“Although the first product wouldn’t hit the shelves for 20 years, WooWoo Laboratory begins with the first time I remember hating my body. I was 10. From the time we are young, we each accumulate small burdens and internalized shame that begin to change how we carry ourselves through the world. There is power in vulnerability, and there are untold benefits to healing each of the big and seemingly small moments when we felt confused, alienated, or unsafe in our bodies. I believe our healing can begin with how we touch, talk to, and care for our bodies. At WooWoo Laboratory we’re committed to providing you with the loving tools, while you do the difficult work of coming back home to your body”
The story of WooWoo Laboratory is a story of unlearning all the things I thought I knew about myself. Maybe this is your story too.
age 10
I quit competitive gymnastics. I suspect it's the reason a magazine quiz categorized my body as “boy shaped.” Legs too strong, shoulders too wide, chest too flat.age 12
I steal a dull razor from my mother’s shower. Forget the soap. A trail of small nicks up my shins. A thick white scar on my ankle, still.age 14
Summer. Walking for ice-cream. Cat-calls, whistles, honking horns. Now I understand the currency of this body.age 16
Bad cramps. Paper gown. Cold metal. No questions and no, no eye contact. A barely legible prescription in my tight fist for 21 little white pills and painkillers.age 18-23
Something scary keeps happening; someone’s hands where they shouldn’t be; someone’s words harsh and threatening. There was that time in the bar, and again at the restaurant. At night outside the mall. In the day outside the dentist. And that time, on the subway, tears still in my eyes on the way to my job interview.age 29
Tidying up. Trash bin of all the things that were going to make my body less wrong and myself, more lovable. Half-empty bottles labeled for “blemishes,” “fine lines”, “firming” “plumping” and all the other sweet-nothing-words we use to hate our bodies. What if what we put on our body didn’t undermine our self-worth? What if our skincare was natural, safe, effective and empowering. Ugh, that sounds a little woowoo.2018
WooWoo Laboratory’s first collection launches. It feels like healing and it feels like coming home. We hope it feels like this for you.Our Values
We are committed to using only high-performing plant and mineral ingredients free from common allergens or irritants, and toxic synthetic chemicals.
We bleed, sweat and leak. We are human. WooWoo Laboratory products won't exploit shame or stigma. Body-literacy, compassion and eliminating shame is the ethos behind every product we make.
We have been called “woowoo” for seeking connection with crystals, astrology, and herbs. But let us remember that these are just rocks, stardust, and plants and we are being called back to the earth. We work with the earth and its natural rhythms wherever possible to help our community reclaim their magic and reconnect to the seasons and cycles of nature.
We believe in wellness for all, but we know that those that bear the brunt of health and wellness disparities are our QTBIPOC peers. WooWoo for Women is our financial commitment to supporting organizations doing important work in this space. We are always looking for new organizations to support, to submit your project for consideration, please email us.