Local Bees Contribute to New Moisturizing Lip Balm

By Caryn Gehlmann

Whenever possible, we love to source our essential oils and body care products from local farmers and suppliers here in Southern Oregon. Which is why we’re thrilled to tell you about our newest product – natural lip balm.

E3’s moisturizing lip balm is handmade here in the Rogue Valley in small batches that use beeswax from Bee Blissful Bee Sweet Bee Apiary. And the lavender lip balm is made with lavender oil from our very own farm, Lavender Fields Forever.

Of course, in order to produce the quantity and quality of essential oils our customers need, we partner with farmers and distillers throughout the world. Growing conditions for certain essential oils are only found in specific regions of the world, such as Frankincense or Sandalwood. But we’ve found many benefits of working with local suppliers when possible. For one thing, it’s a way for us to support our local economy and environment, preserving more open spaces since farmers who are getting paid are less likely to sell land for development. We also love to be able to interact directly with our suppliers, fostering a sense of community, which is an integral part of our business.

I’ve already introduced you to Lavender Fields Forever, located in the Applegate Valley. (If you’re curious to learn more about our lavender farm, click here.) But I wanted to share with you more about Bee Blissful Bee Sweet Bee Apiary. Back in 2011, my sister Marge and I attended an event at the Jackson Expo and were fascinated to learn about bees. We decided beekeeping would be a fun joint venture and we invested in our first two hives. My sister has taken the lead in this adventure and today our five hives are located on her property in Ashland.

So when you use e3’s new natural lip balm, you’re using beeswax from our Bee Blissful Bee Sweet Bee Apiary beehives. Our moisturizing lip balm also contains another important bee product – honey! We don’t have enough honey from our own hives, but we’ve been fortunate to be supplied by another local beekeeper, Applegate Apiary.

One of the highlights having beehives for Marge and I is being able to take our observation hive to our local Montessori Pre-school. The kids love learning about bees and that they don’t need to be afraid; honey bees are docile and only sting to protect their Queen and the hive. This education is vital, since as you’ve probably heard, bees are endangered. If you’re lucky enough to see a swarm, call a beekeeper who can help you gather them into a hive!

Let us know what you think about our new natural lip balm, which is available unscented, or in lavender, mint, vanilla and citrus bliss. You can contact us or join us on Facebook with your feedback. And if you live in Southern Oregon please come out to Lavender Fields Forever this summer to meet our e3 team. We will be opening June 15th – check our website for our hours.