A MOTHER-DAUGHTER COLLAB WITH TANGLE CHOCOLATE
May 06, 2021
A very 2021 way to celebrate Mother’s Day is to learn about a mother and daughter-owned small business. No, the business isn’t Tangle Chocolate (though maybe Tangle will be mother-daughter owned one day!), but it is one that we work with. Blue Skye Wellness is an aromatherapy and Reiki-based wellness business located in Chester, Massachusetts and owned by Kay and Erin Judge. Blue Skye and Tangle have collaborated to create “Light,” a beautiful, bright, uplifting room spritzer found in our “Let the Light In” gift box.
The idea behind the gift box is to acknowledge all that we have been through over the past year and to gift people things to uplift their spirits and freshen their homes (which we have all spent sooooo much time in!). The other products included in “Let the Light In” are a Language of Love box of Tangle Chocolate slivers, a 6-oz bag of YUP coffee beans, and a beautiful bar of Amherst Soaps Tangle Chocolate soap which is handmade using our cocoa bean husks and nibs.
Kay and Erin got their start in aromatherapy in 2015 when they began using natural cleaning products in their homes. Erin says that she and her mom “fell in love with the essential oils” after learning more about them from a friend. From there, “we started finding all these recipes and making things and having a lot of fun with it.”
They quickly realized the power of essential oils when they made a natural bug spray that ended up burning a relative’s skin. That experience made them realize they wanted and needed more knowledge, which led Kay to aromatherapy school and Erin to a deep dive into aromatherapy education on her own. They’ve not had another accident since, and take seriously the responsibility of creating safe products.
A hugely important fact that many people don’t know is that there is a big difference between the essential oils that Blue Skye uses and fragrance oils. Kay and Erin explain that essential oils are distilled directly from plants, are labor intensive to make, and are very costly. Fragrance oils are made in a laboratory of synthetic chemicals that are added to a carrying oil and are much more economical than essential oils. Both are used widely. A consumer might want to know which is in the product they are buying because some fragrance oils can cause headaches and respiratory problems and some contain phthalates which can be hormone disruptors. Product labels will contain information about which kind of oil is in the product.
Over the years, Kay has learned, “Aromatherapy is not just nice smells. When we use essential oils, we are driving certain actions in our body.” Because essential oils create a response in our bodies, it’s important to use them at specific times or in specific ways. For example, the Tangle collaboration spritzer, “Light,” is made with the essential oils of clary sage, mandarin, rosemary, and spearmint, all of which are energizing. It’s designed to dissipate out of the air and our bodies after a short while so that we aren’t soaking up uplifting oils at all times of day. Kay explains,“Those ‘nice smells’ are actually having an effect, whether it’s physical or mental or spiritual.”
While running a business together, Erin and Kay rely on their ability to collaborate. Kay reflects, “I think we work as a team––we have different strengths… Erin is a college professor, she comes from a long line of teachers, and I come from a long line of caregivers and nurturers but not teachers, so when I was first starting out with my classes, it was really helpful to have her there, as she could sort of refocus me... I’ll have a thought late at night and I’ll send her a text and she’ll text me back ‘Good idea’ or ‘I already did that’.” Erin adds that “It’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of––to make sure you’re not getting off track––or someone to be cheering you on.”
Erin and Kay also love being able to collaborate with local businesses like Tangle. Kay says that “the idea of having these curated boxes and bringing in other local businesses to help support and make this sort of synergy––it’s really wonderful… Even now when we can have stuff brought to us from the other side of the world, we also realize there’s really beautiful stuff people are creating in our backyard, and that’s really affirming too.”
Erin agrees, “I’m a big supporter of keeping it local as much as possible. Local businesses tend to be more mindful of the communities they’re operating in and they tend to treat their employees better. You can really appreciate the products even more when you know the people who made them. So it’s always exciting to do these kinds of collaborations.”
Here at Tangle, we’re excited too, and we wish this special duo a very happy Mother’s Day! To see Blue Skye Wellness’s full product line, go to https://blueskyewellness.com/.
