As consumers are becoming more purchase-conscious and “green,†this is a boom time for natural and organic cosmetic companies. Their motives are less capitalistic but more about creating a new generation of skin and earth friendly products. Pharmacopia is just one of these companies with a pledge to be completely transparent. The company was founded in 1999 by a woman with fibromyalgia who sought alternative healing methods. Pharmacopia has since become a full range body care line divided into two lines: an aromatherapy line and an everyday line. The products are restorative and toxin-free with nostalgic, 19th century packaging similar to Kiehl’s or L’Occitane. The Everyday products have two soft infused scents of lemon verbena and green tea, and jasmine clary sage. The Bath Grains ($11, 11 oz.) are a blend of sea and Epsom salts to soothe muscles, hydrate the skin, and ease general tension. A Pharmacopia bath at the end of the day was such a treat for the body! The bar soap ($5.20, 4 oz.) contains rice bran, palm oil, and shea butter which leaves your skin squeaky clean and hydrated. The soap also provides gentle ex-foliation. The hand cream ($4.90, 1.7 oz.) has shea butter, oat straw, and aloe vera. The application was thick but not greasy like many hand lotions to relieve wintery hands. Organic products, of any sort have, yet to cater to the budget-minded, but the higher price goes toward the cost of pure, quality ingredients. Pharmacopia doesn’t rely on packaging or clever advertising; it’s about as straight forward as you can get and they stand behind that commitment. Pharmacopia has also dotted their I’s and crossed their T’s, so to speak, with approval from PETA, the use of recycled packaging, the products are vegan and organic, and remains a woman-owned company.
