Woodlot gets into skin care game
Natural skin care has come a long way from the stinky, sloppy tinctures of days past. These days, the all-natural offerings in stores and online are so good, they may have you checking the label twice. And, now, there’s another new addition to the growing natural skin care game — grown right here in our own backyard — thanks to the Vancouver-based brand Woodlot.
Sonia Chhinji, the brand’s cofounder, chats about the brand, the latest product launch and what’s next.
Q For those who aren’t familiar, what is Woodlot?
A Woodlot is a premium line of all natural skin care, home and body essentials. The first Woodlot candle was crafted out of my husband and I’s own home, driven by the principle that producing non-toxic, plantbased products would protect the planet and future generations.
Q When and why did you first start the company?
A My husband and I started the company back in September 2014. We saw that there was an opportunity for us to create a design-focused, natural product. It was really important for us to continue to embrace family traditions by creating items such as soaps and candles for friends and family that put sustainability at the forefront. There’s no excuse for toxic ingredients in the skin care industry — the skin absorbs up to 60 per cent of the products we use, so why would we burden it with toxic ingredients, instead of nourishing it with natural ones? What we needed (and still do) is a movement; one that wakes up the beauty industry and inspires them to shift to an all-natural offering — for the sake of our people and our planet.
Q What makes your products different from other skin care offerings?
A All of Woodlot’s products are made with ingredients that are as pure as its intentions. Unlike many other beauty companies, we use radish ferment, a natural preservative, which keeps our products fresh for 12 to 15 months after opening. In addition, despite our products being really reasonably priced, the quality and overall feel of the items are by no means lowerend. We believe that access to natural ingredients (that you can actually pronounce, unlike those seen in many of the more mainstream products) shouldn’t be something that breaks the bank. You get more than your bucks’ worth with Woodlot products.
Q Lastly, what’s next?
A As always we have new products in the pipeline and are coming up with some new gift set options. But we’re also focusing on building an education platform for skin care to inform more people about the ingredients they should be putting on their skin as opposed to the harmful, more popular products that we see on the shelves everywhere, while also encouraging a more open and comprehensive dialogue about why they should opt for these greener beauty offerings.