Gimme Gimme More

When humans find something good, it seems to become a craze. Acai popped up and all of a sudden it’s in everyone’s smoothies. Argan oil gets big, it’s in every luxury beauty treatment. I make delicious cupcakes, they’re gone before I can sample one myself. (I can’t really complain about that one!) Why do we feel the need to exploit good things until they’re gone?

We seem to have a misconception that everything in this world is infinite and we use it accordingly. And then when supplies start to dwindle to the point where it’s difficult to save the resource, everyone is up in arms.
I did a project in university about Aboriginal Health and Wellness and while doing my research for it, I came across an ideology that I absolutely loved: Use only what you need so that your children’s children will still have the same things you did. And when you use something, use ALL of it – no waste. I can’t figure out why we all don’t live by this mantra. Everything in moderation. Sounds so simple and basic, right?
In the world of essential oils, there are 2 oils that have been used so much that the trees are in serious danger of becoming extinct. One of them is Rosewood which grows in Brazil and the other is Sandalwood which grows in India. In order to buy 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of Indian Sandalwood, it costs approx., if not more, $38.30. That’s $7.66 per ml! WHY are we still selling something that is on the brink of non-existence?! Take it off the market and let the population stabilize. Kudos to Green Valley Aromatherapy for doing just that. In order to extract oil from the sandalwood tree, it needs to be at least 30 years old. The way we use things nowadays, there’s just no way they are able to grow back fast enough. And unfortunately, more trees are being chopped down than planted so now we are paying the price. Literally.
My plea to you is to stay away from products that are using Rosewood (Aniba roseodora) or East Indian Sandalwood (Santalum album) as ingredients because quite frankly, it’s just not right. While there is no alternative to rosewood, you can purchase products that use Australian Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum). It has very similar properties and scent, and it’s grown ethically. Unless the ingredient is a synthetic scent, by using items that contain these natural oils, you are contributing to their extinction.
Choose to support companies who are dedicated to ethics and the environment and only buy what you need. Your kids will be glad you did.