Pangea Organics Products on HSN

Pangea Organics products are now available on HSN (the Home Shopping Network).  Thanks to a new partnership announced yesterday the popular maker of organic personal care products will reach a television audience of 90 million households through the network.

Twenty-two Pangea product offerings are currently available through HSN including a package deal of bar soap and body wash for $12.99 - a substantial discount.

Pangea will be featured live on HSN later this month.

The company announced the new partnership in an email to loyal customers late Tuesday. 

"We encourage you to take advantage of the HSN Special, and to show your support by writing a Customer Review.  By sharing your thoughts, you can help educate new customers on the benefits of Pangea products as well as the many reasons you choose to support our company.  You know the old saying a "picture is worth a thousand words"?  Well in the world of HSN, Customer Reviews are worth 1,000 television ads.  And for a small company like ours, the value in partnering with such an outstanding organization like HSN is priceless.  Help us make a difference in this world by sharing your trust in our brand with HSN customers."

Read our previous story on Pangea's upcoming product launches.

Aveda Founder Launches Intelligent Nutrients

Horst Rechelbacher, the original founder of Aveda is in the process of launching an innovative new concept in personal care products called Intelligent Nutrients. 

The new health and beauty lifestyle brand, Intelligent Nutrients, was recently unveiled to the press and beauty industry and includes more than twenty SKUs for launch which is expected this fall.

The launch collection includes certified organic aromatics, certified organic scalp and hair care, certified organic hair styling, certified organic total body cleanser, certified organic lip delivery nutrition, and the heart of the line, Intellimune an internal/external certified organic super antioxidant seed oil blend and tablets.

When Rechelbacher sold  Aveda to Estee Lauder ten years ago a non-compete agreement prevented him from starting a new personal products line at Intelligent Nutrients until this year.

We were able to catch up with Rechelbacher at LOHAS in June where he said the standards for health and body care products are not strict enough, with most classifications allowing percentages of petrochemicals and other toxic elements to be used in varying amounts.

The entire health care industry is reliant upon petroleum products and he believes that the only true organic classification is in the food category, what we know as Certified Organic.

Rechelbacher emphasizes that we shouldn’t use anything on our skin that we couldn’t eat. Thus, another level of purity and health being introduced to beauty products using food grade organics will be what makes Intelligent Nutrients unique.  His belief is that beauty follows health.

“The organic industry is just in its infancy but is in danger of getting polluted fast through our environmental mismanagement of natural resources and business exploitation by green-washing marketers," said Rechelbacher.

In addition to launching the Intelligent Nutrients line of products, the company is also launching concepts stores, as stand alone storefronts and within larger premium retailers, spas and salons starting this fall internationally.

A very ambitious launch strategy is being planned that includes stores in the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and others right out the gate.

Intelligent Nutrients is a personal philanthropic project for Rechelbacher, while the company itself is a for-profit entity, the majority of the income after taxes will be going to social and environmental projects, especially women’s groups because in his belief, women are the educators.

When asked what the goal is for Intelligent Nutrients, Rechelbacher laughs and says, “My goal is to be bigger than Aveda." 

He was able to raise the bar for health and beauty products years ago when he launched Aveda, now Horst Rechelbacher is doing it again by challenging the entire industry and taking organic products to the next level with Intelligent Nutrients

This is the first phase of an entire lifestyle brand with future products to include skin care, body care, maternal/baby care, love therapy, pet care and INvironmental products for the home.

Anke Corbin recently left her corporate career as VP marketing for a major media company in order to launch an eco-marketing consulting agency and to design her first environmentally responsible indoor-outdoor furniture collection called Anke C.- Real Living launching spring 2008. To network, for consulting or just to chat, contact Anke at ankecorbin@gmail.com

Pangea Organics Continues to Wow: Plans New Children's Line for Target; Offers Holiday 2008 Gift Pack

One of the more interesting and innovative companies to watch within the organic body and skin care category is Pangea Organics, a company that has grown 618% within the last 20 months according to founder Joshua Onlysko.

Sustainable Is Good Products had a chance to sit down with Onysko recently to hear about new products and packaging ideas coming down the pipeline at Pangea Organics.

Hitting stores for the holidays 2008 is a gift pack featuring several Pangea products (pictured). What’s so great about this gift is its ability to give back to the earth by way of growing a spruce tree. The 100% compostable, biodegradable newsprint packaging made without dyes or glue is designed to be planted right into the ground to grow a tree. Over 32,000 of these are expected to be out for the holidays at select stores including Macy’s, Nordstrom’s and Anthropology.

Read more about Pangea Organics unique product packaging on our sister site Sustainable is Good.

One of the things that Onysko was most excited about was Pangea Organics’ micro-financing a co-op in Zambia, Africa, for manufacturing and distilling essential oils. The project is designed to help women whose husbands have died from AIDS and have been distilling alcohol illegally to support their families. Instead, they are now re-planting their fields to rosemary, lemon grass and other herbs, and will begin distilling organic oils for Pangea Organics, thus providing them with a sustainable and socially responsible future.

Pangea Children's Line Coming to Target in May 2009

For all of you fans of Dr. Seuss, Pangea Organics will be launching an organic children’s personal care line in May 2009 featuring the Lorax exclusively for Target. As you may remember, the Lorax chronicles the plight of the environment and is a great fit for an organic body and skin care product for kids. Watch for children’s toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and more coming your way soon from Pangea Organics.

Anke Corbin recently left her corporate career as VP marketing for a major media company in order to launch an eco-marketing consulting agency and to design her first environmentally responsible indoor-outdoor furniture collection called Anke C.- Real Living launching spring 2008. To network, for consulting or just to chat, contact Anke at ankecorbin@gmail.com

A Juicy Look at Beauty

You are what you apply, in so many words. Beauty products today are jam packed with antioxidants, anti-agers and anti-you name its, with all these anti’s, I am left wondering, what are we actually giving our skin?

Juice Beauty is a new name in the beauty market. With ripe ideas and tasty names like Green Apple Peel, Juice Beauty is on their way to creating a new organic industry standard. Offering a wide range of products to cleanse, treat, moisturize and protect your skin, Juice Beauty is just my cup of tea.

And their name says it all. All of their products are made with organic fruit juices. In fact, they have the highest organic content in skincare, boasting a whopping 95% organic juice base. And with a strict no animal testing policy and ingredients that come from sustainable farms, their creams really do give you something to smile about.

As for curbside appeal, Juice Beauty has hit the nail on the head. Their subtle yet catchy packaging is not only smooth and sophisticated, but also 100% recyclable. Juice Beauty may not be at your local supermarket, but you can shop online at juicebeauty.com or in stores like Whole Foods and Sephora to find their wide range of products.

Made by women, for women, Juice Beauty offers its customers a natural solution when it comes to skincare. Using rejuvenating ingredients aimed at increasing circulation, hydrating the skin and promoting new cell growth, after a week of testing their products, I am a changed woman. My favorite, is their Green Apple Hydration Mask. My skin feels and looks great and I didn’t have to use numerous steps or serums.

Sometime simple is best, and with an ingredient list that doesn’t require a dictionary to read, Juice Beauty is setting up to help all of us “go organic.”

Having traveled around the world, Beryl Shereshewsky, a recent University of Colorado, Boulder graduate, realized that in life, she wanted to accomplish three things. One, travel more, two, write about what she saw and three, save the world. With the recent advances in the green movement, she realized that she could be a superhero writer and write about saving the world. Combing her powers, she now writes for various eco and travel sites across the web, changing the world one article at a time. Feel like chatting?  E-mail her b.shereshewsky@yahoo.com.

Radius Source Toothbrush

The Radius Source toothbrush is a unique toothbrush made with a wood-based handle and replaceable heads.

The toothbrush is made by Pennsylvania-based Radius.  It features a handle made from wood fiber blended with PLA, a corn-based plastic. The result is a handle made from 100% renewable resources.

Available in both soft and medium the Source toothbrush allows consumers to replace the head instead of the whole brush. As a result, Radius estimates their brush uses 1/5 of the plastic compared to a traditional plastic toothbrush.

Sustainable is Good Products had the opportunity to try the Radius Source – we had two of our writers test them out. 

We found the brush's handle to be incredibly comfortable for both left and right handed users.  The brush is designed to cater to both right and left handed users - because of its design and detachable head its very accommodating. 

One of our writers also liked the weight distribution of the toothbrush saying, "Its so nice to have a consumer product that weighs something, as most objects are designed to be lightweight for shipping or other issues - its nice to have a brush with some heft as you are using it at least twice a day." 

We all agreed the Radius Source is more like a knife or a fork in terms of design.  The handle's unique shape yields just the right balance of control and comfort.

The brush's wide heads contain 3080 Tynex nylon bristles for complete cleaning. We loved the Source brush it does its job well and is a good choice for consumers looking greener toothbrush.

Carol Brian, Radius's Executive Vice President told Sustainable is Good Products the packaging for the Source is made from 50% recycled soda bottles.

Method Natural Body Collection

New natural body care products from San Francisco-based Method are a good choice for a top quality product at an affordable price.

The new body care line consists of body wash, a body bar and hand wash.  The products are all linked together through the innovative design of their packaging.  The packaging features a quilted look that is simple, distinct and rather elegant.

The body care line is available in three scents, olive leaf, almond flower and white tea.  Like other Method products their new products are made almost entirely of natural ingredients.  They contain no parabens, triclosan or other dangerous additives and are never tested on animals.

The packaging is recyclable made from #2 HDPE plastic.

Sustainable is Good Products had the opportunity to try each of the new body care products.   Like other Method products we liked them.  The body wash was particularly notable - rich and luxurious with a wonderful lather leaving the skin with a nice moisturized feeling.

Of the three scents our favorite is olive leaf - a delicate unique scent we found it just perfect.

The new natural body collection products are available nationwide at Target stores.

Kenton Athletics

Providence-based Kenton Athletics makes a line of natural body care products designed specifically for men. 

The company makes a 2 in 1 Body & Hair Wash product available in three different formulations (Surf, Mountain & Trail blends).

The Body & Hair Wash is plant based, biodegradable and derives its fragrance from essential oils.    Each blend has a unique clean fresh scent that is not over powering and follows the theme of the blend i.e. Trail Blend is a woody scent, while the Surf and Mountain blends are clean and fresh.

Designed to be a "2 in 1" product so customers only need to carry one bottle with them to the gym or on the trail.  The concept also reduces the need for multiple products and in turn reduces packaging and consumption

“The target market is active and health-conscious individuals.  The product is particularly popular with men and teenagers because there is not a lot of natural body care options available for them,” said Shirk.   

We love the Kenton Athletics body & hair wash.  The scents are invigorating and natural and don't leave your body smelling like a cheap body wash all day like so many of their conventional counterparts.  The body wash from Kenton is effective and inexpensive making it the perfect product for everyday use.  We highly recommend it.

The Surf blend is the most popular scent so far with consumers according to company founder Kenton Shirk.

Australian Scent Natural Skin Care

A small natural skin care company in Houston Texas, Australian Scent, is doing some pretty amazing things with its products and in the process developing a strong dedicated following.

Australian Scent is the result of the husband and wife team of Eddie and Megan Enriquez who started the company after becoming frustrated with conventional solutions to common skin conditions like psoriasis.

The company has developed a diverse line of skin care products made from 100% natural ingredients.   The formulations are designed with the most sensitive of skin types in mind. “We formulate without using water to dilute and without artificial fillers, so all of our products are highly concentrated, often enabling immediate results,” said co-founder Megan Enriquez.

“Using only essential oils and organic botanical extracts for scent and color, our approach to every product is a positive 'no compromise' approach. no parabens, no sulfates, no animal cruelty, no worries.”

The company’s best selling product is the Balm of Gilead, a concentrated face and body moisturizer.  This product showcases what Australian Scent is all about.  Balm of Gilead hydrates while conditioning and provides the skin essential nutrients.  Balm of Gilead is ideal for all skin types and its high content of essential fatty acids bring natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties with them.

Sustainable is Good Products had the opportunity to try a number of Australian Scent’s products.  Overall we found them to be of consistently high quality and the attention to detail in the product formulation is clearly evident.  When you first look at Australian Scent products you realize you have a product reconceptualizing the conventional idea of skin care.  The only other line of products we’ve seen that are somewhat similar are those produced by the UK skin care company Lush.

Since skin care is such an individual class of products with people having different needs from their products we felt it would be better to focus on the overall quality of the products as opposed to reporting on them individually.  However there is one product which we all felt was truly unique and worth singling out.

Cleansing Stream is that product.  All we can say is wow – having tried and tested numerous skin care products we’ve never encountered anything like this. 

It’s a cleanser and toner in one.  When first applied the product seems a little oily not what you’d expect from a toner.  However using the recommended small amount on a tissue and spread over the face the product quickly absorbs into the skin.  The results are simply amazing.  All of our testers commented on how the product left their skin feeling soft and wonderfully conditioned.

Australian Scent products are available locally in the Houston area and on the internet through their web site.   

The company encourages customers to send back used packaging bottles, which they sterilize and reuse.  The company owners dislike waste and are focused on delivering a natural product in the most eco-friendly way.

We will definitely keep an eye on this company and report back on new products and future developments. 

Every Man Jack Men's Grooming Products

6/23 UPDATE: Click the Image Below to See our Interview with the founder Every Man Jack

Original story:

San Francisco start up company Every Man Jack has developed a full line of men's grooming products that are cheap, not tested on animals, have no parabens and have interesting graphic & industrial design.

Every Man Jack products recently launched at Target stores and are available nationwide.  The launch further signifies Target's continued efforts to offer innovative trendy products at affordable prices. 

All of the Every Man Jack products sell for $4.99 or less.  Compared to other competing products in this price class they are far superior in terms of ingredients and lack of preservatives.

Products like Every Man Jack interest me because they not only focus on providing a better product in terms of ingredients but they also place a premium on their industrial & graphic design.  Making appealing minimal packaging with an original design and coming in at a comparable price point to other mainstream products is fascinating to me.  This company clearly gets it.

The products do not come in any unnecessary packaging like many personal care products these days that are sold in boxes or wrapped in plastic etc. 

The line offers consumers a choice of scented and fragrance-free products.   They make shave cream and gel, body wash, body bars, face lotion & wash, shampoo & conditioner and styling products.

Following sales trends on this new line will be quite interesting.  Having tested the shave gel & cream myself I'm impressed.