Top picks – Local, small businesses to support this festive season
HEARTWOOD TREES – CPT
“It almost goes without saying that at Heartwoods, we always try to do the right thing for the environment. We’ve taken care to wrap our trees in compostable bags, derived from natural starches. Any paper we use is 100% recycled, and acid-free.
And our planters are made from invasive Port Jacksons, cut down and re-used by local entrepreneurs. Our hearts are hand carved and sanded by local entrepreneurs and using unwanted wood. Even our boxes are made from 100% recycled cardboard. It’s all part of our commitment to the sustainability of our business and the preservation of the natural environment.
Heartwood works with Right Mukore, an amazing Sculptor at Montebello in Newlands, Cape Town. He sculpts from wood and stone and creates truly beautiful pieces of art. He has created our hearts and wooden animals. They are carved from unwanted Camphor and Jacaranda trees – and he is teaching students to learn his craft.
Heartwood offers a range of indigenous saplings such as Wild Olive (Olea africana), Outeniqua Yellowwood (Podocarpus falcatus) and Cape Ash (Ekebergia capensis).
All of our trees can be branded with eco-friendly ink and are great to use in tree-planting teambuilding exercises or in a corporate social investment project.
Whichever way you choose to use them, Heartwood trees are the perfect gift.”
WILDE ALCHEMY – CPT
“Wilde Alchemy was created from me discovering the wondrous benefits of essential oils and learning about what I use on my body and around my house can affect health drastically. I knew I needed to make a change not just for myself but also for the planet I adore.
I didn’t want to go into it uneducated so I decided to study aromatherapy and now I am finishing my studies in herbalism. This knowledge inspired and continues to inspire me to create products that are not only cruelty-free and kind to the planet but also will help others in their daily life.
Since using essential oils and switching out my chemical-based products for natural based products I have seen an improvement in my health and it comforts me knowing that the products that I am putting on my body and using in my home, not only are kinder but also support my health because of their benefits…and now you are also able to by purchasing our products.
All of our products are 100% natural and free from those nasty chemicals, they are cruelty-free and hand made with love. Each ingredient has been carefully selected from sustainable resources and is of the highest quality and all the products are created by me and produced in small batches. Our packaging is also kind to the planet and we encourage our customers to re-use it where possible.
We have our already created product range which has everything from wellness rollers, to candles and of course pamper items to treat yourself or a loved. You are also able to create a custom gift set and have it sent to a loved one all beautifully wrapped with a lovely note. I can also create any custom product or scent for you. In the past, I created unique scents for candles and sprays for corporate gifting and box sets and I have created wellness support rollers for particular issues you would like to have support in through essential oils.
*For any Christmas orders this year I will be including a tea light candle with holiday-themed scent plus a macrame Christmas tree ornament for orders over R 400″
TEATOPIA – JHB
Teatopia offers a wide range of Tea collections, offering enhanced refreshment and relaxation with beneficial health benefits. Try Teatopia’s herbal infused loose leaf tea collections for refreshment, relaxation, vitality and overall health benefits.
They offer a convenient gifting collection of sample teas as well as their new product – tub teas!
“Teatopia believes that within every human body there is a pharmacy. Our aim is to help consumers leverage the pharmacy within them through healthy, mindful and affordable food and beverage choices. Since immemorial times the benefits of Tea have been widely used across the globe for health and wellness benefits. Teatopia, presents these products in simple easy to understand collection’s of tea variants. Offering a wide range of Loose Leaf tea’s, we ensure the best quality organic, preservative-free, caffeine-free, ethically and sustainably farmed tea collections made with unique blends and variants from authentic origins.”
PLASTICITY – KAROO
“We upcycle plastic into contemporary and unique products, combined with hemp fabric and rope. Made to last, made with love, made in the Karoo… We design products we love to use. Contributing to the slow made and mindful consumption revolution, our products are freshly handmade-to-order.
I’ve been environmentally conscious and aware of my footprint from a young age. I have always thought about the waste we create and about ways we can reduce this. The idea of a circular economy has intrigued me since I first heard the term and I want to contribute to building a more circular economy here, in South Africa. So I started with the waste materials I had and made quite simple products. My dream was to make a living that was also beneficial to the environment, had a positive impact, and created a community. I saw the overlooked potential of the beauty and usefulness of waste plastic and began making things with it.” Tessa O’Halloran, plasticity. founder
Items range from coin pouches to toiletry bags, organizers, planters and more!
HEALTH ISLAND – CPT
Health Island curates a range of feel-good, nutrition-packed, flavourful snacks where you need it most – at work, at home and at play.
“We are continuously updating our product range. We just love sourcing, evaluating and sampling new products, and we spend considerable time doing quality and taste checks on all our products. Be it a door-to-door delivery of an appreciation gift with a personalised thank-you note, a virtual meeting group-snack or a delivery to the homes of staff as an appreciation gift and to keep in touch, we have developed seamless, adaptable systems to fulfil your needs. We can include extras such face masks, hand sanitiser, vitamin packs or any other item of your choice. If required, we can tailor-make a box for vegan, vegetarian, kosher, nut-free, diabetic preferences.”
Plus 5% goes to charity! Charities they support are SA Harvest, Gods Business, Feed the nation, Masks for Medics, Aspire Youth, JCS Foodbank.
FIONA CATHERINE BOTANICALS – CENTURION
“My passion for the environment & what I use on my skin lead me on this journey of producing pure soaps using natural ingredients without the added preservatives, parabens & chemicals that are found in regular commercial soap bars.. I am both humbled & grateful for the support received since starting this tiny, little soaping business.
I wanted to produce a soap of superior quality which is both kind to the environment but to the skin too & so began the process of experimenting and Fiona Catherine Botanicals was born”.
All our soaps are lightly scented & are suitable for even the most sensitive skins. Vegan-friendly, 100% plastic-free, paraben-free and packaged with recycled or recyclable materials.
We would be happy to customize any box. Pop us a mail. All our boxes are wrapped in our unique & quirky wrapping using either recycled or recyclable materials.”
www.fionacatherinebotanical.co.za
MIRAI + NENI HOMESCENTS – DBN
“I started MNH officially when lockdown began but had been practising the art of candle making for over a year. So much happened within that year, so many highs, too many lows and tears but I kept pushing.
I come from an entrepreneurial family and the birth of my son came with a yearning of imparting something tangible to him one day (including the lessons learnt along the way).
I am still working from my home but my dreams and visions to move into my own workshop, have wholesale accounts and have my own store are so alive. With each day I work towards this!!
I will be creating beautiful Christmas / festive scents to enjoy this joyful season – keep an eye on our socials!
We are a “feel good” company that makes scented handcrafted products suitable for any living space. It’s important for us that memories are created through our product”
I am in love with the deliciously scented soy wax candles and wax melts created by founder Pam Bulawayo. PLUS the statement jars add that finishing touch! Reed diffusers, as well as stunning tropical jar (recycled) candles, are also available – with a burn time of 60hours this one is a keeper!. “Did we mention that the jar is repurposed! Yep.. We all about recycling and doing things right.. Zero waste.”
Available fragrances are :- Lavender fields – Lemon romance- Wild Ross- Simply Vanilla
MUDMASK SA – JHB
MudMask was founded by Sumarie, a young entrepreneur with a passion for creating products that are beautiful, functional and that actually work.
It started with only two simple MudMask facial kits with 100% natural ingredients like clays, essential oils and other custom, handmade products in the kit to help others suffering from acne and other problematic skin concerns.
The kits were designed and put together to help people effectively control and reduce breakouts, redness and inflammation. The packaging is exquisite with handmade wooden boxes, shredded paper and glass. As friendly to the earth s it is to your skin.
From the humble beginnings of two facial kits, it has grown into a fully-fledged gifting and pampering online site where attention is given to artisan, luxury and as eco-friendly as possible options for south Africans.
The latest products include handmade products like bath bombs in various sizes, shower steamers, sugar scrubs and gift hampers
“MudMask started with just 3 clays, a few essential oils, a soap and one hell of a dream. My heart always warms when I think of how far my little brand has come.”
REDUCE SKINCARE – DBN
“Reduce is a plant-based, natural, preservative, chemical and cruelty-free skincare brand that aims to produce beautiful, simple, affordable and quality products that not only make a difference in our customer’s lives but also positively impact the environment. All of our individual packagings are recyclable and there are no harmful ingredients used in manufacturing.
Our products are for the skin. There are many types of skin – oily skin, dry skin, young skin, old skin, sensitive skin, unloved skin and adored skin. Everyone is unique, and at the end of the day, you only have one body. By caring for and loving yourself, you will protect and nurture yourself and discover how incredible your body really is. Self-love is so valuable and you will never regret showing yourself the love you deserve.”
STARDESIGN – CPT
“Your Natal Chart is your Energy Blueprint, your own unique guide into opportunities and challenges in your life.
Calculated with your birth date, time and place we can see a picture of how the planets were positioned when you were born. The STARdeSIGN Astro Bracelet is a unique piece, made with crystals to represent the planets and sacred wood as a base, based on the information from your Natal Chart. Your Astro Bracelet comes with Astro Notes about your Sun, Moon and Rising sign and a Crystal Map to guide you to the properties of each crystal.
C+A DISCOUNT: A wonderful gift for someone, or for yourself. Usually, an Astro Bracelet is R800, but as a Cahya + Ailey follower you can order your ASTRO Bracelet for R670 (excl shipping) until the end of 2020.
For orders & questions, you can contact me on Stardesign.jess@gmail.com, or reach out on social
Lots of Love Jess “
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