Whether it’s you the one who always prefers natural and healthy over conventional products or you have people in your family, or perhaps friends with a different lifestyle, when it comes to sourcing all-natural and environmentally-friendly gifts, you have more options than you think.
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From online shops to artisan boutiques, Canada’s marketplace of natural gifts for people all ages is quite well established. Even if you went online and randomly searched for natural gift boxes and the sorts you’d probably discover that a lot is available, and while you should expect to pay more in this range, you’ll find that you can be happy with your purchase when you make the right choices.
Of course choosing the right gift for someone depends a lot on the budget, but the decision should also be based on the particularities of that person. Many details can determine your choice of gift for someone special: do they have a pet? Are they on a special diet? Do they use cruelty-free products? Do they enjoy going to the spa? Maybe they prefer doing something more active like going to the gym or practicing a sport.
Selecting a gift mindfully is the perfect way to demonstrate your appreciation towards a particular someone in your life, but it’s also a decision you make to support businesses that focus on the well-being of people and the environmental well-being too.
Every time you choose to buy from a specific retailer or a specific brand you support them. That’s where your money goes and that’s from where they thrive.
Health oriented shoppers and people who spend money conscientiously are often times similar to real life detectives. They source and research thoroughly before they ever make a purchase.
Some of the things to keep in mind when looking to buy natural and/or sustainable gifts are:
- Company or business policy: whether or not a product has been sustainably produced and whether or not a product has been tested on animals is one of the most important things to consider. It is only ethical that companies who claim to sell eco-friendly products source from like-minded vendors.
Consider cosmetics and the fact that many brands advertise as cruelty-free but aren’t. Major cosmetics companies pay for animal testing in countries where this is required by law, but their policy is that they never test on animals.
- How natural is natural: relevant for both cosmetics and foods, but with an emphasis on foods here, it’s not always that what retailers label as natural depicts the exact nature of a product. Food labeling is often times more confusing than revealing when it comes to natural products.
What most people understand as natural is unprocessed foods, but many of the so called natural foods that retailers sell have undergone processing and are thus no longer a product of the nature.
- Affordable eco-friendly clothing gifts: Anything natural in the true sense of the word and anything organic will always cost more because the production process takes longer compared to producing conventional foods and merchandise, also because production costs are higher and because of the different, environmentally-oriented production standards.
The same is true with ethical fashion that has been popping up more aggressively these last few years to compete against inhumane fast fashion brands. Clothing is a very popular buy year round and it’s important that we be mindful whenever we purchase fashion items about where they come from.