Mandala Organic: Self Care Products You Can Trust

Melisa, the owner/founder of Mandala Organic Goods, is such a kind soul.

Just read her Etsy shop bio and you’ll see for yourself. As Melisa puts it herself:

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(Doesn’t she just exude warmth and generosity?)

When I first reached out to Melisa a few months ago about a potential collaboration, she welcomed the idea with an open heart… and such generosity! It was a pleasure getting to know her and her brand through our many conversations.

images In 2008, Melisa transitioned from a successful career in advertising to creating earth-friendly goods. She also completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training and delved even deeper into her study of ayurveda – a 5,000 year old healing system rooted in living in balance and harmony with nature.

Her brand, Mandala Organic, was born to share simply made items of the purest ingredients, priced for all to enjoy. Especially since giving birth to her child in 2014, Melisa has become very aware of the products that her family consumes. She wasn’t completely satisfied with the organic self care products that she found on the market, and although some looked good at first glance, she realized the ingredient lists were almost always deceiving. The ones that looked great on paper came with a trendy price tag.

All of Melisa’s products are certified organic, made of only wildcrafted ingredients, gluten free, vegetarian/vegan, GMO free, BPA free, fair trade, cruelty free, free of phthalates, sulfates, parabens, and other questionable ingredients commonly found in self care products.

Something that makes Mandala Organic Goods unique in its field (which I actually hadn’t heard of before) is the incorporation of community pricing. Inspired by the donation and sliding scale systems used in community yoga and acupuncture, Melisa thought, “why not apply this idea elsewhere?”

Screen Shot 2016-05-18 at 7.42.42 PM.png Melisa believes that buying organic shouldn’t be a luxury: everyone should be able to enjoy healthful and safe products. This is her main inspiration for handcrafting ultra-pure self care products that work. Her philosophy is that everyone should have access to healthful products, so she gives her customers the option to pay what they can on a sliding scale: either base price (allowing Melisa to keep the shop up and running), typical retail (what you would expect to pay at a store), or pay it forward (provides help to non-profit organizations that champion social and environmental justice, and helps Melisa develop new products) options.

Melisa thinks this is a decent start to help share the organic love, but she is very well aware that there is always room for growth and improvement. She looks forward to helping get those with limited internet access to organic goodies, as well as leading community outreach on simple and affordable DIY projects.

As if that wasn’t enough, a portion of every Mandala Organic sale is donated to environmental and social justice non-profit organizations. Yay!

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It is no secret that I love the Mandala Organic line (and the woman behind it!).

Although it was originally her brand name and logo that caught my eye ( I love mandalas! Can’t help it ☺ ), I became even more enamored with the brand when I tried the products in person. Thank you Melisa for sending me such a wide array of products to try out!

I loved this bentonite clay & Hawaiian coffee mask and so did my hubby! It is easy to mix (simply add a little bit of water to the powder and blend until desired consistency), easy to apply, and wipe off. My husband loved that the mask didn’t feel too tight on his skin during the 20 minutes… and how soft and supple his skin felt afterwards!

This rosewater mist a perfect finish for the mask. It is a very gentle mist that invigorates the skin. Perfect to use as a morning toner or pick me up over the course of the work day!

I was so excited to try the Bergamot Night Cream because it isn’t even available on Melisa’s Etsy shop yet! It’s part of her new product line. I was pleasantly surprised with this night cream on so many levels: scent, texture, feel… It has a pleasant scent that isn’t too overpowering, feels invigorating on the skin, and absorbs rapidly.

Note about bergamot: this ingredient should definitely only be used during the night, as it is a known photosensitive essential oil (unless used in the FCF version, but then you lose out on Bergamot’s benefits!)

Like the Bergamot Night Cream, the Citrus Day Cream is also one of Melisa’s new products… and I love it! It smells great, feels deliciously soft on the skin, and is super refreshing! It’s a perfect way to start your busy day.

Note: I did ask Melisa about the possibility of photosensitivity because of the lemon essential oil. She reassured me that photosensitivity shouldn’t be an issue with this product (typically the issue comes about when lemon is cold pressed to produce the essential oil. Melisa only uses steam-distilled essential oil of lemon, so it does not contain the furanocoumarins that cause photosensitivity.) Also, the amount of lemon essential oil used in the day cream is balanced with all of the other ingredients, so nothing to worry about here.

These lip balms smell delicious and last a really long time! My lips feel super moisturized throughout the day. I have one in each of my purses! Out of the scents I received (peppermint, citrus, lavender, and cocoa butter), my favorites are lavender and peppermint! So yummy.

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