Why is wild so special?

Spring time in Newfoundland is absolutely my favourite time of year. It's a time shake off winter's cobwebs, and to breathe deeply and feel the undeniable sense of renewal.

Here at the edge of the earth, we operate in accordance with the biodynamics of wild growing cycles. This means that we work consciously and in sync with the natural rhythms of the earth, resulting in distinctly seasonal batches. Ethical wildcrafting involves more than just harvesting, it takes emotional connection to place, and a deep understanding of the synergy of the land. We never take more than we need and intentionally care for the land to ensure its future health.

Pictured: Wild Usnea

Botanicals native to Newfoundland are some of the most resilient plants in the world and have been conditioned over thousands of years to not only survive in one of the wildest places on earth, but to thrive in the long, intense winters with arctic temperatures and wind. It’s these conditions that create the powerful antioxidant profiles of wild Newfoundland plants, and our slow, meticulous processes capture and extract their diverse abundance of beneficial compounds. We embrace this diversity, and so variations in scent and color are not just expected, but celebrated for each limited batch.  

This year we had high hopes of spending the entire spring, summer, and fall deep in the woods gathering treasures for your skincare ... but life had other plans.

A few weeks ago, I got lost in the woods after flooding had washed out an unfamiliar trail, slipped on some ice, and broke my fibula and ankle. After an hour or so, some lovely hikers found me and called for an ambulance. While surgery fixed me up, now there are months of recovery ahead ... but all I find myself worried about is how I'm going to get back into the woods before the snow starts falling again. Sigh.

Thank goodness we hired a stellar dream team for the upcoming season. Stay tuned for new staff profiles coming soon!

Usnea (pictured above), or Old Man's Beard Fun Fact: Usnea is a very slow-growing lichen that is also referred to as the 'lungs of the forest.' It acts as a sponge to clean the air of pollutants. Because of this, it is very important to only gather from unpolluted areas and also, because it grows so slowly, in order to sustainably harvest it, gather only from fallen trees. Traditionally, usnea was used as a powerful antibacterial that could be used to pack wounds to prevent infections. Its powerful antibacterial properties are a star ingredient in almost every product we make - including our super effective natural deodorant!