Read on, enter and win!
This beautiful little flower is called a Strawberry Hedgehog that happens to be the delightful name of a company where I so enjoy buying products.
I have commented on her products before, most recently on Mother's Day. I do really enjoy window shopping her site putting together my wish list for the next big shopping day. I thought "why am I hogging this site all to myself it is time to share it everyone I know!" I decided to give her a ring and get some information that I could pass on!
Interview:
How did you come up with the name Strawberry Hedgehog?
I was trying to think of something that would be representative of my beliefs and where I'm coming from, something natural, something sustainable from the desert. I love the blossom of the Strawberry Hedgehog cactus (my logo) and I love the imagery of hedgehogs feasting on strawberries! It was a no-brainer.
Tell me a little about yourself?
I've lived in AZ for 20 years and love it here. When I am not making products I teach Physical Geology and Environmental Disasters at a local community college. I have a family of three wonderful rescued kitties, one little dog, and a fabulously supportive husband. I am passionate about animal rights, living sustainably, and holistic healing. I love gardening, eating great vegan food, drinking tea, and camping when I make time for it.
How did you get your start?
I started making products as a hobby in the early 2000's when I found myself suddenly, painfully sensitive to conventional products. I made them for myself and as gifts, friends and family started requesting products to give as gifts or for personal use so I put up a simple web page and got started at a very minimal level in 2003. I'm of the mentality slow and steady wins the race. This is something I truly enjoy and I have been lucky to be able to grow it in small increments over time. Thankfully, it has taken off since then!
How were you able to get your product known?
I've been blogging for ages so it was a natural thing for me to start blogging about my products and other related topics. I did a lot of online networking and most of my growth has been word of mouth from happy customers. More recently, in late 2009, Whole Foods started carrying my soaps in their bulk soap section! Out of desperation after my classes did not make one semester I dropped off some samples, they were not terribly impressive at the time so not too surprisingly I didn't hear back but I was still improving with each batch and was happy to put it out there. A year later I was contacted that they wanted to meet with me to carry my soap! I'm still primarily word of mouth and via facebook but it doesn't hurt having a gorgeous display in each Arizona Whole Foods and several beautiful boutiques around town!
Are all of your products organic?
Admittedly, this gets a little tricky. None of my final products are certified organic, this costs hundreds of dollars and is a royal pain as the sole member of the Strawberry Hedgehog team. Instead, I buy certified organic ingredients and use them in my products. The base oils in my soap are certified organic coconut and certified organic palm oil. My scrubs, body oils, bath salts, and facial moisturizer are made with organic apricot kernel and organic sweet almond oil. My essential oils are from conventionally grown plants but the primary ingredients in each product are certified organic. That said, all of my ingredients are derived from plants, with the exception of the minerals I use in coloring my soaps.
Are all of your products vegan?
Now we're talking! ABSOLUTELY! All of my products are vegan, none of my ingredients are tested on animals, none of my products are tested on animals, and I am vegan as well. This is part of why I started making products in the first place. I did not like ambiguous labeling practices or lines that had some vegan products but mostly not and it required so much label reading I just got sick of it. It is so much easier to have each and every product be vegan and it does not make sense to me why other companies do not do the same. If companies are promoting not testing on animals they should not be including ingredients derived from a cruelty-based industry and if they offer some vegan products, what is stopping them from not making them all vegan?
Do you make specialty items upon request?
With business as booming as it is my hands are full with what I offer so I am not able to do specialty items at this time. I have a wide variety of scents to choose from for body products and soaps so hopefully that provides the options most folks would desire. I make the body products as they are ordered so they are as fresh as possible. If you are interested in a custom soap your best bet is to go to your local Whole Foods Whole Body section and let the people there know you are looking for something in particular you don't see offered. Often times my Whole Foods buddies will make special requests and in those cases it is in a large enough bulk that it is do-able.
Where can we find your products?
My full line of products is available online at Strawberry Hedgehog. If you are in the Phoenix area you can check any of your local Whole Foods for soap by the slice. Eco-centricitystrawberry hedgehog locations.
Now that you have had the chance to check out Strawberry Hedgehog, enter to win the two delicious lavish products below. Get that skin ready to be seen by the rays of the bright warm sun with these two wonderful items.
Here is how you can win these yummy for your skin items:
- Go to itsok2bgreen fan page and Strawberry Hedgehog fan page then "like" them and share them on your facebook profile.
- Finally suggest the pages to your friends then share on itsok2bgreen facebook wall how many friends you suggested it to.
- The person with the most friends to "like" our pages wins the above items.
- Already a friend of either page that is okay just share it on your wall, suggest to your friends then post what you did on itsok2bgreen's facebook page.
You will love these delicious items from Strawberry Hedgehog!
Winner will be announced June 1 2011!
~ Deanne
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