The Forum

Issue date: 1/27/09 Section: Beyond Campus

Media Credit: Alex Way Geranium Lime Pit Putty by Bubble and Bee

Students looking to buy local organic personal care products including deodorants, soaps, shower gels, lotions and lip balms may want to check out Bubble & Bee Organic. This Bountiful, Utah-based company stands firmly by its pledge, "to use certified organic products whenever possible…(and) never use synthetic ingredients."

Bubble and Bee Organic products have been displayed at kiosks in Whole Foods Market locations and in the Salt Lake City Farmers Market. Products such as "Pit Putty" deodorant, Mint Tea soap and "Chai Guy" scented lotion bars are among the company's hottest selling items.

Stephanie Greenwood, the company's co-owner, said that most of the company's products are 100 percent organic. "We are truly organic and natural," said Greenwood in a recent e-mail. "We make everything in small, fresh batches by hand."

Bubble and Bee Organic has a wide range of products that appeal to college students. Greenwood personally recommends they use lotion sticks. "The lotion sticks are a great choice for college students because you can throw it in your backpack," said Greenwood. "It's like an oversized lip balm. It's great for protecting hands when you're out in the cold." The lotion also does not wash off, unlike liquid lotions that contain up to 80 percent water.

Bubble and Bee Organic was established over a year and a half ago when Greenwood-a former chemistry student at the University of Utah-decided to use her classroom knowledge to start making her own personal care products. "Our recipes are not complicated," said Greenwood. "In fact, armed with common cooking experience and patience there are several of our products we could teach anyone to make for themselves."

In addition to making products for customers, Greenwood educates customers about chemicals in common personal care products that are harmful to the human body. On the company website, bubbleandbee.com, Greenwood has compiled an extensive database of some of these 16,000 chemicals and describes them in detail. She posts articles such as, "Organic Labeling Lies," "The Top Ten Reasons to Avoid SLS" and many others in her blog. She plans to add another blog onto the website entitled, "Chemical of the Day."

"It's our personal mission to educate people about the harmful effects of xenoestrogens, neurotoxins, skin toxins," said Greenwood. "Knowing what we now know, there's no way we couldn't try to spread the word about these things."

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