Welcome to
our Spotlight, Louise. Please tell us about yourself and
how your interest in making all-natural beauty products
developed.
My loves of the sea and seaweeds, starts in the place of my
birth, east coast Nova Scotia, Canada. As babies, every
summer afternoon my mother would walk us (all five children,
my two younger brothers and two older sisters) the five
minutes from my home to the beach, where we would often spend
the afternoon.
As children my brother and I would walk to the beach in
the hope of finding our favourite ocean snack. We would
scout the ocean until we found free floating kelp. Once
spotted one of us would wade in, sometimes waists deep and
pull up the kelp stipe in the expectation of finding the
attached seaweed, called dulses. More often than not
there was! We would then snap off the stipe and save the
piece with the dulse. As we continued exploring the
shore, we happily munched the tender seaweed snack.
Dulse is a favourite of Nova Scotians. It only grows in the
cold Atlantic ocean.
As I grew up, after high school and the first year
university, uncertain of my future plans, I left Nova Scotia
and headed for Montreal. There I found work in an
antique shop. I also learned the craft of Stained Glass
and jewelry making. After a few years I returned to Nova
Scotia and started Lighthouse Stained Glass Souvenirs. I
designed and made, stained glass items with a nautical theme
for the maritime tourist trade.
In the spring of 1990 I planned a summer trip to
Coastal British Columbia Canada (where my parents took me, my
brothers and sisters as kids for a summer vacation and I
distinctly remember being overwhelmed by its nature and beauty
and saying to myself this is where I want to live) that
vacation would change my life.
That summer my plan was to hike the renowned West Coast
Trail of British Columbia and then visit the beautiful Totem
poles of the local Tsimshiam people in Prince Rupert, from
there my journey would take me on the 11 hour ferry trip to
the rain forests of the Queen Charlotte Island. It was
hiking paradise, including the famous and picturesque Rose
Spit ocean beach hike.
After my fill of hiking, I had the opportunity to care
take a house in Tlell Queen Charlotte where I made a friend
who was homesteading about a mile away in the house that she
built. There was only a very rustic trail leading to her
house so they had to helicopter in her cast iron cooking
stove. One day she came to visit and brought along a
stack full of Whole Earth Catalogues for me to read.
Later on that day as I looked at one of the magazines, a small
ad caught my attention. It was circled in red and it read
“Apprentice Wildcrafting Medicinal and Edible Herbs”!
This had been a long time wish of mine to learn hands
on about plants in the wild and their properties as food and
medicine. I was very excited and on the first occasion I
thanked my friend for underlining the ad which I otherwise may
have very well overlooked. To my amazement she replied
that she had not circled the ad. Destiny called and I
contacted my to be teacher Master Herbalist Ryan Drum.
So began a 4 year apprenticeship as a wildcrafter on
the remote San Juan Island in Western Washington. In the
forests and fields and ocean we harvested medicinal roots,
leaves, flowers, barks and berries depending on the seasons
and also so 12 different types of seaweeds. I was taught
how to properly wildcraft herbs and seaweeds. I was also
taught the medicinal properties and how to make medicine by
making infusions, tinctures, teas oils, salves and poultices.
For fun I would take mud baths (from a mineral rich,
ice age mud found in the pond on the property) and lie in the
hot sun until the clay would crack off. On cold starry
nights I would fill the outside hot water bath tub with a
bucket full of fresh Bladderwrack, sink in the hot fragrant
gel of the mineral rich squishy soft seaweed and thoroughly
enjoy!
I so loved being on the ocean and working with the
seaweeds that when I reached the end of my apprenticeship I
decided to try my luck as a professional seaweed harvester.
After much adventure with scouting the perfect place to
set up my new enterprise, I found such a place amongst the
Southern Gulf islands on a small uninhabited island called
Sidney Island, which little did I know would be called home
for the next 9 years until 2004. The only inhabitants
were deer and the wild peacocks that were introduced in 1960.
So there I was amongst wild peacocks, deer and loads of
beautiful seaweeds and sunshine. What more could I ask
for?
It was lonely and hard work for the already 2 years
that I had been there. As if granting my wish that
spring, I met a special someone. He was later to become
my husband and partner.
My husband and I are now no longer on Sidney Island but
have relocated since Nov. 2004, to the land of Rainbows and
Seaweed, Prince Rupert located in the Pacific Northwest not
far from the Alaskan border.
BC KELP as a business continues to thrive, as more and more
people discover the scrumptious and nutritious seaweeds.
What are
some of the misconceptions when it comes to Sea Weed?
I think one of the misconceptions when it comes to seaweed is
YUK! SEAWEED.... That slimy stuff that clumps up on the beach. Many people have not had the opportunity to to see the various
seaweeds in their environment and therefore cannot appreciate
their beauty. At markets when I give out kelp samples, people
are surprised to find that they like the taste.
Please tell
us about the products that you manufacture and sell. Do
you have any plans to sell or make other all-natural beauty
products in the future?
BC KELP harvests and sells two major edible seaweeds, Bullwhip
Kelp and Bladerwrack, we also make a bath product called
Seaweed Mineral Bath Pouch. This pouch is placed in a hot bath
for a wonderful relaxing sea mineral soak. We also produce an
unscented KELP Soap bar made with all natural vegan oils and
seaweed. This soap makes lots of lather, a soft and silky feel
on the skin. My customers say they like that the bar does not
mush up if you leave it in the shower, its long lasting and
that it uses down to a fine sliver. We do have a few other all
natural beauty products from the sea that we plan to
incorporate into our bath and beauty product line in the near
future.
Are there
any funny or interesting stories that you'd like to share with
us?
Here's a funny story (not funny at the time) from one of our
kelp harvesting adventures...
We were just on our way back with our buckets full of
seaweed when my husband yells out THE BOAT IS SINKING!
Sure enough we were collecting water in the boat FAST. I
suspected what it was and quickly ran to the end of the boat
and checked to see if the boat plugs were still intact. One
plug had been loosened by a free floating kelp stipe and the
water was swiftly gushing in. Fortunately Holgers' quick
thinking saved the day. He quickly took his shirt off and
plugged it enough so we were able to safely get back.
Another odd story of an especially dry summer, comes to
mind......
That summer the resident deer were very hungry because we had
a record dry season, so dry that the deers' usual foliage had
not grown lush as usual and they were so hungry, that at night
they would congregate at our kelp lines to munch on the easily
accessable rows of salty kelp. We were surprised and
dismayed to see our nice kelp being pulled off the lines and
eaten, so that there would be big empty spaces where the kelp
should have been. What to do! We took turns, pulled our
bed outside, armed with a pot and wooded spoon . At dark
I could hear the deer timidly approach. I would then clang the
pot with the wooden spoon and bring on the noise! We got the
desired effect and the unexpected opportunity to sleep under
the stars.
What do you do for fun there in your beautiful Rupert
Island world?
For fun we go hiking and explore the old abandoned homesteads
from the early 1900. Also we boat to the many small
uninhabited islands which are still intact with old growth
cedar, spruce and fir. In the fall we love to go wild mushroom
hunting.
Have you noticed an increase in people's awareness of the
importance of Sea Weed?
Yes. Since the 10 years we are in business, we have
noticed that people are more aware of the importance of
seaweeds. For example in stores you now find seaweed
shampoos, seaweed soaps, seaweed facial cleanse etc... Also as
a healthy alternative to salt, people are turning to seaweed
powder and Bladderwrack is now a popular item as a weight loss
supplement. More vegetarians are discovering seaweed as
a tasty and mineral rich addition to there diet.
What advice would you give to someone that wanted to start
their own all-natural beauty business?
The most important advice I could give someone who wanted to
start their all-natural beauty business is two things:
Keep the product simple
Easy to use
What would be your idea of the perfect pampering session?
Are you good about getting your pampering needs met?
My perfect pampering session would be... a cold star filled
winter night, in an outside hot tub with unlimited hot water,
filled with lots of seaweed mineral bath pouches. I love
saunas and hot bath soaks and I do take time for these
pleasures.
