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Q&A with The Mountain Rose Herbs Book of Natural Body Care author Shawn Donnille

The Mountain Rose Herbs Book of Natural Body Care: 68 Simple Recipes for Health and Beauty

DYI Body Care Recipes, Rosemary Gladstar, herbal tea baths, plant-based punk rock and more!

Shawn Donnille, owner and President of Mountain Rose Herbs, one of the nation’s largest retailers of organic products and natural body care formulations. After formulating and developing countless wellness products for more than 20 years, he is considered an expert in the realm of natural living. He is both an avid outdoor enthusiast and an activist working to protect our wildlife and strengthen our wild spaces.  

Shawn Donnille author of The Mountain Rose Herbs Book of Natural Body Care: 68 Simple Recipes for Health and Beauty

Donnille’s book, The Mountain Rose Herbs Book of Natural Body Care, is a must-have introduction to DIY natural self-care. Built specifically for the beginner in mind, it starts with foundation knowledge on tools and supplies, herbs and essential oils, and safe substitutions and modifications. 

How did Mountain Rose Herbs begin? How does its ethos influence the book? 

Mountain Rose Herbs’ roots began with Rosemary Gladstar, who is often referred to as the Godmother of American Herbalism. She started the company to supply her students with quality herbs for their studies, so the company was founded with education as a top priority and has never really deviated from that. However, the company really didn’t blossom into what it is known to be today until Julie Bailey and I took ownership.

My personal roots in activism are really engrained in Mountain Rose’s culture, and many of my personal convictions, including a deep aversion to big corporations, are amongst the core framework that Mountain Rose Herbs is built on.

My distrust of “big pharma” and major cosmetic companies has really driven the decision to carry only clean and environmentally friendly herbal products that people can use in good conscience.

With Mountain Rose Herbs’ focus on education and the drive to provide better wellness and personal care options, it was only a matter of time before this book would come to be. We’ve been building toward this for years, and this is an exciting new manifestation of the Mountain Rose Herbs philosophy and lifestyle.

How did you begin your journey as an herbalist and naturalist?

As you may have already gathered, my journey into becoming a naturalist and herbalist came from a distrust of corporations, specifically pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies. I am adamantly against testing on animals, and most of this unethical practice centers around synthetic chemicals that are not only harmful to humans but are also harmful to the environment. Synthetics wreak havoc on delicate ecosystems and are pollutants.

Even as a young punk rocker, I used plant-based dyes to color my hair because I knew the impact the alternative would have. I was committed to using only natural shampoos, soaps, salves, etc. and made sure that I wasn’t contributing to pollution or animal testing.

Even as a young punk rocker, I used plant-based dyes to color my hair…and made sure that I wasn’t contributing to pollution or animal testing.

What drove you to create The Mountain Rose Herbs Book of Natural Body Care book?

Truthfully, we have been creating recipes and sharing educational content with our community for decades, and we have been working toward this book for a long time.

A book is an experience, and the tangible form of information far exceeds the experience of reading and searching for things on the internet. When you pick up a book, there is a deep intention of learning or doing. Books don’t pull your focus away with notifications or ads.

A book allows you to be present, and for making natural body care recipes, it helps you create with intention.

What advice would you give someone just starting to explore a more natural lifestyle? 

I would suggest first remembering that the choice to live a natural lifestyle is about more than just your health. It’s about protecting our natural world and ALL of its inhabitants.

The choice to live a natural lifestyle is about more than just your health. It’s about protecting our natural world and ALL of its inhabitants.

I would also recommend that if you are not making it yourself, read the ingredient labels of all the products you use. If you can’t pronounce or understand the ingredients, it requires further investigation before using. And of course, read the Mountain Rose Herbs Book of Natural Body Care!

What inspired you to choose natural body care recipes as the topic for the first book?

Aside from herbs, natural body care products were among some of the first Mountain Rose Herbs offerings. Everyone uses body care products! Crafting DIY homemade skin care recipes was the most approachable—and frankly—the most fun subject.

How did you write The Mountain Rose Herbs Book of Natural Body Care to speak to both intermediary and beginner natural body care recipe creators?

We have always crafted our message to those who are just beginning to explore a more natural lifestyle, so our content is geared toward the beginner.

When we think about impactful ways to reach people, we realize that providing fun and inspiring ideas to those just starting to live a more natural lifestyle is the biggest opportunity for positive change.

With a strong foundation, we then weave in intermediary content so that learning may continue, and more creative and expressive skills and recipes can begin to develop.

How do herbalism and sustainability interact?

Sustainability is inherent in what we do as a company. Without a sustainable mindset, we don’t have a viable future in herbalism and we don’t have the ability to supply people with natural ingredients that help support a healthy life. We are not in the business of taking all we can, while we can, we are in the business of supporting and sustaining life for generations to come.

We are not in the business of taking all we can, while we can, we are in the business of supporting and sustaining life for generations to come.

How does integrating natural herbal body care products into our self-care routines benefit our relationships with ourselves and our relationship to the earth? 

This is a really thought-provoking question! When we practice self-care with the help of plants, we can fall into a natural rhythm with our environment.

Our bodies are always telling us what they need, and when we replace ingredients from nature with ingredients from labs, we begin to lose those signals. We are deeply connected beings.

We are always seeking ways to make the most meaningful and lasting impact, and when you blend practicality with fun, people become more engaged.

Our bodies are always telling us what they need, and when we replace ingredients from nature with ingredients from labs, we begin to lose those signals. We are deeply connected beings.

Are there recipes that you feel best reflect your philosophy of why herbalism is so beneficial? 

I love herbal tea baths—it’s like sipping tea but for the body. The exterior of our body gets to partake and intake the healing attributes of the herbs you are bathing in.

It’s an intentional exercise that allows you to be in the moment. It also requires no fancy equipment and there isn’t a lot of forethought needed.

What do you hope to inspire in people as they read this book and try these recipes?

My deepest hope is that this book inspires change and that more people will abandon conventional, chemical-laced products that are harmful to themselves and to the environment.

The Mountain Rose Herbs Book of Natural Body Care is intended to give people the resources they need to become more thoughtful in their everyday thoughts and practices.