FDA Globalization Act… more info… folks, this is SERIOUS.

I am not crying wolf.

Here is, hands down, the BEST, most informative post I’ve seen yet.

If this doesn’t spur you to action, I don’t know what will.    I’m writing my congresswoman.  What will YOU do?

Please support small business in America and, while you’re at it, remember what principles this country was founded on.

Thank you.

_________________________________________________

Letter to Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, my local Congresswoman (with personal contact information removed, of course):

I am writing to create respectful dialogue about the FDA Globalization Act of 2008.

I am in your district; I am a small business owner who would be immediately put out of business, literally bankrupted by the fees imposed by this Act.

I would like to know how–and whom–I can discuss this matter with in more depth so that I can make it clear how harsh, draconian, and unjust the proposed Act is to small businesses, who depend on their income and want a fair chance to grow their businesses without unfair fees and oppressive paperwork.

At a time when our nation’s economy is in a state of crisis, this Act will only serve to threaten our financial security all the more through a dangerous, damaging domino effect.

A petition against this Act may be found here, issued by Donna Maria Coles-Johnson of the Indie Beauty Network: http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/indie_business/2008/06/stop-the-fda-gl.html#more   She will be in Washington next week to meet with representatives, and has contacted the Wall Street Journal as well as John Kerry to gain publicity.

I happen to be a woman with two chronic health conditions, not eligible for Disability or Welfare, who is following one of the few dreams she has left.  I love what I do, and to have this taken away from me, after years of hard work, would be devastating.  I am far from the only person in this situation.  Please answer my plea for affirmative action to be taken seriously.

My sincere thanks for your time and consideration.  I look forward to hearing from you or your assistants.

Michelle Gilbert
Sarva Natural Artisan Soaps

Changes… and new metaphysical soaps coming…

A sincere, heartfelt thanks to everyone who read my most recent post, and even more thanks to those of you who signed the petition to stop the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. For those of you who are new to this alarming legislation, please read my last post – it’s a very serious matter with huge implications, far greater than just a few bars of soap.

And, to those of you who did not sign the petition… why didn’t you?  Too busy?  Not worried about it?  Figure other people will take care of it?  Then read here.  Industry leaders will be in Washington next week to stand up for YOUR rights as a consumer.  Please support them.

I think all of us affected by this issue should keep going.  Otherwise, the big guys have already won.

So, that means some new soaps! I already offer three product lines, each focusing on a particular aspect or style of soapmaking. It’s time to add another.

In the coming months, you will find “metaphysical” soaps added to the site.

Metaphysics:  An “idea, doctrine, or posited reality outside of human sense perception.”  (courtesy PBS)

Those who study these subtle energies include people who meditate, students of yoga, Reiki practitioners, adherents of Earth-based spirituality, and specialists in vibrational medicine, among many others.   This is not a concept relegated to the New Age bin; it’s been around for thousands of years and is today finding many meeting points with modern science (the curious may contact me for references; this isn’t a quantum physics blog!)

So, what’s a metaphysical soap?

From my point of view, it’s a soap made with natural ingredients carefully chosen for their metaphysical properties, synergistically combined to achieve balance and/or resonate with the more subtle or spiritual aspects of our human experience. A soap to uplift the soul as it cleans the body.

I’ll use herbal infusions, essential oils shown to have particular effects on the mind and spirit, special colors, and other unique additives, and you’ll be able to choose soaps that are:

• Ayurvedic: designed with the chakra system, doshas, and gunas in mind.  (My three years of yoga teacher and yoga therapy training includes Ayurvedic education.)
• Esoteric: digging deep, exploring the occult traditions behind the materials of my art.
• Mythic: honoring humankind’s vast, rich history of myths and deities.
• Still others might follow another direction.  I’ll listen to my creativity and see what happens!

For a taste of what’s to come, check out the new First Harvest soap, which I’ve described here on my blog and is for sale on the Limited Editions page of the Sarva site.

Rest assured that all of your current favorites are staying put!  I draw from many, many traditions in my own life and inner spirit, and I look forward to bringing them all into my craft.

Oh, and want something you don’t see on the Sarva site? Let me know! Comment on this post or write to me.

Lastly, those of you with a nose for web code will notice some major changes in the next few months as I revamp my site. The outward changes will be small, but the “under the hood” changes will be vast. This will mean far better site performance for shoppers and a few more bells and whistles for you to enjoy.

Well, better get back to the soap studio!

Do you love handcrafted soap? Then fight the FDA!

The FDA’s proposed Globalization Act of 2008 places businesses like Sarva in severe jeopardy, potentially forcing small/cottage businesses to shut down and preventing new ones from starting.

The Globalization Act proposes mandating outrageous fees for food, drug, medical device, and cosmetics companies.  Also required would be paperwork that would cripple the average sole proprietor.  Fees for registration and re-registration, certification, importing, exporting, inspection and reinspection, heavy fines for noncompliance, and so on and so forth, are predicted to generate $600 million to fund FDA activities!

Companies such as
Sarva Natural Artisan Soaps
WILL NOT SURVIVE
under this proposed Act.

Let me be clear.  I am fully in support of protecting the safety of consumers.  After all, I too am a consumer, and there’s a lot out there to wonder about! However, these draconian measures are complete overkill and go beyond simply protecting the consumer.  What they will serve to do is limit YOUR choices to only businesses who can afford what might amount to $12,000 per year in fees to simply stay in business.   Yep, that’s big box companies.

And the effects will trickle into an incredible domino effect. If businesses all across the country don’t exist, they don’t need supplies, which shuts their suppliers down. Which puts a dent in the shipping industry. Which causes even more job loss. Which affects every single community. Think of the damage to an already drowning economy that can ensue. Think of the message it delivers to would-be entrepreneurs nationwide: “You don’t have a chance of even getting started.” In a time when many people seek to supplement their income, this is a devastating message.

Think also about consumers like yourself, my valued customers, who come to companies like mine for an alternative to mass-produced synthetics… seeking an environmentally friendly, meaningful product they can feel good about using. What will be left?

What will YOU choose if you lose your right to purchase artisanal products?

Remember:  The fee structure under this Act is NOT tiered.  All businesses, regardless of size, must pay the same fee.  That means a business who earns $1500 in annual profit must pay the same fees that a business who earns $15,000,000 in profit.

Also remember:  The most highly profitable cosmetics businesses are frequently using cheap, synthetic, often highly sensitizing ingredients.  Don’t believe me?  Read the ingredients for yourself.

Doesn’t it seem that the FDA is trying to protect you from NATURAL PRODUCTS?

This could happen very soon. This is the outcome if enough support is not garnered to lobby against this bill.

Thankfully, the bill is presently in draft stage, which still allows time for petitions and discussion!

Please watch this important video made by Donna Maria Coles Johnson, a former attorney, author, and founder of the Indie Beauty Network, a support and advocacy network for small business in the beauty industry.   She explains the issue far better than I ever could.

Next, get involved.  It only takes a couple of minutes to make a difference. Visit the Indie Business Blog, where she has created a petition that YOU can sign to prevent businesses like mine from going under.  You can also visit the site she mentions in the above video, Families Against Unfair Laws, for updates on this important issue.

I am so grateful to all of my customers and friends for supporting what I love to do so much… and if you love your Sarva soap, or any other handcrafted/artisanal personal care items, now’s the time to take action… or you may never get to enjoy them again!

Celebrate the gifts of the first summer harvest!

First Harvest soap

“First Harvest” soap now available online!

This is a soap that almost didn’t happen… more on that later.  But it’s here, and it’s quickly become very popular!

This rich, all-natural soap represents the fruits of our Mother Earth:  Oats have come in from the fields, ready to nourish our bodies.  Local, pure raw honey reminds us of the sweetness of work completed and honors the bees’ energy.  Apricot kernel oil contains the essence of ripe sunshine.  Topped with a Chinese Star Anise for good luck.

Your intrepid soapmaker and product tester (that would be me) loves the luscious lather and thinks the soap smells and looks good enough to eat, though this is highly discouraged.  Remember Bit-O-Honey candies?  Smells just like that.

You can buy it in person exclusively at Goddess Blessed in Lakewood, or online at the Sarva web site, under Limited Editions.  Price is $5.50 per 4-ounce bar, and it comes wrapped with a sisal ribbon and a lovely descriptive gift tag.   First Harvest is available in limited quantities, and only for a short time, so hurry!