Current blog update

Note:No links to companies selling products in the comments, please. As previously mentioned, comments are being moderated and anything that even looks remotely like spam will not be posted. I haven't been answer comments very quickly at all this year so if you want a fast response email me instead of posting. If you have a company you'd like to tell me about or if you have questions on environmental issues or crafting, please e-mail me at solarkatsecoblog@yahoo.com. Thank you :)

Also A LOT of the old entries are not in the links section yet. 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:

May 2, 2008I have not posted in a month! Poor neglected blog :( Been working very hard on my thesis, which is almost done :) It is very long but I am proud of it (and I hope my committee likes it too!). Anyways, new post on vanilla oleoresin, a fantastic ingredient to craft with. I am (of course) behind on answering comments as most of my (much reduced) online time has been devoted to the Garden of Wisdom forum, so I still need to answer them. Thanks for being so patient, I will be blogging more often this summer :) And also will be opening my eco-friendly natural cosmetic and mmu business this summer, watch this blog for when! Cheers!

April 2, 2008 New entry: crafting thoughts. Also more comments: Irene under miy creams; Anon on 'yet more in natural preservatives' who asked about vitamin E and gfs extract concentration; and Liz asking about carrier oils and lavender under the pimple juice and the I love lavender entries. Thanks for posting, and waiting for a response (still working on thesis).




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

Ingredient profile: Vanilla oleoresin (Aromatherapy/crafting information)

I have decided to review different raw natural ingredients (like essential oils, carrier oils, and butters) that I think are fantastic ingredients!

I thought I'd start with vanilla oleoresin.

I love vanilla. To my knowledge, there isn't a vanilla essential oil available, but there is a vanilla absolute, C02 extract, and oleoresin (which are used as 'essential oils' but are extracted differently, and they all have different chemical compositions from each other). And of course there is an herbal tincture aka vanilla extract available (which if I am not mistaken, the vanilla oleoresin is made from) . I've tried vanilla absolute and the extract before, but I've only tried vanilla oleoresin from one supplier (Garden of Wisdom) so far.

First I love the oleoresin because of the smell. It is a very intense, rich smooth vanilla scent, much stronger than many absolutes I've smelled; absolutely divine!

The oleoresin is water soluble (unlike many essential oils and CO2s) so it's easy to add to water based products. Vanilla absolute is soluble in alcohol but you can still add it to a carrier oil, you'll have to shake well before each use since it won't really mix. I have not tried the CO2 yet but I have read on a vendor's site that it is soluble in oil :)

Aromatherapy/skin properties: vanilla has been used and shown in scientific studies to have a calming effect on people. It is also used as an aphrodisiac. Aside from those two uses (and scent) there aren't too many other aromatherapy uses that I am aware of.

How to use the oleoresin: add a couple drops per ounce of water based product to scent. Since the kind I bought is a 20 fold oil (meaning the scent is concentrated 20 times), this vanilla is very strong so you will not need to use that much. I am not sure if all vanilla oleoresin are 20 fold or not (if that is the standard), but the one I tried was.

Notes for uses of all types of vanilla based products: use the oleoresin for water or also alcohol based products, absolute for alcohol based perfumes, CO2 for massage/body/bath oils or other oil based products, and the extract for cooking. Side note: the extract also makes a wonderful perfume or perfume base.

Places to buy:

Oleoresin: I got mine from Garden of Wisdom (GOW). Vanilla oleoresin is very inexpensive compared to the absolute and C02. The one from GOW is a large size (1/4 ounce, which is a pretty large amount for the home crafter since like an essential oil or absolute, you use oleoresins at a very low concentration, diluted). Most vanilla absolutes or C02s cost a lot more.

Absolute: Mountain Rose Herbs (excellent absolute, very sweet). Wonderful in alcohol based perfumes. AV-AT also has vanilla absolute back in stock (I haven't tried it yet, but I am going to receive a sample of this soon, so will know soon how it is. But knowing the quality of Butch Owen's other essential oils and absolutes, I am quite sure it is very high quality). I think Samara Botane has it too. I just recently tried this company and I love their essential oils (related note: I just adore their gallica rose essential oil, I haven't seen this rose species anywhere else, and right now (May 2, 2008) it is super on sale!)

C02: I haven't tried the C02 yet but Nature's Gift carries it (and Marge's other essential oils etc are very high quality). Eden Botanicals also carries it (I haven't tried any of their essential oils yet but their amber essences--amber is a combination of different scented ingredients--are so delicious smelling! Side note: their crystallized amber is vegetarian but not vegan as it contains beeswax)

Extract: a while Edward gave me vanilla extract from somewhere in Latin America and it was excellent. It was alcohol free (so I am assuming in some sort of glycerine base). I think Mountain Rose Herbs sells vanilla extract (I haven't tried theirs yet but all of their products are superior quality and they are the place I buy nearly all of my herbs from). I like the vanilla extract from Simply Organic aka Frontier Co-op. I also just bought vanilla beans a couple months ago and plan to make my own sometime!

Li's Crafting Thoughts 4-03-08

Been working on this entry on and off for many, many days, so here it is! :)

I haven't been crafting as much in March as I did in February (due to my thesis) but I have been crafting and tweaking some products for my future business, and jotting down ideas, as well as making a lot of kitchen cosmetics (cosmetics made with fresh ingredients that I have been making for my own personal use).

Toners and water based serums: I have been working on a lot of toners. I've been researching hydrosol properties for quite a while (expanding on my overall understanding of them) and more importantly using a lot of hydrosols that I have never used before to really understand their properties and how they react on the skin. I am really loving frankincense hydrosol (great for dry skin, anti-aging, but rare/not offered everywhere). For serums, I have been studying more herbalism, and experimenting with herbs that I haven't used yet. Also I have been coming up with a lot of ideas of crafting water based serums (I usually only craft oil based serums).

Oil Based Serums:I have totally shifted my focus entirely to tweaking about four of them (instead of the original sixteen), and experimenting with different blends of ingredients, especially essential oil blends. I am working hard to craft blends that will really help specific conditions.

Mineral makeup: Made a few gorgeous shades of brown, and a totally awesome vegan lip gloss! I nailed the texture/glide/slip on my first time crafting it (after over seven years of crafting, most of the time I nail it on the first try, but the artist and scientist in me is always tweaking a formula). My lips are so soft after I use it!

Creams: Been working on a preservative system for creams. I am still considering whether or not to offer creams/lotions in my business because of the short shelf life when using natural preservatives. Though I think most people would understand using the products up quickly if it's explained it's a must, I think some people really wouldn't understand. I have made some nice waterless balms/salves for the face and they have the most melt-on-your skin texture and leave the skin really soft so will be offering those at least.

Though I've blogged about natural preservatives a lot, here is a quick summary again :)

Creams and lotions are a tricky product to craft for a business, simply because of the preservative issue. No matter what some people say or think, there are benefits and disadvantages to using both natural or synthetic preservatives. On the issue there seems to be two extremes: there are people who are absolutely convinced natural preservatives do not work at all, and others that believe any natural herb is a good preservative against all kinds of bacteria and that an all natural product lasts as long as one preserved with synthetic preservatives. My personal thought on this :) they are both misinformed. Natural preservatives can be very effective but you have to realize the limitations of using them. Products preserved with natural preservatives simply will not last as long as a product preserved with a synthetic preservative. On general, depending on which natural preservatives you use, shelf life for creams and lotions will be anywhere from one month to three months, maybe (stress the maybe) up to five months for some formulations (ones with alcohol and a blend of certain--not random and not just one--herbs/essential oils, and packaged in a specific container). Also though many herbs and essential oils are antiseptic, they are antiseptic to various degrees, and different herbs/essential oils will kill different bacteria. To be effective, it's really important to use a combination of natural preservatives (and not just one or two ingredients) but shelf life will still be very short. Other things to consider: container style (airless pumps are a good idea), and (if you are selling) antibacterial and antifungal tests and (if you can afford it) challenge testing are a must. Or you may want to consider waterless products, which are less prone to bacterial contamination.

(It is a good thing I am a scientist/environmental biologist and know how to properly do antibacterial and antifungal tests).

I am considering offering only waterless creams (so technically salves/balms), or offering an all natural cream (and stress the short shelf life), or maybe offer an all natural version plus a version with one of the few synthetic preservatives I'll actually use. I am still deciding.

Kitchen Cosmetics:For kitchen or fresh cosmetics I've been making a lot of fresh scrubs and masks for personal use (revisiting old recipes and concocting many new ones) (Note: shelf life is only a couple days and it must be stored in the fridge if there is any left over). Though I craft vegan for my business, for kitchen cosmetics I will use vegetarian (but not vegan) ingredients like yogurt (I'm only veggie and not vegan, though some of the food I eat is vegan). I've also been using a lot of fresh organic fruit in masks (which contain natural forms of acids, that are gentler than the concentrated derived acids typically found in products) recently and my skin has been glowing!

Everyday Minerals Review (Mineral Makeup/Eco-friendly Cosmetics)

I realized I never wrote a review of Everyday Minerals on my blog! (Though I have mentioned it a couple of times). Since I love their products I decided to write a full review.

Foundation:Their foundation is my holy grail! Not only is the color a perfect match for my skin but the finish is amazing! Since I started wearing mineral makeup five or so years ago, I've found many good/great matches (I thought all of them were perfect matches until I sampled more and found better and better matches: anything is an improvement from conventional makeup that is typically pink and peach tones!). Everyday Minerals is high in mica so its coverage for most of its formulas is light to medium, though it is very buildable, and they also have an intensive formula, which is medium to heavy coverage. I usually don't use their intensive formula (anything too heavy dries out my skin) but I love their matte and semi matte formulas. Many women also like their original glow formula, though some people say it's too shiny and others say it's perfect. I just got a sample of the original glow, I've only used it once but I thought it was too shiny for me. I love their matte and semi-matte formulas because it doesn't dry out my dehydrated skin yet controls oil. I don't really wear makeup for coverage or to hide flaws but I wear it to keep my dry yet oily skin in check, and also for some sunscreen, so I usually don't wear foundation most days but when I do I usually reach for this one. Note: because their formulas are higher in mica, and lower in titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, it would stand to reason the sunscreen properties of this line is lower than other mmu lines that use titanium dioxide or zinc oxide as their first ingredients.

Foundation color I wear: I am of Chinese descent and my skin is light-medium strong yellow with a lot of golden tones and a hint (and I really do mean a hint!) of olive. The color I wear is: winged butter. It is usually hard for me to find an exact match because I don't have the lightest skin, but my skin is not medium either, but falls in between. But this color is perfect for me :)

Blush:I am not really a blush person but as I've gotten a few free sample blushes, I've tried them. I like their product because the colors are very wearable, light in pigmentation, and blendable. Very nice formulation.

Eye shadows: Most of the time I wear my own (eye shadows are the color cosmetics I use the most), but I was pleasantly surprised at their eye shadows. I've heard from other women on some forums that they usually are not pigmented enough but I found this not to be true with their two newest colors (I have no idea on how pigmented their other colors are though). I like how the colors stayed put and the pigmentation was very rich. I've only tried two colors so far (which were free, but they were full size!) but they were very beautiful.

Concealers:I don't use concealers most of the time but ended up with some samples from the sample kit (see below). Usually I can not wear concealers because most concealers are too heavy in coverage so dry me out and settle into my pores (I have very fine textured skin). But this is one of the only lines in which I've been able to wear their concealer without it settling. Sunlight is nice for those days when I don't get enough sleep and don't want to wear a full foundation.


Lippies:I've only tried one lippie so far. I really love how it glides on my lips and the texture. It leaves the lips plump and also shiny (but not too shiny)! The color I got was cherry fizz. It is a medium pink color, but this lippie doesn't have too much pigmentation--perfect for a day look. My lips are very naturally pink so it didn't give my lips much color but made them a little shiny. A good natural look with a little oomph! Love the formula so next time will choose a color that's not that close to my lip color! Note:I just read on a forum and also checked their site to be sure, but they have reformulated their lippies. They are supposed to be more pigmented now and the texture is supposed to be different too. More pigmentation=great, but I'll have to try their new formula now to see if I like the texture and glide or not!


Cream:A very simple, waterless cream (so technically a balm not a cream). I like using this all over. For the face, I think it would be better for those with dry and normal skin; it may benefit some people with oily skin but others it will be too heavy. (Be sure to apply to damp skin/dampen skin with toner). Great on the hands and neck area! Smiled when I saw hydrogenated vegetable oil as an ingredient, ha!

Samples:I highly recommend people getting either their samples to start out with. They offer a free sample kit (you just pay shipping) in which you get
full 3 gram jars of three foundations, a concealer, and a blush/face color (your choice). They say on their website it's only enough for 3-6 applications but honestly it's really enough for a lot more! I apply makeup with a very light hand (one light coat) and if I wear it every day, their samples last me about a month or more. Most people wear more foundation, so this will usually last others at least a week or two (I don't think I've ever met anyone yet, or talked to anyone on the forums that applies as little foundation as I do). I like to use them when I travel.

Kits:They also offer many great kits, which end up being a lot less expensive than buying the product individually--and they are inexpensive to begin with! I just got their custom kit for $32.00, in which you can choose your own products--so I got 3 vegan brushes, 2 full size foundations, and the cherry fizz lippie. In addition they were having a weekly special when I bought from them a couple months ago so I also got a lot of free specials: 3 other brushes and two beautiful full size eye shadows. Be sure to check their website for weekly specials!

I will be reviewing the brushes in another entry, but they are fantastic: very nice!

Greed in the name of green article (Environmental News)

I just read a really interesting article in the Washington Post's style section called "Greed in the name of green" by Monica Hesse which I thought brought up a lot of good points about environmentalism and consumerism. But I am not sure if most people would truly get the article since it was very sarcastic in tone, and its tone may inadvertly dissuade people from buying green products when needed, instead of driving the article's main point home that to truly be green it is better to consume less. But I think it's worth a read since I think the author brought up a very important ecological topic, and the title and writing style really caught my attention.

I plug a lot of green companies on this blog and though I've mentioned in a couple entries that less consumption of products is always best for the environment, this article made me realize that perhaps I haven't emphasized it enough. In the last several years I've really tried to buy less; I'm the kind of person that will use something until it breaks (I had a CD diskman for 15 years and did not get an ipod until it died--and I got my ipod as a very nice birthday present, didn't buy it myself. When I got a new cell phone in the winter of 2006, the employees at Best Buy were so shocked that my old phone was like five years old--I had used it until it literally fell apart). But at the same time I have a weakness for books (my library is huge) and, of course, herbs and aromatherapy (but aromatherapy and herbalism are fast becoming my livelihood).

I think the article brought up a very good point: that the problem and point of being environmental is not buying just green products instead of conventional/less eco-friendly products (though that is a good thing too). The problem is that people consume too much, and think that if they can replace everything they consume now with a greener equivalent, and keep consuming the same amount they do, that will solve the problem. Well that would make it a little better, but many people don't realize that overconsumption in general is a huge problem: to be truly green it is better to consume less, and use what you have long term (not be caught up in consumerism and the need to have the newest gizmo or fad). The author also mentions in her article a few other good points (but I think they got buried under her sarcastic tone, and because of that some people may not get it and see this article as an 'anti-green product' article though it isn't): when you do need to get something buying green is a good alternative, since it is more eco-friendly, and the plethora of green products on the market shows that people are realizing that environmental problems are truly real and they are serious.

I personally think the best way to be eco-friendly is to buy less, and only buy what you need (and when you need to buy, try a green alternative). Quality over quantity.

Ecological, Aromatherapy, Herbalism, and Natural Cosmetics Blogs and Resources Part 1 (Aromatherapy, Herbalism, and Environmental Information)

Here is a quick run down of some of my favorite ecological, aromatherapy, herbalism, and natural cosmetics resources that haven't been blogged about in detail yet.

Herbs Oils Etc:

This is a yahoo group that I joined a while ago. There is so much wonderful information on this list from people from a wide range of backgrounds: herbal and aromatherapy and crafting amateurs, herbal/aromatherapy students, herbalists, aromatherapists, and herbal vendors. Great place to learn about new ingredients, herbalism, aromatherapy, and also tips on crafting herbal products. An authentic resource (there are many fake aromatherapy and herbal resources and products out there)

Soapdish forum:

I've been a member for over a year. A rich resource for the home and also business crafter (cosmetic crafts of all kinds, not just soap). The archives are one of the best resources online for any questions that you may have about crafting. New posters may want to do a search for information before asking questions.

Cropwatch:

One of the best plant conservation/economical botany/ethnobotany (botanical uses of people) focused websites out there. If you are interested in hearing about ecological issues related to crops/plants or environmental threats to commercially used plants, this is the resource to check. Very well researched and each article has references. (Also check the aromaconnection blog--see my previous blog entry on that--and Wildwood's website below)

Chrissie Wildwood:

This British aromatherapist is one of my favorite aromatherapy authors. She is not only a well known aromatherapist, but active in educating the public about endangered plant species and plant conservation issues. Her aromatherapy books are among the best researched out there, in my opinion. Her perfume book is one of the best aromatherapy perfume books available (but it's out of print so very expensive and kind of hard to find).

Camellia Rose's blog:

My friend Jen's blog. Jen is the host of Garden of Wisdom's forum (which I also help moderate) and also the owner of a skin care company called Camellia Rose. I've mentioned Jen and her company on my blog before and have already posted her shop in my links section. But I don't think I've posted about her blog before. Jen knows a lot about crafting and loves to research about cosmetic ingredients as much as I do! :) Just a side note, her online store will only be open from time to time since she just had a baby girl a few months ago! :) Be sure to try her green tea shea soap!

I love lavender essential oil! (Aromatherapy/Essential Oil Information)

I am a lavender fanatic. I currently have over seventy essential oils but lavender is still one of my favorites since it has so many medicinal and cosmetic uses. And it smells wonderful!

I recently posted about some of my favorite lavenders from around the world on a forum so thought I'd post the information here too (with added information of course :) ). The species I am discussing is Lavandula angustifolia, but any essential oil fanatic will tell you the scent and chemical composition of any essential oil can vary greatly by region, season, climate, weather, processing/distilling methods, altitude, etc. So even if it's from the same species, essential oils from different areas and seasons will smell different from each other. They are like fine wines in that regard! :)


My favorite lavender is high altitude wild grown French. My second favorite is Bulgarian lavender. If you want to try the French, you have to be careful where you buy it, since according to Jeanne Rose (personal communication during a class in October 2007) much of what is listed as French is really Bulgarian (the French will import Bulgarian and then repackage and then call it French). Both the French and Bulgarian are more floral and have no hint of camphor than other varieties I have smelled. The French has a sweeter and very floral scent in my opinion, but it is also very fruity too. Both are used by perfumers in perfume, especially the high altitude wild grown French.

I also like English lavender (which I think is more herbal and green than the French or Bulgarian) but I also love lavender from California (which is woody and green). California lavender is high in borneol which is considered an immune stimulate. It is a nice and smooth smelling lavender. The lavender from Hungary is very mild and not as intense as some other countries.

I personally don't like Lavender 40-20, it always smells 'off' too me; too artificial. I always thought that even before I knew what 40-20 was, before I learned that it was partially synthetic. Basically since the scent of essential oils can vary greatly from each batch (even if it's the same species, grown in the same area) many producers/manufacturers will add Linalool and Linalyl acetate (which are two chemical components naturally found in lavender) to make sure each batch smells the same. Some perfumers and crafters love 40-20 for this reason, but I don't. Some people claim that it is completely natural (since the Linalool and Linalyl acetate are essential oil components. Though it's true they are naturally found in lavender essential oil, to my knowledge--and I could be wrong about this--what is most often added is lab created Linalool and Linalyl acetate, and not naturally plant derived Linalool and Linalyl acetate. Though a few companies may actually add plant dervied Linalool and Linalyl acetate, I do not know for sure). 40-20 is less expensive, and each batch smells consistent (there are no variations). (A related story on how good my 'nose' is, I remember a few years ago I was raving about a skincare line to my sister in a store since previously they used only pure rose essential oil in their line, asked her to smell their product, and when she said it just smelled okay, I smelled it and said immediately that I thought they added some synthetic rosy scent to it. I looked at the ingredients and I was right: while they were still using essential oils, they had begun to add 'essential oil components' like Linalool to their products).

Lavendin tends to be cheaper too (it is a hybrid of a couple different species of lavender) but it has much more/strong camphor notes in it.

There was a question asking about the difference in prices and whether it mattered in crafting which lavender was used. And my answer was:

Honestly though there a few people (like me) who would care about which one is used and can tell the difference between lavenders, I think most people won't be able to tell the difference, so you should just sample different lavenders and choose the one you like the best. :)

Many vendors offer free samples that contain a few drops, probably not enough to craft with but enough to smell and compare between samples, others offer larger samples for a couple bucks.

The French, Bulgarian, and English are available at AV-AT, and are organic except for the French which is ethically wild harvested (no pesticides though since it's high altitude, no pollution in the area). CA is available from Jeanne Rose (who also sells a lavender kit that contains 6 lavenders from around the world. I haven't tried the kit yet so don't know from what areas but her essential oils are some of the best I've tried). Not sure if the CA is organic but I think it's grown as part of the Aromatic Plant Project so most likely it is organic (may or may not be certified). The Hungary lavender can be found at Garden of Wisdom.
Not sure if it's organic either but many of Markey's (GOW's owner) essential oils are organic or at least ethically wild harvested (but they aren't labeled as such) so there's a good chance it is. Conventional 40-20 can be found at Mountain Rose Herbs, who also sells a nice organic Bulgarian lavender. I haven't used Lavendin in a while and forgot where I initially tried it but Nature's Gift sells it, and many other different kinds of lavender including Bulgarian and French. Though I haven't tried their lavender they sell superior quality essential oils and I am sure they smell great! They also sell a CO2 extract of lavender and a lavender from the Himalayans that I've been eyeing. Some of their lavenders are organic, and some are wild harvested from high altitude areas.

Another question: Why does my bulgarian lavender smell different from last time? I got it at the same place.

Many things can greatly affect the scent of essential oils: season, climate, weather, distillation methods, storage conditions, altitude, etc.

I haven't gotten bulgarian lavender recently but I know that last year's bulgarian and turkey rose crops failed due to the weather, so it is my guess that the climate/weather has affected all types of plants grown in the area.

If you want floral, try a high altitude French (but be careful as many lavenders labeled as French are really Bulgarian so buy from a company you trust) (also French does smell floral but it leans more toward fruity in addition to floral)

Some companies like Av-at, Nature's Gift, Sun Rose Aromatics, etc you can request free samples before you buy. Not really enough to craft with (unless you get from SRA but enough to smell to make sure it's what you want).

Li's crafting thoughts 01-25-08

I have been crafting so much in the last few months: making gifts for my family and friends, sending samples to friends that I promised quite a long time ago, and crafting for my future business.


Lip Balm: I made my most healing lip balm to date that included many healing herbs and essential oils, including calendula. Calendula is antiseptic, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory so a great ingredient to use in all types of oils, balms, and creams. This lip balm was extremely time consuming to make, as I had to infuse nearly every herb in oil (so I did it the fast way and not the slow traditional way). Probably the nicest lip balm (texture, glide, and healing wise) I've made to date.

Whipped Shea: I actually made this twice. The first time it came out nice and fluffy, but then I rewhipped some of it (I didn't scent it enough initially) and while some of the fluffiness disappeared it turned more creamy. I need to buy a Kitchen Aid eventually because it's too time consuming making it with regular beaters, but since stand mixers are so expensive, that will have to wait a bit.

Mineral Makeup eyeshadow:Made three new colors. Two of them were very unusual ones. I am still only making shimmers. ;P I need to do some semi-matte or matte because I think most people wear those during the day more than the shimmer. I am the complete opposite; I tend to wear shimmer but I like my eye color intense when I actually do wear makeup; I'm strange in that regard since most days I don't even wear any.

Creams:I've made three new creams so far. One that is totally awesome and contains organic immortelle essential oil from corsica (which is now selling for about the same price as rose absolute, one of the most expensive absolutes), one that is rich but absorbs easily but the texture was a bit off (too much butters?), another (that for the first time in many years) that completely bombed. It was my first attempt at making a cream with a high amount of an herbal extract/alcohol to preserve and to scent (I am experimenting with blends of natural preservatives now). It smells good and absorbs into the skin okay but the texture is 'blah'. Back to the drawing board for the last two.

Eye balm: I made the most melt-on-your-skin, non-greasy, fast absorbing fantastic eye balm. It contains some of my most favorite oils and butters including sea buckthorn so the color is very orange! I seem to be on a roll with making balms as of late! I need to work on an essential oil blend for this though.

Soaps:I've been working on both bar and liquid soaps. One liquid soap I absolutely love, the other liquid soap I like very much--probably great for normal to oily skin (which is what I designed it for). One bar soap was a total bomb (don't ask) and the other is heaven on earth. I need to work on the essential oil blends of the soaps (and actually on all of my products).

Perfumes/essential oil combos:Have been hard at work on many essential oil combinations for all types of products; I've been combing through seven years of recipes and notes for my favorite combos, as well as creating many new combinations. Some of the ones I made in the aromatherapy class I took in October may be used too :) All of my products will be scented with essential oils (some like for the serums will be complex, others will be simple combinations) but a true perfume will probably be offered a little later than I thought (since perfumes are made with such a high concentration of the more expensive essential oils). It is so hard choosing my favorites that I think others will enjoy too (I love them all! I think out of the dozens of combos I've done I've only had 2 or 3 that bombed).

Serums: Still working on my skin serums. They are nearly ready but I had to pared down my line from sixteen serums to maybe four or five (since I am crafting with such a wide range of costly ingredients, and had to choose only a few to offer). I hope to offer all of them one day! :)

Hydrosols: Been working on products with hydrosols and for the last several months I've been reading everything I can find about them; there aren't that many books out there (but the ones I managed to find are amazing!), and though I know most of the general properties of the common ones like rose, I've been learning all of the properties of more unusual hydrosols or ones I haven't used yet, like rosemary. I now have a little hydrosol stash of many 1 to 4 oz sizes that I have been working with :)

Bad news though. I think I am allergic to the natural vitamin E I am using. In very small dilutions I don't react at all, but if it makes up a certain percentage of a formula then I've been having allergic reactions. The funny thing is I've been using this vitamin E from the same company for seven years. But the vitamin E content used to be a lot lower but over the years has risen. The last time I bought it was a couple years ago (and I didn't react to that one) but the new higher content one I am allergic to (unless highly diluted), and it is derived from different plants now. It is fine for me to use in lotions but for products that require a higher amount of vitamin E, I've been reacting to it :( . I don't like crafting anything (and don't intend to sell anything) unless I love it and use it myself, so now need to now find a new vitamin E oil (natural preferably or may use synthetic which I am not allergic to), or may just use a different antioxidant. Or just learn to use less! ;P

Future crafting:

I am going to work on two other bar soaps, and hopefully finally finish the serums. I still have to work on matte colors for eye shadows too (which are a tad different than crafting shimmers). I am also working on a couple toners.