I discovered Follain several months ago, on my quest to find natural but still effective skincare. I read raving reviews online for Soapwalla deodorant cream, which Follain carries. And while I stopped in just for the deodorant, Tara, the owner, quickly won me over with her friendly demeanor and vast product knowledge. (A post on my journey into natural products is coming soon, and yes, it includes Soapwalla deodorant cream.)
The next day I gushed about Follain to friend and coworker Ingrid, and we quickly decided we should go together. However, we didn't make concrete plans until I read Anna's post about her South End small business tour, featuring Follain. It was the motivation we needed to finalize our shopping date.
We started at the South End Buttery for breakfast and hot beverages to go, then headed to Niche, recommended in Anna's post, to indulge our shared love of houseplants. I was impressed with the selection of succulents and tropicals, and we admired the artful terrariums scattered around the store.
We next headed to Davids Tea, which I had also gushed about to Ingrid. The staff is always super friendly and helpful, and the tea is delicious. We checked out the new spring blends, then spent 15 minutes sniffing a wide variety of staff recommendations based on our likes (we even got a free iced team, before narrowing down which teas to take home.
We ended our date at Follain. The store is beautiful and refreshing, with white subway tile, plank shelves, large windows, happy plants, and a giant farmhouse sink. It was busy, but Tara still made time to chat with us about the products we were considering, making sure we found products that would best suit each of our needs.
Tara's passion for healthy and environmentally friendly skin and body care is infectious. She's tested countless products and only the best end up on her shelves. That curation takes the often overwhelming task of shopping for greener products and makes it manageable, even fun. Follain has definitely become my go-to resource as I continue my transition to greener skincare.
Ingrid and I had a great time, and I'm sure we have another South End shopping date in our future!