Trying to find the cosmetic products that are a good fit for your skin can be challenging and, at times, frustrating! At the Secret Garden, we know the importance of finding that perfect product and being an informed buyer. One of our goals is to educate our customers on the benefits of the natural ingredients we offer in our products to help them make the best decision for their skin. Concluding our three part series on uncovering the truth behind some of the industry's most mysterious marketing ploys, this month we'll share the secrets behind "cruelty-free" and "vegan" products!

Have you ever been standing in the health and beauty section of the store, looking at all your options, trying to figure out which brand will actually be the best for you? I know I have and it can be really overwhelming and frustrating! This month, we will be continuing our journey to uncover the secrets hidden in those cosmetic labels and sharing all details about gluten and soy. Check out last month's blog on parabens! Seeing things like "gluten-free" and "soy-free" on a cosmetic label can be confusing. Aren't those words on labels for food allergies? Well, yes and no! We want you in the know so you can make the best decision for your body!

 We've all been there - standing in the cosmetic aisle of the grocery store, reading labels and wondering what all those ingredients and fancy words and promises really mean. Skin care companies hire excellent marketing firms to create product descriptions that make their products sound amazing. This can make it so hard to know what products are really safe for your skin, unless you actually educate yourself. Here at the Secret Garden, we don't want to keep secrets from our customers! One of the most common beauty product claims is "Paraben Free". But what does that mean?? Look no further, we've got the answers to your questions!

 If you've been able to visit us this summer, you may have noticed a little something new in our gift shop! We have expanded our "Liquid Gold" Essential Oil line to include not only Secret Garden grown Lavender, but Peppermint and Sage as well! Last summer, we added almost 1,000 peppermint and sage plants to our garden to give visitors the chance to cut their own herbs and to give us fresh and wholesome ingredients for our essential oils, teas and more. So much hard work and planning went into each of these little bottles and we are so grateful that it finally came together for us to share with you! Here we will cover all your burning questions about essential oils; what they are, how they're made, what their benefits are and more!

You might have recently noticed that we are making exciting sustainable changes to some of our products. We are transitioning from plastic to glass for our 8 oz. hand soap and body lotion products! This change is a result of  a variety of reasons that we discuss in this post. We also share some of our crucial tips to leading more sustainable lives! We recommend always buying local when possible, reusing items (such as our new glass bottles), for décor, crafts or storage and recycling them when you're finished! These small changes can make a big difference if we commit to being intentional and aware of our waste! With that, we hope that you can enjoy this new chic packaging as much as we do!