Current blog update

New note about comments: Comments are moderated (so are only posted if I give them permission to be posted) and only open to registered users. Any post with links in it will be deleted (sorry I had to do this a while back but I was getting so much spam by companies who just want to advertise on my blog). Thanks for understanding :)

If you have a company or organization you'd like to tell me about (since I don't allow links to websites in the comments anymore), if you are not a registered user and have comments/questions, or if you have questions on environmental issues or crafting, please e-mail me at solarkatsecoblog@yahoo.com. Please note it may take a few days to answer.

Also A LOT of the old entries are not in the links section yet. There are over 200 entries on this blog, so most links to old posts are not posted on the right side of this blog. If you can't find what you need either read the archives by month, do a search in the search engine box at the top of the blog, or you may ask me a question through the comments or email. :)

What's new:


November 26, 2009Happy holidays! Just a quick article on all my eco living articles over the past year! Still lots of up keeping to do on this blog (comments, etc).

October 5, 2009Hi everyone! I have not updated in like 7 months :( I finally finished my thesis and graduated (yay!). The last few months after graduation I have been working on starting my online skin care and mineral makeup (mmu) business but it has been taking a while, since I haven't been feeling very well (my health hasn't been that good for years, and in the last few months I've been having even more problems). So I've been taking it slow, especially I also just needed some time to deal with a lot of things that have been put on the back burner.

I also have over 50 comments to shift through, many of them are old so don't know what to do with them yet (I didn't know if I should answer them since most of them were posted months ago so the person who posted probably won't see the answer, but maybe I should just in case. I am pretty sure most of them are spam but a few of them were questions).

I am going to try to post more regularly but it is going to take a while to reorganized this blog the way I wanted.

A new post on liquid and pressed mineral makeup is finally up! :)




Edited: Sept, 7, 2006. I just agreed a couple days ago to be a moderator for the Garden of Wisdom forum, which is one of the Delphi forums I post in. I will be posting on that forum the most (out of all the forums I visit), so if you have a question post there for me (I am Snowcat27), e-mail me through my Delphi profile, or leave a comment here on this blog. I will answer questions asap; though please give me a couple days to respond! Thanks to Markey (GOW owner), Jen/Camellia Rose, Whitney, and everyone else on the GOW forum!

Cheers!
Li

November Eco Living article update (Green and Eco-friendly Living)

I haven’t done an Eco Living article update in a while!

A few weeks ago I posted my new Eco Living article on the anb (all natural beauty) mall’s website, which is called: ‘Natural and Organic Products, Part 2: What Is Organic?’. In November's article I defined what organic is, went over the USDA’s National Organic Program’s categories, discussed the difference between natural and organic, and brought up the issues of finding truly organic cosmetics.

Last month I posted part 1 (‘Natural and Organic, Part 1: What is natural?’), which defined the term ‘natural’ and discusses natural and naturally derived ingredients in cosmetics in depth.

Other articles I’ve posted over the last year include ‘Li’s Quick Eco tips on green house cleaning on a budget’, and also ‘Li’s Quick Eco tips on books, packaging, and reusable bottles’. These articles include simple to do tips to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle. I write a lot of ‘Quick Eco Tips’ articles to show that being eco-friendly doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive (a lot of eco-friendly tips are inexpensive or, while they may be more expensive initially, in the long run they save you money, not to mention they are better for you and your family’s health). I also wrote an article that discusses moisturizers, including the importance of water rich ingredients and oils in skin care, and the difference between moisture/hydration and moisturizers (which are not the same thing). There is also an article on different online plant and environmental resources—very useful in researching ingredients, plants/herbs, or some environmental subjects.

A good past article that many may find useful is my article on autumn and winter skin care that I wrote last year (I also have written one on anb mall’s site on spring and summer skin care, which may interest those who live in the southern hemisphere). Skin conditions can change with the season, and as conditions change, you may need to switch your skin care; in this article I give tips on how to do that for your whole skin care routine.

I've written many other articles (including many natural skin care recipes), and I will be writing another one shortly. Many experts in the natural skin care, aromatherapy, or herbalism fields also have contributed great articles to anb mall too :) I hope you enjoy the articles!

Liquid and Pressed Mineral Makeup List (Natural Cosmetics)

Many women have asked me where to find liquid mineral makeup (mmu) and also pressed mmu. I've previously posted a partial list on liquid mmu on this blog but have written an expanded list and also a list of a few brands of pressed mineral foundation. (This list is longer than the one that I emailed to some people.) Happy sampling!

Here is a link to that old post on a few liquid mmu brands and also how to make your own :) Burt's Bees tinted moisturizer (which is mentioned in my old post) is no longer available.


Where can I find liquid mineral makeup (mmu)?

Monave makes several wonderful liquid mmu. The moisture moose (rose one) is actually good for all skin types (not just normal/dry as they recommend. The ingredients are very balancing for sebum levels in all skin types). They also have one made for oily skin (liquid matte), and also a cream foundation. The company that makes them for Monave is headed by someone with an aromatherapy and herbal background (and she really knows her ingredients). The only drawback, shelf life is about 1-3 months, maybe a little longer for the liquid matte because of the container that one is in. It is actually less expensive to buy one of their face creams (which contain many of the same ingredients as some of their foundation bases, but in different proportions so slightly different in texture) and add your own mmu. I highly recommend their face creams and body lotions.



Real Purity and Dr Hausckha and Lavera and Miessence sell natural makeup (including mascara). Dr Hausckha and Lavera can be found at some Whole Foods, Wegman's, or health food stores. Miessence is organic. Shelf life of Real Purity--a couple to a few months. Dr Hausckha and Lavera probably have the longest shelf life as they are preserved with alcohol, so probably will be fine for up to 3-5 months after purchase (depends on how long they have been in the store, shelf life is measured when ingredients/products were made and not when you buy them). Lavera: check out the clearance section of their website, sometimes they are onsale. Miessence's shelf life probably a few months or longer (assuming their extracts contain alcohol; I've never tried their foundation but have tried their creams, which do).

Paul Penders also offers liquid mmu. They should be available at Cosmetics Without Synthetics' website, which sells many different brands and they have samples (if they don't have it yet--since the liquid kind is new, contact them). Shelf life, I estimate about max 3 months or maybe a little more. Here is the link to Paul Pender's website (where you can read about the liquid foundation, but you'd need to buy from Cosmetics Without Synthetics).

Cosmetics Without Synthetics website also sells some of the above brands too in addition to Paul Penders, so you may want to try here so you can get samples. They sell a lot of natural brands, from skin to hair care to makeup.

Cory cosmetics also has liquid mineral makeup.

Essential wholesale (a diy ingredient vendor) has liquid mmu. They sell mostly in bulk but for a few products they sell single regular sized units too. Nearly all natural to natural based, but there is one ingredient they use in some (not all) of their makeup that I don't particularly care for (Tetrasodium edta). I haven't tried their mineral makeup yet, I may try some of them (except for the ones that contain this ingredient). EW is truly a green company (they are carbon neutral).

All of these brands, the liquid mmu foundations double as moisturizers, so you may or may not need to use a separate moisturizer with it (depends on your skin).

All these companies and websites also sell nice skin care :)

What brands sell pressed mineral makeup (mmu)?


For pressed mineral powders, Every Day Minerals has some (but not all) colors available as pressed. I really like the formulation (they pressed with only fractionated coconut oil and vitamin E, no other additives) but the colors I can wear aren't available. (The one I have is a tad orange for me, but it works well underneath my eyes). They also have a few pressed blushes and sometimes pressed eye colors and bronzers (but the pressed blushes, eye colors, and bronzers are usually rotated, on a limited run). I love the pressed summer bronzer. I am not a blush or bronzer person but have been using this as blush and I love it since it gives just a very sheer hint of color/a glow. (The bronzer was pressed with jojoba oil). I really missed not having makeup in compacts so I love their pressed products. Now if they would only come out with more foundation colors! :)

For the brands below, see links above.

Nvery Eco has one but I haven't used it yet. It is organic though but only has a couple colors. They are an australian company. (Available on Cosmetic Without Synthetic website).

Real Purity has has some pressed (Available on their own website, and some colors are on Cosmetic Without Synthetics website).

Essential Wholesale has some pressed mmu like eye shadows, no foundation yet I think but they keep adding more products.

Not pressed but Cory Cosmetics has a mica free foundation stick too.

Lavera and Dr Hauschka also have pressed but they are talc based which I do not recommend (talc while natural is sometimes contaminated with abestos, and in some studies even the non-contaminated ones are thought to be potential carcinogens. It is a highly debated ingredient on if it's safe or not, personally I think it is better to be safe than sorry).

You can also press your own (mix a few drops of a carrier oil or alcohol in a little blender, and then press into a compact and let dry).

Eco Living: Aromatherapy Milk Baths

My newest Eco Living article is up on anb (all natural beauty) mall's website. This month it is on all natural aromatherapy milk baths (vegan suggestions are included too!). Milk baths are great for the skin, and super relaxing! :) Enjoy!

Eco Living: Aromatherapy body and massage oils

Just in time for valentines' day. My newest article Eco Living on anb mall's site is a super easy recipe for an aromatherapy body/massage oil. Perfect for relaxing, de-stressing, meditating, or to use as a sensual blend :) Includes many notes on essential oil safety too!
Hope you enjoy!

Comments FAQ: vegan melt and pour base, a nice comment, rose essential oil

I am bad at answering comments :( (I have been super busy with my thesis and starting my business, etc, and my health has been on the fritz, more so than usual, the last couple months). It is really better to email me; you'll get a faster response most of the time, though recently I have been slow on answering emails too. Honestly if you want an answer on the same or next day, it is best to post on one of the blogs I frequent, for eco questions or natural skin care lines and aromatherapy/herbal questions, crafting, etc, probably best to ask on all natural beauty's forum. I apologize for the long wait for answers.

So I've decided to start posting my answers to comments as blog entries (in addition to answering them in the comments) to make the answers easier to find, and also increase the chances of the person who asked about it, seeing their answer since some of them were posted a couple months old, and I am only now answering them :( Still have several to go through, will get them done soon.

Anne asked on the "How to make your own herbal soaps” post:
"Can anyone tell me if the glycerin base used for melt and pour soups is vegan (no animals products)?"

Hi

Sorry for the very late response (been super busy with my thesis, business, etc).

It depends on which company and which base, since some companies make soap with animal tallow (though most I've seen use vegetable/nut oils), while others may add honey or goats milk to their bases. Was there a particular base that you were interested in? (most companies should post the ingredients on their website, but if they don't I recommend contacting them for a complete ingredient list).


Small Footprints posted a very nice post on the current blog update about liking my blog.

Thank you! I feel very bad as you posted your very nice comment months ago (been super busy so have not been blogging much; very sorry to get back to you so late).
I will be sure to check out your blog soon too!


Genevieve asked about where to get organic rose essential oil (and about the differences in quality and prices).
Hi Genevieve

I apologize for the long wait in response (not much time to blog anymore; thesis and starting a business, etc, have been overwhelming me as of late).

People debate on whether Bulgarian or Turkey is the best damask rose with most people saying that Bulgarian damask rose is the best. A lot of factors goes into scent, especially how they are distilled (some distillers are better than others) and also weather/climate, etc (rose crops around the world in the last couple years haven't been doing well in some areas).

Personally I love both Bulgarian and Turkey damask rose; I don't think one is superior over the other but they are both lovely in their own right. Actually the best smelling rose I've ever tried (and I have sampled from several companies and several different species of roses) is an organic damask rose from Turkey from AV-AT. Butch claims his rose is the best on the market and I have to agree with him; all of his essential oils are superior quality. Both his rose essential oil and absolute are so rich and intense (that distiller in Turkey who he's been getting his rose from for many years, knows what they are doing). They are organic but not certified organic (many farmers in Turkey can't afford the organic process but Butch is originally from Turkey and I believe has seen the places where the crops are grown).

I also like the roses from Mountain Rose Herb (excellent quality). They have a sampler kit of Bulgarian, Turkey, and Chinese (the Chinese is a different species of rose, and not the damask rose but still lovely). I think only the Bulgarian is certified organic though but most of MRH's essential oils that are not organic are tested to be free of pesticides etc.

Be sure to dilute the essential oil well (to 1-2% concentration; a small bottle should last you a very long time :) )

Rose essential oil is very expensive (it costs $300-400 or more for 1 ounce, wholesale price; about $1-2 a drop) so most places will cost a lot (once business costs are factored into the retail price). It is also commonly adulterated (people add other essential oils or synthetics to it to stretch it as it is so expensive). Sometimes the different in price is due to quality of the product, though there are many who charge too much for an inferior product.

Eco Living: Li's New Years' Eco Tips (Eco Living article series)

My newest Eco Living article is up on anb (all natural beauty) Mall's website! It is filled with many of my favorite simple green living tips, perfect for implementing in your life during the New Year :) One reason I am writing this article series is to show that living more eco-conscious doesn't have to be time consuming, expensive, or difficult to do; I hope you find it helpful! Happy New Year! Xinnian kuai le!

Essential Oils: Packaging, Blending, Company recs (Essential Oil/Aromatherapy Information)

Going through old FAQ so I am posting them (edited with additional information of course) :)

How should I package products made with essential oils (plastic or glass)? Are carrier oils okay to store in plastic or should I use glass?

For undiluted, pure essential oils, absolutes, and co2 extracts, you need to store them in colored glass (they usually come in colored glass) since many of them will eat through plastic, and it is thought by some people that toxins from plastic can leech into them (and other products/ingredients). Also it is thought that light can degrade essential oils hence the colored glass, but I know of at least one prominent essential oil company that disputes this and says uncolored glass is fine too and protects the essential oils just as well. Personally I recommend that if you are storing it in a fridge or another dark and cool place, uncolored glass would probably be fine, but if you don't then use colored glass.

Carrier oils are fine to store and keep in plastic.

Most vendors package essential oils, absolutes, and co2 extracts in glass, if they don't, be dubious of their product, since if they are in plastic, they are probably not undiluted, but are diluted in a carrier of some sort or they are simply not the real thing. (Note: for large wholesale sizes some companies do use metal containers)

But with diluted essential oils in products, it is debated whether they should be stored in plastic or glass. Personally I don't package them in plastic since I've had essential oils eat through plastic before (during one of my first aromatherapy experiments over eight years ago I had made bath salts that contained essential oils, and I had put them in a hard, plastic travel container, and it cracked the plastic in under an hour. No idea what kind of plastic it was, but it was a container made for travel). But well diluted, and in certain plastics (like PET), for short term usage (maybe only a few months) storing in plastic shouldn't be a problem. A lot of companies that offer shampoos and lotions and such with essential oils keep them in plastic bottles, but when I buy from other companies I always make sure I use those products up within a month or two (since many of them are also all natural and have a very short shelf life anyways).


Will mixing essential oils together in a blend (i.e. using two or more in a product) reduce their potency or 'clash' with each other?

It is thought by many aromatherapists and herbalists that combining essential oils actually improves how they work. This theory is called synergy. But keep the total essential oil content for facial formulas to 1% of under, so don't use 1% of each essential oil, but use a total of 1% or less of all the essential oils. And that's just a general rule, some essential oils should be used at way less than 1%, especially on the delicate facial and eye area.

What are some of your favorite scented products (essential oils, hydrosols, and essences) from different companies?

From AV-AT, I love Butch's Organic Ylang Ylang Complete, Organic Cocoa Absolute, and Organic High Altitude French Lavender Essential Oil. Actually any of his essential oils are wonderful, all have been fantastic: I rank them as superior quality. Their rose essential oil and absolute is the best out of any company I've tried. They are my favorite essential oil company.

Sunrose Aromatics: Peach tree leaf absolute, Organic Chocolate Peppermint Essential Oil. Yum :)

Enfleurage: Organic Petitgrain sur Fleur Essential Oil (which is distilled branches and flowers of the bitter orange tree, so kind of like a combo of petitgrain and neroli, yum!). Carries many unusual essential oils, they also have a store in New York City.

A Little Ol' Factory: Organic Bulgarian Rose alba (white rose) hydrosol (from an award winning distillery)

Nature's Gift: another superior quality company. I especially like all of their jasmine absolute (they have three species). I've smelled jasmine from other (good to excellent) companies and while they are nice, they don't have all the notes and subtle yet complex over and under tones of the jasmines that Marge (or another superior essential oil company) carries. Offers some of the rarer essential oils.

Eden Botanicals: their crystallized amber essence. If you love amber, this is the place to buy them! Note their amber is vegetarian but not vegan.

Samara Botane I like their rose gallica, which is a species of rose not usually used in aromatherapy (which is on super onsale now). Very fragrant. A well known and respected company. They also carry some of the harder to find essential oils.

See also my few posts on reviews on essential oils companies.