We strive to be as minimally invasive as possible to our environment. We make that happen through the best possible ingredients that have the lowest impact on the environment, packaging that is either made from recycled materials or can be recycled (and you'll never find plastic in your order!), and carbon offsets. On top of that, everything we source is from manufacturers here in the United States.
Running a business by these principles means it's often tricky to keep costs low. Over the past year, we've changed packaging and vessels to align better with our goals and your budgets, and a major highlight was being able to launch more affordable options for everyone. But one thing has been nagging at us: Our shipping prices were still more than we felt was ideal for you, our customer.
So today, we're happy to announce that we've launched new flat-rate shipping options that you'll see in checkout. These rates range from $6 to $9 depending on how many items you purchase.
It comes down to this - regardless of how many items you purchase, you won't pay more than $9 for shipping.
Shipping carriers change their pricing regularly, so we can't say this will be the case forever, but right now you'll save more than ever before.
I am a firm believer that honest feedback is important to the success of a business, so please feel free to email me directly if you have questions or comments about any of our practices.
Cheers!
Megan Dorcey
]]>Fear not, the round coffee table is actually just as versatile (if not more!) when it comes to styling. Now, you might have a very specific decor style in your home - maybe farmhouse is your thing or high glam. Whatever your style, there are a few things to keep in mind when adding that extra layer of decor to your space.
First off, there are no "rules" to how you style your table. That's right, if you take a look at any home decor and design magazines or books, some of the most appealing spaces have unexpected styling. The point is, this area of your home is meant to spark conversation, aide in relaxation, and bring you joy. You might be having some mid-winter blues and need a pop of color. How about a bowl of citrus, a candle, and a vase of bright buds?
Next up, remember that this space is supposed to be flexible. Don't get too caught up in finding the "perfect" accessories for your coffee table, you'll be happier if you try a few things and exchange or move around accessories each season (or weekend, if you're like me!). I recommend using little personal touches like a souvenir from your honeymoon or girls trip that brings back memories. The books you are reading at the moment are both useful and stylish, use them to create height.
Finally, a round coffee table is bold and interesting, so don't focus on making things appear neat. Sometimes, the scattered appearance of objects looks the best with this shape. Now, I understand the desire to have everything in its place, so if that sounds like you, find a cute tray and style within that space. The whole point of this exercise is to help you find what brings you joy in your styling, so if organized style brings you joy - go for it!
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Pomeroy 142 candles in Amber Oak & Lavender
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That's why it's so important to make a great first (or third) impression when someone enters your home. The scent they pick up will be associated with their experience and with you personally.
With so many scents to choose from, there's a lot of room for error. I've listed a few key scents and what emotions they commonly evoke. You should always find scents that you enjoy, but do take consideration into what others might be geared toward as well.
This scent is commonly found in candles and reed diffusers because of its tendency to be both universal and warm. When you blend with other lighter notes, cedar can be calming and be reminiscent of times spent in the woods, camping, and nature in general. Humans are wired to calm down and relax when among nature, so this could be a great scent to set a warm and inviting mood in your home. Does this sound like your kind of scent? Try our Amber Oak candle which has notes of cedar, bergamot, and lavender. The perfect blend of musk and floral scents.
If you've ever stepped foot in a spa, you'll have been met with these two scents at the front door. I love using lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint in bathrooms and guest spaces. Our Lavender candle isn't your basic lavender - it also has notes of vanilla, lemon, and bergamot.
Is there anything more energizing than fresh squeezed orange or slices of lemon? For me, citrus brings back memories of summer and long days spent in the sun. I love to burn a citrus candle in my entryway during the summer months. It's not too heavy or cozy, and adds an element of whimsy. Our Marmalade has notes of orange peel, cloves, and apples. It's a great balance of sweet and earthy. I highly recommend this in the spring and summer months.
What are some of your favorite scents to welcome guests into your home? We'd love to know in the comments!
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Below, I've listed my favorite essential oils for cleaning your home, why it works, and how you can find it.
It seems like every time I type a new natural alternative question into Google, I find out that Peppermint is the go-to. Did you know you could use peppermint to repel mice? I hate the idea of bating mice just to bring them to their untimely death; however, I don't care for the little things inside my home either. I was looking for something that would keep them at bay with minimal risk to my pets and the environment. You can take peppermint essential oil-soaked cotton balls or small rags and place them where you think mice are entering your home. Change them out every couple of weeks.
You can buy it here on Amazon Prime.
File this one away as the oil of all oils. Tea tree oil isn't just great for disinfecting your home, but has general antibacterial properties that can help with cuts, sores, and bug bites. Once you dilute the oil with water (1tsp for every cup of water) in a spray bottle you can use it in the bathroom to clean sinks and toilets, in showers to keep mold at bay, and kitchen counters that see a lot of food prep.
You can buy it here on Amazon Prime.
This is a scent that I just can't quit. There's something so refreshing about citrus, isn't there? I love to use lemon essential oils when making my own detergents (laundry and dish) as it naturally cuts grease. It's a great one to add to homemade hand soap due to its natural antiviral qualities.
You can buy it here on Amazon Prime.
Not a fan of the strong tea tree oil scent? Thyme works the same way and has a more earthy scent.
You can buy it here on Amazon Prime.
You'll want to make sure that you use at least 20 drops of oil per 2 cups of water in order for the cleaning properties to shine through. If you're not a fan of one of the above oils' scent, you can add other scents on top of the 20 drops to balance things out.
Just starting your natural, homemade, or zero-waste cleaning routine? Check out my post on what products you'll want to get your hands on first. I also share a few DIY recipes for cleaners and sprays.
Enjoy!
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After a lot of research and trial and error, I found some of the best items out there that are sustainable, natural, non-toxic and easy to get your hands on. Below are my top products (some are even DIY!) to get you started with a zero waste cleaning regimen.
Tools
Investing in zero waste or eco-friendly cleaning tools is one of the most satisfying things I did throughout my journey. I was no longer tossing broken scrubber brushes or sponges after a few uses. Everything I'm recommending below can be purchased on Amazon and I've included things that I myself personally use.
For sponges, I've recently started using Twist brand. They're made from plants, they're hand sewn, and you can toss them into your dishwasher to disinfect and re-use. They're also incredibly inexpensive - just $10 for 6 reusable sponges. When you think about how much those little green sponges are that you toss after one encounter with a greasy pot or pan, it's quite shocking!
One item that I have always undervalued was a good bristle brush. I had a hard time finding one that didn't scratch my pots and pans or just simply fall apart mid wash. I've invested in two of these Lola natural bristle brushes - one for cleaning dishes and one for scrubbing sinks and bathtubs. Best part? This cleaning powerhouse lasts 5 years! For just under $10, I'd say that's a pretty wise investment.
There's little I enjoy less than cleaning toilets. I'm sure most of you out there feel the same way. Do yourself a favor and get this Tampico bristle toilet brush. Stash it in a simple metal pail in a closet and forget all about it.
If you're like me, you might be slightly obsessed with keeping things organized around the house. I just ordered this metal caddy which houses all my brushes (minus the toilet brush!) and cleaning products - and I love it.
Sprays and Soaps
I tend to consider frugality a daily challenge - sort of like a video game. Since becoming more mindful of my household's impact on the environment and what certain products can do to our health, I've also become more aware of how much I spend on a regular basis. Anytime I can find a healthier and cheaper alternative, I'm in. You're probably thinking you don't have time to make your own cleaning products because you're super busy, but it literally takes minutes and sets you up for success for days, weeks, and months if you want.
All-purpose cleaning spray
I use this stuff on kitchen counters, bathroom sinks, and tubs, and pretty much anything that needs a good wipe-down.
Invest in a few glass spray bottles and take a piece of masking tape to label the contents.
Basic cleanup spray
1 cup of water
2 Tbs. liquid Castille soap
Essential oils of choice (I love this lemon from Now Foods)
Mix everything together and you're all set!
Another favorite of mine is taking orange peels (or any citrus for that matter) and soaking them in a mason jar full of vinegar for a week or two and pouring that along with one part water into a spray bottle.
Need extra scrubbing power? When we moved into our 200-year-old house there were more than a few rust stains on porcelain sinks and tubs. This is a bigger project than Castille and vinegar can tackle. Create a paste with baking soda and water (should be about the consistency of toothpaste) and leave on your tough spot for about an hour. Come back with your new Lola scrubber and you should be able to see results with a little elbow grease.
Last but not least - glass cleaner! This recipe seemed a bit strange to me, but honestly, it works just as good as your typical name brand cleaner. Use old newspapers to wipe it clean and your windows and mirrors will sparkle!
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1 Tbsp. corn starch
2 C warm water
1Tbs. liquid Castille soap
Mix this together in one of your new spray bottles and it will last you at least a few rounds of cleaning.
I go through the little effort to make my own cleaning products because it's minimally invasive on the environment and costs pennies to make.
I hope you found some useful information in this roundup of tools and homemade cleaners. Please share your own recipes and product must-haves in the comments below!
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Like most people, I had always assumed that because a product was on the shelves at the store, that it must have gone through some kind of regulatory scrutiny. As I've mentioned in other posts, the only reason I sought out this information was because I was on a mission to clean up my chemical footprint within my house. I wanted to know how to make the air we were breathing cleaner, but little did I know that those scented candles I was bringing into our home and lighting on a daily basis were filling the air with toxins.
Wellness as a whole is a topic of conversation that continues to grab attention not only in media but in our daily lives as more companies are using trendy health-focused language and designs to market to consumers. You might be walking down a cereal aisle and see more than one message boasting organic, natural, gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, or non-GMO products in hopes to draw in more consumers.
With all the labels, it can be easy to confuse the meaning behind those wellness buzz words. What does "grass fed" mean compared to "pasture-raised"? What's the difference between "natural" and "organic"? And if you venture a few aisles over in your grocery store, you'll find hair, skin, and beauty products with similar marketing tag lines.
One aisle in your typical supermarket that hasn't caught on to this wellness craze is the candle aisle. There is a reason this; the candle industry (as well as the perfume industry) is not required by law to share ingredients like many other products that we purchase on a daily basis. Not only does the federal government help keep this information under wraps, many brands believe that they have the right to keep ingredient lists from consumers because of the proprietary nature of the formulas. This is an easy way for an entire industry to create products that are harmful to the health of the consumer without anyone ever knowing.
At Pomeroy 142, we're not just here to sell non-toxic scented candles; we aim to bring as much information as possible to the public which is why we wanted to share some common candle ingredients and what it all means. So let's break down some common words you might find on a candle label (or not!) so that you can make informed decisions next time you're choosing the perfect scented candle for your home.
This common wax is a petroleum-based ingredient that when lit emits the airborne chemicals acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, toluene, benzene and acrolein. All of which are linked to asthma, cognitive issues, learning development issues, and lung cancer to name a few. Most candles that don't state soy or coconut wax are typically paraffin wax. We NEVER use this!
Phthalates are a large class of chemicals found in nearly all consumer goods. They're the chemicals that make things like plastics and hairspray flexible. In the past few years, researchers have linked phthalates to asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, breast cancer, obesity and type II diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorders, altered reproductive development and male fertility issues. Here's the kicker - companies are not required to list phthalates on the ingredients list. Again, not anything we would EVER use.
You might notice candles that say things like "soy blend" or "coconut blend" - those waxes are typically mixed with paraffin wax. Why? As mentioned earlier, paraffin wax helps retain more scent and burns more evenly. If you see something like "soy coconut blend" that is likely just those two single ingredients, but beware of a single ingredient blend. I also recommend looking up the brand online to see if they're transparent about ingredients. Most companies that use non-toxic ingredients will be upfront about it and won't make you go digging around. (See below for our list of what we do and do not use)
The big debate! There are three ways to create a scented candle: Essential oils, synthetic fragrance, or natural fragrance.
Essential oils require massive amounts of plant material that are then distilled into small quantities of the oils. A candle made with only essential oils requires more of the oil than a synthetic fragrance making it costly. There are also debates about the environmental impact of essential oils as it promotes mono-cropping and often times results in massive waste.
Synthetic fragrances are made in a laboratory from synthetic compounds and composed almost entirely of petroleum by-products such as benzene derivatives, aldehydes, toluene, and other known toxic chemicals. They are much cheaper, offer greater variety, and utilize scent binders like phthalates to help retain their aroma for a longer period of time.
Natural fragrance oils are also created in a lab, but are done so by isolating a natural aromatic component from a complex scent (isolates). These are part of something real versus man-made like synthetic oils. This is the same process that is used to obtain essential oils.
Up until recently, most paraffin wax candles contained a lead-core wick - so unknowingly, we were all breathing in toxic fumes that the lead wicks were releasing.
Instead of waiting for regulations to catch up, we wanted to make sure that our ingredients are visible to the public and we're also clear about what we don't put in each of our candles.
We use soy wax derived from U.S. farms. Almost all soy plants have been genetically modified (an estimated 94%), so we can't guarantee that ours are GMO-free. Our soy wax provider uses organic plants, but due to the process of extracting the wax, it isn't qualified to be labeled or certified organic. We've considered using beeswax until we learned that extracting beeswax harms bee populations and we need our bees!
We use natural fragrance oils. Not only does this allow us to create a candle that the majority of customers can afford, but it also means we aren't harvesting endangered plants like sandalwood for the benefit of a human luxury such as a candle.
Our wicks are 100% cotton.
We use vendors who utilize carbon-neutral shipping and our packaging is made from recycled materials. A lot of companies are sending far too much packaging for their products and we try our best to eliminate unnecessary packaging materials as much as possible.
Are you ready to swap out your run-of-the-mill candle for something cleaner? Check out our line of non-toxic soy candles.
]]>I should start out by stating that it took a lot of trial and error before I really found the products that are working for me now. With that said, I change products seasonally so this isn't always the go-to list. My skin type is sensitive, dry, and I do suffer from the occasional adult acne outbreak (hormones!). This is what's working for me now.
Tata Harper's Hydrating Floral Essence
I am a pretty serious Tata Harper fangirl. Not only are the ingredients pure and non-toxic, but Tata Harper herself is in the trenches designing each formula and even grows some of the plant materials on her farm in Vermont. To hear her talk about her story and how she develops her line is inspiring as a business owner dedicated to creating better consumer products. The price tag is higher than your drugstore face cream, but it's well deserved. They pack a punch and you get the added comfort of feeling certain the products are safe. Check it out on the Tata Harper site.
Goop's Luminous Melting Cleanser
This stuff is seriously a life saver for my dry skin. It may seem like a small fortune to spend on cleanser, but it will last a long time and you'll never have that "squeaky clean" feeling that ends up causing redness and flaking. I use this twice a day and it is the first step in my life-long mission in trying to achieve "dewy skin." You can order it here on Goop's website.
100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
Non-toxic, natural skincare doesn't have to cost a fortune and that's proved with 100% Pure's Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream. I gravitate toward anything that promises to wake me up and de-puff. This little miracle in a tube does both. Pick it up on the Detox Market's site here.
Josh Rosebook's Advance Hydration Mask
As I've mentioned, my skin is naturally parched and I need serious moisturizers to keep it looking hydrated. Josh Rosebook's mask boasts aloe vera and numerous plant oils which means it's super natural and will work with your cells to deliver moisture. Pick it up on the Detox Market here.
What are your favorite products? Tell us in the comments.
]]>I think it's important to let you all in on our "why" - what prompted the creation of a natural candle company and our goals for the future.
My name is Megan and I am the candle maker behind the scenes pouring each candle here at Pomeroy 142. I've painstakingly measured, mixed, and melted the candle that shows up on your doorstep. Each candle is guaranteed to be free of harmful chemicals because I believe that as a consumer, you deserve the products that you bring into your homes to work in harmony with your body, not against it.
If you were to have met me ten years ago, you would have witnessed me using big brand cleaning products, ingesting frozen meals regularly and drinking diet soda by the case. There wasn't the spotlight on nontoxic products that we see today. Brands like Honest and Seventh Generation were just getting mainstream attention and I didn't take the time to understand why.
The first "awakening" I had in terms of products and health was when I was using a Swiffer wet-jet mop for the first time around my partner, Scott. He had just finished chemotherapy and had an adorable dog at home. He stopped me in my tracks and said he didn't want contact with the products I was using to clean our house, and he didn't want his dog (who spends all day on the floor) to either.
This was a bit startling to hear since I hadn't even contemplated this as an issue before. Because of this, I started researching everyday products to understand just exactly what was being marketed to me and why.
I threw out the big brand cleaning products first. I started learning about what was going on my skin and hair and began the process of transitioning to clean beauty. I started buying food that was mostly in-season and organic. But something had been nagging at me; what about the products in my home that I don't use to clean or have direct contact with my body?
Like most American women, I have had a candle on my kitchen counter for as long as I can remember. I happened to do a quick search online about candle ingredients and was blown away. I learned that Paraffin wax is made from petroleum and other chemicals which when inhaled from candle fumes can cause lung cancer. As I kept digging, I realized that there aren't any federal regulations on candles that are being sold to consumers in this country.
This product that we light and inhale the fumes of could contain anything - and we'd never know. Up until recently, most wicks contained lead - and although lead wicks have been banned, it's estimated that about 30% of candles on the market still have wicks containing lead. The other harmful component to a typical candle is synthetic fragrance which also boasts harmful chemicals such as benzene derivatives (carcinogenic), aldehydes, toluene and many other known toxins linked to cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions.
So, these candles that we light in our homes to create warmth and welcoming atmosphere are putting off high amounts of carcinogens.
I initially set out to simply make my own candles using only soy, cotton wicks and natural oils, but friends and family asked for their own and my partner, Scott, encouraged me to share my candles with other folks just like us that are looking for alternatives that they can feel good about.
Our goal at Pomeroy 142 is simple: Create mindful products for everyday living. You won't find a $50 price tag on any candle in our shop. Each candle is hand-poured and inspected before it hits your doorstep.
We hope you enjoy every single item that comes your way - and if not, you can always send an email my way and let me know: megan@pomeroy142.com.
Cheers!
Megan Dorcey
Co-Founder, Pomeroy 142
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