Going Natural
Anita McLellan’s 44th birthday was unlike any other birthday she’d ever had. That morning, she received a call from her dermatologist that would change the trajectory of her life. Anita was told she had skin cancer, and that she needed to come in to have it removed immediately. The urgency was severe, and the dermatologist stressed that Anita needed to begin wearing sunscreen daily to prevent any recurrence. Having struggled with traditional sunscreens over the years due to an allergy to one of its common ingredients, Anita was concerned. She would break out so badly that she would have to visit the doctor and get a shot to combat the rash. But after her diagnosis, she knew she had to figure out an alternative, and figure it out fast.
Anita went out and bought a very expensive, all natural product, with the hopes that this would alleviate her skin’s reaction. When she got home and began reading the ingredients, she realized she had about half of the items already in her pantry, and the other half weren’t uncommon ingredients. A thought sparked in her head that she could probably make something like this herself. She began doing a lot of research and found a recipe that she was able to tweak to meet her needs. She finally was able to protect her skin without breaking out, and in a significantly more affordable way.
Anita subsequently realized that if she removed the zinc from her homemade sunscreen, she could actually use it as a lotion. One day, she had a friend over who happened to put some on in the bathroom, and she fell in love with it. After finding out that Anita had made it herself, she asked if she would be willing to make some as party favors for an upcoming baby shower. After the shower, several of the guests reached out to Anita asking if they could purchase more. The interest in her products began to increase, and Anita's wheels began to turn.
Because of Anita’s cancer diagnosis, over the years she began to implement more natural products into her lifestyle aside from just lotion. She also began making other self care products, including items like soap and shaving cream. In 2018, after a few years of only making her products for herself and her friends, Anita began to sell elsewhere, and Sweet Root Naturals was officially born. Anita’s goal with her business is to ultimately help individuals live a healthier and more holistic lifestyle. Her products are handcrafted in small batches using natural and botanical ingredients without the use of parabens, petroleum by-products, phthalates or propylene glycol. She sells a myriad of home and body products that are meant to help gradually introduce individuals to a healthier lifestyle.
Anita’s personal philosophy is that you don’t need to be 100% all natural in all areas of life, but the more of the toxins that you can remove, the better off you are. For most people, it’s just not feasible to go from zero to one hundred, and it’s important to start gradually. She wants to help people start getting into this lifestyle in a manageable way, and help them to find products that they can integrate into their everyday lives. Her products are of a higher quality than your typical drugstore finds, but they are also affordable enough so that anyone can begin the introduction into a more natural way of living.
Anita discovered The York Merchant through a fellow merchant and friend, Pearl Pickens from Personally Pearl Handmade Goods. She loves the camaraderie among all of the merchants, and appreciates the support that everyone provides each other within the community. She is happy to have this additional space to promote healthier living, and help new customers discover the benefits of a more natural lifestyle.
Learn more about Anita and Sweet Root Naturals by visiting her website at www.sweetrootnaturals.com