The Never Ending

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What inspired you to start your business?

For over ten years, I have been creating soaps, incense, candles, and herbal products. This journey began when I made massage therapy oils for my clients. Many massage oils contain petroleum and allergens, so I sought a natural alternative that would be safe for myself and my clients’ skin, as I used these oils daily. A key note is that I have bad allergies to man-made fragrances. With two sinus surgeries to prove it, I needed to stop all harsh chemicals used in my practice and at home. Hence, after years of testing different recipes for natural products, I developed healthy and effective formulas. Encouraged by my massage therapy clients, I started to gift and soft-sell my natural products.

How do you describe your brand?

It is your not so common apothecary with ingredients grown in PEI. All-natural candles, soaps, incense, and apothecary items, with no man-made chemicals, perfumes, or fragrances used. Upon harvesting, I transform botanicals into rich oils or drying them for various applications.

I offer 100% CANADIAN, 100% Vegan, 100% Paraben/Phthalates/Petro Free products to the health-conscious customers and businesses. I provide a natural product such as soap (Made with PEI Ocean Water), candles (100% Soy and local beeswax), but also hand rolled incense, beard balm, diffuser blends, solid perfume, and massage oil. All these products are made from ingredients grown on my farm or sourced from other PEI/Maritime farmers (For example: I source my beeswax from a local beekeeper in Mermaid, PEI, and my honey from another farmer in Crapaud).

My product scents come from plant-infused oils. It is not any scent most are used to such as the common “Cinnamon Bun” “Gingerbread Man” “Lavender & Peppermint”, or “Pumpkin Spice”. In fact, NEA’s scents are far from ordinary. The majority of the recipes have been formulated over the years and based on Fantasy/Sci-fi books/movies/tv series with their characters/moments. For example: “Winter is Coming…” is a popular product based on a famous saying in Game of Thrones (George Martin book series) with ingredients such as pine, cedar, and cinnamon. Or another example, Dragon Smoke incense cones based on Lord of the Rings with ingredients of dragon’s blood resin, local coffee, balsam fir wood and needles, cedar, ginger, a hint of charcoal, all smoked over maple log flames and then hand rolled into cones.

I also specially grind wood to smoke the botanicals. My plant-infused oils vary in color, from a rich amber to a deep black, with other shades created using seeds, herbs, spirulina, and clays.

What’s your bestselling product & why do you think they’re so popular?

Okay, this is going to sound wild, but Grandma’s Ghost is our best selling soap, candle, wax melts, and incense cones. We are now working on a solid perfume and linen spray since this aroma has captured many fans.

Grandma’s Ghost product idea started with our daughter who loves germaniums and wanted to combine it with grapefruit peels. Voila! A beautiful concoction of infusions of these botanicals came together to create a big lasting hug from grandma.

What’s your favourite product from your own shop?

Two items top my favourites list, as they reside in my shower and bedroom. First up is Gardens of Lórien, a delightful mix of PEI rosemary, PEI peppermint, and PEI cucumber. It’s incredibly refreshing and takes me back to my spa and massage therapy days. The scent is a crisp, clean burst of cucumbers and herbs. The second is my all-time favourite, Wishes From the Warlock. I have a passion for lemons and lemongrass, and this soap and candle combo delivers a vibrant, strong citrus aroma blended with herbal notes.

What’s your favourite local Prince Edward Island business?

I am a hard-core advocate for true local business. RIght now any fellow farmer has my eye. We are all about to start preparing our lands for the growing season, and seed sharing is a must. Shout-out to one of my favourite farmers Island Hill Farms who is just down the road from me and is a major inspiration to keeping my goats healthy!