TALKS
SELF-LOVE
SUPPLIES BY LUCY
ROSE ALBERT
When the entire means of production in a capitalist system is unsustainable, it’s hard to truly be “ethical & sustainable”, so most brands, including liturgy, have a hint of hypocrisy. But it does seem that creating consumer demand for ethical products will come before an overall systematic change.
Mmm, good question. Some scents that come to mind first are from my grandparents’ house. Like the specific scent of their laundry that is dispersed across the house (not sure what brand of detergent that is). Also, the scent of the moss-encompassed pond in the backyard of their old house reminds me of the many summers of playing intense games of “house” with my siblings, catching and releasing tadpoles and frogs for hours, wandering around the big pond while enjoying sinking my feet into the moist, mushy ground, and just so many years of beautiful times spent at their house. I really love these mossy, woodsy scents. Maybe this is one of the reasons I make so many products with woodsy, earthy aromas.
This definition is a work in progress. I am still trying to find a suitable definition that describes the simple notion: products for people who don’t want too many products, but just a few that are natural, non-toxic, luxurious, unisex,”, something like that! In this day and age we are bombarded with companies convincing us that we need to use an entire collection of products to have an effective skincare routine. Not only is piling products onto our skin unnecessary and expensive, but it’s damaging to the skin. So, I am still working on a good instagram definition that can say everything I would like to say in a small amount of characters.
For the candles, I have always been a candle lover. I started making candles when I moved to Slovenia from NYC and found myself with a lot more time then I was used to (aka I was bored.)! I’ve always liked to make stuff, so I decided to try making candles because I remembered doing it in a class once and thought it might be a doable thing to make at home, and also something I would otherwise buy. Once I started experimenting with candle making and playing with essential oils I realized it’s something I really enjoyed doing! And I also loved having candles all around my home!
We are still living in an abundant world with tons of creative, brilliant people and we have all the tools to make change.
All-natural, yes, with the exception of a few nature-identical oils for candles sometimes. All-sustainable, I really do try. For skincare I try to use oils and ingredients made from plants that are easier and more sustainable to grow. It’s really hard to be perfect in this way, though. I try to do my part in sustainability by using glass and aluminum containers and by giving discounts when people return their containers to me so they can be reused. I’ve also been working on creating a candle refill program, so you just buy one candle glass that you can continue to use over and over again, and just buy the candle refills for.
Well, it depends on what ingredients you are looking for. If you buy from companies that sell wholesale natural ingredients it is hard to know where exactly the ingredients are coming from. There are some ingredients that it’s possible to buy from smaller local farms, but those ingredients tend to be wayyy more expensive. Even if you buy ingredients from Fair Trade certified farms it’s hard to know how ethical they really are. When the entire means of production in a capitalist system is unsustainable, it's hard to truly be "ethical & sustainable", so most brands, including liturgy, have a hint of hypocrisy. But it does seem that creating consumer demand for ethical products will come before an overall systematic change.
Well, in a way yes and no. If you are using essential oils for the aromatherapy benefits, there is not really a replacement, as far as I know. But some companies do make “nature-identical oils” which are fragrance oils that are created synthetically but have the same chemical composition as its essential oil counterpart. They don’t always smell exactly the same as pure essential oils, but for plants that are endangered, I think they are a good and necessary replacement. Although I wouldn’t use them for skincare products, I think using them for candles occasionally is alright.
Because using synthetic ones is like rubbing car gas onto our skin. Many synthetic chemicals in fragrances are petroleum based and are harmful to health. Just as harmful as fragrances, though, is the actual wax that most candles are made from. Unless stated otherwise, candles are made from paraffin wax which is derived from petroleum oil (basically car gas), which is toxic when burned and also nasty for the environment. I use a combination of soy-coconut wax, sunflower-rapeseed wax, and beeswax from a local beekeeper for my candles. I do it for the health of others and very much for myself. I am really the one who is breathing all this stuff in the most.
I think it is definitely possible. We are still living in an abundant world with tons of creative, brilliant people and we have all the tools to make change. But knowing humans track record does not make me too optimistic… Humanity's opportunistic and selfish nature, unfortunately. So believing things actually will change does seem a bit optimistic.
It's hard to change habits overnight, especially when almost all products surrounding us are not created in an environmentally friendly way. There are thousands of micro-decisions we can make to become more sustainable as a person, and as a collective. Somebody might start with a candle, somebody with an electric car, and somebody with a natural toothpaste, or laundry detergent. It's important not to be too hard on ourselves and take it one step at a time. And, not be hard on others, as they come to terms with the complexities of being "ethical and environmentally friendly".
