APR22: Meet the Makers
“We believe that Time is an invisible ingredient, and so the majority of what makes up an IDYLHOUR box is carefully handmade.”
Don’t know about all of you, but we were at the end of our winter reserves. Finally, spring is here!
We’re done with hunkering down and coziness. We’re ready for sun, for color and blooms and leisurely twilight strolls. We’re ready to start planting some seeds.
If that sounds good to you, check out our APR22 care box, chock full of fresh springtime feels, textures and ideas. You might notice that this box is particularly colorful because it’s all about embracing the next seasons of our lives.
Wild Origins, founded by herbalist Anikó Zala, is about as hyper-local as you can imagine. Anikó sources or forages the ingredients of her carefully concocted potions from within her bioregion. In these days of mass globalization, it can be challenging to find ways to experience the profound connection between land and maker. Like many of the makers we feature, Anikó came to her profession through intensely personal means. When traditional medicine proved ineffective in treating her health issues, she turned to herbalism.
Wildly inspired by her lineage of Hungarian folkhealers, Anikó also shares her accumulated wisdoms with others by teaching the magic, practicalities, and pure pleasures of working with herbs and producing quality herbal alternatives to mainstream products.
Included in this month’s box from Wild Origins is the nourishing Comfrey + Calendula Oil, a natural anti-inflammatory and moisturizes without a greasy after feeling. Both calendula and comfrey have a long history in European folk medicine as skin-soothing plants and this oil uses a whole plant method as opposed to adding essential oils.
We couldn’t wait to include the Pink Mud mask, inspired by the naturally therapeutic properties of the mineral-rich mud around Hungary’s thermal springs. Made with hibiscus powder, the vibrant hue is a bright potion to adorn yourself with as we dive into spring and its abundance of color.
Us Two was founded by Maggie Xue who is bringing a ‘farm to cup’ expereince of Asian tea culture to a wider audience in the United States. Maggie grew up in Shanghai, attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and now lives in New York.
Maggie is passionate about the inextricable link between tea and Asian culture. “Tea is at the heart of Asian culture and it has always been a part of my life,” she says. “Yet the tea brands we know and love are not Asian. I think It is our generation’s responsibility to claim our culture and create a brand that represents us. And so, I wanted to bring forth a really beautiful, high-quality product that could appeal to the new generations of tea drinkers here in America.”
Us Two Tea represents the second generation of Asian Americans - an Asian founded and owned tea brand that promotes Asian culture, values, and lifestyle. Bringing exceptional tea to the table, they work directly with family-owned farms in Taiwan's high mountains.
One of the stars of this month’s IDYLHOUR box is their jasmine tea, Pillowtalk. Both delightfully delicate and intensely soothing., this Taiwanese Jasmine tea is created by infusing jasmine flowers in a base of green tea. It’s well known for its sweet, floral aroma and stress-relieving abilities. Pillowtalk is packaged in biodegradable corn fiber tea sachets with whole jasmine leaves, so you can steep each sachet multiple times and experience the different flavor profiles.
Shop the APR22 IDYLHOUR boxes here.