Bestowed Essentials
Ethical, Eco-Friendly, Essential
Who They Are
What do you call all-natural, zero waste beauty and skincare that’s handcrafted with the planet in mind? No...this isn’t a riddle–it’s the story of Bestowed Essentials, an ethical beauty company that does things a little differently. Founder Christianna, better known as Callee, is a self-proclaimed hippie who travels the country living and sharing her eco-friendly lifestyle and zero-waste products.
While enlisted in the US Navy back in 2016, Callee took a trip to New Orleans, where she purchased a bar of handmade soap that promised clear, glowing skin. Not only did it help her complexion, but it opened her eyes to the benefits of holistic skincare. Intrigued by the possibilities, Callee began researching homemade soap-making in September of 2016, with her first successful batch just several months (and several failed batches!) later. By the 2016 holiday season, she was gifting and giving her soaps away to friends and family alike!
After seeing her community’s reaction to what would one day become Bestowed Essentials, Callee decided to bring her products to the people. She started with an Etsy shop called “Mes Amies Soaps” (“My Friends Soaps”), featuring just 6 vegan soap bars. By early 2017 she had expanded to the Farmer’s Market of Augusta, GA, with a collection of products including balt salts, face masks, and of course, her handmade soaps.
From humble roots, Bestowed Essentials has steadily grown–but always stayed true to their roots. In just the first two years of business they’ve earned their PETA Certified Cruelty Free Certification, rebranded from “Mes Amies Soaps” to Bestowed Essentials, earned their first stockist, and first employee, and released tons of amazing new ethical products (shampoo bar, we see you!). This humble two-person team of Bestowed Essentials has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
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Why We Like Them
Fact: only around 9% of all plastic is recycled. The other 91% stays (for centuries!) in our landfills, or even worse, our oceans and waterways. Bestowed Essentials knows that personal care products are a huge contributor to this pollution, and adopted business-wide zero waste practices to reduce their carbon footprint and landfill contributions.
None of their packing or shipping materials contain plastic–instead utilizing glass, cardboard, metal, or compostable cellophane (even though it looks like plastic!). They use shipping tape from 100% biodegradable cellophane tape, crinkle paper from 100% recycled fibers, and shipping boxes that are recycled content and recyclable at the end of life.
A proud hippie, Callee started out with a slightly unusual office setup…a van! When getting her start, she lived, worked, and traveled in her 2014 Ram Promaster Van–outfitting it with solar panels that kept her production and manufacturing up and running, without wasting energy. Now, she’s outgrown the van and opened up a production and retail space in Rapid City, South Dakota! The first of it’s kind in SD, the Bestowed Essentials space offers zero-waste home and bath goods, and provides a place for the community to gather and learn about zero waste!
Each year, Callee hopes to give back to causes that are meaningful to her. In 2018, 10% of each Bestowed order was donated to help provide clean drinking water to those who don’t have access to it worldwide. In just a short period of time, they provided 399 people with clean water for a year! And since 2019, Callee and the team at Bestowed Essentials have partnered with the Ocean Blue Project, working together to collect & recycle one pound of beach trash for every single Bestowed Essentials order.
In addition to these zero waste and charitable efforts, Bestowed Essentials ensures each product is responsibly made. By saying no to palm oil, avoiding animal byproducts and animal testing, and certifying each product as cruelty free, you can use each product without guilt.
Cruelty Free
Paraben Free
Sulfate Free
Vegan
Charitable
Sustainable Manufacturing
Handmade
Recycled Packaging
Made in the USA
Cruelty Free is a certification process through PETA that labels products that are not tested on animals. All companies that are included on PETA’s cruelty-free list have signed a statement verifying that they don’t use ingredients or create finished products that help conduct or pay for any tests on animals.
Parabens are synthetic chemical preservatives, commonly used in beauty products like shampoo, lotion, and deodorants. Parabens can accumulate in your body, and have been linked to hormonal disruption and reproductive problems. In studies of breast cancer patients, parabens have been found in the tissue of cancerous tumors–yikes! If you want to avoid Parabens in your beauty products, keep an eye out for methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben in the ingredients list.
Sulfates are synthetic chemical ingredients commonly used in beauty products and household cleaners, like shampoos and dish soaps. You can usually identify sulfates in an ingredients list by looking out for the most common types: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLC) and Sodium Laureth Sulfates (SLES). These chemicals, often derived from petroleum, are used to help form the “lather” we’re used to seeing in our beauty and cleaning products. When used in the shower or sink, these chemicals can flow through the pipes and into our waterways. Synthetic sulfates have been linked to allergic reactions, eye and skin irritation, and hair loss, and some studies suggest they contain carcinogenic ingredients.
This product does not contain any animal products or byproducts, and has not been tested on animals.
This company donates a portion of their time or profits to charitable efforts in their community or abroad.
Some or all of the energy used to make this product is produced via renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, or hydropower.
We support small businesses and craftspeople who create each of their products with care. Handmade products are generally produced on a small scale, without the use of large energy consuming factories and production facilities. Buying handmade helps support art, communities, and people’s livelihoods.
This product is packaged or shipped in materials that contain recycled content.
This product was made in the United States. Buying locally made items helps to reduce harmful emissions that result from transportation during and after the production process. Purchasing products made in the United States also ensures that the items are produced in ways that meet strict safety and labor standards.
