Shopping: The Detox Market

Many people include a working out plan in their New Year’s resolutions. This year, people who are looking for another element to add to their physical wellness plan can turn to The Detox Market located on Valencia near 21st in the Mission District.

Detox Market storefront // Photo by Michelle Sieling

Opened just this winter, The Detox Market carries toxin-free and environmentally conscious health and beauty products. But instead of an earthy/hippie vibe, it has a chic French sensibility, mixed with California green living.

The French origins of The Detox Market’s founders, Valerie Grandury and Romain Gaillard, may have something to do with the Parisian feel of the place. Grandury and Galliard, also the couple behind the organic skincare brand Odacité, have often been asked for recommendations of organic products that they use in their own daily lives. This was the impetus behind The Detox Market, which opened its first flagship store in Venice Beach, California.

The San Francisco store’s layout is stark, with minimalist pops of color. Shoppers encounter bare bright white walls, unadorned except for the lone painting of a poppy. Whitewashed produce crates, some lined with burlap, showcase the select inventory.

The store is not chock full of products because each item must meet Grandury and Galliard’s high standards for effectiveness, environmental-friendliness and style. Each item is painstakingly chosen through a carefully thought out process and the store goes so far to list why each product was chosen on chalkboards next to each display.

Detox Market // Photo by Michelle Sieling

Products are roughly divided into sections, such as detox, edible, cosmetics, personal care, etc. All products are eco-friendly, and sourced from small companies that share the similar organic business philosophies of The Detox Market. Most of the products in the store have some element or combination of the following: recycled, sustainable and/or biodegradable material, Direct Trade Certified, non-toxic, etc.

The bulk of products fall loosely under the category of personal care, covering everything on the body from head to toe. This includes mint and key lime mouthwash ($9) and pomegranate toothpaste ($6) from VITACARE. To protect one’s face from both UVA and UVB rays, there’s Suntegrity face protection ($45). Luxury hair care choices include Rare El’Ements Pure Shampoo and El’ Treatment and Essential Conditioner ($44 each).

Honoré des Prés Organic Perfumes // Photo by Michelle Sieling

There’s also a small men’s skincare selection from Vermont’s Ursa Major, including shave cream ($22), face wash ($26) and face toner ($24). In addition, there’s a line for babies and moms called Mini Organics that carries gentle cleansing soap ($13), moisturizer ($27) and diaper balm ($33).

It’s hard not to love some of the names of what’s available in the store. For nails, there’s water-based polish from Aquarella in colors like “Livid”, “Prissy” and “French Kiss” ($16). Natural perfumes from Honoré des Prés come in scents like “Chaman’s Party”, “Sexy Angelic” (both $84 for 1.7 oz. bottles) and “Love Coconut” ($98 for 50 ml bottle).

For those wanting to purify their insides after a month of too many holiday party indulgences, there are a few detox products, including a tea just for that purpose from Kusmi ($32), and a raw juice program from Ritual Cleanse ($80-$100). For another kick of power, there’s the “pure energy” elixir from Lotus Way ($29 for 30 ml bottle). Its combination of essential oils from flora like pomegranates, jade flower and red clover is designed to strengthen the immune system.

When it’s time to put food back in the body, there are some edibles and drinkables, including Mexican stone ground Taza Chocolate in a variety of flavors, like salted almond, chipotle chili and ginger chocolate ($5 each). The Detox Market also carries Aiya Matcha, a tea that’s not only tasty but also rich in nutrients, antioxidants, fiber and chlorophyll. A complete kit includes tea, tools (whisk, scoop and serving bowl) and a DVD on the preparation and history of Matcha ($88).

Kids (and the rest of the family) can play along with organic living, too, through a selection of games from local company Blue Orange Games, like Gobblet!, Spot It! and Zimbbos! ($30, $26, and $13, respectively). The games may be made out of materials like paper, cardboard, and wood, but the game maker plants two trees for each one used in construction.

Choices are not cheap at The Detox Market.  For organic daily living purchases, stores like Rainbow Grocery are probably a more realistic bet for the typical household budget, but this would be a good place to find gifts for special people, like moms, husbands and best friends.

Comments

  1. What a brilliant idea for a store. It nearly drives me crazy having to pay attention to so many sources of contaminants.. from metals & plastics in packaging to arsenic in tapwater and mercury in tuna-fish, having someone go through the trouble of checking first at the grocery store makes so much sense to the health conscious.

    I will be visiting when in LA, and hopefully you will open one soon in San Diego.

    – Ari Vinograd

    http://www.bodypure.com

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