OUR STORY
In a land far, far away, on the shores of a great lake, in the shadows of majestic pines, where only the warm-hearted survive, bearded men asked one woman one question,
"Do you sell beard oil?"
And the woman turned man after man away because the answer was "No."
Until one day, she decided to give the men what they desired, and worked tirelessly until her recipe was perfected.
"Ah, but it needs a name," the woman thought.
And with a twinkle and a wink, Blue Tax was born.
OUR MISSION
Blue Tax Body + Care is a mission first business. We exist because we want gender equity and justice for all in our society.
The idea for Blue Tax came from a beard oil made under a different brand name. Since only men were likely to use beard oil, Blue Tax founder, Angie Frank, thought it was about time men willingly paid reparations for all the years women have been subject to the pink tax. So that's where we started, and we continue to grow adding products for all gender identities because gender equity is good for all of us. And we're in this together.
There is one thing that troubles us about the name Blue Tax. While it is a play on the pink tax it reinforces a gender binary system that is not inclusive of everyone in our society. So, we want to be clear. When we talk about gender equity, it always includes all gender identities.
WE EDUCATE
It is amazing how many people don't know about the pink tax. As people meet our business and our products, they learn about the pink tax. And that is the first step- once you learn about an injustice, you gotta do something about it.
WE GENERATE
Every product sold includes a 13% blue tax and that generation of money goes right to organizations on the front lines working for gender equity. We hope our blue tax donations will give organizations a financial boost to support their missions and make them feel the love and appreciation from our community.
WE ADVOCATE
Each month we feature a different organization as the Blue Tax beneficiary. We use our platform to spread the word about the work they are doing, the lives they've impacted, and the change they are making.
OUR INGREDIENTS
The link between gender inequality and the toxic beauty industry is crystal clear to us. Men have primarily been wearing the white lab coats and creating formulations with the biggest profit margins possible for corporations run by men who keep the cosmetic industry largely unregulated. And these products that put profits first are making people sick.
WE INNOVATE
We go back to nature and intentionally select plant based and only natural ingredients for our innovative formulations. You don't need man made ingredients, chemicals, and synthetics to make great body products. We promise, our products will never contain:
BHA/BHT * Ethanolamines * Fragrance * Mineral Oil * Parabens * PEG * Phthalates * SLS/SLES * Toluene * Triclosan
OUR PACKAGING
We reduce the amount of plastic in our packaging. Most products come in glass or paperboard containers. We hope you reuse your empty containers. Fill with your own massage oil, use as tea light candle holders, or get creative. When the life of your container is over, please recycle.
WE VENERATE
We are dedicated to taking care of the earth. We recognize we are dependent on a healthy earth to provide everything we need for life now and for future generations, so every decision we make considers the impact on the earth. You will notice our shipping materials and packing materials are made of recycled material and can be recycled. We also purchase our ingredients from sustainable sources and use alternative ingredients when necessary.
OUR PRODUCTS
We are tired of body shaming marketing strategies. So many body product brands tell you, you aren't good enough the way you are, but if you use our product, it will change you to fit into the standardized mold of beauty. We aren't going to tell you that.
WE ALLEVIATE
We take a utilitarian approach to body products. Our products are useful to alleviate problems you want to solve. Itchy beard? Use some beard oil. Dry skin? Moisturize with palm balm. Irritated skin? Soothe with aftershave. Our priority is that you feel good when you use our products.
WE CELEBRATE
We love you just the way you are. We celebrate you and what makes you who you are. We want you to feel comfortable in your skin and radiant in your heart and hope we can be a part of your journey. We believe we all have gifts to give this world and love this quote by Howard Thurman,
“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
What makes you come alive?
BLUE TAX FOUNDER
I HAVE TWO SONS AND I'M RAISING THEM TO BE FEMINISTS.
Feminists that demand equity and justice for all gender identities.
My oldest son is 13. Ah! I have a teenager. I asked him what the pink tax is. He nailed it. I asked him to explain what my business mission is. He nailed it again. At least as we enter the teenage years he has the beginning of an understanding.
I also have a nephew whose dad recorded him practicing a presentation for school about how the U.S. does not have full equality for everyone yet. He said,
"People like my aunt are working to fix some of these issues. My aunt has a company called Blue Tax that sells beauty products that cost 13% more than they would cost normally. And that 13% goes towards organizations that fight for equality. If more people can create businesses like that I think that at least some of these issues might be resolved."
It makes me cry happy and hopeful tears.
We are doing something that matters at Blue Tax.
I invite you to join the movement and be a part of something that is making a difference.