Spring: Nature's New Era

After a long, cold winter, there is nothing quite like watching the hard earth soften; blossoms spreading along the branches of trees, plant shoots hungry for fresh air and sunlight, and the return of our resident hummingbirds and bumblebees, awaiting their botanical feasts set against the backdrop of occasional warm breezes and endless birdsong. Spring is one of our favourite times of year, because it reminds us that no matter how badly the winter tries to linger, it will always give way to a season of new beginnings.

Here at Flourish Apothecary, we're amping up our creative juices after a long period of rest and reflection - seeking new ventures, expanding our product line, and making more connections in our community to continue strengthening our local economy. With the political climate currently in turmoil, there is a huge push to support local businesses and shop within Canada. This is both a blessing and a curse for small businesses, as many don't have access to solely Canadian-made ingredients and are either struggling with outrageous tariff costs, or scrambling to find reliable alternatives to their usual suppliers. On the flip side, most are seeing sales go up as the desire to purchase locally-made goods continues to grow. It is moments like these that we remind ourselves why we initially chose to source our ingredients as close to home as possible; because when times get tough, it's always our local communities that stand together, strong and united, ready to face whatever challenges may lie ahead.

You can rest assured that our products will always be 100% made in Canada, from locally-sourced ingredients, and with the highest commitment to both quality and sustainability. With so many amazing small businesses popping up over the past few years, it's never been easier to replace your everyday goods with locally-produced alternatives.

And speaking of everyday products, we've got you covered for all-natural bodycare with our botanical bath salt blends, face serums & beauty oils (which also act as a nourishing beard oil), mineral toothpastes, and roller perfumes (made from organic essential oils). New to our product line this year we'll be introducing a soothing facial toner, hydrating mineral sunscreen, invigorating scalp spray, and more! Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and/or follow us on social media to be the first to know when these new products drop! We're looking forward to providing even more access to high quality, planet-friendly, locally-made household goods. Spring is nature's newest era, and we're here to celebrate it! So what are you waiting for? Spring into a more natural lifestyle today with Flourish Apothecary.

Flourish Apothecary of Victoria, BC is a woman-owned online herbal shop specializing in organic and wild-crafted natural health products. Each product is hand-crafted from freshly harvested medicinal herbs on Vancouver Island. We believe in planet before profit, and emphasize sustainable business practices to ensure we can deliver the highest-quality goods without having a negative affect on the planet.

Your New Best Friend: Natural Perfume Rollers

Looking to step up your scent game? Our 100% naturally-scented perfume rollers are the perfect addition to your holistic hygiene routine.

Have you ever wondered what kind of ingredients are inside that pretty little bottle of fragrance you like to spritz on before you leave the house each morning? We're about to tell you, but you may not like what you hear.

On average, commercially-produced perfumes are made up of between 2,000-4,000 different chemicals. I'm sure you don't need us to tell you that that is a LOT. Some of the most popular perfumes on the market contain a plethora of undesirable ingredients, including:

• Synthetic fragrances - Often the main source of fragrance/scent in a perfume, these artificial fragrances are far removed from their original plant parts and are chemically synthesized compounds which are designed to smell similar to the natural scents we know and love. These synthetically altered compounds have been shown to disrupt normal hormone functioning, which is turn can negatively affect reproductive health and reduce overall life expectancy; increase respiratory issues like asthma, allergies, and chronic respiratory diseases; increase the risk of developing allergies and dermatitis; cause headaches and migraines, and trigger cancer cells by introducing known carcinogens both onto the skin and into the airways.

• Ethyl Alcohol/Denatured Alcohol - While ethyl alcohol is merely a high-proof alcohol, using this as the base of your daily perfume can be incredibly drying for the skin, and lead to skin flaking/cracking, while exacerbating other skin conditions such as hives, rashes, sunburn, dermatitis, acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

• Phthalates - Common pthalates include diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate, di (2-ethylhexyl) (DEHP) and butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP). These pthalates are often found within synthethic fragrances, so you may not find them in your ingredient list due to being clevery hidden within another listed ingredient. Pthalates are primarily responsible for disrupting the endocrine system, decreasing fertility in both men and women, and negatively affecting the metabolism, promoting obesity.

• Benzyl Acetate - Often used as a fixative in perfumery (making the scent last longer), benzyl acetate can cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory system, and negatively affect the central nervous system.

• Ethyl Acetate - Commonly used in everything from paint, varnish, lacquer, and cleaning products, to chemically decaffeinating coffee beans (go with swiss-water decaffienated coffee, folks!), this solvent can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, and skin, and repeated exposure can negatively affect liver health.

• Isolated Plant Compounds such as Linalool, Limonene, etc - These compounds are touted as being 'natural' due the fact that they have originated from a living plant cell, but this is classic greenwashing at its finest. When you utilize the whole plant structure, you are using every part of the plant, which has a beautifully built-in blueprint of balance and ultimately aims to help (and not harm) you as it works in harmony within itself. When you isolate a specific compound from a plant and add it to an ingredient list, you are taking away all of the other components which help to keep that compound balanced and healthful, and add in only the element which may provide a scent, preservative, or fixative in your perfume blend. These isolated compounds can negatively affect the central nervous system and cause adverse skin reactions and allergies. Not fun!

At Flourish Apothecary, we only utilize whole, natural ingredients that benefit your body, mind, and the planet. Our personal perfume rollers are made from a base of ultra-nourishing, unrefined, certified organic jojoba oil to lock moisture in (not suck it out like an alcohol-based perfume would). We then add consciously curated blends of therapeutically balanced, 100% organic essential oils of the absolute highest quality. The result is a refreshingly clean, balanced, and invigorating personal perfume that can be re-applied as needed throughout the day when you need a little pick-me-up, without having to worry about any negative or adverse health effects!

Each of our natural perfume rollers features a sleek stainless steel roller ball, durable frosted glass bottle, and recyclable plastic cap. Each component can easily be reused and/or recycled, and we are currently working on creating refill options to minimize our carbon footprint even further. Be sure to follow us on instagram, facebook, twitter, and of course, check back in on our website to find out when refills will be available!

In a day and age where there are so many options for personal care products available to the general public, we feel so blessed to not only have customers who choose to continue to support our small business, but also to be able to offer a truly natural perfume option knowing that it will wholeheartedly benefit your mind, body, and spirit. So go ahead, find a scent that speaks to you, and make the switch to your new favourite, all-natural perfume blend today!

Flourish Apothecary of Victoria, BC is a woman-owned online herbal shop specializing in organic and wild-crafted natural health products. Each product is hand-crafted from freshly harvested medicinal herbs on Vancouver Island. We believe in planet before profit, and emphasize sustainable business practices to ensure we can deliver the highest-quality goods without having a negative affect on the planet.

The Ancient Art of Oil Cleansing

You may or may not have heard of oil cleansing, but not to worry! We're here to help guide you through the process and answer questions along the way.

So what is oil cleansing anyway?

This nourishing skincare practice is a modern take on two separate ancient practices - one also goes by the name of "double cleansing", originating in Japan & Korea in the early 14th century, and the other from ancient Roman bathing practices, which included rubbing olive oil over the skin before and after submersing in a hot bath. The theory of efficacy for both practices continues to ring true today, with like attracting like.

This means that when you cleanse the skin with oil, it also attracts other oils to the surface and clings to it like a magnet. This wonderous effect allows your skin to be gently stripped away of dirt, bacteria, residual makeup, and excess oils naturally produced by your skin, and is safe for all skin types regardless of age, health, or complexion. It is an exceptionally gentle way to cleanse for those who have extremely sensitive skin, or for those who may be struggling with painful or irritating skin conditions such as eczema, acne, boils, hives, or psoriasis.

The beauty of oil cleansing is that it gently cleanses the skin without completely stripping it of all its beneficial bacteria, healthy skin cells, or natural and protective oils, as many other skincare products tend to do. There is often a plethora of unwanted (and unknown) ingredients in most commercially-available skincare products, which can be too harsh for our sensitive facial skin, and often cause allergic reactions or aggravate pre-existing skin conditions.

So how do you go about oil cleansing?

It's easy as 1-2-3:

1. Add a few dropperfuls (between 1-2 tsp) of your favourite oil (we love jojoba, argan, or sweet almond) to your dry face, massaging upwards in a circular motion for about a minute.

2. Wet a clean washcloth with very warm water and wring out excess water until it is moist but not dripping, and apply to face.

3. Wipe face in a circular motion for about a minute, flip over the cloth, and wipe again.

That's it! Your face will now have a fresh, plump, moisturized glow and be squeaky-clean. Some folks like following the traditional Japanese method of double-cleansing, and will continue on with a second wash using another cleanser after their initial pass with the oil, but unless you are wearing a lot of makeup or thick skincare products (like sunscreen) on a daily basis, we find this to be unnecessary. Though oil cleansing should leave a nice fine layer of natural moisture on your skin, if you find your face is particularly thirsty, you can feel free to add another few drops of oil as a finishing touch after drying off.

Feeling extra luxurious with your skincare routine? Try any of Flourish Apothecary's beauty oils (or face serums) as an oil cleanser, which will leave your skin not only feeling refreshed and moisturized, but smelling divine as well! So go ahead and get cleansing the way nature intended.

Flourish Apothecary of Victoria, BC is a woman-owned online herbal shop specializing in organic and wild-crafted natural health products. Each product is hand-crafted from freshly harvested medicinal herbs on Vancouver Island. We believe in planet before profit, and emphasize sustainable business practices to ensure we can deliver the highest-quality goods without having a negative affect on the planet.