Hi Rosy Friends! 🌸

If you’ve been keeping up with this blog or watching the videos on my Rosy JulieBC YouTube Channel, then you know that I’ve been a big, huge, super-gigantic fan of SBT Seabuckthorn, a natural skin care company out of Peachland, British Columbia, Canada.  I thought their products and business values were super mergentroid.

SBT Seabuckthorn Shuts Its Doors 😥

Unfortunately, SBT Seabuckthorn closed on January 31, 2019.  Their products were very high quality, ethically made, and mainly (if not entirely, I’m not sure) vegan-friendly.  They were extremely popular and it was easy to get their products from their official site as well as Well.ca, Amazon, and quite a few health food/product stores. They were one of those companies that do very well and yet still stick to their values and high quality level.

It’s my understanding that the company was not a victim of a loss in sales, a sliding economy, overwhelming competition or any of those other huge factors that often take down small businesses. Instead, I believe it was a personal decision of the owners to close, though don’t quote me on that because I don’t have any “insider knowledge” to share in that department. That’s just my impression.

Falling in Love with SBT Seabuckthorn Products

At some point last year, while I was going through some old papers (of which I have far too many in my home) I came across the packing slip for my first purchase of SBT Seabuckthorn products.  I’d kept it so that I wouldn’t forget what I’d purchased and how much it cost and could re-order if I loved it…then I kept it because I’m a pack-rat.

My first time using SBT Seabuckthorn products was in October 2011, when I ordered the SBT Seabuckthorn Treating Rosacea Naturally Package from Well.ca.  At that time, it was $38.45 for a month’s supply of seabuckthorn capsules to be taken internally and seabuckthorn seed oil to be used externally as a moisturizer.  It also contained a full-sized Berry Bar for cleansing and, if I’m not mistaken, a full-size tin of the Soothing Rosacea Salve (otherwise, I purchased that separately very shortly after having bought the starter kit).

Since that time, I have consistently included at least one SBT Seabuckthorn product in my skin care routine.  Whether that was an oil, salve or cleanser – or combinations of those products – they’ve always been there.

Feeling Like Part of Things

I’m one of those people who is extremely loyal to her favourite brands.  When I love something, I keep buying it. I tell people about it.  I write about it.  I will also often ask questions.  Therefore, over the years as I’ve tried new products or faced new challenges with my rosacea skin care or overall skin care, I’ve reached out to SBT Seabuckthorn for their advice.

Right from the start, they always replied quickly, politely and in a way that showed that my question mattered.  There weren’t any pre-formatted or canned replies.  The replies I received were unique and addressed my specific question or concern.

When Crystal Noble, the company’s Vice President of Operations, opened the Apothecary at SBT Seabuckthorn, it was like a dream come true.  As soon as I saw the opportunity I hopped right on it.  The idea of having products custom-formulated for my unique skin issues in an affordable way from my favourite skin care brand was one of the best things that ever happened to my poor parched rosy cheeks!

It wasn’t long before I was sent two oils, one for daytime and one for nighttime use.  They were perfect from the first try.  In fact, they were so perfect that the Apothecary added Rosy Days and Rosy Nights to the Apothecary product line so customers could purchase them as they were or they could have them tweaked to their own unique skin needs.  It made me feel very special when the products that had been created with my skin in mind led to my regularly receiving feedback from Rosy Friends on YouTube and other social media saying that they had tried Rosy Days and Rosy Nights and loved them as much as I did.

In fact, it made me feel so great that I started buying samples of the skin oils so Rosy Friends could buy them and test them out on their skin before buying the full-size versions from the company itself.  It was great! Such fun to be a part of helping people discover what was right for their rosacea skin care routines!

I continued to request products from Crystal at the SBT Seabuckthorn Apothecary, and she kept using her immeasurable skills to develop exactly the product I was hoping to use.  She’s incredible.  I can’t even imagine that my descriptions of the products I wanted were all that great.  I don’t speak “technical skin care”.  I speak customer/user lingo.  I’d list features that I did or did not want and, not long after I’d made the order, she’d already sourced the ingredients and made up something ideal for me.

Feeling Grateful

I don’t know if anyone from the SBT Seabuckthorn team reads my blogs, but just in case, I’d like to take this opportunity to say “thank you.” I’m extremely grateful to have had the chance to use such great skin care products for nearly a decade. These were the first products to truly work for me after I’d gone several years simply giving up on finding anything because I’d stopped thinking anything would work.  These simple, natural products gave me hope to keep trying. They inspired me to share with others who were struggling as much as I was.

Thank you to SBT Seabuckthorn and especially to Crystal for your unfailing dedication to quality, ethics, and simply helping people to the best of your ability.  Thank you for helping me and for your friendship.  I wish everyone from the SBT Seabuckthorn team all the best in their futures.

Moving Forward

Before SBT Seabuckthorn closed, it held some fantastic sales, and I took the opportunity to stock up on my favourite products including the Lavender Cream Cleanser, Berry Bar, Rosy Days, Rosy Nights, Berry Cream, and Lip Balm.  I have enough to keep me going for the rest of the winter and to be there for me as I try to find new skin care products from other brands.

I’ve been doing my research and have my eye on several potential options. I’ve already got a few products to test out while I still have enough of my tried-and-true SBT Seabuckthorn products to fall back on in case my skin doesn’t react well to something new, and I need to fall back on what I trust.

As I try out new products throughout my skin care discovery journey, I’ll be sure to keep my YouTube videos and this blog up to date. I know there are some challenges ahead. I’ve been trying skin care products on my rosacea-prone skin long enough to know that while some surprises will be great, others…not so much… But, I’m ready! Here we go! 🌸