How to Spot a Natural Product

In 1993, after working in hair salons for ten years, I developed a really serious case of contact dermatitis.  The prescribed steroidal creams made things worse, so I decided to find out what was causing the reaction.   Through a process of elimination, I  discovered that perm solution and one gel that I used frequently were the culprits.  We stopped perming hair at the salon, dumped the gel and my symptoms disappeared.  

 

This experience brought awareness to the illnesses caused by the plethora of chemicals in our environment.   I decided to develop a natural hair and skincare line that we could use in the salon and recommend to clients.  worldPRODUCTS was launched in 2001.  It has been a fascinating and fulfilling experience working with our chemists and aromatherapists over the years, but one of the most interesting examples of learning came about the day we received a particular shipment of our beeswax pomade - worldPRODUCT.  It is comprised of beeswax, olive wax, virgin coco creme and jojoba and is great for really dry skin, or chunking up hair and giving it shine.  This particular shipment was much darker than previous ones and the beeswax had a really smoky aroma.  Our aromatherapist explained at the time that the pomade would always be slightly different, because it depended on what the bees were eating that year.  Whatever plants are experiencing also get transferred to us through plant based products. So, wet conditions mean more anti fungals, while dry and hot conditions mean more moisturizing properties.