4 New-To-Me Companies I Love

I feel like lately I keep being introduced to new brands and products where I sit back and think to myself…wow – that’s really cool/cute/awesome. Anyone else? Maybe summer is a good time for people to share products with me or maybe I’ve genuniely been living both on and under a rock. Who knows! Either way, I’m excited to share 4 new-to-me companies I love with you today! Let’s dive right in…

4 New-To-Me Companies I Love

Follain – If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw that I have been recently pretty appalled by what the ratings are on my beauty cabinet. I use the app “Think Dirty” and EWG.org to tell me about the ingredients in my skincare, makeup and  household cleaners and all I have to say is — WOW. The app and website combined are really eye-opening. That said, it’s really easy to fall down a rabbit hole and before long I felt really overwhelmed with all the information out there.

A couple weeks back, my friend Meredith recommended Follain to me. Follain was founded by a woman named Tara Foley. In her own words:

“Back in 2009, I was on a completely different career path (law!), working long hours, and trying to stay healthy. It occurred to me that I focused on fitness and healthy eating – but not what I put on my face and body. So I started asking questions and launched a blog called Naturalchemyst. The response showed me how many of us wanted to understand what we’re putting on ourselves and where to find effective, luxurious, nontoxic options. When the concept won a national retail business plan competition during my MBA program at Babson, I knew we were onto something! After years of hands-in-the-dirt learning both on a lavender farm in France and with a private label beauty company, I founded Follain in 2013 because I believed and still do that no one should have to sacrifice health for beauty.”

This interview with Tara is amazing (it’s only about 15 minutes and you can listen to it!) and browsing the site makes things a little bit more easy to understand in the world of “clean” beauty. Each category is broken down (as seen in the above screenshot) and kind of makes things a little less intimidating! I have a whole post coming on what the “Think Dirty” app taught me, the first thing I’m getting rid of and the new products I’m excited to try, but I wanted to share Follain for any people who are further ahead of the curve than I am with cleaning out their cabinets of toxins!

A Salty Soul – Yet another discovery from an Instagram friend is A Salty Soul shop. I originally saw the below tee and thought – that is so freaking cute! And after taking a peek around the rest of their website, I feel even more in love.

In their own words: “A Salty Soul is a casual lifestyle brand for those who simply love the sea and are passionate about giving back. We give back to organizations providing kids with access to salty activities. Success will be when we have a robust philanthropic platform! We are about building a community, encouraging exploration, embracing life and supporting the next generation of Salty Souls. We are so excited to be funding surf lessons again this Summer (2018) through the Boys & Girls Club on island and in partnership with ACK Surf School.” They have quite a few cute options for the whole family that are sea inspired, so be sure to take a peek!

Elder Friends – My friend Kelly posted on Instagram last week about her date with her “elder friend” and I felt myself getting a little misty. She was talking about how she and her friend garden together and just generally have a really good time chatting and hanging out. Immediately, I googled the program and commented how awesome I thought it was and her response really resonated with me. “It was exactly what I was looking for. It has always made me sad how society tends to make older adults invisible…especially since age comes for us all!” How true, right?

(print is via Brian Andreas – another amazing artist and company, but not new to me. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE his work!)

ElderFriends is rooted in life’s simple pleasures, like close friends, laughter and good food in pleasant surroundings. By facilitating regular friendly visits, we strive to meet the emotional needs of isolated older adults, helping them to live a full life, in their own homes, for as long as possible. Right now, this specific program is only in the Seattle and surrounding region, but I bet similar programs are run in other areas. Either way – it completely warms my heart and I love it!

Late July – Specifically – Late July Jalapeño Lime Tortilla Chips. You all know my love of Siete chips, but I had a little affair with these Jalapeño Lime chips after I picked them up at Costco one day and tore into them like a ravenous animal before I could get home (hello, Hawaii traffic!). HOLY MOLY! I think I could have easily devoured the bag in one sitting, but I wanted Dane to try them because I knew how much he would love them. The COSTCO SIZED BAG was gone in 24 hours.

Late July offers organic, vegan, nut-free, gluten-free chips that are so dang delicious I’m struggling to put it into words. Just honestly take my advice and try them if you can find them in stores. Iff not, you can order a bag here. They do not disappoint, I promise!

Have you heard of these companies? What are you loving lately? Feel free to share and drop links below!