Let’s talk about some of the other things that make ChopSaver unique. Mind you this all started in 2004 and I have always been grateful that I live in the age of Google! Between my computer, a few nearby health food stores and a local herbalist I knew, I learned as much as I could about the healing properties of herbs and which ones would match the symptoms I was looking to address. As a trumpet player, I was looking for something that would help with the lip soreness and stiffness that can happen after a long day of playing. While these may seem to be problems very specific to people who play a wind or brass instrument, I always knew that a lip product that felt good, smelled good and didn’t dry out your lips would have mass appeal – musician or not. Amazingly enough, a lot of lip care products can sting when applied, smell like medicine and they seem to actually do more harm than good. Not what I was looking for. I was determined my all-natural lip balm would be different!
While my crash course in herbology was gaining me a lot of new found knowledge, there were a few ingredients I was already familiar with and knew they would find their way into my formula. I recall using aloe vera gel to soothe a very bad sunburn I had years ago and I began using that ingredient very early in the formulation process. Aloe vera is a transparent gel from the pulp of the meaty leaves of the aloe vera plant. It has been used topically for thousands of years to treat wounds, skin infections, burns, and many other skin conditions.
My research led me to another herb called calendula. Calendula comes from the flower petals of the calendula plant or marigold, and has been used for medicinal purposes since at least the 12th century. Calendula contains high amounts of flavonoids which are plant-based anti-oxidants that protect the body against cell-damaging free radicals. Researchers are not sure what active ingredients in calendula are responsible for its healing properties, but it appears to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anti-bacterial effects.
Another herb and another smooth soothing ingredient were now part of the exclusive club that would come to be known as ChopSaver!
