A little about our passion and the beauty behind a truly natural product.
Since the creation of climbOn Bar in 1996, we’ve strived to educate, inspire and motivate with our words and our products.
We use food grade ingredients in our products, not cosmetic grade. What is the difference you ask?
Well, here’s an example of the difference as well as what this means when we formulate and bring our products into existence.
If you have an apple tree in your back yard, each year it bares apples right? Usually, and each year, depending upon the number of days of cool weather, sunshine, water, any fertilizer added, etc . the tree may produce apples, but they are all slightly different than each other on the same tree as well as, different from the crop from last year. Right?
This is what we mean by food grade ingredients and just one of the challenges we have with every order of beeswax, tuberose wax, jasmine was, essential oils, extracts, etc. we get each week.
We order our base oils organic, unrefined, from a food service company which ensures they are clean for consumption yet meet the standards of the powers that be. As a further example, even though we order it from the same company, each batch of wheat germ oil can slightly vary depending upon the crop of wheat used to extract the oil, what the weather was like when seeds were planted. What it was like when the wheat was harvested. What bugs were prevalent when the wheat was growing. What the soil used to plant the wheat was like… These and other factors make small to obvious changes in each batch of wheat germ oil we receive. Some times, it’s a very dark, aromatic liquid and other times, it’s is lighter and not so fragrant. While the medicinal/healing properties of the oil are consistent, the color and variation in aroma can slightly change a batch of climbOn Bars and Crème to be darker in color and vary the smell slightly. That’s just ONE ingredient we use.
While it is deeply moving to us to see these variations and the full effect of mother nature on truly natural ingredients, it is also challenging, for we are constantly adjusting and readjusting our already standardized recipes for Mother Natures’ mind set. Not only do the ingredients organically change, their cost also changes consistently due to many of the same factors, as well as supply and demand.
We work very hard to continue the practice of using food grade ingredients in our commitment to our customers, our integrity and our planet and its’ inhabitants. Most companies use synthetic ingredients or “naturally derived” ingredients because they are consistent in their smell, look and how they act in a formulation. They are also much less expensive and do not change in price … because you can make them in a lab. Yes, that’s what “naturally derived” can mean. Found occurring in natural but synthetically recreated in a lab. If we use blueberry oil in a recipe, you will see Vaccinium Corymbosum (Blueberry) Seed Oil, which is Latin name beside it with its’ common name (blueberry) oil in parenthesis. NOT methylparaben (from blueberries.)
Natural occurrences
Methylparaben is found in several fruits, in particular blueberries, where it acts as an antimicrobial agent. See the difference? Methyparaben is made in a lab. We don’t consider that natural no matter what the big corporations convince the governing bodies to agree to. (Sourced from Wikipedia.)
We absolutely LOVE what we do and have deep gratitude for all our loyal family of customers who get what we do and why we do it. Yes, our financial bottom line is imperative in order for us to keep going. However, our commitment to our relationships in the business and professional world, along with our commitment to the environment are just as important to us. There’s a new word for this type of company that wasn’t around when we first began our journey in 1996. They call it a Benefit Corporation now. We’ve been this from day one and promise to hold the course. It’s just the way we roll. ☺