Hi I’m Rebecca Van Cleave. I’m an artist, singer-songwriter, actress and model. Over the past few years I’ve become really passionate about sustainable and regenerative living and I’ve loved finding new ways to not only live a slower life, but to keep our environmental impact as low as possible and take care of this beautiful planet we call home.
One of the things I love most about Evolve Beauty (besides their incredible organic skincare) is their commitment to the environment and to making this world a better place. I love that when I buy my products, I know I’m not only getting clean, cruelty-free ingredients that have been ethically sourced and created in an eco studio, but also that the materials used to package them are recycled and at the end of their life can either be recycled again or repurposed into new projects.
I use the old sample pots to refill with products for day shoots and when I’m travelling (perfect for airplane bags). I use the glass jars to make homemade candles for our home, friends and family, but they’re also a fantastic and beautiful option for storing things in (q-tips, pens, paper clips, vitamins, seeds, succulents… the list goes on). I use the spray bottles to make room and pillow sprays with essential oils. It’s nice to know after the “life” of my product is over, its shell can begin a new adventure and not end up in a bin.
Below I’ve created a couple how to’s for how you can repurpose your Evolve products.
HOMEMADE CANDLES
These are super easy to make and are perfect for little gifts.
What you need:
- An Evolve glass jar (any size will do, in these photos I’ve used the 2oz and 4oz jars)
- Candle wax (I use soy or beeswax as it’s a cleaner burn than paraffin)
- Candle wicks
- A bain marie (you don’t need anything fancy, I use a pot and pyrex bowl to make a double boiler)
- Wooden clothes pegs (pencils and chopsticks work too)
- *Optional: essential oils. These are a great way to make your candles smell fantastic without using synthetic ingredients. Make sure you buy only 100% pure essential oils. You can choose any combination of oils and I highly recommend having a play with them to see what scent resonates with you. For these ones I’ve chosen Rose and Cedarwood.
Method:
1. Peel off the labels on your Evolve jars. They should come off pretty easily but if you have left over residue, a little bit of coconut oil, dish soap and good scrub normally does the trick.
2. Measure your candle wax flakes by filling your jar about a half an inch from the top. Pour the wax flakes into your pyrex bowl and repeat again. (The wax will melt down to about half its solid state so two jars of solid wax flakes will make one candle).
3. Boil some water in the bottom of your pot and carefully place your pyrex bowl with your wax flakes on top of the pot so that the bottom of the glass bowl is touching the water. Allow the wax to melt, stirring on occasion if needed.
4. When all of the wax flakes have melted, carefully remove the bowl from the pot (using oven gloves, it’s hot!) and set to one side to cool.
5. Using glue dots (or if you want to be even more eco friendly just dip the base of your wicks in the melted wax) attach the wick to the centre of your jar.
6. After a few minutes, when the wax has cooled but is still liquid, add your essential oils. Make sure your wax isn’t straight off the stove when you add them as it can dampen the scent. The quantity of oil is a bit trial and error depending on what scents you choose and you’ll find the amount that works for you, but I find a good middle ground is 200 drops of oil (or two teaspoons) for a 4oz candle.
7. Once you’ve added your oils, very carefully with gloves, pour your wax into your jaw, filling it to about a half an inch below the top.
8. Use the clothes pegs on either side of the wick to keep it upright and put your candle somewhere safe to let it set for 24 hours.
9. After 24 hours, when the wax has completely dried, use scissors to trim your wick if needed. Don’t forget to keep the lids to cover your candles in between use to make the scent last longer.
10. Light and enjoy! 
CALMING PILLOW SPRAY
I love this relaxing pillow spray and often take it with me when I have to go away for work as it keeps my hotel pillow smelling like home and helps me wind down in the evening. This one is made from lavender and frankincense, but you can use any combination of essential oils you like with this recipe. Depending on the different essential oils you use, it would also work for a room spray, natural option for air freshener sans chemicals, or as a spray for your yoga mat.
What you need:
- An Evolve spray bottle (the Daily Defence Moisture Mist ones work great and if you have different sizes you can make two, a big one for by your bed and a small one for travel or to give to a friend)
- Water
- Lavender and frankincense pure essential oils
Method:
1. Remove the label from the spray bottle getting rid of any leftover glue with coconut oil, dish soap and a good scrub. Make sure to wash out the inside of your bottle and clean the spray pump before using.
2. Fill the clean bottle almost to the top with water (filtered if possible)
3. Add your essential oils. For the 100ml bottles I find 15 drops of each oil works for a nice light mist. Add more or less depending on your preference and how strong you want your spray to be.
4. Cap and shake the bottle to mix.
5. Spray a few sprays on your pillow every night before bed as a nice way to relax into sleep.
Thank you so much to Rebecca for the blog and Taylor Van Cleave Photography for the beautiful images! If you decide to try making Rebecca’s upcycled pillow spray and candle then we’d love to see!
If you want to see more of Rebecca then you can follow her on her social media below.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram - @rebeccajoean
Twitter - @rebeccajoean
Facebook - @rebeccavancleaveofficial
