Soap box: Megan Larsen

ARTICLE: How to buy organic products

Ten years ago, we were a long way from the "natural products" boom we're seeing today and the biggest question I received from people regarding my products was, why did we need to create products without chemicals?

I suppose the question for me was always, why not? Once I realised how extremely high quality plant extracts and essential oils could work in harmony with the skin for rejuvenation and graceful ageing and cater to even the most sensitive skins, there was no going back!

Sodashi is a Sanskrit word meaning "wholeness, purity and radiance" and from the outset, these were the qualities that I wanted to embody in everything we did — not only in the way we created and packaged our products but also in the way we conducted businesses on a daily basis.

I had been studying Transcendental Meditation (TM) for a number of years and found that it helped me to achieve a really good work-life balance while bringing a real sense of happiness and calm into my life. Running a business can obviously be very frenetic and TM helped me to be a lot more creative, dynamic and steady. Even when in a high-stress situation or a crisis I always feel an inner calm and clarity of mind.

Today all Sodashi staff have the opportunity to practise their Transcendental Meditation every afternoon at 4pm before they go home for the day. This was never something I planned to weave into the company culture, but rather has evolved organically! We also offer a subsidised one hour Kinesiology appointment to all the staff every month, and most notice the benefits immediately!

The environment is also a very sacred part of what we do, and so we are constantly working to ensure we are doing what we can to maintain that. Obviously, producing a skincare range means a lot of packaging, so we have gone to great lengths to source packaging that is 100 percent recyclable. Our violet glass bottles and card boxes are also printed with soy-based inks. No chemicals are ever used in our manufacturing facility — even our cleaning products are completely chemical-free! We are also committed to using renewable energy sources and ensuring that all our marketing material is printed on recycled card and paper stock.

For me, internal beauty is such a huge part of how we look on the outside. When we look at someone, we see their inner beauty radiating from within, so taking care to nurture not only your skin but your mind and spirit is a core part of my beauty philosophy. This comes back to why I love Transcendental Meditation so much. It has the ability to remove stress — and stress is a big part of what can make us look strained and aged. So it makes sense that maintaining techniques and using skin care products that reduce stress in your physiology will naturally help you to look better on the outside.

For more information on Sodashi, visit www.sodashi.com.

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