’re feeling pressure to give tons of lavish gifts this holiday season, consider another way. Tell your dear ones that you’d rather have a dedicated evening in their company instead of a present. Suggest a hang where nothing but love is exchanged. If you want to add a gift that’s not money, consider sharing recipes, a poem you chose just for them, or a beloved book. By rejecting the greed machine that feeds Black Friday consumerism, we also have a chance to reflect on what really matters.
November is a magical time of year to explore some woods, forests, or urban parks near you. Try walking without headphones to settle your mind. Take as little or as much time as you want. If you’re having trouble relaxing, look for one small thing to marvel at—like a leaf or tree bark. Try to really look at it. The act of focused observation can awaken a state of enchantment that sometimes feels out of reach.
Spend some time rekindling your creative fires, whatever that means to you. Slow down for long enough to get a little bored. Then see what creative sparks start flying. Sometimes we’re too busy to let our most creative selves in. See what happens when you take a more expansive approach to time. Create without a deadline—do it just for its own sake.
Put one day on the calendar when you do exactly what you want to do without any obligations! The minute you feel a “should” creep in (e.g., I “should” really do the laundry), shake it off and ask yourself what you feel like doing instead. Then do that.
If you’re feeling anchorless this holiday season, as so many of us will, find a way to connect with your community. Whether that means volunteering with a local organization, helping a neighbor run an errand, or donating dollars to a cause you believe in—finding a footing in community can help us weather the loneliness that tends to creep in this time of year. If you need inspiration, check out this list of organizations that we redistribute funds to.
Need some more ideas for going slow and feeling better? Some books we adore on the topic:
The Book of Delights
Enchantment
Saving Time
Laziness Does Not Exist
Happy November, loves.
Written By Vera Kachouh
]]>“Because in trying to articulate what, perhaps, joy is, it has occurred to me that among other things—the trees and the mushrooms have shown me this—joy is the mostly invisible, the underground union between us, you and me, which is, among other things, the great fact of our life and the lives of everyone and thing we love going away. If we sink a spoon into that fact, into the duff between us, we will find it teeming. It will look like all the books ever written. It will look like all the nerves in a body. We might call it sorrow, but we might call it a union, one that, once we notice it, once we bring it into the light, might become flower and food. Might be joy.”
― Ross Gay, The Book of Delights: Essays
When we experience persistent stress and are overwhelmed, we might postpone joy. Joy seems superfluous, something extra that we don’t deserve until we’ve gotten through our hardship. But there’s science that shows that joy is an essential tool for coping with stress. Joy is a form of emotional resilience.
Creating an essential oil blend that imparts joy requires some thinking about the role of essential oils in our emotional well-being. The chemistry of essential oils works like this: scent molecules are inhaled, allowing them to travel through olfactory nerves directly to the brain, impacting the amygdala—the brain's emotional center. Because of this, essential oils can support and calm the nervous system.
We have experienced this time and time again when we encounter a scent that brings up a memory. The scent actually sparks an emotional trigger that relates to that memory. While a scent can’t fix an ailment, it can help us access the parts of ourselves that need help or support us in the work that we are already doing. Scent can help us to get closer to ourselves, our emotions, our desires, and our joy.
This Joy essential oil blend is an opener. It is a scent that creates psychic space for receiving and recognizing joy.
Pulls together overwhelming thoughts and emotions, good for calming an overactive mind
Provides calm strength and security, helps with nervous system exhaustion due to stress and overwork
Cleanses and removes negativity or blocked energy; refreshes the mind for new experiences
Consciousness-expanding; helps in receiving new ideas and impressions
5 drops cypress
5 drops geranium
10 drops grapefruit
1 drop of peppermint
1–2 ounces of carrier oil, like jojoba or sunflower. Or mix it into some skin cream or unscented deodorant cream
Mix all of the above together and store in an opaque or amber glass container. Use as an anointing oil on pulse points, as a body oil, or as a bath oil.
Written by co-founder, Tara Pelletier
]]>My first memory of being a witch was when I was around seven years old. I cut a branch from the dogwood tree in my backyard and carried it to school as my wand. My mother, a seamstress, fashioned me a pointy hat and shortened my wand so that it would fit into my backpack.
I crushed herbs from my mother’s garden and mixed them with water, pulverized and powdered mica, rubbing the concoction on my skin as a protective spell. My first experience with a story of a witch who was a practitioner was through the wonderful book Strega Nona.
My ancestral lineage is Italian Jews who were pharmacists. Pharmacies in Italy include herbal products in its pharmacopeia, so I like to think that my heritage includes herbal practice. I’ve lost connection to this part of my family, but I have sought to reconnect through my own studies as an herbalist and aromatherapist.
In honor of the tiny witch inside of me who longed to transform the ordinary into magic, I’ve crafted three magical spells for you to try at home. Our cauldrons now look a lot like commercial cookery, but I still get a tinge of the divine every time I concoct anything for you when making an MMT product. To that part of you that believes (I hope you let it out from time to time!), Happy Halloween and happy skin spellcasting.
Cleanse: Pink Rose Clay Facial Soap
Tone: Chamomile Yarrow Gel Toner
Moisturize: Rosehip Chia Face Oil
Cleanse: Tea Tree Charcoal Facial Soap
Tone: Geranium Palmarosa Face Toner
Moisturize: Juniper Carrot Seed Face Oil
Use these from head to toe—ta da!
Any Facial Bar
Aloe Rose All-Over Lotion
Why Witches Ride Brooms
Types of Witches
Witch Podcast (BBC radio)
Written by co-founder, Tara Pelletier
]]>If you want zero-waste deodorant, don't buy any. If you want the next best thing, you need our deodorant cream.
We started making deodorant cream when we couldn’t find a decent natural and plastic-free deodorant option on the market. It was the first product that we made, over a decade ago, that wasn’t a bar of soap.
It put us on the map because we came out with a baking soda free version when there wasn't one available anywhere. At that time, the most common complaints about natural deodorants were that they didn't work or that they gave people rashes. We wanted to change that.
Inspired by Tara’s grandmother's story of using Milk of Magnesia as deodorant in her teen years, we researched magnesium as an earth-based, mineral, odor-fighting option. After many iterations, our Grapefruit Baking Soda Free Deodorant Cream was born and it was an instant hit.
We were committed to using a plastic free packaging option, which is why this first iteration was in glass and was a cream. For years we educated customers about our cream version and how it was totally fine to touch your own armpits. Finally we could afford to start making them in paper tubes (but that’s a different story). Our cream version is still our beloved original formula and a best seller.
Here are 5 reasons our deodorant cream is not only the OG of zero-waste deodorant, but the very best deodorant that money can buy.
Have you ever applied deodorant and felt like the scent was sitting on top of your BO? It’s not a great vibe. Our deodorant cream works by creating an environment where bacteria can’t thrive, resulting in a decrease in odor. This is one of the main reasons why our review section is literally screaming with success stories. Our deodorant cream is not a bad-smell coverup, it’s actual odor prevention.
Baking soda and magnesium (or arrowroot powder and magnesium for the baking soda free version) make the skin too alkaline for bacteria to feed on the proteins and fats delivered through your sweat. Ta-da, no smell! The essential oils that we use in our deodorant creams (grapefruit, bergamot, lavender, tea tree, and rose geranium) smell amazing and are also functionally beneficial, because they inhibit the growth of bacteria before it starts.
This is the best, most effective, and least waste producing deodorant in existence, because it can be refilled indefinitely. Here’s how:
→ When you finish your full size (2.4 oz) deodorant in a metal tin, order a bulk size (9.4 oz), which also comes in metal.
→ Sterilize your full size, then refill it (4 times) from the bulk size.
→ When you’ve used all of the bulk size (possibly one year later), send it back to us for free. We’ll refill & resell it.
If you bought FOUR full size deodorants on our site it would cost you $56, but the equivalent amount is only $45 when you shop in bulk.
Here’s what to do with the rest of the packaging that comes with one full size (2.4 oz) metal tin of deodorant:
→ Paper box (outer packaging): repurpose, recycle, or compost
→ Metal tin: refill (see above!), repurpose, or recycle
Note that if you go the refill route, you will only ever have ONE paper box to deal with. You can refill the metal tin indefinitely.
We use metal for our bulk size (9.4 oz) because we can sterilize and refill it in our warehouse. Metal is the most widely recyclable material, so when it is sufficiently banged up, we can recycle it with confidence that it will actually get turned into new material.
The biggest problem that most people have with cream deodorant is application.
First off, deodorant cream puts you in intimate contact with your armpits. We want to make a case for this being a good thing. Your armpits are on your body—they are a part of you!—it’s OKAY to touch them. If you apply your deo out of the shower, your pits will be nice and clean. Plus, have you ever given yourself an armpit massage? If you answered no, you’re missing out.
Second, you only need a little deodorant cream because it is so effective. Scoop a pea-sized amount out of the jar with clean fingers. Warm the putty between your fingers and split the pea between both hands. Gently rub the cream into your skin until you can no longer see it.
You want to rub it in all the way for the most effective result, because remember, these ingredients are preventing the bacteria that causes the stink to grow. Skin contact is important. If you use too much it might also stain your clothes.
So, in summary: Use a small amount, get intimate with your pits, rub it all the way in.
You might be thinking… what else could a deodorant possibly do? Well, you can use it on your feet, behind your knees, or on your chest—other places that could benefit from a little deodorization. Jeff once brushed their teeth with it on a camping trip. It doesn’t taste great, but let this be an example of our food-grade ingredients.
Our “classic” formulation of deodorant cream with baking soda comes in Lavender & Tea Tree scents. For sensitive (most) underarms, baking soda free is the best bet, and in that formulation, we offer Grapefruit, Lavender, Rose Geranium, and Unscented. The Unscented option is amazing for people with sensitive noses, but also for those savvy enough to scent it themselves using essential oils. Here’s a cheat sheet.
Ready to try a metal tin of your own? Start here.
What does loneliness feel like? A dull ache in your stomach. A longing for something you can’t quite name. A room full of people and no one to talk to.
This summer, I separated from my longtime partner and started living alone for the first time in my forty years. I was so used to living with and taking care of people that I found myself feeling confused and listless. I worried about wasting the solo time that everyone around me kept saying was so precious. But I was disoriented, and I couldn’t focus enough to “productively” relax.
I am trying to parse the difference between delicious solitude and what it is to be lonesome. How do I embody one without succumbing to the other? Will a little loneliness lead me to the solitude that I always crave? I want the creative, generative solitude that I remember from my art school youth. Mostly, I want to remember myself.
I’ve been taking things slow and supporting myself through this change with a collection of essential oils (and therapy, and friendship, and self-care). Essential oils aren’t cure-alls, but plant scents are proven to activate specific emotional and psychological centers that can support mental health. It's a sensual approach to easing the aches of the heart and the busyness of the mind.
Here are the essential oils I reach for during periods of loneliness:
In which the dreamy effervescence of hippy culture is dramatically misapplied
Patchouli promotes security and helps to plant your figurative feet firmly on the ground. Its scent makes me feel centered and assured—it brings me back to what I know.
Sparkling and sweet, fresh and clean, the epitome of joy
But joy is not the only thing this juicy citrus offers. It welcomes a bubbling feeling of self-regard and a sense of importance. Citrus is also known for easing fear and combatting fatigue.
Clean it the F out
This minty freshness is a little overpowering, so tread lightly. Peppermint melts away feelings of negativity, especially inward-facing, so you can more readily register your self-worth as you travel through a tough moment.
A spicy burst of confidence and courage
I love clove essential oil paired with peppermint. I imagine it as a blustery wind, clearing my path, and smoothing my senses.
A lift of boldness, brushing against me as I walk
The sunshine on the streets of Sacramento diffuses this particular herb that's growing like hedges through my neighborhood. I’m thankful for its persistence, how self-possessed it is. Rosemary is great for focus, so if you’re floundering a bit, sniff a sprig and take a beat.
For those of you moving through the lonesome waves, I see you, and I’m sending you sweet-smelling hugs.
Written by Tara Pelletier, co-founder
]]>Buzzing mosquitoes and annoying horseflies are a real buzzkill when you’re trying to commune with nature.
We created an Insect Repellent that we wouldn’t mind using even when not trying to stop the buzz. I personally don’t feel like spritzing DEET on myself to “freshen up.” You?
Our natural Insect Repellent is a body mist that you will actually enjoy wearing. It combines herbaceous essential oils and astringent skin toners for a light citrusy-woodsy scent that is invigorating to the senses and kind to your skin. In fact, it doesn’t smell entirely unlike the forest you are about to bathe in or the field you’re about to frolic across.
And the best part—mosquitoes absolutely hate it.
Not only are pesticides potentially harmful to humans, they also enter the ecosystem damaging wildlife and contaminating waterways.
Our Insect Repellent is an effective blend of plant oils that ward away bugs, without leaving a nasty environmental legacy.
The heavy hitters:
Lavender essential oil
Lemongrass essential oil
Cedar essential oil
Geranium essential oil
Balsam fir needle oil
The scent of these oils is naturally repelling, but the bug spray also works by covering up our natural human scents (sweat, sebum, BO) that bugs are so drawn to. Cedar essential oil in particular is effective at preventing tick bites.
Unlike chemical sprays, natural insect repellents need to be applied more frequently to maintain efficacy. That’s why it’s important that you own a bug spray that is actually a pleasure to smell and wear.
Our spray is safe for people years 2 and up, as well as for dogs (never use it on a cat). For people 2 and under, reach for our Body Oil, which contains lavender and geranium essential oils to discourage bugs, but is sensitive enough for baby’s skin.
Spray the Insect Repellent liberally on your skin, like you would a sunscreen, covering all exposed areas. You can also spritz it on clothes, socks, and your hat. Reapply often for the best protection. It’s also great as an impromptu deodorant and foot spray.
I will leave you with two reviews that are worth considering as you decide whether or not to buy this bug spray:
A real review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It works and is scientist approved!
—Roslyn
"Sometimes it can be bad when your better half is a scientist with a family background in chemical engineering because they are very picky. My boyfriend rejected 5 other popular bug repellents I bought but would stick to this one, and now he loves the Meow Meow Tweet body oil I bought as well! This is the only brand he trusted to be non-intrusive to human body systems. I personally loved this bug repellent when we got fleas in our home and it shielded me from being bitten every night until we finally cleaned them out. Highly recommended and it smells divine!"
A dream review:
👎🏼🚫
WORST SPRAY EVER! SMELLS DISGUSTING! ZERO STARS!
Signed, Mosquitoes 🦟
Written By Vera Kachouh
]]>One minute you're drifting blissfully on a pool, perched atop a giant flamingo floatie, and the next you’re burned to a crisp, as pink as the floatie itself.
In case you, too, have any flamingo-floatie-related sunburn incidents this summer, we have a few ideas for how to treat painful sunburns quickly, naturally, and lovingly.
Lavender is a powerful anti-inflammatory and vulnerary (wound healer), making it a great first aid treatment for both kitchen burns and sunburns. It has potent pain-relieving properties, reduces inflammation, and is antimicrobial—all aspects of sunburn relief that you want when your skin is hurting.
Take caution not to apply lavender essential oil directly to a burn, though, or straight onto skin in general. Instead, make sure the lavender essential oil is nestled inside a carrier (an oil, lotion, or hydrosol). A quick ratio is up to 20 drops of essential oil per one ounce of carrier. Remember, essential oils are natural but extremely powerful.
We swear by these healing products that contain lavender, no dilution necessary:
Lavender Geranium Body Oil
Geranium Palmarosa Face Toner
Lavander Hydrosol
Aloe vera gel is the treatment you are probably already familiar with. The spiny leaves of the aloe vera plant contain a clear gel that oozes when cut. This gel soothes burns of all kinds and can be applied directly onto sunburned skin. If you have an aloe plant at home, you can snip one of its long spears and put it in the fridge before spreading the soothing gel directly onto your burns.
While pure aloe vera gel is high in healing aloin compounds, products that tout “aloe” as an ingredient may not use pure aloe vera. There is also some research that suggests that thin lotions (like our Aloe Rose All-Over Lotion) and lightweight gels (like our Chamomile Yarrow Gel Face Toner) are preferable to thick ones, since they won’t trap heat on the skin.
These are the aloe-forward products we turn to for their intensely hydrating, soothing, and cooling properties:
Aloe Rose All-Over Lotion
Chamomile Yarrow Gel Face Toner
Aloe Vera Gel
When you’re feeling the burn, reach for this routine:
Apply a cool washcloth over the area for 10 minutes, let your skin dry.
Apply a layer of Aloe Rose All-Over Lotion or pure aloe vera gel over the skin of the body. For faces, apply a layer of Chamomile Yarrow Gel Face Toner or pure aloe vera gel instead.
Spritz with Geranium Palmarosa Face Toner throughout the day to cool and relieve hot uncomfortable skin.
Repeat before bed, or anytime you need relief.
Good luck out there. May your summer be filled with SPF and inflatable flamingoes.
Written By Vera Kachouh
]]>I’ll set the stage: It’s 1990. You’re at the mall with your parents. You’re stopping at Bath & Body Works to pick up one of those cheesy gift baskets for a teacher, or for your grandmother, or for your mom’s best friend. It’s going to have iridescent pearl beads for the bath, and a shimmering gel for the shower, and a spray bottle with a perfume “mist” that can be sprayed from head-to-toe.
Hold the camera on that last one. Now give it a makeover.
Instead of mysterious “fragrance” it’s going to be made with true-blue, natural essential oils. Instead of smelling like Fruit Loops it's going to smell layered—woodsy or floral or smokey or crisp depending on which you chose. Instead of plastic it’s going to be housed in infinitely recyclable metal bottles.
Because this is 2023, and we just launched three Hair + Body Mists for the modern human who deserves a daily spritz of sensorial aliveness.
Which one would you put in your compostable straw gift basket?
Argonaut
For adventurers who plumb the depths, Argonaut is a forest-filled scent that has a soft, romantic, violet-floral kick to it.
Notes: violet, clary sage, wild pine, vetiver
Dreamtiger
For sensualists who smolder, Dreamtiger is deep and rich. It smells sweet at first and then dries down to a spicy, woody undertone.
Notes: neroli, geranium, ylang ylang, earth, clove
Celebration
For sprites who usher cheer, Celebration is zesty and floral with vanilla undertones. This heart-bursting bouquet is a dose of dewey springtime for your body.
Notes: grapefruit, jasmine, neroli, tonka bean
No matter which Hair + Body Mist you choose, the beauty of these mists is that their scent changes depending on the wearer. The perfume softens or brightens, mixing with your body chemistry to make something unique and beautiful. Layer it over the course of the day, or spritz whenever you need to feel fresher. You can also spray these mists in your spaces to give you a sensory lift. Unlike typical perfume, they’re never heavy or overwhelming.
Written By Vera Kachouh
]]>Your deodorant stick shouldn’t outlive you.
Yet, most of the deodorant sticks we will have used over our lifetimes (remember Teen Spirit?) will do just that. Only 5% of all plastic produced globally actually gets recycled. That’s a staggeringly low figure. The other 95% (that is, almost all of it) ends up in landfills or the ocean.
Some plastic is unavoidable—medical equipment, for instance—but deodorant? I don’t think we can say that the plastic used in deodorant is unavoidable, or even that deodorant itself is entirely essential.
There is another option: Paper.
Here are 5 reasons why our paper tubes are the deodorant of the future. All you have to do is make the switch.
Our plastic-free deodorant is made out of biodegradable paper and vegetable inks. When you’re done with it, simply toss the empty tube into the compost bin (municipal or backyard). It will fully decompose within 12 months. Cut it into pieces for faster decomposition. If you don’t have access to compost of any kind, you can also stick the empty tube in a patch of dirt, because it’s completely biodegradable. It can also go into your paper recycling if it’s not oil stained.
Our paper tubes use a push-pop style design to deliver the right amount of product directly into your cozy armpits. Because the entire construction is paper, pushing up the tube can take a little getting used to. Work your thumb around the outer rim of the inner disc to push more product up, like so.
Unlike plastic tubes which can handle a mechanized filling process, our paper tubes need to be filled by hand. This makes them more expensive to produce, but it enables us to treat our raw ingredients with absolute care and reduce waste in our production process. It also gives us latitude to fully ensure the high quality of each stick before sending it out to a customer.
Before biodegrading your paper deodorant stick, use it as a seedling starter for that gorgeous vegetable garden you are planting. You can rest easy knowing that the materials used to make the deodorant were, like the seed you're starting, just plants from nature.
The last-but-not-least reason to love our paper sticks is for the quality of the deodorant housed inside of them. Imagine a deodorant that works, plain and simple, but that also feels as special as a perfume. Speaking of feelings, you can feel good about these in every way—from how they're made to the ingredients inside of them to the way they feel on your body. There are no stabilizers or fillers in our deodorant—only ethically-sourced, organic, and fair trade essential oils, plant oils, and butters—and they come in 5 evocative scents, including 3 baking-soda free versions for sensitive underarms.
It was a long, sticky road to create the first-ever fully biodegradable deodorant stick. We were the first company to make them, working out all the paper trickiness and the formula to make sure that we could really stick it to plastic deodorant tubes, which we are infinitely proud of.
Our many iterations of deodorant sticks through the years.
Written By Vera Kachouh
]]>I’m going to lay down a few facts right here: (1) dry skin is uncomfortable; (2) most skin types (even oily!) can benefit from oil of some kind; (3) a complete moisturizer is a combo of water and oil.
Most people hear “oil” and think “grease.” But before you call the grease police, you really must meet our Lavender Geranium Body Oil—a lightweight, quick-absorbing oil packed with do-good nutrition for your skin.
Here are five reasons why it’s our *only* body oil.
Sunflower, hemp, jojoba, coconut—the plant fats in our Body Oil are high in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid which contributes to the overall balance of your skin’s sebum, the natural oils produced by skin. Balanced sebum = happy skin. Even skin that is oily benefits from the right oils to avoid oil overproduction and sebum that is sticky and clogging (especially on the face). Our plant fats are chosen to deliver comforting moisture to the skin, while assisting your skin’s natural ability to recover, regenerate, replenish, and protect itself.
Our Body Oil is a true head-to-toe moisturizer. You can put it on your face, all over your body, and on your hair. Yes, it is a bit richer than our facial oils, so faces that are extra dry would be most suited for this particular oil. We love to apply it on our hair after moisturizing our whole body. Once hands have released most of the oil onto the body, just rub what’s left into your locks, focusing on the ends, scrunch-scrunch those curls. Give it a toss, you’re styling! You smell and look great.
A complete moisturizer is one that mixes both water AND fat. This is why we recommend applying toner before using face oil, for example. However, you want to know something cool? You have water in your shower! We don’t need to ship it to you to give you the benefits of making your moisture *complete*. We just need to let you in on a little trick:
Keep your body slightly damp from the shower before applying Body Oil. The oil will soak in more easily, and you’ll have, errr, “completed” the process. Not sending you water also means that we can save CO2 during shipment (water is heavy).
I like to shower, dry off a little, apply body oil everywhere, then dab around with my towel to feel dry and ready to apply clothes with no risk of oil staining.
Lavender, geranium, palmarosa. You know we like multi-use product, and when we think about multiple uses, we are also thinking about your noses and the effect that a product will have on your total wellbeing. Our blend of essential oils in our Body Oil is formulated to calm and ground the nervous system, while lavender essential oil also helps with eczema or skin irritation. Geranium and palmarosa also have aromatherapeutic benefits for those suffering from anxiety and depression. They balance your psyche and your skin, simultaneously. We hope that you can exit the shower and start your day feeling the capacity and strength that resides within.
You don’t have to throw a zillion tiny plastic bottles into the recycling bin only to hope (so much hope!) that they will actually get recycled. (They probably won’t. I’m sorry, it’s awful.) Instead, you can continue to refill your one Body Oil by purchasing the Bulk option when it’s time to reorder. This could mean a lifetime of moisturizing and only one plastic pump made in the process (the rest is metal). That is as sweet as you are, if I do say so.
Moisturizing is a comforting and healing moment, for you and only you. Clean your body. Rub yourself all over. Think about the touch of your hands on your warm skin. It can be so beautiful to reframe beauty as a love of self, don’t you think?
Written By Vera Kachouh
]]>I used to run from my own mind, doing whatever it took not to face what was troubling me. I was, as it were, “fine.”
After a decade of healing (by which I mean, a decade of taking the appropriately prescribed medications), I run toward my mind more often than not, putting all of the tools I can find into my tiny invisible toolkit of mental health (it often takes more than one tool, btw). Maybe this is a circumstance of growing older, or maybe it just means that my medication is working!
Either way, something relatively new to me that I use to help my sweet, sometimes troubled mind is aromatherapy. It is wild how something as simple as a sustained inhale fixed on a sprig of rosemary, for example, can clear away the cobwebs, put your feet back on the ground (I sometimes whisper to myself, literally “your feet are on the ground”), and change the air of your day.
Here are the aromas we therapize with (they are not intended to replace actual therapy, folks!) to help make space in our dear minds that are really doing a lot, every single day.
Essential oil of rosemary is used in herbal medicine to clear the mind of stress, while increasing cognitive function. These two are so closely entwined—we can not think, learn, or retain information while our minds are stressed and our nervous systems are in peril. Rosemary tackles both. It ushers in mental clarity, and it also clears the respiratory passages, so you can literally breathe more deeply while you are finding your footing. Swipe a little Rosemary Eucalyptus Lip Balm, which contains rosemary, under your nose before bed to sleep with clarity and ease.
The woodsy-ness of juniper is instantly soothing to the nervous system and it has a cleansing effect that is literal as well as metaphoric. For the mind, it is calming and grounding, ridding it of negativity and worry. Juniper can be found abundantly in our Juniper Carrot Seed Face Oil. One of the lesser-known multipurpose aspects of that product is that it provides aromatherapy as it moisturizes—cup your hands over your nose and inhale deeply to cleanse away nervousness.
Eucalyptus essential oil is stimulating and known for its invigorating effect on the respiratory system. For the mind, it refreshes—releasing a feeling of stuckness or sluggishness and awakening the senses without a harsh jolt. Add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil in the shower to clear the lungs and the mind, or apply Spot Serum to tension points and take a nice long inhale in. You can also find eucalyptus in our Tea Tree Charcoal Facial Bar.
Chewing gum, toothpaste, candy, mouthwash—we experience peppermint everywhere, but don’t underestimate this popular and plentiful herb. Peppermint is a cerebral tonic: it’s stimulating and refreshing scent supports concentration, soothes headaches, and improves memory. In addition, it can expand consciousness, helping one to accept new ideas or get clarity when feeling mixed emotions. Find it in our Spot Serum and Grapefruit Mint Soap.
Take care of your mental health, friends. Run, run, run if you have to, just make sure you know which way you’re running.
2 Drops of Rosemary Essential Oil
3 Drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil
3 Drops of Juniper Essential Oil
1 Drop of Peppermint Essential Oil
5 Drops of Lavender or Bergamot Essential Oil (to harmonize and sweeten up the blend)
2 Tablespoons of Kitchen or Carrier Oil of Your Choice (sunflower and jojoba are nice)
Mix in a small jar or nonporous container. Breathe in as needed, or dab on your pressure points to bring focus and calm to the mind.
Written By Vera Kachouh
]]>Doctrine of Signatures is an old theory that purportedly explains how humans discovered the medicinal uses of some plants. According to DOS, physical characteristics of plants (shape, color, texture, smell) reveal their therapeutic value.
An example: the shape of a rose is similar to that of a human heart; therapeutically, rose is good for the heart. (And it is.)
At this point, DOS is considered a pseudoscience and generally not used, but I still find a sort of poetry in its approach. Form begets function. I like to think of the beautiful, tender, bulbous rose, and it’s similarity to my own organ—the aromatherapy supporting my broken heart.
Essential oils have been used in herbal medicine for centuries. In Europe and Asia, aromatherapy is an accepted modality in pharmaceutical settings. These volatile oils from plants are understood as the powerful plant medicine that they are. They are revered for the therapies they offer us.
In October 2022, I said goodbye to my beloved grandmother. She is the person that inspired the start of Meow Meow Tweet through the simple, pleasurable gift of a bar of handmade soap. She played a significant part in my life, and her death is a heartbreak that I haven’t felt before. I find myself reaching for certain essential oils in this moment of grief. This is not a substitute for professional grief support, community and family, and mental health therapies (all of which I also do!). Aromatherapy is just another tool we can throw into the mix. I like to take a bath, do a bit of journaling, and breathe deep restorative breaths with a few drops of these oils on a cloth hanky.
The world can be a heavy place sometimes and we all need a little heart support. Often, we think about our basic needs as those that don’t include matters of the heart. This is a deprivation. Heart stuff is considered the domain of the privileged. I reject this idea. Of course our vital need for food, housing, safety must be met. But tending to the heart shouldn’t only be for the rich few who are already abundant in food, housing, safety. You deserve to care about your heart. No matter who you are or what you have.
Here are a few plants that I use for the heart, especially when it feels heavy:
In herbal medicine, roses are almost primarily used for cardiac and circulatory issues. In aromatherapy, rose is thought to “open” the heart. It can be employed for relationship conflicts and intolerance, and it is also comforting and supportive during crisis. It’s an aphrodisiac, too (many of these are).
Geranium has a way of imparting a feeling of calm strength and security. In times of emotional distress, it is especially poignant for stress and anxiety. It can also bring balance to a heavy heart.
Due to its ability to address a wide range of emotional issues, lavender is often called the mother or grandmother of essential oils. Lavender is beneficial in working with individuals who suffer from or with anxiety, mental exhaustion, insecurity, trauma, or emotional restlessness. Just like it can calm the intensity of a skin burn, lavender is a salve to our psyche from the shock of an unexpected event.
The scent of this flower can lower blood pressure, and soothe heart palpitations. It is used for post-traumatic stress syndrome, nervous tension, depression, separation and bereavement. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, ylang ylang is used to clear the heart of heat, while also harmonizing the mind. This flower has an incredible ability to calm the heart and I have always used it in any grief blends that I make.
Written by Tara Pelletier, co-founder
]]>Most of us grew up drinking the Kool-Aid of “strong is good, sensitive is bad,” but sensitivity is strength. Sensitivity is a superpower. Being sensitive means being receptive… to emotions, to the world, to stimuli, and maybe to fragrance and essential oils.
If you have sensitive skin or a sensitive nose (or if you’re pregnant), you might feel overwhelmed by fragrance or have a reaction to even small amounts of essential oils on your skin. We want to nurture this, not rail against it. So we created an entire line of essential-oil free products devoted to the most sensitive skin out there.
You don’t have to sacrifice your sensitivity to care for your skin! Here is our roundup of the best essential oil free products.
Rosehip Shea Skin Cream
This super creamy balm smells only like the natural oils and butters used to make it. It can be used from head to toe, including on your face, on pregnant bellies and nursing nipples, and on your baby! It comforts dry skin, reduces scars, and diminishes fine lines.
Aloe Rose All Over Lotion
Thanks to the beauty of “hydrosols” this lotion smells gently of rose but contains NO essential oils. Instead, the antioxidant healing properties of rose are coaxed out by steam and then captured. Paired with soothing aloe this is a treat for sensitive people who also like a little scent now and then.
Unscented Baking Soda Free Deodorant Cream
This was one of our most requested items! Armpits can be highly sensitive to essential oils and baking soda. So this cake-frosting textured deodorant was born. It’s a stink-busting powerhouse, but it does so with a gentle touch. It’s the ultimate low-waste, refillable, essential oil free and sensitive skin deodorant out there.
Chamomile Yarrow Gel Face Toner
Our gel toner was formulated especially for extra-sensitive skin. Not only will it not irritate reactive skin, but it can soothe skin that’s already in a reaction spiral. It has no essential oils, but is instead packed with organic hydrosols that promote cell regeneration.
Coconut Cacao Vegan Lip Balm
Housed in a fully compostable tube, this vegan lip balm is not just for lips! Swipe it on anywhere dryness occurs to prevent and repair chapping. It smells like the ingredients used to make it—coconut oil and cacao seed butter.
Coconut Cacao Bar Soap
Warm, sweet cocoa butter and subtle, creamy coconut milk create a super gentle body bar with zero essential oils. This bar is very moisturizing and perfect for babies and those with sensitive and easily irritated skin.
Learn more about essential oil safety in our Essential Oil Safety Primer.
Written By Vera Kachouh
]]>The Creamiest, Dreamiest Moisture For Your Skin
Today I saw my breath in the air for the first time this winter. That can only mean one thing—it’s Skin Cream season.
When the air is brisk and you come home from outside feeling windswept and chapped all over, it’s time to up your moisturizing game; but more importantly, it’s time to up your nurturing game.
One of our very first products, our tried-and-true Skin Cream is a multipurpose wonder balm and a must for every bathroom cabinet.
Here are five reasons our Skin Cream is an eternal obsession of mine, and why your rose-y winter cheeks (all four of them) need to make its acquaintance.
This is the sweater layer of skin care. When your skin is dry and needs a little something extra, layer on Skin Cream as the last step in your routine after toner and face oil (especially before bed). The Skin Cream is thick like a balm, so it traps moisture in without clogging pores, meaning you’ll wake to skin that is soft, supple, and nourished. If you’ve applied it generously (and you deserve nothing less), sleep on a towel, so you don’t grease up your pillowcase.
You can put Skin Cream everywhere because it is so gentle and was formulated for sensitive skin. Use it on chapped lips or chapped elbows, on sensitive facial skin or on your baby’s bum. The healing properties of Skin Cream come from the nutrient-rich oils and butters concentrated in this formula, including nutrient-dense tamanu, rosehip, and pumpkin seed oils. These oils address dry, itchy skin, while reducing scars and fine lines and bringing back elasticity.
One of our favorite multipurpose uses of Skin Cream is as a cleanser for your face and a makeup remover. Just apply the Skin Cream all over dry facial skin and gently remove it with a warm, damp washcloth, like you would an oil-based cleanser. Then continue with your post-cleanse routine (toner + moisturizer + skin cream). It’s rich, but it will not clog pores.
Skin Cream is essential-oil free which makes it suitable for sensitive or reactive skin. We wanted it to be a super healer, so we put only the gentlest, most nurturing-yet-effective ingredients inside each little pot. There are no overpowering fragrances either. It smells grass and nutty, like the butters and oils it is made of.
Our Skin Cream can be used for the whole family. I use it on my son’s chapped lips in the winter, and when he was tiny, I used it for diaper rash. It’s soothing for nursing nipples and pregnant bellies, too. If your baby’s skin is too sensitive for soap, you can apply a thin layer, and then gently remove it with a warm, damp cloth to cleanse even the freshest, newest-to-the-world skin.
Have you used Skin Cream? What part of you needs more nurturing? Let us know on Instagram.
Written By Vera Kachouh
]]>Bar soap is as old as the stars. Well, okay, it’s not that old, but the oldest recorded recipe for soap dates back 5,000 years. Soap was invented as an accidental byproduct from cooking over fire. It wasn’t until the late 19th century, however, that entrepreneurs began to actively market “soap” as a necessary product for health and hygiene. At some point in the golden era of liquid body washes, the culture at large turned away from bar soap in favor of pre-liquified detergents (not real soap, actually). According to legend, some marketers decided that bar soap held onto germs from hands (it doesn’t) and bar soap (the by-far more eco-friendly and effective option) lost ground in the popular opinion.
Our own soap origin story is slightly more recent but perhaps no less cosmic. It dates back to the early-ish part of the 2000's, and involves a gift and a grandmother.
Meow Meow Tweet as a company was born not long after Tara and Jeff received a gift of handmade soap from Tara’s beloved grandmother. The pair were curious to understand why the handmade version of something as ubiquitous (and let’s face it, unglamorous) as a bar of soap could suddenly, when crafted with care, take on elements of the divine.
They started making their own soap in their Brooklyn apartment, and realized that a slow food approach was key—culinary ingredients, aromatherapeutic combinations, and vegan plant fats could transform soap into something entirely unrecognizable from that bar of white synthetic stuff commonly found in grocery store aisles. Soap could be transportive and beautiful and poetic—and it was also essential.
We discovered in 2020 when the world was at a pandemic standstill that one critical thing that every human on earth needed to stay safe was soap (and water to wash with). (Masks would later prove invaluable and fomites would later prove to be less of an issue than aerosol germs, but at first, the only thing health officials could agree on was… soap.)
At the start of the pandemic, Tara and Jeff would go to their empty studio with little more than their hands and they would make soap, trying to keep up with orders and keep the lights on. They sent me boxes of soaps that felt like first-aid kits. We needed soap to stay safe.
Soap took on new importance to us all over the past two years. It is a product of human ingenuity dating to ancient civilizations. It is beautiful and luxurious. It is also potentially life-saving.
If you’re Tara, when you look at a bar of soap, you might also see an enduring gift left behind from your grandmother, a person whose love was pure and unconstrained—the gift of a business, a vocation, a livelihood. And a way to help others.
Here are five more reasons we’re obsessed with bar soap.
Bar soap is REAL soap. The FDA makes sure that soaps that are not actually soap (which is the result of a process called saponification) can not use the label “soap.” So, if you see a designation such as “wash” or “beauty bar,” read between the lines and understand that what they are not saying is important. Soap works by creating a slippery layer when mixed with water that then carries the dirt and germs down the drain. It bonds with them, then removes them, which is why it has been cited as more effective than gel hand sanitizers.
Plastic body wash bottles are forever (not in a romantic way). They will outlive you and your grandchildren and their microplastics will clog oceans and human bodies until the end of time. Bar soap, on the other hand, is delightfully plastic-free! All it needs is a little biodegradable paper around it, and it can be shipped to you without incident. You add all the liquid (the water) yourself at the sink or in the shower.
Because it is solid, bar soap will happily travel in your carry-on. When you need to bring it home, just wrap it in a thin cloth (a pair of dirty underwear works) for easy and drip-free transport. The fact that it is lightweight and contains no liquid also means that it ships to your home with less C02 than heavy liquid soaps and washes.
One bar cleans your face, hands, body, and hair. We have formulated certain bars for certain parts, tweaking plant combos and scent combos to get specific results,, but in a pinch, any bar can work. Just be careful around the eyes if you’re washing your face with bar soap. Our bar soaps can also be used for washing clothes, dishes, and cleaning surfaces.
These bars are multipurpose, but the best thing to do with them is to take one entire bar into the shower and rub it directly onto your body. All over. Many of our bars contain exfoliating ingredients, some hefty and some light. When you rub the bar directly onto your body, you get all of the benefits of those exfoliating, circulation-boosting ingredients like poppy seeds or crushed rose petals—no washcloth or plastic shower poof needed.
Each one of our bar soaps is aromatherapeutic—using healing combinations of pure essential oils—so you can pick a soap not only on what you want for your skin, but also based on how you want to feel, mentally and spiritually.
In honor of the ancient wisdom of bar soap (and the holidays!), we’re reissuing three of our original handmade soaps. These three fan favorites are back until we sell out! Coffee Cardamom Body Scrub Bar, Black Walnut Vetiver Body Scrub Bar, Violet Leaf Pinyon All Over Soap.
I hope the simple beauty of bar soaps makes it into your homes and hearts this year. And, thank you, grandma.
Written by Vera Kachouh, my friend of 20 years, who knows just how very much my grandmother meant to me.
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Without community care, there is no environmental justice.
We’re all connected. To each other, and to all living beings that call Earth home. Without plants that filter water and breathe out oxygen, we wouldn’t survive. Without farmworkers, educators, healthcare workers, and artists, we wouldn’t thrive. In order to live through the climate crisis, we must remain rooted in our connectedness and take care of the communities that take care of us.
As a small business, we rely on community. Both plant and human communities make Meow Meow Tweet possible. Our products are inherently rooted in ecosystems as well as the legacies of the plants we use. From the people who grow and process our ingredients to those who make and sell our soaps—we wouldn’t exist without community.
Community care is central to our brand values. We can’t call something sustainable if people aren’t taken care of. That’s why we prefer to work with small, organic farmers and family-owned operations. Fair wages, appropriate working conditions, and fair pricing are all non-negotiable aspects of our business, as is using our platform to amplify and give back to local grassroots activists.
Shopping with small businesses means supporting community care. When we buy from local farmers or from our local, indie food coop instead of getting imported produce at Whole Foods, we support the health of air, water, and soil in our region. When we frequent family-owned coffee shops instead of Starbucks, we support the livelihoods of people in our community. When we shop at local stores instead of ordering on Amazon, we reduce our carbon footprint and develop relationships with our neighbors.
As we discussed in our blog, Shopping Will Not Save the Planet, we can’t buy our way out of the climate crisis. True environmental justice demands a drastic reorganization of our systems. It means protecting the planet by protecting people first.
Oil wells and pipelines don’t just harm ecosystems, they also harm communities. Pollution is linked to respiratory infections, heart disease, and lung cancer. Storms, wildfires, and floods are already destroying people’s homes and livelihoods. Heatwaves, droughts, and invasive pests are making it harder for people and crops to survive. Environmental justice reminds us that exploitative policies and climate disasters often affect our Black, Brown, poor, and rural communities first, and worst.
Meanwhile, billionaires are allowed to exploit both land and people in the name of furthering their own wealth. That wealth buys them protection and comfort while everyone else pays the price for their overconsumption and carbon emissions.
What if instead of going along with these systems of extraction, we spent money within our communities, got to know our neighbors, and started taking care of each other instead?
“Community care is a form of environmental justice, especially when it comes to feeding children. From 1969 to 1980 the Black Panthers fed children breakfast in West Oakland every morning. In a US Senate hearing, the National School Lunch Program administrator admitted that the Black Panthers fed more poor school children than the State of California. The Black Panthers’ Free Breakfast program led to the expansion of the national School Breakfast Program by congress in 1975.”—Teju Adisa Farrar, writer, geographer, and poet, written for Earth In Color
Community care means creating systems that meet everyone’s basic needs, including healthcare, housing, food, and community. We don’t have to wait for the government to change in order to start meeting those needs. We can help each other, divest from exploitative corporations, and work together to build community power and resilience.
The planet has enough resources to sustain us all, but only if we share. Climate disasters, hunger, and poverty are each a result of our capitalist society that’s designed to extract profit out of people and the land. But this economy of scarcity isn’t the only way.
Human societies have been built on community care before, and we can practice it again. Instead of heroizing individuality and forcing people to rely on the “convenience” that multinational corporations provide, we can support each other, share what we have, and work together to get what we need as a collective. The act of redistributing resources helps us rediscover the abundance that already exists in our communities.
Community care looks like mutual aid. It looks like sharing knowledge, tools and resources, and offering a helping hand when people are in need. Mutual aid can be as small as cooking a meal, or as large as offering someone a place to stay in your house.
Community care also looks like carpooling, childcare, getting to know your neighbors, or planting a shared garden. Shopping with small, local businesses instead of international chain stores keeps financial resources in your community, and out of the pockets of billionaire CEOs. Joining a neighborhood association or forming a political advocacy group means investing time and care into the conversations that decide what your community will look like in the future.
Building and caring for community is an exercise in optimism, radical imagination, and collective action. It provides us with a sense of connection and belonging while simultaneously making our daily lives easier and more enjoyable. Community care is an essential step that opens up new pathways towards a liveable and abundant future.
Trees and mushrooms show us the beautiful impacts of community care. While forests may seem like a collection of individual trees, they are usually one giant living organism. Roots and mycelium weave an intricately connected network between trees, allowing them to communicate and share resources with one another. Trees can emit chemical signals that warn their companions of disease or infestation, and older trees can send nutrients to nourish saplings nearby. When we see individual trees flourishing or mushrooms fruiting, what we are actually seeing is the collective effort of the community web working beneath the soil.
Shopping small and mutual aid may not seem like big enough solutions to a global climate and economic crisis, but they can be a microcosm of the greater picture. Like mushrooms and trees, the flourishing of one community is inevitably the result of many more communities working and thriving behind the scenes. Just as we are interconnected individually, our communities are also connected.
Written By Faye Lessler
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I am not religious, but there is something that I do religiously in places of worship. If I see a church, I will enter it and light a candle. I will stand in the solemnity of stone and flame and think of someone who I love who needs help. I don’t “pray” per se, but I focus my attention on them and hold them in the stillness of memory, in the movement of my beating heart.
“Attention is a form of prayer.” Simone Weil
I have done this for as long as I can remember. And this ritual would not exist for me without the presence of candles.
But why do we light candles?
A quick Google search suggests several possibilities: warmth, remembrance, to mark the passing of time (birthday candles), to ask for something. In ancient Greece, the gift of fire was given to Prometheus for illumination and progress. On the winter solstice, we light candles to usher in the return of light on the darkest day of the year. We light candles to acknowledge the contrasts inherent in the daily task of living—dark/light, cold/warm, hidden/illuminated.
Candles are a separation—from day to night, from the ordinary to the divine. We light a candle when we have something important to honor. Even if that “something” is simply a moment out of one’s otherwise mundane and hamster-wheel-esque daily life, to take a pause, watch the flame jump and lap the air in greedy gulps, and to dream.
Here are two candles that are illuminating our winter—with the gift of light layered upon the gift of scent. For us, scent is as sacred as fire. With something as simple as smell, an entire mood can change in mere miraculous seconds.
So, what needs illuminating for you? What sensorial cobwebs need dusting?
Light a candle and ask it to bring light to a dark and hidden corner of your being. Breathe in deeply, and follow the scent to an enchanted realm—the woods in winter, or say, the heat and spice of an embrace with someone who turns you on.
Tara is a certified aromatherapist and for this year’s limited-edition candle they envisioned something woodsy and grounded. Warm tones for the cold earth. Take a walk in the woods in winter and you’ll find evergreens resplendent… but little else. Maybe you tucked a few heated sachets of lavender in your pockets to warm you. In addition to the evergreen and herby-floral tones, there is also vetiver. One of the most gorgeous scents on the planet. It’s earthy and woodsy, with a balsamic-like sweetness and a touch of smoke. Vetiver, like a woodsy walk, is calming to the nervous system.
We created this candle for our friends at People I’ve Loved. It’s a sweet and spicy mix of scents designed to impart a nourishing amber light from the brown glass. It’s sexy and spicy, wintery and warm. Cardamom and clove are classic winter scents, as is cedar. Ylang ylang boosts relaxation and, simultaneously, your sex drive. So you can turn up the heat in more ways than one ;)
All of our candles are hand poured into recycled glass. They are made with soy wax, pure essential oils, and a lead-free cotton wick. To ensure even burning for the life of your candle, melt it to the edges of the jar with each burn. Candles create an open flame, so please don’t leave it unattended. Here’s to bringing more light to the darkness this season. We will make it through the winter together.
Written By Vera Kachouh
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Plants are integral to our lives. They provide us with oxygen, food, shelter, clothing, medicine, and so much more. Plants are a direct link between ourselves, our communities, and our planet.
In our current system of global capitalism, we’re encouraged to overlook the plants that are on our plates or in our skin care. But even when corporations try to hide the fields that ingredients come from, that connection is still there.
When we pay attention to plant connections, we feel more connected to the Earth, animals, and other people, too. We can’t solve the complex issues of global supply chains just by noticing the plants in our lives—but we can begin to change our relationships with them. Instead of just consuming plants, we can start to see them as our relatives.
The idea of plants as kin is not new. Indigenous peoples around the world have long held reverence and respect for the plants we cohabitate with. In many cultures, certain plants are seen not only as sources of nourishment or livelihood, but also as ancestors.
Plant-human relationships have existed for thousands of years, but colonialism, capitalism, and climate change have uprooted and taken many of them out of context. When people are forced to move away from their ancestral homelands, banned from using their sacred plants in rituals, or incentivized to grow large monoculture crops for profit, we begin to lose our plant connections.
When we lose our connection to plants, we lose our connection to culture. We become disconnected from our heritage, our sense of place and belonging. That loss can manifest as hunger, displacement, or generational trauma. But plants offer a pathway towards healing. By reclaiming plant and land-based foodways, crafts, and spiritual practices, we’re actively repairing those connections.
As we wrote in our Legacy of Plants blog; “Humans have an ancestral relationship with plants. Through understanding their history, we can better understand our own history. A history of oppression and extraction—but also one of land stewardship, community, and connection.”
When we notice plants, we are brought into the present moment. They keep us in tune with the seasons, rooting us in place and time.
I’ve noticed that plants tend to give us what we need at almost the exact right time. Spring greens and herbaceous vegetables like radish and mint pop up just when our bodies begin to crave the taste of freshness after a winter of warm and heavy foods. Juicy fruits ripen in the height of summer, offering coolness and hydration on hot days. When the air goes dry in autumn, rosehips are ready to be harvested and brewed into a tea that soothes our skin from within. In the darkest days of winter when our immunity is low, orange and lemon trees glow with sunshine-colored fruits full of vitamin-c.
Plants can bring us hope and comfort in the midst of seasonal shifts and times of upheaval or change. We receive soothing, healing, and regeneration from edible medicinal plants. Even just touching or smelling plants can bring us mental clarity and release stress.
For me, plants offer a bright spot in a time of climate crisis and pandemic recession. When I notice acorns falling from the oak trees in my neighborhood, I momentarily forget about my anxiety over wildfire season and ash-laden skies. When I find green and thriving willows down by the river, the heat of a record-breaking summer day suddenly doesn’t feel so scorching. Even as our climate shifts rapidly around us, plants continue to adapt, exist, and care for us.
Plants herald the changing of the seasons and give us nourishment when we need it most. Their existence connects us to the past, present, and future.
“Every time I eat anything that’s even a little bit foraged, it’s a connection to past as much as it’s a connection to place. There’s something really cool about partaking in a practice that you know other people have done for hundreds, in some cases thousands, of years before you. It makes me feel like I’m a piece of the environment’s puzzle.”—Alexis Nikole (@blackforager) in an interview for Thrillist
I’m both a cook and a gardener, so food and plants play a huge role in the ways that I connect with others. When I want to take care of someone or be their friend, I invite them over for a home-cooked meal or gift them a plant that I grew from seed. When I want to feel connected to my Chinese heritage, I eat tofu, ginger, and green onions. When I celebrate Passover with my partner, our Seder plate is defined by the bitter herbs, sweet apples, and fresh greens that symbolize the journey of the Jewish people.
For Hindus, turmeric is used in daily life as well as in birth, death, and marriage traditions. In Mexico, marigolds decorate altars and help guide souls during Día de Los Muertos festivities. In Ethiopia, roasting beans and drinking coffee during the Bunna ceremony is a daily occurrence that’s been practiced for generations.
Plants play a key role in the rituals that make up our lives. They bring us together around the dinner table and enliven the spaces we inhabit. Plants are central to our religious and spiritual beliefs, they symbolize our values, and mark some of the most important moments.
The plants that we eat and use daily tell a beautiful story of heritage, culture, and life. But they can also tell a story of exploitation. This is why it’s important to ask; where do the plants in our lives come from? Who grew and processed them? And what kind of impact do these plants make on people, animals, and the planet?
By paying attention to plants, we’re also paying attention to all of the people, places, and history that they connect us to.
Paying attention to plants doesn’t need to be more complex than simply noticing the roles they play in our everyday lives. What plants are listed on the back of your bottle of face oil? What plants are on your plate? What trees give you shade? What opportunistic flowers and greens are growing through the cracks of concrete around your town?
“Caring for plants and our relatives is first, and in return, they will always care for you. It’s a relationship that starts with being a student and dedicated to learning and being of service before ever receiving.”—Nicholas Hummingbird, California Native Plant Educator and Indigenous advocate
Beyond noticing the plants in our lives, we can also care for them. We can care for plants, particularly native plants, by saving and planting seeds, growing gardens at home or in our communities, and protecting them from harm. We can care for plants by pruning them back in the winter and trellising new growth in the spring. We can even care for plants by harvesting the bounty they offer.
We can also connect with and care for plants by advocating for Indigenous land stewardship and environmental justice policies. Eliminating fossil fuel infrastructure and returning stolen land to its original stewards ultimately support a healthier environment for plants, animals, and people.
When we create a reciprocal and reverent relationship with the plants in our lives, we create a better world for the future. Planting a tree creates food and shelter. Tending a native plant garden provides food and habitat for endangered pollinators while sequestering carbon and contributing to underground water tables. Hiking through the redwoods and falling in love with majestic trees means you’re more likely to advocate for good fire policies and stand up against deforestation and clearcutting. Growing food in an urban or rural setting feeds people today and into the future.
When we’re connected to plants, we’re more connected to each other. We’re in tune with the seasons, our own heritage, and our communities. We’re more present and aware, and more likely to speak up for plants, people, and animals all around the world. When we’re connected to plants, we’re connected to Earth.
Written By Faye Lessler
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Oil, cream, or bar? Which kind of face washer are you?
There are a few things to consider when choosing the facial cleanser that’s right for your face. My personal criteria are as follows: ingredients used, method of application, lifestyle, skin type, joy factor.
That last one is really important. How do you want to feel when you’re rubbing your cheeks in a circular motion (hopefully) every morning and night?
Let’s break it down.
Tea Tree Charcoal Facial Soap & Pink Rose Clay Facial Soap
Plant Power: Charcoal lifts impurities, tea tree essential oil targets bacteria to resolve acne. French pink clay absorbs pollution and dirt, rose petals are antioxidative and exfoliating.
Method: A solid bar that you create a lather with between your hands & then transfer your face to cleanse.
Skin Type: Oily / combo skin—choose Tea Tree Charcoal. Dry / mature / sensitive—choose Pink Rose Clay.
Lifestyle: The ultimate for the multi-purpose, zero-waste lifestyle. This is for the minimalist who likes to have one (and only one) bar of soap in their shower at any given time, for head-to-toe cleansing.
Joy Factor: The texture of the soap between your palms is like a mini massage for your hands—as you lather the scent is released and the botanicals are buoyed. Wash your face, then rub it straight onto your body.
Highlights: Bar soaps contain no water except for what you will add on demand, reducing the carbon footprint of the products in shipment and also making them a breeze to travel with (just wrap them in a piece of thin cloth). Facial bars are concentrated botanicals in a solid format that balance and transform skin with daily use.
Plant Power: Juniper, bergamot, basil, and rosemary essential oils balance oil production and inhibit bacteria to resolve acne. Luscious plant oils impart moisture and nutrients for skin regeneration.
Method: An oil cleanser that rinses off with water! Pump into your palms, apply to dry facial skin, massage with wet fingertips, then rinse with water. (You can also use a washcloth.)
Skin Type: For oily, combo, and blemish-prone skin.
Lifestyle: This is for the person who wants effective cleansing for oily skin without the usual stripping and drying feel. You’re ready to spend a couple minutes cleansing, but you want results that match the effort. You seek skin that feels balanced and soft, and you crave herbal freshness.
Joy Factor: Working the creamy cleanser into dry skin feels silky. The milkiness increases with wet fingertips, giving you permission to keep circulating the skin and working that cleanser around those pores. Smells like a freaking meadow full of herbs.
Highlights: Refillable! Don’t toss that bottle. This cleanser gives you the benefits of oil cleansing—balanced oil production and suppleness—with all the ease of water rinsing. Cleanser rinses off, nutrients linger. It can also be used as a shaving cream.
Plant Power: Hazelnut oil purifies, jojoba oil soothes, and coconut oil offers lightness, while rose geranium oil tones the skin and lemon oil revitalizes it.
Method: Massage over dry skin and eyes, place a warm wet washcloth over face for 30 seconds, then wipe clean.
Skin Type: Can work for all skin types, but is especially for dry and sensitive skin.
Lifestyle: A luxurious, soothing experience for dry or mature skin that relaxes the senses. This is for make-up wearers who want to streamline their routine—now you can remove your makeup and wash your face in only one step!
Joy Factor: It’s all about that warm washcloth. While it gently rests on your face, your pores open and those nutritive oils sink even deeper. Take every one of those 30 seconds of washcloth time to breathe in the scent. Lemon essential oil actually makes you feel happier when you breathe it in—a miracle of nature.
Highlights: Not just for dry skin, oily skin can benefit from beneficial oils, because they send a vital message to your skin cells—”stop overcompensating, we’ve got plenty of oil!” The aluminum bottle is refillable.
Plant Power: Nutrient-rich organic tamanu, rosehip, and pumpkin seed oils heal dry, itchy skin while reducing scars and fine lines.
Method: Apply a thin layer all over facial skin, place a warm wet washcloth over for 30 seconds or more, then wipe clean.
Skin Type: Dry, sensitive, or mature skin.
Lifestyle: Indulgent, dreamy, nutritive. This is for the person who craves a weekly deep-moisture cleansing ritual, or perhaps wants a lux cleansing balm as the first step of a simple at-home facial. Luxury, but make it multipurpose and zero-waste.
Joy Factor: So rich and creamy!!
Highlights: It’s a skin cream that you can use to moisturize from head to toe that transforms into an occasional (or all the time!) cleansing balm—yep, in a refillable glass jar.
Washing our faces is something we have to do all of the time anyway (except for when I’m really, really tired, OK?), so why not infuse it with more joy?
Take care of those sweet faces out there.
Written By Vera Kachouh
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Shhhhhhh, there’s a subtle change in the air. It’s bright and colorful and soaring on pegasus’ wings (or maybe catching wind from a cat riding a surfboard). The creative muse has struck and it’s concerned with environmentalism.
We’re pretty serious about the idea that our business is our activism, so we’re always looking for ways to improve upon two key things:
Packaging Design & Carbon Footprint
Last year, we became certified carbon neutral, and part of our pledge was to reduce paper from our line by at least 15%. So, we went to the literal drawing board to see how we could tighten things up in our packaging and use even less material, while still maintaining the integrity of the product and not fussing at all with its quality.
We did a few things that we’re super proud of!
We found that by redesigning our bottles and our soap boxes, we could save a lot more paper than we thought, without reducing the size of the product inside them. SCORE. The soap boxes might surprise you at first because they are much smaller, but rest assured: The bars are the same hefty size they’ve always been. And there’s also a cute little cutout on the back so you can give them a sniff in stores and see the gorgeous color of the bar.
We shifted to metal bottles wherever we could (there are a few products in glass that are staying put). You might be thinking, metal? Huh? Metal is a sustainable choice for these key reasons:
The beauty industry doesn’t like imperfection. It doesn’t like to show when things are rough around the edges or growing into a new version of themselves. But it was super important to us to continue to use the old packaging and not create more waste by tossing out perfectly good containers and paper boxes only to transition to the new stuff. Transitions are beautiful. So we may look a bit hodge podge for a bit, but we are okay with it. We’re counting on our customers to understand that our commitment to reducing waste is more important than any #shelfie. If you receive old packaging, rest assured that these are by no means old products.
When we started this, we knew that we wanted to say goodbye to the colorful shapes in the background so that our drawings would be even more of a focal point. We chose a palette of colors based on the scent profiles:
All bottles are now spray-coated with these colors to make looking for your skin-type specific routine even easier. HELLO, EASE! WE WELCOME YOU!
The green bottles are for oily and blemish-prone skin. The pink bottles are for dry and maturing skin.
You may have noticed, we aren’t very fanciful when it comes to our approach to product names. Call us Bauhaus, but there’s something so satisfying about the simplicity of listing the scent and the product name. It’s like a slow, locally sourced meal at your favorite California vineyard. We’ve given front-of-the-bottle “scent call outs” to some of the products that didn’t have them before, but this doesn’t mean there’s anything new about them. For example, our beloved Skin Cream is still the same exact formula it always was, but now it says Rosehip Shea on the front too. Because plants are our poetry.
This one's for the design nerds. We are using two new fonts. A beautiful solid primary sans serif font that is even more readable. AND our very first serif font, which was created by a queer font designer in Norway. Our original logo designer, Sarah Hallacher, also redrew our logo (and they did all of the design work for this refresh). It might not be noticeable to you, but it’s a little easier to print and more accessible for those who are sight impaired.
And just because we’re us, Jeff made all new drawings for everything. Their goal was to create a little more intricacy, a little more quirk, a little stuff for the characters and the cats to interact with. They’re like tattoo sleeves on bottles. So, we are saying good-bye to a bunch of drawings that have graced our packaging since we started in 2009. At the end of this article are a few of our favorites, in memoriam.
There aren’t many, but here they are (also noted on the product pages). We are saying goodbye to the following products:
In our humble opinions, designing for people means designing for the planet. We’re here (on earth) only briefly. We want our footprint to be a gentle one. We want to show our small corner of the world that products can be snazzy and sustainable at the same time. That it’s possible to have fun, take care of your skin, live fully and beautifully, and then—clean up after yourself.
Written By Vera Kachouh and Tara Pelletier (co-founder)
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Want to know a secret? I don’t really like to wash my face.
I find the whole separate-cleanser-for-separate-body-part situation to be a little too much. I mean, we make SO MANY decisions every single day (about 35,000 apparently) that I just try to simplify where I can.
But Facial Bars are a little different. They are multipurpose at its best, because they are soap for your face that you can also use on your body. Simplicity! Ease! Efficiency! Also, beauty.
I take a Facial Bar into the shower with me and all of my cleansing needs are covered—head to toe. Honestly, it makes me feel proud of myself and I don’t refrain from giving myself a pep talk: “Look at you, washing your face!”
Read on for a few demystifying facts about our Facial Soap Bars—including why activated charcoal matters and the detoxifying goodness of pink clay. Luckily for us there are only two Facial Bars to choose from, because you have most likely just made 34,999 OTHER decisions over the past 24 hours and I think you deserve a break.
First, they are concentrated. These waterless formulas are all the good stuff that your skin needs to get a gentle, thorough cleanse, but you add water at home. Because they’re bars, we can package them plastic free in precious (dare I say, giftable) little post-consumer recycled boxes. They are inexpensive for facial cleansers—$12 for a little hunk of organic ingredients! (Compare that to the $50 bottles you find in boutique skin care stores.) Finally, they are multipurpose. These are our best-selling products for a reason!
This is the facial bar to reach for if you have oily or combination skin or simply during the summer months when the heat is causing more buildup on your skin. This is one of the very few facial cleansers that I’ve met that addresses breakouts (thank you tea tree and eucalyptus essential oils) and balances the skin’s natural oils, but does not overly dry the skin.
Active charcoal is a natural oil-absorber. This is cool, but you also don’t want to overdo it. If you use activated charcoal in face masks, the effect may be too drying, but as a soap with other ingredients like cocoa butter, it purifies without overdrying. Active charcoal is also credited for reducing pore size, making the skin more supple, removing dead skin cells, and toning the skin. (Radiance, baby.)
This is the soap to reach for when you want to give some love and affection to your dry, sensitive, or mature skin (or if you just want to feel like you’re floating away on a pink cloud). It’s the sensitive floral personality of the two bars, with crushed rose petals worked in for gentle exfoliation and aromatherapy. This is the best face soap bar for moisture!
Shea Butter
This is a luxurious and powerful emollient that is gentle on skin and won’t clog pores.
French Pink Clay
Pink clay is a from-the-earth detoxifier that absorbs dirt and pollution, all while gently exfoliating.
Geranium Essential Oil
Geranium essential oil is profoundly skin balancing. It tones and balances the skin, putting a final shine on the face washing experience. The scent is a grassy rose with intoxicating hints of lavender and geranium.
Rose Petals
When you make soap there is a part of the process where the soap gets really hot. We add rose petals at this moment and all of the nutritive properties of the petals are extracted into the soap. Roses calm irritation and reduce redness in the skin . It’s also a powerful antioxidant which is a boon for maturing and sensitive skin.
French pink clay is an aesthetically gorgeous ingredient (pink!) and it's also considered the most gentle of all skincare clays. It’s an ace at pulling out dirt and excess oil. So while you lather up, the pink clay gets to work on the impurities, while at the same time softening the skin and gently exfoliating dead skin cells away. The result is soothed skin that veritably shines.
Washing your face with a Facial Bar is fairly straightforward, but we have some tips!
Don’t forget your affirmations: “Look at you, washing your face!”
Written By Vera Kachouh
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Compost is an inherent process of nature. The breaking down and transformation of organic matter is how Earth ended up with soil, sediment, and sustenance. It’s a sustainable and regenerative process that’s essential to our survival in the climate crisis.
Compost (verb) refers to the natural process of decomposition, where organic matter is broken down by microorganisms, fungi, animals, oxygen, and time.
Compost (noun) refers to the result of that process; dark, loamy soil that’s rich in nutrients and living organisms.
Compost has been a part of human history since the dawn of agriculture. It’s a practice that’s allowed humans to build civilizations, develop cultures and foodways, and provide sustenance for both the land and our communities. Our ancestors observed the cycles of growth, death, and re-growth in natural ecosystems and understood that “waste” and “dead” organic matter could be used to feed the soil and generate new life.
People from around the world have been using compost to feed soils and grow nutrient-dense food for centuries. In ancient China, farmers regularly plowed under weeds and added processed animal bones, animal excrement, and human excrement as fertilizer, prolonging the productivity of their fields. Human and animal waste were also used by ancient Hebrew, Aztec, and Japanese farmers to increase crop yields and create viable farmland where none existed before. Ancient Greek and Roman farmers used the inedible parts of edible crops, tree prunings, and the leftover material from pressing olives and grapes to create rich compost and healthy soils. Wampanoag Native Americans of the Northeast taught early European settlers how to use shells, fish, and ash from their fires to fertilize crops, and Wampanoag people are still using these same methods today.
Industrialization, imperialism, capitalism, and urbanization have all helped to shift our lifestyle away from our connection with the land. Our “waste” has been moved into landfills, pipes, and processing facilities where it’s rendered invisible. When we send organic matter like food scraps, yard clippings, and other biodegradable materials to the landfill, they don’t get exposed to oxygen. Anaerobic (without oxygen) decomposition releases methane. According to the EPA, “methane is more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.”
Instead of throwing organic matter into landfills, compost recaptures biodegradable materials and converts them into nutrient-dense soil that sequesters carbon, stores rainwater, and feeds the plants we eat.
There is infinite capacity for healing in compost. Witnessing compost transform death into new life teaches us how to live through changing times. It turns grief, loss, and sadness into generative emotions that feed our actions for a better future.
As a gardener, I know the sadness of seeing something I’ve sown and nurtured die. Whether it’s from the heat, the sun, or a neighborhood critter, all of the energy and care I put into that being is now gone. But it isn’t wasted. I carry the wilted green carcass of the plant over to my compost pile and smile, knowing that it will soon become soil that nourishes another living being.
And so the cycle goes. New life can emerge when we let things die and decompose (transform). Compost reminds us that there is a certain possibility in endings.
What if we chose to “decompose” the fossil fuel industry and the exploitation of both animals and farmworkers in our agriculture system? To let those parts of our society die and become something different. Something new.
Compost doesn’t just show us death, it also shows us life. It offers a warm, moist bed where we can plant new seeds and nurture them into thriving, green, living things. What will we nurture into being when we let the old systems die?
“Community composting hubs inspire joy and lead to lasting transformation of unhealthy and unjust systems.”—CA Alliance for Community Composting
When I think of compost, I think of food sovereignty, happy people, and thriving ecosystems. I think of community gardens that provide food, connection, clean air, clean water, respite, and joy for everyone around.
In a world where most of our accessible food comes from industrial, monocrop farms that rely on fossil-fuel-derived fertilizers and contribute to soil erosion and water pollution, it’s difficult to see any way out of our current systems. It’s easy to despair amidst all of the extraction and exploitation, but compost helps me see that a better world is possible.
Close your eyes and imagine a future where compost is the default. Where we don’t throw our waste “away”, but instead work with natural cycles to transform it into something new. What do you see?
I see neighborhood-scale, closed-loop systems centered around community gardens that are open and accessible to everyone. I see myself walking to the garden to drop off my food scraps a few times a week, saying hello to my neighbors, and stopping to pick a few fruits off the trees on my way there. I see myself volunteering to help turn the compost pile, tend the plants, and teach cooking workshops to the local kids.
That’s the beauty of compost. It’s a climate solution that cools the planet AND encourages community care.
If compost were the default, our systems would look completely different. Our cities, towns, and neighborhoods would be laid out in a way that encourages walking, biking, and gathering outdoors instead of isolating ourselves in cars. Compost would bring us closer to where our food is grown and reclaim power from corporate grocery chains and industrial agriculture operations. It would increase the nutrient density of our food and help cool our neighborhoods with leafy green canopies. Compost would help us form tight-knit communities where there are regular touchpoints between neighbors, encouraging us to take good care of each other.
“Composting at the community scale allows individuals to engage with each other and learn from the process.”—LA Compost
Composting is a beautiful way to reconnect with natural cycles and our communities—and community composting projects are already flourishing around the U.S. Government bodies and grassroots groups are working to make compost the norm again, including the recent launch of a municipal composting program in Meow Meow Tweet’s new home base, Sacramento, CA.
Here are some resources for composting wherever you are:
Written By Faye Lessler
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It’s hot. You lay out a towel and before you’ve even finished the motion of positioning, adjusting, smoothing the surface, beads of sweat have formed on your brow. You lay your sticky-wet form down, adjusting it limb by limb. This year, the sun feels heavier and hotter. Someone is brewing tea using the sun’s rays and you can hear the spoon—clang, clang, clang—against the inner walls of the pitcher. You close your eyes and see the starburst of the sun, opening and opening, endlessly unfurling in shades of yellow and orange and blue behind your eyelids. In the distance, a lemon tree releases its blooms and the scent reaches you, but just barely.
You stretch your senses toward it—is it the actual smell? is it a memory?—it doesn’t matter; either way, you’re already gone.
Summer Soap is here to take the sweat from our bodies; to refresh our senses and wash away the sluggishness of the season. To invigorate. To renew. Welcome, Lemon Blossom Tea Body Scrub Bar. Like sun tea brewed on a friend’s porch, this soap is season-specific (summer!), but it’s a season that you carry with you wherever you go. It’s that one summer from memory that haunts and torments you—asking all other summers to be as memorable, as beautiful and sweet. This one is less ephemeral. You can rub it all over yourself and return there again and again.
Laced with poppy seeds, this new summer soap scrubs our bodies afresh, invigorating beach-weary muscles and pepping up our minds, snapping it out the past and putting it in the here and now of the shower. It’s like a lemon-poppy tea cake in soap form. (Sweet.)
And unlike our polarizing Tangerine Basil Soap, also full of poppyseeds (RIP, it was my favorite soap!), with its love-hate anise overtones, our Lemon Blossom Tea Body Scrub Bar is unlikely to offend even the most sensitive noses. It’s all summer, sweetness and lemon-drop ease.
Hop in the shower. Brew yourself a cup.
Lemon essential oil is created from the skin of the lemon. It has antioxidant properties which neutralize free radicals on the skin and it also boosts collagen production. Lemon is helpful in balancing skin’s sebum (oil) and reducing inflammation. It’s a total mood booster too, with its acidic and bright scent. Breathe in a lemon when you want to feel awake and alive to the world.
The organic litsea cubeba essential oil in this soap is a rare beauty of the aromatherapy world. The essential oils are steam distilled from the ripe fruit of the Litsea Cubeba flower, which grows on small tropical evergreen trees native to parts of eastern Asia. They yield a fresh green, vibrant, lemony scent with light floral undertones—think: flowers along a wooded path in the dappled summer light. For the skin, it relieves congestion and balances oil. For the mind, it lifts and calms.
Clary Sage soothes skin’s complexion and quells irritation (hello, summer mosquito bites), while also moisturizing. The scent is fresh and sweetly herbaceous with some soft notes of tobacco and tea leaves. When smelled, Clary Sage is known for elevating the spirit and waking up the mind.
Lovely little poppyseeds are the star ingredient in your favorite tea cake, and when added to a soap bar they do something utterly incredible—they give your butt (or any part of you) a massage. I speak for myself when I say that after using a bar soap with poppy seeds, you will never go back. It just feels so darn good. And of course, it also exfoliates skin (good for armpit exfoliation too!), and boosts circulation due to the scrubbiness. Try it on achy legs and hips and never, ever look back.
We’re bagging this delicious little bar up in a reusable canvas drawstring sack with a summer solstice drawing by Jeff (limited edition!). It’s the best way to transport soap for travel because it’s lightweight and won’t trap moisture. So what I am saying is, this is the soap you’ll want to bring to that beach vacation you are finally taking.
Happy summer dreaming, cats. Happy lemon-y scrubbing.
Find Lemon Blossom Tea Body Scrub Bar here
Written By Vera Kachouh
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When I was a kid there was a rose bush in a certain patch of woods that I used to visit. It crept out from the shade, stretching its long arms toward the sun. It had thickly nestled white blooms and deep green leaves. Every year I looked for it, making sure that this unattended rose, this sweet wild thing, had survived the snow and frost without anyone covering its roots or mounding compost onto its stems to keep it warm.
It had a mythology. Some distant relative had planted it back in the time when roses were fragrant. When they smelled like, well… roses. Honeyed and floral and maybe a hint of spice, depending on the rose. You could bury your nose into the velvety blooms and the sweet, heady scent would devour you whole. Get too close and the hot buzz of bees would issue their warning (“I’m here, too”).
This is what is called “an old rose.” I don’t know if that’s the official name, but at some point over centuries of hybridization and cultivation, roses lost their fragrance. As if some essential part of their being had been stripped. Would a rose by any other name be as sweet if it didn’t carry its same scent? You can float away to another place entirely when you smell an old rose. Then you open your eyes and look around you only to discover that you haven’t moved an inch. The sun hasn’t shifted.
This is a very long way to tell you that we have a new lotion, and that we waited a very long time for the rose water to come to us from Bulgaria, from a historic, organic producer, so that it would smell as sweet as roses in their mythology—in the crevices of our collective memory—did and do.
Aloe Rose All Over Lotion is not entirely our first lotion, but it’s the first product we’ve made that we’ve called “lotion.” Some of you may remember Underarm Primer. We didn’t think “armpit lotion” sounded as good as “underarm primer,” but essentially that smooth, soothing “primer” was a healing lotion. We have our body oil and balms, of course, and those are like the best versions of moisture we can package and deliver to you (so high quality! for such a good price!), but sometimes—especially with the heat creeping in; especially with pandemic hand-washing stripping us all to the bone—you just want something quicker, lighter, and easier than an oil. Also, we thought it would be pretty nice to have a lotion packaged in metal that could be refilled (refill options coming soon).
This lotion is rich in botanical power yet light in feel, thanks to its two key ingredients—aloe vera and organic Bulgarian rose hydrosol. It has the slipperiness of aloe vera and the softness of rose petals. Velvety and slippery—light as a breeze, yet rich in plant nutrients. Forgive the platitudes. When I first tried the sample, I wanted to cry. I smelled old roses, I felt soothed by aloe, I felt softness nestle into my cracked, bleeding hands. I can’t withhold the drama. This is the lotion I’ve been waiting for.
Bulgarian rose hydrosol imparts loads of rose nutrients as well as moisture. Rose petals are an antioxidant powerhouse with natural hydrating and healing properties. Rose is also known for its ability to reduce redness in the skin. Hydrosols are captured steam. They are made from gently simmering plants or flowers until a nutrient-dense steam is created. That steam is then captured and bottled. Hydrosols are much gentler than essential oils, but these aromatic waters possess the same healing properties as their oily counterparts.
Aloe vera is the ultimate skin healer—it’s a powerful emollient (softener) that quells dryness and irritation while imparting antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties. Remember: dry skin is uncomfortable, and often irritated skin in need of soothing. It’s not just an aesthetic inconvenience.
Spread this all over your body, hands, and face to moisturize, soothe, and restore suppleness to tired and world-weary skin. For extra dry skin on the face that needs a little more than just toner and oil, you can also layer this lotion in between those two steps (toner - lotion - oil). And I suggest that you do. Maybe close your eyes for a sec while you’re rubbing it in. Cup your hands over your nose and just breathe. Did an old rose surface in the vestiges of your memory? You can borrow mine, if you want.
Find Aloe Rose All Over Lotion here.
Written By Vera Kachouh
]]>Pimples are messengers. They can be caused by a number of factors (stress, hormones,oil build-up, etc.), but primarily, they communicate: “I’m uncomfortable.” Spot Serum clears zits while comforting and healing upset skin.
Hear me out: pimples can be cute.
On someone who you think is really hot, they can even be sexy. But whether or not you like the way they look aesthetically, pimples can hurt. They can feel tender, inflamed, sensitive, oozy—because pimples are inflammations. They are also messengers. And, as messengers, they are trying to tell you something about how things are going in your body or on your face. (Mostly something like: “Help!”) So, we should help them!
Spot Serum is a powerhouse of essential oils that discourage bacterial growth and reduce inflammation. If you apply the serum when you’re just starting to feel the tenderness of a pimple forming it may never surface at all. The essential oils go to work to make the bacteria vanish, thus zapping the pimple at its source. But unlike other treatments that do the same (e.g., the straight-up rubbing alcohol that I used to apply on my nascent zits), Spot Serum’s pimple-inhibiting essential oils are suspended in organic jojoba seed oil—the oil found in nature that most mimics skin’s own sebum.
This is going to sound counter-intuitive, but oil is not the enemy here. Sometimes pimples happen when your skin is caught in a cycle of over-cleansing. Skin gets stripped, it produces more oil to compensate, and then that oil builds up, clogging pores and creating pimples. What we’re seeking in the facial cleansing routine is balance (so existential, I know).
Jojoba oil makes your skin comfortable, while essential oils of eucalyptus, cajeput, thyme, peppermint, and clove go to work on the blemish. And because Spot Serum is gentle and will not hurt skin, you can apply it several times in one day.
In the event that your pimple emerged due to stress, well hey, guess what?! Spot Serum will help in two ways: 1) it will start shrinking the pimple right away; 2) it will send calming aromas to your nervous system via your nose. Breathe in the scent and notice how you feel.
Eucalyptus is known for clearing the mind and sweeping away negative emotions. Essential oil of peppermint helps relieve stress and unblock tension. Clove bud oil is renowned for unbundling anxious thoughts. The essential oils in Spot Serum combine to create a scent that is warming, lively, and feels like a release—a crisp herbal aroma transported by a silky oil.
Apply Spot Serum at the very end of your facial care routine—after cleansing and moisturizing. It can be reapplied as needed throughout the day. It is equally good at preventing blemishes as it is at healing existing ones.
You can find your ideal skin routine by type here. (Hint: Our facial care with green packaging is formulated for oily, blemish-prone and combo skin types; pink packaging is formulated for dry, mature and reactive skin.) Once your skin is feeling more balanced—i.e., after you’ve found a routine that really works with your skin and reduces instances of inflammation (pimples!)—you won’t even need spot serum anymore! That is the goal.
In our opinion, every face can benefit from some combination of cleansing, exfoliating, hydrating, and moisturizing, but you need to “listen to your skin,” which has needs that might change seasonally and hormonally. Avoid routines that over dry skin before moisturizing it, that excessively exfoliate it to keep irritation and possible breakouts down.
Spot Serum is aromatherapeautically calming, so you can apply it to pressure points and inhale its beautiful soothing scent to relieve tension and quiet the mind. Try it on wrists, neck, behind the ears, or on the chest. We also love to use Spot Serum on other skin irritations like bug bites. It helps soothe itchiness and calm the inflammation.
Written By Vera Kachouh
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For the sake of transparency and sunshine, here’s a bit about why we’re letting go of our Everyday Sunscreen, plus where you can look for the best replacements.
]]>Whether you’re Count Dracula and barely spend any time in the sun or Icarus who flew too close to it, you know you need an everyday SPF (ah, ah, ah!).
Enjoy 50% off our Everyday SPF while supplies last with code FAREWELLSPF.
Written By Vera Kachouh
What you do for your skin is a metaphor for what we need to do for the planet.
In recent months, I have had so many conversations with friends about where to move given the climate crisis. Which places will flood? Catch fire? Drop into the sea after a cataclysmic earthquake? It is overwhelming (to say the least). As a species, we are having a hard time grasping the scope of the changes that we are no longer just “confronting”—as if in some distant, unnamed future—we are actually living with. It’s like someone is waving a flag right in front of us, but we just can’t see it.
Not only is the climate crisis right under our noses, the skin on our actual faces is feeling it.
Yes, your dermis gives a shit about climate change. Our increasingly damaged and depleted environment are interfering with our skin’s natural ability to heal itself. Or, to put it another way, the single greatest existential threat to our species is showing up right on our faces. I guess the question is: Will we be able to look into the mirror and do something about it?
The skin is a beautiful metaphor for the planet, because holistic skin care is about “bringing skin back to itself.”(1) If you want to heal it, you have to identify the things that knock it off its course and try to bring it back to its pre-stressed state.
The common stressors are:
Air pollutants—this catch-all category harms skin by inducing oxidative stress. Your skin is an amazing biological shield against chemicals found in the air, but repeated exposure has profoundly negative effects on it nonetheless. “Oxidative stress” on the skin is usually discussed in terms of “anti-aging,” but the real issue here is not that you are getting older, it’s that the chemical makeup of the air is changing the cells in your skin, in your body, and even in your DNA. (2)
Air pollutants occur indoors and out and can include (but are not limited to): “polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), heavy metals, gaseous pollutants, such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxides (NOx ), sulfur oxide (SO2 ), ozone (O3 ), and indoor air pollutants (solid fuels consumption).” (3)
UV rays & blue light—the depletion of the ozone from aerosols and other pollutants has increased ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Sun and heat are expected, everyday stressors for the skin—we use sunscreen to deal with them—but their effect has only increased in recent years as the climate has continued to suffer and the ozone layer has become more depleted than ever before in human history.
You’ll see the effects of UV rays on your skin in a sunburn immediately. Over the long term, dark spots, wrinkles, and changes in elasticity can occur. Studies are mixed on whether or not the light from our technology messes with our skin, but it seems intuitive to me that something that we stare at for longer than we ever have before, historically, as a species, would have some impact on us—if not on our skin than on our mental health or our sleep habits or the way we move through the day. It’s all connected.
Skin that is dealing with pollutants, as almost every face on the planet now is, has a weakened skin barrier, aka, the skin’s natural defense system. As skin cells are damaged, collagen production is slowed and the skin is less able to recover. Its microflora is also weakened, meaning it can’t fend off intruders or bounce back as readily. (4)
You’ll see the signs of this in your complexion, the feel of your skin, how refreshed (or not) it looks and feels to the touch.
We’re lucky, in a way, that the skin actually shows some of these effects. So many of the effects of pollution on our bodies are hidden from view, making them harder to address. You can see a dark spot; you can’t feel your DNA changing.
Let’s be clear about something: Capitalism created this problem (the climate catastrophe) and Capitalism is not going to fix it (by selling you more stuff). Although of course, it will try.
We are not pitching you on a product line, and I would be really skeptical of product lines that are created to address this (e.g., fight free radicals! reduce wrinkles caused by pollution! is your phone screen making you age?!). These are tidy and catchy and click-inducing, but they are also distractions.
We need to start looking for solutions outside the model of consumption to fix a problem caused by overconsumption. Sorry in advance if this seems super obvious, current legislation would indicate that it is not.
Your skin is an organ—one of the most important (yet fragile) in the human body—and it actually knows how to repair itself; but skin that is experiencing stress, damage and inflammation can not perform its normal, self-healing functions.
We can help it along, in a product-agnostic way:
Cleanse: Do it gently and thoroughly, especially at night, to remove the smoke, dust and particulate matter that may have accumulated on your skin. We suggest you cleanse gently so you don’t weaken your skin barrier, which is responsible for keeping threats out and regulating moisture loss.
Protect: Hydrate and moisturize skin to protect it (remember, hydrating and moisturizing are not the same thing!). It’s a good idea to use ingredients that are rich in antioxidants and nutrients that fight free radicals. We did not invent this idea. Plants did. Interestingly, the volatile oils that occur in plants that protect their cells from environmental stressors (like pollution) are what we humans call “essential oils.” So we can look to the plant world for tips here, by identifying plants growing in stressed environments, and borrowing their oils. More on essential oils here. You should also wear sunscreen every day.
Repair: Your skin will do this on its own, it just needs a chance to stop fighting the causes of inflammation and damage so that it can get back to its job of making new cells, producing collagen and elastin. Do the above to give it a helping hand and then get out of its way.
Reduce Exposure: This could mean various things depending on where you live, as well as your lifestyle, but a few ideas are: wear a hat outdoors, add air purifiers to your home, lessen screen time, monitor air quality in your air and reduce outdoor activity on heavy pollution days.
I think it goes without saying that we need to tackle the climate crisis on a global rather than dermic scale, breaking down power imbalances, so that the people who are most impacted by climate change have a voice in solving it (in other words, not the handful of elites who are planning to colonize the moon). This issue is so much bigger than our skin and it is staring us in the literal and metaphoric mirror. So put on your sunscreen. Then get in on the fight.
Written by Vera Kachouh
Footnotes
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It’s like Costco, minus the intimidatingly large shopping carts. Okay, wait, it’s nothing like Costco, but I wanted to give you a quick way to think about “bulk.” You could also look at this New Yorker cartoon of two pelicans if you are more of a visual learner.
The idea is simple. You buy more of a thing you like a lot (i.e., you “stock up”) and in return, you save money, reduce the amount of trips your packages have to make to you (read, less carbon waste), and you produce less trash.
Our concept has a twist though. There’s a “refill” component!
You start with one full-sized bottle of, say, face oil. Obviously, you’ve fallen in love, so you think, hmmm, I wish there was a way I could reuse this cute glass dropper, and just put more face oil in this container…
Ding, ding, ding!! You CAN, you brilliant person! Save your cute glass dropper bottle. Click your paw over to our website, and order the BULK size of the face oil. That bottle is made from the most recyclable material available, aluminum. It has an aluminum cap, too. No glass dropper. You don’t need another one, because you are going to pour the BULK face oil into your sterilized (we show you how) cute glass dropper jar, and then add more as needed. (Oh, and it costs less per ounce. HOORAY.)
Give yourself a pat on the back. You just did a thing that saved you cash and saved the world a tiny bit of trash (and possibly helped reframe the way we interact with things, if we’re feeling lofty; more on that below).
But what about when the BULK bottle is empty? So glad you asked. You send it back to us (for free). Then, we sterilize it and refill it until the end of time or until the bottle is so dinged up that it has to go into the recycling bin, at which point we thank it for its service and for the long life of circularity it lived and say a fond farewell.
This is not a euphemism for a cat toy that goes in, um, circles and loops, but rather a quick pause to explain, systemically, what is happening when you treat a product as you just did in the above example.
It’s called circularity and a closed-loop system, and it’s a redefinition of the way we think about and treat the everyday things we consume. In fact, if you want to go deeper, it’s actually an affront to capitalism and a redefinition of the way we function (or could possibly function) as an economy and society.
Let me explain.
Circularity is about a mode of consumption that includes refurbishing, reusing, recycling, or even sharing a product for as long as possible before it becomes waste. It is the exact opposite of, say, purchasing a bunch of small cosmetics, all in their brand new containers, and then tossing them away half empty, only to buy more new small containers. I am not trying to shame anyone here. I have been guilty of this precise thing. But I think it’s because we have all been trained for an endless want and have somehow, societally, managed to forget about what happens to all of the single-use things we buy. We are disconnected from their life cycle. We don’t live with our trash, physically. When we’re done with something, it moves on to a nether space outside our imaginations (namely, a dump in the earth, in the ocean, or somewhere in another country that has been paid to take it). This is a sort of out-of-sight, out-of-mind situation.
Circularity proposes a way of existing in the world that makes the longest possible use of every single thing we own—like darning socks, sharing a car with a friend, repurposing waste water, or even refilling your face oil.
The problem with this model is that it is not as profitable for businesses as selling many tiny single-use things that will be thrown out and then immediately replaced. But “businesses” can not be our moral compass for any longer, and we’re fine with making a little bit less money, if it means that we can spare the planet some waste; and more than that, if it gives us a chance to dream about a world beyond the one we know—a new model of consumption that is not about endlessly consuming but rather about making the most of what we already have.
Closed loop can have a few different meanings, but for our purposes, we’re talking about closed-loop recycling and a closed-loop environment. Both are about the treatment of raw materials and are geared toward dramatically reducing, and in some cases, totally eliminating waste. Closed-loop recycling is the process of a material being used indefinitely or being able to be returned to its original raw material state once its use has been exhausted. It’s the reason we choose aluminum for our bulk bottles—aluminum is lighter to ship to you (reduced carbon footprint) and when you recycle it, the quality doesn’t degrade. It’s also the most recycled material worldwide. This is not to say that resources are not used in the process—we need water and energy to sterilize the aluminum bottles that we sell bulk products in—but the resources used are far fewer than what’s required to make a wholly new thing. A closed-loop business reuses materials over and over again to deliver new products. In a sense, it’s about creating a service rather than just a product. This is somewhat harder for us to achieve, because there are hygienic concerns that are super important. Some things just can’t go to more than one consumer after they’ve been opened and touched. But empty bulk bottles? Those we can sterilize and refill forever.
So, how many bottles do you actually save when you buy bulk? Let’s take a look.
One full-sized face oil lasts about TWO months, depending on how much you use.
It can be refilled FOUR times using the bulk size.
That saves FIVE small bottles from ending up in the trash. It saves you $35 in cash.
Over a lifetime of using face oil (30 years*), the savings of trash becomes 225 bottles and $1,575 in cash.
That’s a lot of saved trash / cash. And that’s just one person.
*not promising that our small bottles will last 30 years, but they just might if handled with care.
You can refill online as above, or you can visit one of our in-person retailers who we supply with bulk refills. These amazing indie shops have refill stations set up for you in person, and you can bring any jar you want to fill up with our goods (not just a Meow Meow Tweet bottle). This is a nice way of getting to know your MMT community out in the wild. Plus, if it’s a place you can visit on foot or by bike, you’ve also reduced the carbon impact of shipping your product.
Shopping definitely will not save the planet, but there are small things we can do to produce and consume less stuff. Personal agency is also a magical ingredient for hope. And we need that, too.
Written By Vera Kachouh
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