Celebrating 25 Years of Soothing Hardworking Hands
25 years ago, a carpenter, storyteller, and father named Bill Whyte created a simple balm to soothe his hardworking hands. It worked so well, he decided to share it with everyone he knew—and that day, Badger was born.
Since then, Badger has grown into a successful company that offers over 100 natural and organic products, employs over 90 people, and manufactures with clean solar energy in a beautiful post-and-beam building (designed and built by our illustrious founder and lifelong carpenter extraordinaire). Now headed by second generation sisters, Emily and Rebecca, and their mother, Katie, Badger has become a leader for making powerfully pure products of the simplest and safest ingredients—but that original hand balm has been the inspiration for our simple formulas, our company logo, and the spirit of healing that guides everything we do.
For our 25th anniversary this year, we're celebrating where Badger began: with a simple appreciation for hardworking hands.
The hardworking hands of Badger
Here at Badger, our hands do a lot for us. Badger Pam cooks delicious, organic lunches daily for every employee. Badgers Katie and Emily plant seeds, pull weeds, and sprinkle water to grow colorful, nutrient-rich produce in the regenerative gardens. Our employees in Production expertly handle machines, creating new batches of healthy products every day.
Badger Bill often returns to his carpenter beginnings, constructing storage sheds, show booths, and additions to the company building. “I think my natural mode is design and build,” he says. “I love the process of visualizing something beautiful and then going about creating it. And my hands are an important part of that.”
How to celebrate your hands
Take a moment to think, What have my hands done for me today?
Maybe they packed lunch for a loved one. Maybe they held a warm cup of coffee, turned the pages of a book, stroked a dog or cat. Maybe they weeded a garden, packed groceries, fixed a kitchen sink, changed a tire. (Mine typed up a blog post!)
As humans, we're meant to use our hands—to build things, create things, and grow things. Working with your hands can help your mind relax and open itself up to inspiration. It can be meditative, therapeutic, and even healing.
So, in that spirit, here are a few Badgery ways to celebrate your hands with us this month:
- Spend some time in the garden. Gardening is proven to help relieve stress and anxiety. Dig your hands into the soil, bathe yourself in leaves and dew, and find your own deep-rooted connection with the earth!
- Make your own skincare products! Here are the not-so-secret recipes to a few of the products we’ve discontinued. Happy experimenting!
- Create a piece of artwork. Come on, when was the last time you did this? Pull out some paint, sketch with charcoal, or just doodle in the margins of your grocery list. For bonus points, try a finger painting.
- Give a hand massage to someone you love. (And yes, that person can be yourself. That’s one of best things about hand massages.)
However you choose to celebrate, make sure to follow up with a moisturizing mixture to thank your hardworking hands. We know a balm that'll do the trick.