All-natural solutions for a cleaner, healthier community

Be kind to yourself—and the environment.

That’s the message Kirstin French, Owner of Be Clean Naturally in Squamish, has put at the forefront of her business since day one.

Be Clean Naturally sells locally-crafted, all-natural, cleaning and personal hygiene products made with sensitive skin and the planet in mind.

Kirstin was born in Squamish, has lived there all of her life, and witnessed first-hand how new developments have impacted the local environment.

“I remember seeing how the local landfill, in particular, had grown from being relatively flat to this huge mountain,” she says.

“So, when I started my business, I was acutely aware of my desire to not contribute more to that.”

A big part of that commitment was to be a leader in re-filling products and keeping to the promise to minimize packaging on products.

“Items we sold would not be packaged twice,” French says.

“For example, we wouldn’t have a jar that was placed inside a box.

“It was going to be as simple and minimal as possible.

“Plus, we offer re-fills and make most of our products here from natural, non-synthetic ingredients,” she says.

Be Clean Naturally handcrafts things like soap, toothpaste, laundry soap and dish liquid, all in the store, which is located in downtown Squamish (38140 Cleveland Ave.).

And as an herbal apothecary, they also sell dried herbs for making teas and tinctures, as well as spices for culinary use.

The turning point for going all natural was when Kirstin met her husband, who suffers from allergies to man-made ingredients and used all-natural cleaning products.

“Synthetics make him break out in hives,” she says. “And, when I started using his laundry soap, dish soap and shampoo, my 20-year battle with acne cleared up within a few weeks.”

From then, she vowed to only offer naturally made products to the community.

For the first four years, the business was run out of her home, with sales done at farmers’ markets locally and in Vancouver.

“That allowed me to grow things at a nice, steady, organic pace,” she says.

The store location was opened six years ago and helped not only expand her customer base, but send her “green” message further afield.

To learn more about the products and process at Be Clean Naturally, visit the website.