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 Welcome to Botanic Boutique!
Botanic Boutique is a company that I created when I learned how many questionable ingredients are in the bath and body products we use everyday. My vision is to offer as many high-quality, naturally-based products as possible without any of the ingredients that have the potential for harm.
Come and enter the sanctuary where an abundance of bath and body indulgences are waiting to be new additions to your personal home spa. Take a few moments each day to breathe in a soothing scent, honor your skin, and draw a warm bath. These little things go a long way towards your health and stress management. Botanic Boutique was founded to offer a variety of bath and body products that are naturally based and safe to use. You’ll find everything you need here to be absolutely decadent!
What makes Botanic Boutique different from other bath and body boutiques?
Most people are aware nowadays that there are potentially dangerous chemicals used in products that are supposed to be safe to use on your skin. But you may not be sure which chemicals to avoid or why you should avoid them. Even worse, you may not have easy access to places that sell a majority of natural, safe bath and body products. Trustworthy brands are easy to recognize, but there is no household name store or boutique that specializes in carrying only safe and natural bath and body products.
Now you may be thinking:
But I love what I’m using now or where I’m shopping now! What will this knowledge of ingredients I need to avoid mean? Does it mean giving up favorite personal products or shopping at certain stores? And if I do make these changes, what are my options? Only a handful of products that I don’t really like as much as the ones I was using before?
Not necessarily. The truth is, hundreds of companies are jumping on the all-natural and safe bandwagon everyday releasing new brands and product lines. Burt’s Bees and Rituals Skin Care are some examples, to name just a few.
My advice is to switch to using at least 90% all natural and safe bath and body products everyday. When you really start to think about this, you will realize how difficult it is to do this 100% of the time. Once you increase your awareness, you will find questionable ingredients in your toothpaste, hair dye, perfume, and even candles! And you may not be able to let go of dyeing your hair or wearing your favorite perfume. But if you eliminate things slowly and ensure that you are choosing from a plethora of healing decadence (healthy products that are still indulgent, glamorous, and fun), you are doing something amazing for yourself. Think of it as a diet, and maybe you binge every once in awhile or have an addiction that you can’t quite give up like smoking cigarettes. That is what it’s like when you use personal care products with some of these ingredients.
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that there is a lot of controversy surrounding the safety of some cosmetic ingredients. Some people feel the FDA doesn’t regulate these ingredients closely enough, while clinical trials may indicate that they are safe to use. At Botanic Boutique, I try to avoid questionable ingredients as much as possible. The ingredients for each product are always provided so you can make informed decisions if you wish to avoid a particular ingredient. My newsletter will often feature articles presenting both sides of a controversial ingredient so consumers can decide for themselves.
So what are the ingredients to watch out for?
Sulfates (ex. sodium lauryl sulfate): Found in most personal care products from body lotion to toothpaste. It is a detergent and emulsifier which may cause drying, skin irritation, and even eczema. Botanic Boutique does not carry any sulfates, which often have similar sounding names.
Parabens: Mimic the hormone estrogen and can cause breast tumors. Despite this fact, they are the most commonly used preservatives in the United States next to water. They were initially believed to be safe to use, but a 2004 study published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology reported that British researchers found traces of parabens in 20 women with breast tumors.
Pthalates: Pthalates are linked to birth defects in the reproductive system of boys and low sperm count in men which means they’re a bad idea to use if you’re pregnant. Some may also be carcinogenic. The EU has banned the use of phthalates in nail polish, but the FDA declared in 2004 that they are safe for use in the small amounts used in personal care products. Decide for yourself.
Paraffin: Harmless to skin but may cause irritation or eczema if impurities are present.
Petrolatum: Can cause allergic skin reactions for people with sensitive skin.
Toluene: Found in nail polish and can cause liver damage. It can also irritate the skin and respiratory tract.
Octocrylene (Phenol): Found in sunscreens, shaving creams, and hand lotions and can cause fatal poisoning, gangrene, swelling, or hives.
Now that there are so many awesome products made without these ingredients, it’s just not worth taking the risk!
Source: A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients 6th Edition
by Ruth Winter, M.S.
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