Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Courtney Cornelia . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Courtney, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
In April, 2019 I made a trip with a Dear friend to Iceland. Seeing the beauty of nature and simplicity of life there, I knew I had changed forever. The way the Iceland views life and sustainability was such a beautiful thing to experience in a landscape that almost makes you feel like you are on another planet. Upon returning to the states I started to implement some of the sustainability practices. I also started to try and figure out not only how I was going to try and take care of the plant but also take care of myself. Searching tirelessly for my own self care practices and sustainable goods it was becoming increasingly more difficult to find things that were aligned with my new set of values. I tired little things that would improve my health and well being on a daily basis as well as goods that I could use on a daily that complimented my lifestyle. After trying countless products, I found that everything I tried was missing the mark. Either by causing an allergic reaction or being too complicated and adding stress trying to keep up with everything I was trying to do.
In April of 2020 I left my job being a behind-the-chair hairdresser after 13 years due to the pandemic. I made this decision because I was truly unhappy and searching for my purpose. My goal was to pursue the things that would truly bring me joy, fill my heart with gratitude and feed new found passion for being kinder to myself and the environment. I had finally started to discover sustainable goods that enhanced my life and were easy to maintain. Although I was still having trouble finding Self Care Products that were All-Natural and Organic without all the harsh chemicals, I had plenty of time to take those matters into my own hands.
I knew I wanted to create something that was All-Natural, Earthy and Organic. Driven by the want to provide healthy alternative options that created a positive self-care routine paved the way for this beautiful creation.
FastingHouse Naturals is the manifestation of my Journey to Self-Care, Self-Acceptance and a want to truly be kinder not only to myself but to this beautiful planet. I am SO delighted to be able to share it with you.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I began FastingHouse Naturals when I saw the need for All Natural and Organic products in my own life. I am allergic to many different things and had no idea until I started my own Self Care Journey back in 2019. There are many companies out there that claim to be All Natural and Organic but when you look at the ingredient list, sometimes you can’t even pronounce half of the ingredients that are actually in the product. That had always bothered me because I sort of felt as if there was something they were hiding.
All of our Self Care Products are Handmade by myself with HandStamped Batch Numbers. Each Product is made in Small Batches to ensure Quality and Consistency, which sets us apart from others. We also only use the Highest Quality Essential Oils instead of Fragrance Oils so there is no need to worry about potential Hormone Disruption as well as all of the products we make are made with All Naturals AND Organic ingredients. We offer a wide variety of Self Care products from Body Sprays to replace perfumes, Clay Face Masks, Body Scrubs, Body Oils, Anti Itch Creams to Yoga Mat Sanitizing Sprays that will not harm you or your mat.
All of our packaging is in Glass Jars or containers that are 100% recyclable. Believe it or not, most items that say they are recyclable actually are not. Glass in one of the few items that is. We also offer a program where you can bring back your used jars or bottles and we will reuse them after cleaning and sanitizing them, there for creating less waste which is an important Core Value of our company.
Our Sustainable goods are typically items that you probably already use on a daily basis. From UNPaper Towels, Bamboo Dish Scrubbers, Bamboo Straws and Reusable Make-up Wipes. Being Biodegradable and producing less waste is something we truly care about. Our goal with the sustainable items we choose is to improve your life with simple items that you already use!
It is also important to us and we choose only to work with companies that align with our values. Most Businesses we support are Women Owned and Operated, Create a proper living wage for their workers or give back to communities that are in need. All while taking the planet’s overall heath and YOUR wellness into mind.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
In March 2020, the Pandemic hit and the hair salon I was working at had to close down. Doing hair had been my life for almost 12 years at that point. Leaving the Salon that day, I didn’t know when I would be able to return. So many emotions were running wild and everything was just so uncertain. Having an abundance of time on my hands, I did a lot of introspection into my life. I realized I was truly unhappy with where I was at and it was ME that was going to have to make the change.
I began to make different items that I truly wanted to be apart of my own Self Care Routine that were All Natural, Organic and things I wasn’t allergic to. After a few months I went back behind the chair at a different salon when things slowly started opening up with an armory of newly found ways to take care of myself. Our Grounding Spray was a big part of my life during this time. I am an empath so touching people and listening to their highs and lows in life would greatly affect my overall well being. Using our Grounding Spray to help cleanse myself and shed any emotions that may be lingering from clients I had seen was such a KEY Tool for me.
Pretty soon Clients kept asking me, “What did you just spray?” “What are you wearing, it smells amazing?”. I opened up to a lot of my guests on a very different level at that point in time. Letting them into a little secret I had been keeping all to myself. One day someone said that I should start selling that product. That thought had never even crossed my mind!
Naturally, I am a highly motivated individual and I had been searching for a way to get out of behind the chair. Not because I didn’t love what I was doing but the emotional wear was getting to me. Also, having to be on my feet for 8-10hrs at a time, bending over to shampoo and all of the other things that go along with doing hair.
She was the very person that ignited something deep within me. I had always wanted something that was truly my own so when my client told me that I should start selling these products, I didn’t take it lightly. I SPRUNG into action and never looked back.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
I personally manufacture all of our Self Care items. I had no clue how to make things in the beginning. After COUNTLESS hours of research and lots of trial and error I finally started to grasp what I was doing.
When I first started making products some things just seemed to work SO well, and some, not so much. Luckily I began making things just for myself so there wasn’t an abundance of waste. Just a lot of time and effort but I definitely had the time given we were in the middle of a pandemic. There have been many mistakes along the way but as Bob Ross says they are just ‘Happy little accidents’
As my Self Care line grew and my friends / family became more intrigued with what I was doing, I started using them as my test subjects to try out all the latest creations that I had concocted. Typically I will try something for 4-6 months tweaking and perfecting it before I will actually bring it to market.
I have learned so many things like how to properly mix different items together and blend things for a certain amount of time to give it just the right consistency. Over the years the one thing I have truly learned throughout this whole process is, you just can not give up. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fastinghousenaturals.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/fastinghouse
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/fastinghouse
- TikTok: @fasitnghouse
Image Credits
Jessica Collins Photography