This is the story of SongCroft Naturals and how I came to be a farmer, product formulator and owner of a skin and body care company.

It might surprise you to know that I am a very passionate woman. I am passionate about growing my company’s ingredients or sourcing fair-trade, organic, sustainably farmed ingredients when I can’t grow them myself.  I am passionate about formulating nourishing products that are handmade with love. I am passionate about educating others on healthy living and healthy skin. Creating safe and healthy personal care products has been my passion for decades.

I am not a cosmetic chemist, a dermatologist or a celebrity, which are the tickets one must have in order to step onto the national stage of being a cosmetic industry player, but I’m okay with that. SongCroft Naturals has stayed small, concentrated and pure in its mission and ethics.

My formulas were perfected by working with other estheticians, customers and labs. I began formulating after studying as an esthetician with one of the most well-known companies in the world, and by learning first-hand how toxic ingredients can affect our health. It has been more than two decades since I pledged to create products that nourish our bodies while enhancing our beauty, rather than harming us. My passion for truly healthy products and the health of the planet has always been my primary motivation. That is very different from most big corporations.

ARTISAN MAKER vs. CORPORATE AMERICA

“Most cosmetic companies are owned by the same three corporations, and their bottom lines come first. You might want to think this over before hopping from counter to counter because in the end, you may be chasing false hope.”

SongCroft Naturals ethics are based on providing healthy products and caring for the earth while educating people on healthy living.

Corporate America puts profit over anything else. They have board members, stockholders and investors to keep happy and rich. That’s why there are many products that make a lot of claims, yet, do very little. Actually, many of them do more harm than good.

With that said, here is the our truth about how to look younger and live healthier: Eliminate processed foods from your diet, drink water, take a daily probiotic and omega 3 fatty acid supplement, get at least eight hours of peaceful sleep, exercise, manage stress with yoga or meditation, and use plant-based skincare. That’s it. And of course, if you smile and believe you look fabulous, you will. A good attitude is everything, and a smile can make a huge difference.

Just because companies claim there’s a secret weapon to fight against aging, doesn’t mean it’s true. It’s no secret that taking good care of yourself makes a big difference. There is no “Silver Bullet”.

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with making a living or a profit. Heck, my family likes to eat. It’s just that it shouldn’t be at the expense of doing what’s right. It’s good to remember that we vote with our dollars each time we purchase a product. We’re smart enough to see through the corporate propaganda.

By the way, did you know, most cosmetic companies are owned by the same three corporations, and their bottom lines come first? You might want to think this over before hopping from counter to counter, because in the end, you may be chasing false hope and making some CEO very rich in the process.

WRINKLES AND SMILES

“Nothing ages you faster than chasing youth.”

This comment was made by a dear friend of mine and I can’t agree with her more. What if we simply took care of ourselves and sought happiness rather than youth? I would like to think that being happy and present in our lives, being in the moment, beats always looking for a “silver bullet” to stop wrinkles. And if anything is a “silver bullet”, I think it is a smile and the cute little wrinkles that come with it.

THE SHELL GAME

“…ask yourself, “Where is the money coming from?“

It isn’t surprising that people are being exploited. There’s always some authority saying there’s something “bigger and better”, “new and improved” or “high tech”. This largely stems from marketing moves and it all comes down to one thing. Money. Before you listen to claims, ask yourself, “Where is the money coming from?“

Here’s a look at where most people get their beauty advice:

Beauty Magazines: Magazines make their money selling ads to cosmetic companies. Items that are featured as the “Editors Favorites” are usually those of companies that are spending mega-money on ad campaigns.

Celebrities: Celebrities are paid to talk about products, be the face of a product and even work product placement in the most seemingly simple photos. Celebrities have “sponsorship” fee schedules for being associated with products. Also, when you see those ads with celebrities, don’t forget that they’ve been retouched, photo-shopped and have had an entire crew working on hair, make-up and wardrobe. Let’s not hold ourselves to standards that don’t exist.

Doctors: Companies love to use doctors as their spokespersons. After all, they do have a lot of school under their belts and they’re our health authorities. However, this doesn’t mean they can see the bigger picture, understand the effects of nutrition, skincare, a low stress lifestyle and the simple act of being hydrated. Most doctors have been trained to treat symptoms but aren’t well versed in prevention. I’m not saying doctors are bad or don’t know a lot, someo f my best friends are doctors but they will be the first to say they didn’t study nutrition, botanical medicine or prevention and they wish they had! Besides that, I have had many women tell me that when they spoke to a doctor about their skincare and wrinkles, the suggestions they received were injections, pills and surgery. If skincare is suggested, it’s usually whatever a company’s sales representative has suggested, rather than the doctors understanding of the products and how the ingredients work.

Let’s not forget, it wasn’t that long ago that doctors suggested cigarettes were good for you.

THINK FOR YOURSELF

“This goes beyond organic.”

Being in the skincare industry opened my eyes to a shocking truth. Most of what people are paying to have massaged and smoothed over their skin is toxic. The skin absorbs these ingredients into our bloodstream. You might think that if it’s for sale then it must be safe. If that were true, many processed food and beverage companies would be out of business.

When I committed to creating my own product line, I took this experience deeper by studying Clinical Herbalism, Ayurvedic Medicine and Botany. I sought out mentors, educational programs and basically lived and breathed plant-based skincare for decades. I have worked with healthcare providers, estheticians, herbalist and the general public this entire time. I have studied and worked to get to the level of understanding that I have of skincare and products so I can provide the best products available. We use simple ingredients to obtain amazing results, while all the time, maintaining our standard to ethics.

We also walk our talk but supporting causes such as the Pollinator Project (Bee Friendly Farming Project), Beads for Life (Uganda Cooperative from Uganda) and we do a lot of volunteer work.

We grow the plants, know them on a personal and energetic level and have studied their chemistry and formulations.

This goes beyond organic.