Personal care: now local and responsible
Hey Lufavores! This week, we’re incredibly excited to announce the official launch of personal care products from DRUIDE. You may find it a little strange to discover shampoos, soaps, and more on the Marketplace this week, but when we started speaking to DRUIDE earlier this year we realized very quickly that this is an unbelieveable local company with a similar vision to ours. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share their story and products with you.
DRUIDE: a brief history
The story of DRUIDE can almost be summarized in two photos.
Founder and owner Alain Renaud in 1979 (with a goat!)
Alain Renaud in March 2014
In 1979, Alain Renaud started DRUIDE on a farm in Racine, a small town in the Eastern Townships. A few years later, he did something truly unique. Decades before the organic trend had caught on, he decided that he would provide natural alternatives to conventional personal care products. Just like our partner Mario Bessette, he went the organic route because he understood that creating high-quality, natural products made from the best ingredients was an important choice, not just a marketing strategy. The first soaps they produced were also the first widely-available soaps made from goat’s milk.
Fresh soaps at Druide’s Pointe-Claire facility
15 years ago, DRUIDE started to look more closely at how to change the face of personal care products. They hired a research and development team of three chemists, all of whom are still based in Pointe-Claire. Alain said they come up with the “cake recipes” for new shampoos and soaps: the best ingredients to use, the order in which they’re added, and in what proportions. They also ensure that all of Druide’s products meet the strict standards of ECOCERT organic certification.
The team in Pointe-Claire tests out different ingredients and recipes.
This year DRUIDE turns 35 years old and now has a team of 20. Alain has headed up the operation for its entire life.
Part of the DRUIDE Team
Why we love DRUIDE
DRUIDE is a great local company, and we love their organic mission. But, just like our other partners, they go above-and-beyond, and that’s why we’re so excited to partner with them.
They take great care when selecting the ingredients that go into their products. They place a lot of importance on aromatherapeutic properties, so often they will include essential oils (such as lavender) or plants that have these properties. And none of the ingredients are petroleum-based or chemical byproducts. Over time, Alain says, these ingredients can be damaging from repeated exposure: “Daily exposure over a long period of time is what’s harmful. Especially if you rub those ingredients into your skin.”
DRUIDE carefully selects its ingredients for their hygienic and therapeutic properties.
Their packaging is carefully considered and monitored. All of the bottles and boxes are 100% recyclable, which usually isn’t the case for things like conventional toothpaste. The soaps and lip balms are packaged in recyclable cardboard and folded like origami. This means they don’t have to use glue, so you could even start a fire using the boxes as kindling! (If you were so inclined…)
Soap comes in “origami” glue-free packaging. Great for campfires!
Lufa Farms and DRUIDE have a mutual friend: the David Suzuki Foundation. Both companies share the Foundation's vision for environmental stewardship. DRUIDE has recently been working with students from UQAM on a new line of ECOTRAIL springtime products, and a portion of sales will be donated to the David Suzuki Foundation. Be on the lookout for those this month! DRUIDE has also recently launched an initiative for supporting Éco-quartiers around Montreal by giving credits for donations to the organizations.
This week's sample from DRUIDE
This week we’ll have a free sample of Druide’s Citronella shampoo & shower gel for you all to try. Head over to the Marketplace to add it to your basket, and be sure to let us know what you think. Happy eating! (Or, in this case, happy not for eating.)
