New year, new you, right? Many of us vow to make changes in our lives with the dawning of the new year, and while we often target what we put in our bodies, we also need to consider what we are putting on our bodies, and allowing our families to use. Enter Cleanse Gourmet, a beauty brand that uses plant-based, food-grade, gourmet ingredients and focuses on fresh infusions that feed your skin. Maggie Rasmussen, the maker and entrepreneur behind the brand, knows the importance of formulating a product that is healthy for your skin and your body.
While many of us search for brands with healthier ingredients, some of us are still uninformed or fall victim to greenwashing (when a company’s products don't live up to its "green" marketing). Whether you shop online or locally at Cleanse Gourmet, you know that everything in the shop is safe and eco-luxe. Maggie notes, “We have strict ingredient standards using only essential oil + botanical powders, clays, organic and wild crafted, cold pressed oils, to achieve the perfect blend and color that we desire. Products are made 100% in-house in small fresh batches. To preserve our fresh batches, we use green coffee, vitamin E, benzyl alcohol, radish root ferment, banana leaf, honey, rosemary leaf and natural acid blends.” Feeling healthy yet?
But what about those of us who are also concerned about the environment and excessive waste? Cleanse Gourmet uses only glass containers and eco-friendly packaging, and Maggie encourages her customers to repurpose the glass vessels, “As we are always moving forward in a more sustainable, environmentally friendly direction, we also have a refillable station for organic hand and body wash, made with only essential oils to help reduce waste. You can bring in your decorative bottles to fill, or there are glass bottles available to fill and refill.” They also have a TerraCycle drop-off center for caps and pumps to be recycled.
Maggie’s reach with her brand is global. Buyers from both the Terrain/Anthropologie and Magnolia (yes, THAT Magnolia) reached out to her for samples. They stock her line and she has created custom and exclusive products for both brands including exclusive Valentine’s Day, autumn and winter collections. Magnolia carries Maggie’s products online, and in their Vie Bien Amiee bath and body shop at The Silos in Waco, Texas. Terrain carries products online and in their five stores. Cleanse Gourmet is also in over 250 small boutiques and spas, and internationally, in Canada, Italy, and France. Maggie stresses the importance of shopping and collaborating locally, “All the hard work that we’ve done getting into all of these small boutiques and spas over the last couple of years, really exposed us to a lot of people. I know the buyers saw our products in the smaller boutiques and spas.”
Lucky for us, we have Cleanse Gourmet in our backyard. You can visit the retail location at 942 Millbrook Avenue, Suite One, or shop online.
"For me, this isn’t just a job or a hobby, this is my life. I love creating new products, foraging the unknown, learning and discovering new ingredients. The passion is always there. I hope you love using and gifting our products!"
