Safety is subjective. Our feelings of safety inform all of the decisions we make. If you watch the local news in the morning, you might begin to get the feeling that Center City has become one great big crime scene. While this has not been my experience, perhaps it all depends upon which corner you are standing, and at which particular time of day.

While I don't feel unsafe in Center City, I have become more aware about where I walk, prefering to travel busier streets or taking an Uber. I often take the trains in and out of Jefferson Station/Reading Terminal and feel very safe. I share this because it has become a conversation with customers, friends and people who live/work in the neighborhood. 

I hope you will consider coming back into town and bringing your family for the light show at Macy's and for Christmas Village at City Hall, and of course, everyone at D+L looks forward to your next visit for the last holiday at the 13th Street location. We've rearranged things to the point where you can browse and touch and smell everything easily. I must acknowledge however that the number of people you will see living on the streets, living in crisis and/or suffering severe mental illness has grown exponentially. Casualties of city, state and federal governments that claim no responsibility for the most vulnerable of our citizens. While a level of unquestioned acceptance seems to have settled upon Center City, we still encourage everyone to support local agencies that feed, house and care for the homeless.

As almost everyone knows, we move in January to 11th Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood. As shopkeepers, duross & langel is a happy, busy, low stress way of life. We are excited about the change of scene (and about street parking for our suburban shoppers) while also honoring the opportunity we've had to build our business on 13th street for the past 15 years. Immediately after the holidays we'll be getting rid of everything we don't want to move. Which is considerable. Bookcases, tables, benches, decorations, lighting, etc. (that includes many D+L items that were over-runs, one-offs and discontinued items). It's all gotta go. So please mark your calendars to stop by after Christmas, before the New Year as we begin to pack up to move out. And if you find yourself on 11th street between Locust and Spruce, we hope you'll check out our new spaces - workshop (244 S 11th)  and store (240 S 11th) and glimpse what the next seven good years at duross & langel will be. Cheers.

Steve

if you are a long time D+L shopper, you might have noticed all the changes we’ve made to our line over the years. while we have high standards for all duross & langel products, you may not know that for years we have struggled to find fragrances in our industry that do not contain ingredients known as phthalates. phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the environment (air, soil, or water supply), food sources, personal care products, and manufactured products that interfere with the normal function of your body's endocrine system. phthalates are used in many mass manufactured products to make the scent last longer on the skin. so when people tell us they wished our scents were "stronger" or tell us that our scents don't "last" on the skin, it is because we don't use phthalates in our products. we believe that these substances should be banned world-wide and since 2008, when we began reformulating our products to be sulfate-free and paraben-free, we also banned phthalates in all our fragrances. we have also excluded any materials with similar health concerns, including those on the E.U.’s ban list, and materials that are known carcinogens.

historically the cosmetics industry has never been transparent about safety. a lack of disclosure from fragrance manufacturers regarding ingredients and possible health risks was the norm. almost a decade ago, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, better known as OSHA, adopted and began enforcing labeling requirements from the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). this set of GHS requirements requires the disclosure of potential hazards of a substance in a commercial facility, and for purposes related to shipping. while not designed for fragrance or skincare safety specifically, it was an opportunity for small manufacturers like us to demand more information about the materials in our fragrances and other ingredients that might be considered questionable.

the information we obtained about these materials, the effects they have on human health, was the catalyst for broadening our perspective as to how we operate as company. both in the workshop and in the store. given our massive exposure to the materials we use during the production phase, please know that there are four material groups we do not allow in our products

• carcinogens – materials known to cause cancer

• mutagens – materials that change the DNA of a cell and cause disease

• reproductive toxins – toxins that adversely affect reproductive organs and increase risk of birth defects

• organ toxins - toxins that can cause adverse effects or disease

as we continue to observe, identify and investigate ingredients, we will continue to safely improve what we create. we are always open to discussing any concerns you might have, and will offer sources of empirical data to help you in making the best choices for you and your family.

because sarah and i skew toward unscented and essential oil products, we offer all duross & langel products NAKED (unscented). our "essentials" line uses only pure, non-chemical, unadulterated essential oils to scent the products, and we offer a wide range of custom scented products for anyone who wishes to choose their favorite essential oils to custom scent our products.

steve

change is inevitable. growth is optional.

It's my job to write this epilogue, and as jobs go, it's fairly easy. No sadness. No bitter sweet. Perhaps the easiest thing I'll do all summer. As I type Sarah is busy making candles, while also choosing paint swatches and trying to coordinate the carpenters to hang the door of 240 S 11th, Alli is labeling and helping customers, and I've just returned from handing the agent our official notice to vacate 117 S 13th Street after the holidays. We neither take with us nor leave behind any regrets.

When we moved here fifteen years ago, 13th Street was full of promise for retailers, and for many of those years it did not disappoint. Our space on the street gave us foot traffic, a buzzy neighborhood, and the kind of visibility that serves a business very well. While here we've been graced with multiple best of philly awards, a retailer of the year honor, and loads of love from so many magazines, papers and television programs that we've grown a solid base of regular customers both in store and online. On various occasions we spread our wings, attempted new endeavors and saw what there was to see. At the end of the day, the real joy for us has been the core business. The workshop and the store. Our tenure on 13th Street has offered us an opportunity to succeed at the brief. Live lives we love while creating quality, effective natural bath, body and skincare products.

though we try hard not to stray from the path, sometimes the path strays from us.

Our commitment to Philadelphia stays constant. We do not waiver. Center City is our home. While many might be feeling a lack of leadership, fresh ideas and solutions to the problems that seem to double by the week, packing up and running away solves nothing. It actually makes the problem worse. We hear daily from locals, suburbanites and out-of-towners how unsettling the city feels to them. At times we feel it too, and while there may be no easy fix to our problems, it does nothing to dim our resolve. Anyone who has been around here long enough knows that Philadelphia has it's own particular ebb and flow. We do however have a duty to our customers to give them a pleasant, safe and convenient experience when coming to see us. Easy access to a parking spot where you can run in and pick up your favorites is also a requirement. Our vision for the next seven good years allows us to better connect you to the hands-on experience of how things are made, and it allows us to recreate a more tactile shopping experience.

For now we look forward to these last few months on 13th Street as we build out the new spaces, and to welcoming you into our new store and workshop over on 11th Street come January 2023.

Steve

244 - 204 S 11th Street  -  workshop entry left - store entry right

you'll be able to see things being made in the workshop daily, and we will be welcoming you into the workshop space for classes, podcasts and special events throughout the year