Susan Brackney's Articles

Maybe you're all about camping and hiking! Or you're singularly obsessed with growing that perfect heirloom tomato? Whatever your favorite outdoor pursuit happens to be, we've got you covered with a few outdoorsy body care recipes.

Earth Day's just around the corner, but we think every day should be Earth Day! Rather than let climate change, natural habitat loss, and other environmental issues get us down, we're getting busy instead. Here are several ways you can effect real change for all sorts of creatures and the whole planet, too.

Spring's nearly here, and that means fresh air, chirping birds, and. . . spring cleaning, of course! ​To help you save money and walk a little more lightly on the earth, here are a few eco-friendly tips—and some recipes to make your own cleaning supplies, too!

We love learning from our customers. Recently, one of them wrote: “Thank you for making gluten-free products and being an advocate for those of us with [celiac] disease. One correction I’d like to make to your explanation on your website is that celiac disease is not an 'extreme allergy.' It’s not an allergy at all but it IS an autoimmune disease.“ We've revised our celiac information accordingly. Check it out here!

Variety is the spice of life, so we thought we'd add some ground cardamom seed to our ingredient mix at The Mad Optimist!

If you like a good scrubbing, you're in luck. Now you can add pumice powder as an exfoliant when you customize your own soap. The pulverized volcanic rock is pleasantly rough—and somewhat complex to describe...

Thanks to Mad Optimist customers like you, we were recently able to donate $726 to the following causes: National Coalition for the Homeless; Masjid al-Rabia, an LGBT youth group; and the International Rescue Committee, a refugee support organization.

What says, “I'm eco-conscious, thoughtful, and unique” better than all-natural, custom body care? Other than maybe a nice, live cedar tree, but why not do both? Whatever gender your sweetie might be, you can design a bar soap, body soak, lip balm, or spray we think they'll love