The argument for bees and beeswax is the argument for supporting our pollinators and the subsequent food chain. Honey bees (while not native), are the poster child for all pollinators because of the research and embrace of their colonies. The truth is, without bees (and we’re very partial to the native bees we have in Satis Garden), we would not have food. Full stop. Supporting small businesses that care about their bees and harvest humanely as ours do, does far more to promote the cause than striking them entirely. This keeps an interest and pushes for research for all our pollinators which are in decline. Reducing pesticides, supporting initiatives like Homegrown National Park supporting native, keystone species and buying only what you need are great ways to do more on a small level.

The ingredient C10-18 Triglycerides is an upcycled ingredient from inedible portions leftover from processing olives, contributing to skin smoothing agents in palmitic acids and in stearic acid, which helps retain moisture and form a barrier on our skin.

Carmine derives from cochineal, a scale insect. This strong colorant is unparallelled and is one of the only safe pigment dyes for lips that won’t feel gritty. Your lips feel everything, right? Cochineal are predators, invasive and effectively kill prickly pear cactus plants that many indigenous groups rely on for food and their livelihood. For centuries cochineal has been collected from prickly pears and is used to dye food, fibers and cosmetics.

Kokum butter is grown in Southern India and we chose it as a substitute for cocoa butter which has been associated with child labor. It grows easily in contrast to cocoa, and grows with very little water and does not require spraying and pesticides.

Macadamia nut oil is cold-pressed which maintains its nutritious goodness that’s delivered to skin. We love macadamia nut oil for many reasons and use it throughout our products. It is a very stable oil with a great shelf life, which in our mind is part of having a sustainable product if we can take advantage of oils that hold up well. Macadamia trees sequester carbon very effectively and efficiently optimize their water use. Australians are stalwarts of environmental progress and use very little human intervention in their farming practices with less machinery and time with diesel equipment.

Meadowfoam seed oil is highly resistant to heat and oxidative stress (leading to a long shelf life) due to its long chain of fatty acids, making this aspect quite sustainable. A native plant to the west coast of North America, it grows easily without much intervention and requires no fertilizers or herbicides, and while it grows wild it does not need to grow in it’s native locations. After cold processing, the seeds and plants used in this process are used for animal feed. It replaced sperm whale oil in the 1970’s, and while they are still listed as endangered and their numbers are increasing this shows the importance in intervening with important replacements.