Independent health store advice on Christmas gifts

Looking for advice on natural health and wellbeing? Your local independent health store can offer a wealth of expertise. This month we talk to Tracey Malcolm, owner of Tullivers Health Shop in York

If you’re looking for some inspiration for Christmas presents this year, make sure you pop into your local independent health store. Here at Tullivers we stock a wide range of natural, organic and sustainable products that make great presents for your loved ones – and they are kind to the environment too!

Sustainable options
We have noticed a growing interest among our customers for sustainable and natural options for Christmas gifts. Many of our customers want to reduce their impact on the environment and are very aware of how much waste, especially plastic, is generated during this time. We try hard to ensure we have a selection of options. Many food items need to have some plastic to ensure the freshness of their products but we choose companies that strive to keep this to a minimum. We have many gifts that are zero-waste, such as our loose soaps or our loose herbs and spices which can be put straight into jars. Our plastic-free gifts include Himalayan salt lamps, tea sets, oil burners, incense, teas, cosmetics, chocolates and more!

Pampering presents
For pampering presents, there’s MooGoo’s reusable toiletry bag sets or Weleda’s gorgeous gift boxes. All the packaging can be recycled at kerbside and we can take back their soft plastic tubes for recycling. Inika’s organic make-up is perfect for a touch of luxury, featuring sustainable packaging made from sugarcane and recycled plastic. Another option is the Wheat Bag Company’s lovely warming wheat packs which are filled with English wheat and lavender. Or there are the ceramic soap dishes from Bombus Leaf, which are handmade at a facility in Northamptonshire that supports people with disabilities. Each one is unique. If you are looking for stocking fillers or gifts for teachers, then Seedballs are ideal. They contain pollinator-friendly wildflower seeds encased in peat-free compost.

Delicious treats
Booja Booja chocolates are always a good choice when it comes to Christmas gifting. Their products are vegan, gluten-free, soya-free, organic and delicious! Holdsworth Bee Friendly chocolates have also proved popular over the last couple of years. Every purchase of their vegan selection of handmade chocolates includes a donation to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Traditional Christmas treats like Turkish Delight, Schlünder stollen, pfeffernüsse and marrons glacés are back, along with a selection of new products from local, independent and eco-friendly producers. We want to have items that aren’t necessarily stocked everywhere else. We are a go-to shop for people looking for products that are organic, free-from and sustainable.

Custom gift bundles
We love helping customers to put together custom gift bundles. A selection of soaps, a soap dish, muslin face cloths and some organic facial products would make a great gift. You could also bundle up a selection of teas, a bottle of Belvoir mulled punch and a box of chocolates, or an oil burner with some essential oils and a local YorkBee honey and beeswax candle. We have some lovely homemade Christmas gift bags and recycled sari gift wrap to complete the gift.

Happy Christmas from everyone at Tullivers Health Shop!

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