We met Evan in our original Personality Spotlight at the All Natural Beauty Website several years ago. Today we've gone back into the archives to  condense this article, introducing her to a whole new audience. Evan is an exceptional formulator and writer who has a huge following for her all-natural beauty and wellness products. We hope that after reading this interview you'll want to read the full article as well as visit her beautiful website (links below) This article was originally in a Q & A form, so all of the answers below are in Evan's own words. Enjoy!

On Formulating:
  The entire activity of a product's research, formulation and handcrafting is defined and guided by an intention

  It can happen that concerns for costs can knock at the backdoor of the formulator's mind, urging compromise with what he or she knows to be best. But compromising in the matter of quality or messing with goals undermines any high purpose activity.  It reduces or blocks results so it has no just place in a formulator's decisions.

  Another intention I have is to find synergies that work with the body rather than shock it into line.  Response rather than resistance and submission, encouragement rather than force. This parallels life situations: I prefer someone to suggest to me lightly if I have gone off track and leave me to make the adjustments.  Just so, in healing, I feel that the gentler approaches have in fact the most profound effects.

  As to ingredients, well - there are a ton of ingredients that are supposedly 'okay' in the industry that are really horrible and are in fact not okay.  You can read about such things all over the internet - things like sodium laurel sulfate - the foaming agent in many products like soaps, shampoos, toothpastes. This ingredient can cause canker sores when used in toothpastes, damage the corneal development of children, cause urinary tract infections when used in bubble baths, roughs up our skin, etc. Why follow an industry standard that is actually harmful??  Just because 98% of companies are doing something does not make it right.

In regards to how Evan's Garden was formed...
  One day about 5 years ago, I was looking for a product to handle a very intense (and expensive!) dental situation I had.  I went to my local health food store and searched online and could not find any product that contained an ingredient that Dr. Christopher said was THE thing to handle this type of problem.  So I decided to make my own formulation. I ended up creating a Tooth & Gum Powder that saved me from about $3000 in dental surgery. I shared it with friends and family and they had terrific results.

  My complexion needed to revive, so I made The Perfect Rose, a serum.  This really was a wow; my friends were demanding it.  I next made something that was kicking around in the back of my mind, a healing salve called All Better, Honey.  It handled quickly whatever it was used for and my friends began showing up asking me for this or that, something for athlete's foot, a deodorant, something for backaches... a local chiropractor sent over a patient with a flaming sunburn for me to create her a remedy...I got the message...do this!  Our business was formed.


Some of Evan's Favorite Products:
  I am so pleased that DreamSoap came out not drying at all and rinsing all the way off.  La Créme de la Créme ended up just as I'd hoped...I don't at all like goopy creams, I just wanted results and not to have to feel it on my skin.  Rose Bouquet masque was a particular pleasure as it reminded me of concocting rich food recipes like Thanksgiving stuffing...wo, everything in it and yumm!! Ma Jeunesse is a wild banquet for the skin, regenerative to the max and I'm hooked.  I suppose all the Skin Perfection System products are favorites.  Our customers are devoted to them.  If I have orders to satisfy and haven't been able to make a new batch yet, I get calls and emails, so I've learned to make fresh batches before what we've got is used up.

  Our customers are like me generally; they love most or all of the products they try.  We do have some people, very few, who are just not into skin care of any kind, but rave about Certainty deodorant or Tooth and Gum Powder or whatever.  Most popular with customers would be the Ma Jeunessé™ (means 'my youth' in French) Youth in a Jar™, the Skin Perfection System products (DreamSoap™ Facial Cleanser, Velvet™ Nourishing Facial Scrub, Rose Bouquet™ Gentle Anti-oxidant Facial Masque, Skin Perfection Mist™, La Créme de la Créme™ Lotion for Beautiful Skin and The Perfect Rose™ Refining facial Serum - whew, longer names than I realized!), the Clarity System (for very oily or acneic skin) - Tooth & Gum Powder and Rinse, Natural Silk™, All Better, Honey™, the make-up: Foundation Powder and Creams, Shea Butter Cheek Tint, Rouge Powders and Eye Colors, SuperImmune Boost™, what else, perfumes, deodorants, body wash are very popular, too.

On Life...
   One last thing I'd like to share with your readers: People tend to minimize their abilities. This is a dangerous habit.  Despite daunting social scorn, allowing yourself to acknowledge your own abilities is a sane and beneficial attitude to take.  Some people prohibit themselves from this.

  It's notable that when someone is put to the test, when a skill is required to save others' lives, for example, under dire necessity, we come forth with ability.  It's there.  It is there anyway and all the time, I feel.

  Acknowledging your own skills and powers is about the most valuable thing you can do for yourself and the world.  You can make a difference just by speaking with a strong, clear voice backed by your own intention to help.  I encourage you to follow your dreams, to cast off discouragements, to ignore anyone telling you to be 'practical' or to 'get a real job' or who laughs at or belittles your goals, especially your artistic or creative ones.

  The world needs you, now more than ever in history.  Humanity has acquired the technical means to destroy itself much faster than it has acquired any wisdom to prevent such a catastrophe.  It's time we all got very wise, very generous, very fast - and you, not politicians or armies - can help lead the way to a better world.

See the full Personality Spotlight here

Visit Evan's Website: http://www.EvansGarden.com

   Evan's Garden has been a strong supporter of the All Natural Beauty Website and ANB Mall and we are so appreciative! We believe in Evan and what she offers. She has been a joy to work with over the years and hope that all who read this will make sure to visit her website and get to know this wonderful woman and her fabulous line of healthy products!

To learn more about what we think of Evan's Garden products, check out the Product Spotlights below...

Dental Hygiene Trio

The Perfect Rose Serum

Ma Jeunesse (Moisturizer)

Natural Tooth Paste & Natural Tooth Polish

Natural Fragrances, Shampoo & Toothpaste

Meadow Foam Hand Soap

Transcendence Perfume and Pure Mineral Rouge Powder Number 5

Beach House & Lady of the Flowers Natural Aromatherapy Perfume & Toothpaste