Chivas at the Ojai Lavender Festival!

This Saturday, June 25^th, is the 2009 Ojai Valley Lavender Festival in Downtown Ojai, where over 50 vendors (Chivas included!) will gather to showcase their products, all of which are infused with lavender (it is called the Lavender Festival, after all).

We will be there with our Lavender Oatmeal Goat Milk Soap, Lavender Pine Chamomile Goat Milk Soap, lavender sachets, and more. We’ll also have our other Chivas products for you to check out.

Need more convincing to make your way to Ojai this Saturday? Check out some of the benefits of hooking yourself up with lavender.

• claimed to soothe and heal insect bites
• lavender oil is said to soothe headaches
• Lavender oil (or extract of Lavender) is claimed to heal acne when used diluted 1:10 with water, rosewater, or witch hazel
• used in the treatment of skin burns and inflammatory conditions
• has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties

Lavender; it’s a beautiful thing.

Q&A with Carrie & Taylor, our summer interns

Taylor Harkins and Carrie Widder grew up together in Newport Beach, California. We're excited for the energy they bring to our team! Taylor attends Santa Clara University where she studies Marketing and is a member of their women’s water polo team. She will help us expand our custom order business and work on sales and marketing efforts. Carrie will contribute to our social media efforts, including writing for our blog and newsletter. An aspiring journalist, she is currently an English major at New York University. To get to know them a little better, we had Taylor and Carrie interview one another for our blog. Here's what they had to say:

Taylor: So, Carrie, how did you hear about Chivas?

Carrie: Funny you should mention that. You actually told me about Chivas and how much you were loving your summer internship. How did you hear about Chivas?

Taylor: I heard about it through someone who had worked with Angie [our marketing/sales director] previously and knew Chivas was looking for interns. I applied and now here I am, playing with goats and computers - not together, for obvious reasons. So, I have a fun question for you. If you had a goat of your own, what would you name it and why?

Carrie: I love the show Lost, so I think I would name the goat after one of my favorite characters - either Desmond, Sayid, or Sawyer. Should my goat procreate, there are an endless amount of character names on the show to continue the naming legacy. What would you name your goat?

Taylor: My first instinct is Santa, but that's a lot of pressure for a goat. I think I'll settle on Blitzen, one of his reindeer. Also, fun fact, Blitz means lightning in German. Bet you didn't know that.

Carrie: Actually, I did, because I'm the one who just told you that.

Taylor: Sassy.

Carrie: I know. You mentioned that there are some pretty crazy animals at the Johanson's house, like tortoises and pigs. I'm excited to meet them when we're at the farm tomorrow. What animal would you add to the mix?

Taylor: Ideally, a baby elephant. Unfortunately, due to size limitations, climate, and probably health codes, that's not really a possibility. More realistically, I think I would bring in a female German Shepherd so that Moose [the Johanson's male German Shephard] could not only have a companion but also a girlfriend. Carrie, last question. What is your favorite Chivas product and why?

Carrie: I have to say the Chivas Original Vegan Lip Balm. Not only is it perfect for summer, it doesn't use that lanolin nonsense! After helping to research the answers for our lip balm FAQ, I was a little grossed out by the idea of putting lanolin on my lips.

Your Questions Answered: Lip Balm 101

When I found myself 'addicted' to my many brands of medicated lip balm, I realized I needed an intervention. And so my mom and I formulated Chivas Vegan Lip Balm using high-quality ingredients, quite different from many of the 'other' lip balms on the market. The result? I've officially kicked my must-reapply habit. And so can you! 



What makes our lip balms different? And what exactly is a Vegan lip balm? And what are some of those ingredients in the 'other' lip balms anyway? You asked; we answer.

Q: I often see lanolin as an ingredient in lip balm. What is it? Why doesn't Chivas use it?

A: Lanolin is a greasy yellow substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool bearing animals, usually sheep. Different forms of lanolin can be found in shoe polish, printing ink, and hairspray.

For some people, using cosmetic products that contain impure lanolin can result in an allergic reaction.

That certainly doesn't sound too appealing to us! Unlike many others on the market, our lip balm is proudly lanolin-free.

Q: What does it mean when you say your lip balm is vegan?

A: A vegan product is a product that does not contain any kind of animal product. That said, you won't find animal products like lanolin and beeswax in our lip balm. Instead of beeswax we use plant-derived candelilla wax, which serves as the hardening agent in the balm. We also add coconut oil and Shea Butter, which at room temperature are hard oils. This combination keeps our lip balm firm yet smooth.

Q: What other ingredients are unique to Chivas' lip balm?

A: The other oils contained in our lip balm are not often found in lip balms. Why? Because they are of such high quality.

These high quality oils set our Chivas Original Vegan Lip Balm ahead of the rest:

• Jojoba Oil: Made from the seed of the jojoba plant, and is an exceptional moisturizer.
• Rosehip Oil: Has a high vitamin-C content and is often found in anti-aging products. The fatty acids in rosehip oil are good at regenerating the skin and smoothing out wrinkles.
• Vitamin-E: Nourishes the skin and leaves it soft.
• Neem Oil: A vegetable oil made from the fruits and seeds of Neem trees. Also said to be very therapeutic.