Last year we had the incredible luck to be included in a Petit Vour subscription box. Not only was it a thrill to work with the PV team, women across the US had a chance to try our natural, vegan towelettes. When the subscription boxes shipped out, we were glued to Instagram. Subscribers were uploading gorgeous shots of the contents of the PV box, our towelettes included! Then a negative review landed like a dropped bowling ball.
Although our towelettes were deemed “fine” our intentions for making them were not. Because we make scented products, it was implied that BOX Naturals was anti-woman in that “this is another thing women have to do to be considered attractive.”
The reason we’re scented is simple. When the ingredients in our natural, gentle formula are blended together, it creates a scent. To neutralize that and get a scent-free wipe, our only option is to use a harsh chemical mixture. That’s completely against what we stand for as a company and simply put, it's not worth the risk of using chemicals.
Instead we use just enough of the best organic essential oils to create a pleasant smell. Rose and lavender essential oils both have beneficial properties – they’re soothing and good for your skin and your mood. We're not making mango-grapefruit-whipped cream towelettes because we’d have to use volatile parfum molecules, which could end up reacting with sensitive skin.
Our goal has always been to provide women with the most natural product possible, using a few ingredients as we can. Our light, natural scents are not designed to leave a lasting impression.
As a company, we’re as far from the patriarchy as you can get. Our founder, Irene, is a Wellesley grad who worked on Wall Street, had two babies and started her own company. I am a fiercely independent, globe-wandering Brand/Strategy Specialist – and we are both proud feminists.
We believe women should smell how they naturally smell, or however they want to smell. That’s not what BOX Naturals is about. We’re simply providing something we couldn’t find ourselves, a natural alternative to the towelettes that are out there, that are gentle enough to use however you want from head to toe. :)