It started with lip balm...

It's safe to say that if there were already a plethora of nut-free, coconut-free, "allergy-friendly" products out on the market, I wouldn't be reinventing the wheel, and No Nuts Beauty would not exist. While I have indulged in beauty products since I was a teenager, it became a frustrating struggle trying to find natural products that were safe and effective to use in our household; not only for myself, but for my eldest daughter that has severe food allergies. If you've never tried looking for natural lip balms that don't include the use of tree nuts or coconut, I double dare you to check out what's available in your local natural food store. You'll most likely come up empty-handed. We did. And don't get me started on synthetic-based products that line the drug stores! Either lip care was unsafe and not an option to use or the synthetic (but "safe") drug store versions would leave my daughter's lips cracked, dry, and stained with whatever food coloring used to make that cherry-scented variety look more... cherry. We found one brand of lip balm that was the lesser of both evils. It still had soy in it (she has a small allergy to soy as well), but it was something. And something was better than cracked, dry, chapped, uncomfortable lips. When we went to repurchase it at the store, we were told they stopped carrying it due to the lip balm's change in formulation. The new formula included mango butter which immediately made it not an option for us. (Yes, she's allergic to tropical fruits as well. More on all of our allergies on a different day.) At this point I didn't know where else to turn but to make our own. Couldn't be that hard, right? Actually, it wasn't. Admittedly, my first try left me with something that resembled the density of a crayon. But just like cooking, a few tweaks here and there, and we had a great recipe. We successfully used our new lip balm, but couldn't get over how great the product was. We knew that if we had these difficulties in finding safe products, other people with nut and coconut allergies surely do, too. Wanting to share this, I started to share samples of our lip balm, salve, and lip scrub with everyone we knew. I gave it out to friends, neighbors, and my husband's co-workers wanting to know their thoughts and feedback. It was thrilling when people got excited to receive the products we made, but, most importantly, everyone understood why we were wanting to make safe products. There truly is a need for safer products on the market for those with food allergies. It's not news that food allergies have sky-rocketed in the last couple of decades. While there is a need to educate our kids and teens on what to avoid in their food and how to read labels, it could not be more true about what they are putting on their skin. This doesn't just apply to those diagnosed with food allergies, but also to those who are around people with food allergies. For example, I can't go and kiss my daughter knowing I slathered my lips with some coconut oil concoction, and then make food for her with my hands that are drenched in shea-nut butter. Know what I mean? Our goal for No Nuts Beauty is to provide safe and effective natural-based products for those with food allergies as well as those who have loved ones with food allergies.