Naturally Woman Owned Founders’ Top Gift Picks for the 2020 Holiday Season

(forward by Allyson Owens, founder of Pleni Naturals)

Happy Holidays! Did you know October is National Women’s Small Business Month? The focus and support of female-led businesses is especially important this year as COVID has significantly impacted women in the work place and many have had to step away from their jobs to care for children and family members. Some have even coined this challenging time as the first “female recession”.

In support and celebration of women-founded businesses (and all women, really), we’ve partnered with some of our favorite woman-owned businesses in the naturals category and are sharing our top product picks from each others’ brands

 

Melissa Buckley, Founder of Honeybee Gardens picks:

Pleni Naturals – If you have littles, Pleni Naturals products should be in your home.  They have amazing, healthy products for mama and baby.  It’s a no brainer gift idea if you get invited to a baby shower.  But my personal favorite product is their Enzyme Cleansing Oil.  First, it looks gorgeous sitting on your bathroom vanity with its dark violet glass bottle.  Looks aside, it’s just a great oil cleanse that I use nearly every day.  Enzymatic papaya gently exfoliates skin while cucumber and broccoli seed oils nourish and hydrate.  It rinses clean, and leaves my skin soft, lightly hydrated and clear.

Kosmatology – It’s tough to pick a favorite from this company.  We use their foaming hand soap in all the bathrooms at our office and even vote on who gets to pick the next scent (I’m partial to Lemon Lovers).  But at home I use their Mint Your Feet  Soothing Foot Balm.  Not just for my nasty dry heels, but for elbows, I’ve used it as a massage base, and for any part of your body that’s dry and wants to smell like yummy peppermint.  The stuff lasts forever too.  Dying to try their sugar scrubs.

Luna Nectar – I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve heard wonderful things about the Moon Boost Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum.  It’s a 100% natural, vegan, organic and cruelty-free product that promises greater length, thickness, and longevity of your lashes and brows.  The ingredients are a laundry list of collagen-boosting, hair-strengthening, circulation improving botanicals.  This one is on my Christmas list for sure!

 

Erin’s Faces –  How can I pick just one favorite here?  Ugh.  Okay, I have to go with Erin’s Radiant Firming Concealer. I tell all of my customers who are looking for a concealer, to go to Erin.  She has a nice selection of colors, but moreover, the formula itself is superior.  It doesn’t FEEL like a concealer (which feels yucky, generally).  It’s lightweight, provides beautiful coverage and oh yeah TREATS your skin with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, tamanu oil, coffee bean extract and green tea extract.  Other favorites: eye primer, matcha mascara, pumpkin enzyme peel, and I’m dying to try her lip scrubs!

Tuore Naturals – It’s entirely possible that I own about 80% of this line!  I have dry skin, and I’m an oil junky so Tuore makes products that are right up my alley.  I don’t think I can pick a favorite.  The Calm and Soothe Facial Oil has saved my face more than once, and feels completely luxurious.  But in the shower I use the Youth Dew Glow Facial Oil.  And then there’s the California Citrus Body Oil (I can’t even tell you how good that smells).  The Conditioning Lip Oil has saved my lips over the dry winters.  Pretty much just go there and pick anything because you’ll love it!

Molly’s Suds –I love Molly’s Super Powder Laundry Detergent (Ocean Mist scent).  But I seriously think I could write a book about all the uses for their Sink SCRUB Natural Sink Cleaner.  Sure it cleans your sink.  But it also cleans your enamel stovetop without scratching, removes stuck on gunk from pots and pans, freshens up the litter box, gets rid of the glue residue on glass bottles when you remove the label…I could go on….and on.  I actually get excited about using this product when I clean my house.  I’m obsessed.

Laguna Herbals – Unfortunately I have not had a chance to use any of their products yet, but I am dying to try their Cloud 9 CBD Body Butter.  Listen to these ingredients:  CBD oil, hemp seed oil, kokum butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, shea butter…I mean, yeah!  My skin needs those things!  Other products on my wish list: Love – Pink Himalayan Salt Bath, Coconut Milk Bath Soak and Empower – Espresso and Sugar Exfoliating Body Scrub.

 

What products did everyone else in our group pick?  Check out their blog posts to find out!

Allyson, Founder of Pleni Naturals Picks

Janice, Founder of Kosmatology Picks

Mia, Founder of Luna Nectar Picks

Erin, Founder of Erin’s Faces Picks

Kriss, Founder of Tuore Naturals Picks

Monica, Founder of Molly’s Suds Picks

Andrea, Founder of Laguna Herbals