The On-Going Challenges of Natural Ingredients
Nature is like a loving mother. She can give, give, and give, but reciprocity is required, or we all suffer. Reciprocity can be as simple as being respectful, taking only what we need, giving back, and giving thanks. In these ways, we ensure that there is always more and always something for future generations of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, etc.
In my line of work, I have actually experienced certain botanicals becoming extinct, or the prices becoming cost-prohibitive when the demand for these ingredients has exceeded the supply. The manufacturer of our Anu Essentials Mystical Resin Incense sticks recently informed me that they were out of the particular scents that I needed to reorder, due to problems procuring some of the necessary botanicals, like myrrh. This is in large part due to the devastating impact of climate change, also known as extreme weather.
Myrrh, a beautiful essence that many cannot appreciate, is one of the essences the supplier has been waiting to acquire. In addition to issues with ingredients, a key staff member, who has been making 50% of their incense for decades, is older now and having health issues. Indeed, finding someone to replace him has been difficult. I tell you all of this because I want you to know how very precious the items are that you purchase from Anu Essentials. There is no guarantee that they will always be available or remain the same. On the other hand, rarely do products made primarily of synthetic ingredients, face these kinds of challenges. They can be produced ad nauseam to the detriment of our health and the health of our planet.We have all observed how severe, unseasonal, and volatile the various weather patterns across this country have become lately. Last year it was the horrific fires in California and Australia; this year, the devastation in Texas, frigid temps in the Midwest, and snowstorms impacting the lives of millions. When I tried to visit my primary essential oil supplier in one of the impacted regions, their website wouldn’t come up, so I called them, and their phones were out. This was major. Never in the thirty years, I’ve been ordering from them has this ever happened. They had no electricity, no heat, and no internet. Let’s keep them and the entire planet in our prayers.
Despite there being issues with natural supplies and ingredients, I wouldn’t trade them for synthetics. I’ll continue to wait; I’ll make adjustments, use something else, or discontinue the item. In fact, one of my most beloved essences, rosewood, has been on the endangered list for years. It used to be the primary fragrance in our Honey Suckle Hair Oil, but I stopped using it over a decade ago when I learned that it was endangered from having been over-harvested. Instead, I created a blend using other natural oils to approximate that fragrance. Thankfully, they are now using the leaves of the rosewood tree instead of cutting down the trees to use the bark. In this way, they are allowing the trees to replenish. It is a beautiful oil and one of the ingredients used in the Ylang Ylang Body Oil.So, my beloveds, thank you for taking the time to read this post. It is meant as a reminder for us to be conscious, aware, respectful, and grateful to nature and all her bounty. Let’s give thanks!