Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Sustainably-Harvested, Wild Herb Products From Juniper Ridge

Juniper Ridge is a small, homegrown, eco-minded business in California that is a good example of the type of producer that we like to support here at Wedge Worldwide. First of all, their highly pleasurable products are an olfactory delight. Just sticking my nose in a bag of their wild herb sachets or wild herb soaps stimulates feelings of happiness and delight in me. But even better, everything that Juniper Ridge produces is made with herbs, leaves, woods and resins from the mountains and deserts of the west that are harvested sustainably by hand. Their wild-crafting practices ensure that the plants they take trimmings from will grow back year after year and will even increase in production rates and health. This sweet little company also gives 10% of their profits to groups that support western wilderness, so when you purchase one of their products you are not only enjoying an all-natural treat from nature, you are also helping to protect it for future generations. Juniper Ridge's products are also made with completely natural ingredients and contain scents that do not have any fillers or artificial fragrance in them. These amazing smells come directly from beautifully fragrant plants!

Ready to start feeling the love? How about tucking a wild herb sachet into a drawer, closet, bed, pillows, car, storage items or anywhere you want to relax and remind yourself of the outdoors. Check out the Douglas Fir Sachet that has an evergreen and lemony smell to it or the Port Orford Cedar Sachet, a gingery cedar from the northwestern coast of California. Juniper Ridge says that when they put baskets of these sachets out at the farmers market in San Francisco, customers walk by their booth and then turn around to come back and ask, “what is that incredible smell?”

Personally, I find their bar soaps to be pretty amazing. The smells are invigorating and uplifting and make bathing fun. These soaps are also biodegradable with all-natural ingredients of 100% vegetable oil and super-fatted shea butter and jojoba for an exceptionally gentle, moisturizing bar. In particular, take a look at the Coastal Sage Scrub Soap, scented with a blend of California coastal sages; the Siskiyou Cedar Soap, which has a wonderful gingery cedar smell to it; the Western Juniper (my personal fave) which is infused with real, wild Juniper from the southwest deserts; and, last but not least, the festive soap gift pack, an assortment of full-sized soaps wrapped in a delicious, gingery Cedar trimming with a pretty, green bow. Any of these soaps are perfect for men as they are outdoorsy and less floral than many traditional, herbal soaps (although women love them, too!).

May I also recommend bringing the outdoors into your home with Juniper Ridge's great-smelling natural incense? Their incense is charcoal and potassium nitrate free and contains no artificial fragrances. This is the only incense around that is made with 100% wild-gathered tree leaves, wood and resins from the Western landscape. It's like experiencing the beauty of a crackling campfire in the fresh mountain air! And speaking of beauty, many of our customers are enamored with the lovely White Sage and Wild Mint Tea and Douglas Fir Tip Tea from Juniper Ridge. White Sage has a rich, earthy, minty flavor that made it a favorite tea for many of the Native American tribes and early settlers of the Southwest while the Douglas Fir Tip Tea has a refreshing, lemony flavor and sweet, forest-like aroma. I know a couple of tea snobs that will only let the highest quality, dreamiest brews pass their lips and they feel a deep fondness for these teas.

Once you try something from Juniper Ridge, you're sure to be hooked. These scents are real, earthy and evocative. Says Hall Newbegin, the founder of Juniper Ridge, “I dream up beautiful things that make people's eyes light up, things that connect people with the outdoors and memories of camping trips and walking with your dad and the tastes of days of fall leaves.”