Essence of Life Organics

Love this place. Has a ton of great natural products and way better pricing than whole foods! Today I got my Jason toothpaste for $ 4.49 and coconut water 3×250mL for $ 2.99. Definitely has a lot of variety for food and body products. Wish I didn’t have to travel so far, but like the sales associate said, I could just come monthly to stock up. Great customer service, and fair prices too!

This place has always been great. Last week I went in and bought some one litre containers of soup in vacuum pack that were supposed to be on sale. When I got home and tried to eat one turned out it had been opened before. Checked and all three were opened soups. What gives? They don’t answer the phone. Then try to message them but no luck. Not a good situation. Looks like they were selling off stuff that could be going bad or even contaminated.

Essence of Life Organics has an incredible selection of all types of health items, the also have produce in the back. They have a much broader selection of most, if not all, items when comparing them to their neighbour up the road. I have noticed that the prices on items I regularly buy are higher here. However, I was pleased to see that they offer a selection of a few supplement companies that I have never come across in other health stores. This leads me to believe there might be a ND, or someone licensed around. I choose to stop by when I am looking for an item I can’t find elsewhere, or if I were looking for a specific supplement brand… but it is not my go to because of the higher prices.

I stop here any time I am in the Kensington Market for those «Health Food» store items. They have a great selection of specialty food items such as gluten free, vegetarian, sugar free, herbal, etc. The staff are knowledgeable and can actually provide some advice not just on products, but on wellness as well.
The aisles are precariously narrow as they cram as much stuff as possible into the sales floor, but the regulars know how to navigate and be courteous so other shoppers can pass.
The selection here is larger than at Tutti Frutti, and although you might pay a few cents more, there is more choice and stock available here. I shop here whenever I can get to the area.

I love Essence of Life. It is not only relatively inexpensive compared to other health food stores, it is also filled with endless product selections.
If you are seeking organic groceries, Essence of Life is the place to be. It tends to be busier around 5:00 PM during weekdays. You have have say «excuse me» politely repeatedly as you maneuver your way through the narrow isles. Regardless, it’s almost 10−30% cheaper than health food stores in other neighborhoods.
I would recommend checking Tutti Frutti down the street or Sugar & Spice first for supplements. They tend to be slightly cheaper than its counterpart. If the product is not available at either stores, purchase it from Essence of Life!

Sent an email /​question 5 weeks ago, still waiting for an answer …
Still waiting … :/

My favourite one-​stop-​shop to pick up cosmetics as well as health food grocery items. Everything is priced so well compared to other health food and organic grocers. I’m a regular here and will continue to be.

It’s definitely been in a convenient location for me over the last couple years being so close! I used to love the fact that they sold fair trade organic bananas because those are incredibly hard to find! But after looking around at some of the other organic stores the prices are starting to actually be higher here. And they seem to keep buying dole organic products which kinda defy the original reason I started shopping here in the first place. Great for bulk stuff, milk products, misc supplements, the rest I find overpriced.

Essentially a great store that sells anything and everything healthy and organic, plus a whole lot of miscellaneous food products at reasonable prices.
The store is very overwhelming upon entering with narrow aisles and shelves after shelves of products that are placed very closely to one another. I usually feel uneasy when I shop here because it’s so claustrophobic, plus the smell that emits throughout the store just makes me a little nauseous. I have a sensitivity to scents, so maybe it’s just me being overly sensitive.
Perhaps the place should be called «Incense of Organics», because I’m sure they’re burning/​lighting up something or brewing some herbal concoction.
Therefore, on most of my visits here, I’m usually in and out very quickly to grab my items. Plus, there’s not much space at checkout, so the cashier would usually ring in purchases quickly and move to the next person.
This Friday afternoon, I just needed a few things and lucky for me it wasn’t too busy because being in an aisle with another person is definitely not a pleasant feeling at all especially for a claustrophobic person like me. Yes, I admit… I have claustrophobia!

A very fine store with very inexpensive products. Kombucha is a fraction of the cost here and the dry goods selection is great and diverse.
The aisles are very small and difficult to manuever with the high traffic, but other than that its a well laid out and a good spot.

Great selection, great pricing and great service! This place has everything from organic products, to healthy snacks and their prices are lower than a lot of other places I visit. I recently bought a jar of organic coconut oil here for only $ 7.00 (compared to $ 10 to $ 15.00 at St Lawrence Market), its now my ‘go to’ health food store. I believe its family owned and if you can’t find what you are looking for here, there are always staff around to help you!

I adore coming here, especially for their fabulously priced plant proteins! It’s a small place and their selection of products is definitely edited, but they stock the basics and a little extra so you can come away with a pretty good haul at a budget price. I managed to purchase vegetarian breakfast patties, veggie ‘short ribs’ 2 Soyarie packages of seasoned tofu and a full sized carton of eggs from rowe farms for just over 20 bucks. Their tofurkey and Soyarie products are generally a steal and can be twice more expensive elsewhere *Cough* WHOLE FOODS
I am also obsessed with Green Superfood power bars by Amazing Grass and those are also twice cheaper here than at other health food stores *Cough* Whole Foods.
Their produce can be really lacking at times and you’re better off visiting the other vendors in Kensington for fresh and happy veggies + fruits.
There have been instances where they ran out of items I’ve wanted multiple times (dry hummus powder is hella popular!)

Large selection and decent prices for a health food store — cheaper than Noahs or Whole Foods, though several items are cheaper at Tutti Frutti next door or at House of Spice.
Some items like soy yogurt and fava beans aren’t there or are very limited/​expensive, but overall prices are fair and selection is varied.
The whole place is VERY claustraphobic, and difficult to navigate if there are other customers or employees walking the isles. It can be a bit dark.
But the staff have always been helpful and it has things like seitan, which is almost impossible to find here in Toronto.

Love this place. Can’t help but walk in every time I go past it. The products are well priced and I always find something new to try. The items I buy here are just better than what you will ever find in a drug store. If you’ve ever read about some natural health product online and then wondered where you could buy it, this is probably the place to have it. I don’t think they’ve ever not had something I wanted. Which is actually really surprising considering the size of the store :)
I’ve been going there for a year and they seem to keep their staff, so it’s nice to see familiar faces. They are very helpful and knowledgeable. Especially in the vitamin/​supplements section.
Things I’ve bought there that I love:
Their environmentally friendly sponges — they last forever
Their stainless steel water bottle — quality materials, I use it everyday
Their soap bars — like 1 or 2 dollars, all kinds of different scents, not wrapped up in 20 layers of packaging, you can buy them naked (good for environment)
Shea Butter — you can buy one packaged in a nut shell (with a bit of plastic), this is the only body moisturizer that you need
African Black Soap — I’ve never bought it here (still using up my internet order) but I will be buying it next time I need to stock up. This is the perfect soap for oily skinned faces
Avalon Organics Lemon-​scented conditioner — Every time I smell that lemon smell I feel like I’m being transported to Italy or something.

Great place to get organic spices ate a reasonable price. If you are knowledgeable and know what you want weekends are fun with the crowds. If you want to talk and learn from the store experts go on off days so they can spend time with you.

This is one of my favourite Natural Food stores in the city. You can find almost anything you want here and at a fraction of the price they charge at The Big Carrot or Whole Foods.
The only thing I hate is how crammed in things are. I suppose the lack of space helps to keep costs down, but I can’t take all the burned out granola hippies who can’t tell their ass from a whole grain in the ground, wandering though each aisle like zombies. Sometimes I wonder about the actual nutritional value of some of this food when it seems that everyone who eats it is a complete space cadet.
Great supplements section, too!
I just have to remember to go when it’s not so busy.

Essence to the market is what Wal Mart is to the suburbs. Essential. In spite of its cluttered and unorganized look this mini department store ‘has it all’ and is well managed and stocked. Just like any other business operating in a small footprint, you have to wander the cramped aisles to see what they have to offer. The prices are good and stock sells consistently meaning everything is fresh. The far section of the store sells supplements and has its own checkout for efficiency. Good place to wander in and look around when in Kensington.

I just want to make it known that the ONLY reason this isn’t a five star review is because the store is small and is always busy, which puts a slight damper on the shopping experience. However I give FIVE STARS TO EVERYTHING ELSE at Essence of Life Organics.
Essence of Life Organics is both a health food store and a dispensary. On both ends they have great prices and a vast selection.
Grocery:
Organic produce is priced competitively.
Great selection of niche health food items like: unfiltered apple cider vinegar, liquid enzymes, cold pressed oils, various gluten free products etc. And again, great prices!
The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Just today an employee stopped unloading his boxes to WALK me to the nutritional yeast.
Dispensary:
Well priced vitamins and supplements. Significantly lower prices than some of the other places I’ve been to in the downtown area.
They carry many of the same Hair and Skincare products as Whole Foods, but the prices are much better.
I highly recommend Essence of Life Organics for your health food/​supplement needs, I just suggest that you travel light, as even a purse can be cumbersome when trying to shimmy past another shopper in the aisle.

4.5 stars I think. It only fails to make 5 stars because that’s what I’ve given its neighbour, Tutti Frutti which kind of wins on price in general. Essence of Life is seriously good though. It has everything! Fresh food, bulk bins, bars, tea, coffee, baking ingredients, nut butters, every type of natural sweetener, chocolate… The list goes on! They have a particularly well stocked and nicely organized supplement section and actually seem to know about their stock. I’ve priced some of the Vega stuff and they are miles under the prices at Loblaws, Whole Foods etc. I also love it that they have lots of single sachets of the protein powders/​greens mixes etc at the cash register. You get to try before committing to a big tub!
Staff are nice and helpful and it definitely feels less cramped than Tutti Frutti; however the aisles are still pretty tight and it tends to be busy so be prepared to suck in your stomach to let people pass by. It’s also cramped because it’s so jam-​packed full of everything you could want. Between TF and here there is absolutely no need to pay Whole Paycheque (Foods) prices. And this feels like a community too. Love it!

Every once in awhile, I shock myself. Sitting in my room, it is hard to argue the awesomeness of this place despite its incredibly cheesy, hippy tree hugger name.
Never in my life would I have thought I would give an organic health store five stars. The only point I have against it, isn’t enough to drop it from 5 stars.
Now’, folks, I am definitely no hippy tree hugger. A meat eating, hearty meal loving, non vegetarian, eat everything but the veggies kind of girl. I am proud of that.LOL.
It has become one of my favourite places to shop and wander about in Kensington. It is bright, clean and friendly. Selling top notch fresh, dry, frozen and shelved products.
On top of that, if you have gluten allergies, so many options are available!!! And you know what? They taste great! I have tried so many things from them that I cannot wait to see what more they bring! Yeah, folks! They have that much variety when in a usual grocery store you get a few or none at all. Its a little peace of heaven for those with celiac disease.
Prices are great here! For items that have a generic compatible in a big box store — of course, that would be cheaper but give this place a visit and you will see why it may be worth it to add to your grocery shopping routine.