Twenty-something years ago, I came across the news that 60% of what we put on our skin goes directly into our bloodstream. That hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks and I began to look at the labels of the products my family and I used. From that one bit of news boomed an herbal business that keeps the roof over my head, fills me with passion, stirs my soul, AND it keeps me honest with my products' ingredient lists.

During my research way back when, I discovered that synthetic scents, or "fragrances" as they are commonly called, are frequently made with petrochemicals. Petrochemicals have been proven to be carcinogenic. Cancer runs fairly rampant in my family. Hmmmm. A decision had to be made regarding Cedar Mountain Botanicals. Since I use the products myself and sell them to people I care about - close friends, family, and customers all around the globe - a firm choice was made to never use any petrochemicals, preservatives, synthetic scents or colors in any of our products. You will never see things like Germaben, Germal, Optiphen, Phenonip or any other chemical preservative in our products. Neither do we use chemical emulsifiers. Did you know that propylene glycol, an emulsifier commonly used in many bath, body, and food products, is a by-product of the manufacturing of diesel fuel?

So how does Cedar Mountain Botanicals keep our herbal products vital, safe for use, and "bug" free? We use preservatives and emulsifiers of the natural variety! Some essential oils are naturally antibacterial and antifungal. A few examples that we use are Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, Cedarwood, and Patchouli. Many of the herbs in our formulas are antibacterial and antifungal and are used not only for their medicinal importance, but also for their preservative abilities. Oregon Grape root, Cedar tips, Ponderosa Pine resin, Calendula and Balm of Gilead are just a few examples of these types of herbs. There are many more in our forests and fields.

I love what I do and am always refining our formulas with inspiration that comes from the plants up in the mountains when harvesting and teaching my wonderful apprentices. Have a refreshing day, everyone, and feel confident that when you use Cedar Mountain Botanicals, you are using nature's best! Suzanne