Current blog update

Note about comments: Comments are moderated (so are only posted if I give them permission to be posted). Any post with links in it will be deleted (sorry but I get a lot of spam). Thanks for understanding :)

Please e-mail me at solarkatsecoblog@yahoo.com. Please note it may take several days to answer (I only check my eco blog account every few days, because of time constraints).

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:


May 12, 2012 Newest eco living article: kale, chard, and spinach chips


May 6, 2012 Special Announcement: I am now an anb expert!  :)


April 22, 2012 Happy Earth Day and Month post!

April 17, 2012Conservation and preservation, eco living article! Extra thoughts!


March 30, 2012 Li's Crafting Notes: perfumes!

March 12, 2012 My newest eco living article is up! It's on using potatoes in skin care! (Yes, you read that right!)

March 7, 2012 New post on natural skin care/hair care recipes, books, and other resources!

Feb. 22, 2012 Black Bean Brownies from 'Baking with agave' cook book.

Feb. 16, 2012 Feb. eco living article: roses in cosmetics.

Feb. 13, 2012 A new beginning.


Cheers!
Li

Eco Living: Kale, Spinach, and Chard Chips

I love kale, chard, and spinach chips.  But I don't have a food dehydrator yet so I created a recipe for making them in the oven.  For May's Eco Living article I have shared my recipe for kale, chard, and spinach chips.  They are so good: they are nutritious, healthy, but taste delicious.  And less expensive to make too (many health food stores sell the dehydrated kind, that are kind of pricey).  I have included lots of notes in my article on ingredient subs, and you can cater them to your tastes by using different oils, spices/seasonings etc.

I hope everyone has a Happy Mother's Day!

Eco Living and DIY Formulating Expert

I am so excited!  I have just been made the Eco Living and DIY Natural Beauty Formulating Expert over at the all natural beauty websites!  I posted a long entry explaining this on my other blog (my business /Earth Alkemie's blog).  Read my newest EA blog entry for more information!

I am so honored to become an expert, because some of the other anb experts are some of the best in the natural fields (including aromatherapist and herbal pioneer Jeanne Rose!).  So feel free to ask me or the other experts a question (right now when you ask a question, you will also be entered in a monthly drawing for free products from the different anb partners/ vendors.  So you could win some nice products too, in addition to getting your questions answered!).

Happy Earth Day and Month!

I hope everyone is having a Happy Earth Day! Though this month is Earth Awareness Month, I have not been posting as much as I’d hoped. ☹ I’ve written parts of many different posts (for both this blog and my business blog) but I’ve been dealing with many personal issues (my own health, my dad’s health, etc) and I have been focusing on working to get my business reopen (I still have so much to do before then!). So I haven’t had as much time to devote to writing as I’d like.

 For the local peeps (VA/DC/MD), George Mason University has been having many different activities and events this month. For the next several days they will be having a lot of activities. These activities will be focused on more ‘local’ green tips and activities. I hope I will be able to attend some of them (but I have lots of testing and doctors appointments—both mine and my dad’s—to go to this week, and I take care of my dad during the day, so may not be able to this year). I have gone to some activities in previous years though, and they were all very informative and educational, but fun! I am proud of my school (I attended grad school there) for becoming more and more eco-aware and green, due to many wonderful professors (including my advisor/committee chair), current students, GMU’s Office of Sustainability, and alums (some of which who work in the OOS). Here is the link to the list of activities.

 If you don’t live the the DC metro area, places you can check for local green activities this month include local colleges, other local schools, community centers, and environmental non-profits. Local newspapers may also have a listing of activities or a list of simple green practices. You can also check your favorite green organization for eco tips (it doesn’t have to be a local organization). Lastly there are many great eco tips on this blog (there are over 200 entries here) or my eco living articles (there are around forty articles or so) on anb (all natural beauty) mall. Not all of my posts are listed on the right side of this blog, and not every eco living article is listed on the main page of anb mall’s eco living section, so you may have to do a search for the topic you are interested in. ☺ There are also some eco tips on my business (Earth Alkemie's) blog too (mostly in relation to natural and organic ingredients and herbs).

Eco Living: Conservation and Preservation

Happy Earth Awareness Month! For April's eco living article on anb (all natural beauty) mall I have written an article on conservation and preservation. Basically I have explained the differences between these two terms, and I also provide a few quick eco tips and lots of links to environmental, ecological, conservation, and preservation non-profit organizations.

So like many of my previous eco living articles, I am sharing my extra thoughts and notes on this subject, here on my personal blog. :) I won't define the difference between the two words here (since I already did that in my article) but here is more food for thought.

Many people mix up the terms conservation and preservation nowadays. In the early 1900s, there was a very clear cut distinction between the two terms (in the U.S.), and in my opinion, there was still a pretty strong distinction up until maybe a decade or so ago. I remember when I was a teen (when I first learned about environmental issues; so about 19 or so years ago) and during my undergrad years (studying environmental issues/biology), I learned about the differences between the two. But sometime between the time I graduated college and now, I've noticed a lot of people (the general public) use the terms interchangeably. I even noticed that many (though not all) of my fellow grad school classmates (when I was getting my masters in environmental science and policy not too long ago) also used the terms in place of each other. And sometimes the wrong word comes out of my mouth too (slip of the tongue!), even though I know the difference! ;P The lines between the two have become blurred, at least in the public eye and even to various degrees in the environmental field itself.

As an environmentalist I am an advocate of both conservation and preservation (a lot of other naturalists and environmentalists support one or the other, though many support both like me). I think both conservation and preservation are needed. In theory, preservation probably sounds the most ideal to many 'green' advocates: that we (humans) should leave the land, animals, and plants in a 'pristine state', and that the environment should be preserved for its own sake. I think that preservation is needed, because of the utter devastation we have had on this Planet. In my mind and heart, not everything is a resource to be exploited: we share this Earth with a vast array of fascinating creatures large and small, and humans are not the center of the universe (even though many people think we are). Some land should be relatively untouched in my humble opinion. Advocates of preservation disagree on the level of human involvement in preservation. Some people believe that no management is the best policy (to leave the wild area totally alone), while others believe in limited management (that humans should oversee an area or species to prevent issues such human development in an area, but for the most part nature is left alone).

But there are other things to consider. A lot of habitat and ecosystems are not in 'pristine conditions'; there is habitat loss, deforestation, threatened and endangered species, pollution, etc. That's where conservation comes into play: to manage habitats, ecosystems, and species and to take responsibility for our actions, and try to reverse some of the damage we have done to the Earth. And for that conservation management and human involvement is needed. Conservation is about WISE human usage. Humans live, breathe, and need to consume (some) resources to survive. But we should use natural resources wisely, so that they are there for future generations.

So in a nutshell, I think both preservation and conservation are important and needed, especially in modern day times. I think that it is important to distinguish the two terms, understand the difference, and realize that one is not necessarily better than the other and that they are both needed (or at least that is what I personally believe).

033012 Li's Crafting Notes (Perfume Crafting)

It's been a long time since I've written a crafting notes entry. Much of my crafting in the past couple years has been devoted to my business and many of the new products I have crafted have eventually became Earth Alkemie products (I try to keep business information on my business blog, and personal information here) or they have became recipes on my eco living articles. Because of that, time, and health constraints I haven't been posting much about what I've been crafting for myself (or much on this blog for that matter)!

Since I've been posting much more regularly here again, I thought it was time to post a new 'Li's Crafting Notes'! Basically most of what I've been working on the last several weeks are perfumes. I am working on a perfume for my business called Chen (a few entries on crafting Chen will be posted on Earth Alkemie's blog over the next few weeks) and also perfumes for a perfume swap I am in.

I am a long time member of 'The Dish' forum, which is one of the largest soap and crafting forums online. I like many of the people there and I have participated in a few of the swaps. This is the third perfume swap I have been a part of.

Basically for this swap or challenge, we have to create a perfume that must contain five basic ingredients: lavender, fir, labdanum, clove, and ambrette. We are allowed to use any form of these so we can use the essential oil, absolute, co2 extract, tincture, etc (if available), and also allowed to add whatever other ingredients to the perfume. Since it is a natural swap, we are only using natural ingredients and no fragrance/synthetic oils. (Commercial perfumes are either completely or mostly synthetic with either no or little natural ingredients. But there are a few natural perfumers, including me, that make 100% natural perfumes, and there are a few other mostly natural perfumers that make nearly all natural perfumes with traces of synthetics). Making a natural perfume definitely costs more (since the natural ingredients cost a lot more than synthetic fragrances) but I think they are worth every penny!

I have been working on a few different perfumes (perfumes take time to age, so their scent greatly alters over time, so crafting a few to see which one matures the best!). So far I have crafted three and I will see which one ages the best. There is still a month until the due date since it was extended again (so I have time to craft maybe one more if I make it within the next couple days, but it is kind of pushing the time frame it will need to age).

I am trying to use some of the more unusual forms of the plants, like lavender absolute or Himalayan lavender essential oil, and ambrette co2 extract. I also have some rare white rose co2 extract I am using in some of the perfumes (white rose essential oil is pretty rare, and the co2 extract is even rarer. To my nose: white rose's scent is very intense, sweet, and very 'rosey', and has less of the herbal/green notes than damask rose essential oil).

I've crafted three perfumes so far. One of them I absolutely adore so far. It seems to be aging well. One of the additional ingredients I used in it was frangipani absolute, another kind of rare absolute (there are several species of frangipani that are used in making absolutes). Most frangipani scents on the market are not the real absolute but are the synthetic fragrance. I think this is one of the best perfumes I have crafted, made with pre-dilutions.

The second I like but it seems to be missing something so I will be tweaking that. In this one I tried to use lavender as a top note (most sources say it is a middle note, though a few people consider it a top note or a top to middle note) and I think I definitely like using it as a middle note better; in most of my past perfumes I have always used lavender as a middle note. I think that is why my nose thinks something is missing since the other tops notes (not including lavender) in this perfume are small, and when I smell lavender, though it is the first thing I smell in this perfume, my mind doesn't register it as a top note. As time passes this one smells better and better though so maybe I am just being too picky. :)

The third one I really like too but some notes, especially the lemon myrtle, are still a little strong. But as time passes it is becoming more mellow, so over the next week or so I will see if it needs tweaking or to leave it as it. The lemon myrtle is potent, I didn't add too much but it kind of has over taken the perfume, but as it ages, and that note becomes softer, and the other notes are coming out to play, I like it more and more.

If I have time I will work on a fourth one (but will need to do that over the next few days so it has some time to age).

It has been a challenge since I have never worked with fir absolute (I am also using a different fir for some of the perfumes too) or ambrette. I am also working with pre-dilutions (that is diluting my essential oils etc with carrier oils, and then using the dilutions to make the perfume), which I hardly ever do. Many other perfumers like working with dilutions, but I prefer to dilute everything afterwards since I think I am a better perfumer doing it that way.

Also for this challenge, I am not working with accords to save some time in crafting. I love using accords when making perfumes (since I am better at creating extremely complex perfumes when I use that technique) but sometimes I use them and sometimes I don't in perfume making. It depends on the perfume; I have crafted some beautiful perfumes without accords, and for most of my aromatherapy blends I don't use accords either. But some of my favorite and best perfumes were made with accords.

After I craft the perfumes I will submit the best smelling one I have for the swap. I can't wait to smell everyone else's creations!

Eco Living: Potato Eye Remedy

My newest eco living article is up on anb mall! Since it is almost St. Patrick's Day I decided to write about an Irish associated ingredient that is used in natural herbal skin care: the potato! My eco living article is called "Potato Eye Remedy" since I have posted a few recipes for eye skin care using the humble potato!

Raw potatoes are great ingredients to use in skin care. In these recipes I have used a few common household ingredients like potatoes, organic whole milk, and chamomile (the herb or the tea). These recipes can help brighten and lighten the eye area, banish some types of dark circles, and may also help eye puffiness in some people. Two of the three recipes are vegan. I have listed a few of the properties of these ingredients too. And most people probably already have all the ingredients in their cupboards!

Notes: make sure the potatoes are raw, uncooked. And the remedies work best chilled.

All Natural, Do It Yourself Skin Care Recipes and Books

One of the things I love doing most is crafting all natural skin care. So I love sharing recipes for making simple, natural, 'kitchen', DIY (Do It Yourself), MIY (Make It Yourself) cosmetics. There are many recipes located on this blog (you may have to do a search in the search box--located in the upper top left hand side of this blog--to find them, because although some of the more popular posts are listed on the right hand side of this blog, there are over two hundred entries on this blog, so I can't link all of my posts on the right side). Search using the name of the herb/plant first (such as 'aloe'), and if that doesn't help, then I recommend searching for the basic type of recipe (like 'brown sugar scrub').

Here is my list for other good (free) recipes online:

One of my friends, Sharon, has three amazing all natural beauty (anb) websites, and all three websites have skin care and hair care recipes from herbalists, aromatherapists, natural skin care formulators, skin care business owners, and/or diy recipe enthusiasts, including herbal and aromatherapy pioneer Jeanne Rose and aromatherapist Alexandra Avery. I have posted many recipes on all three websites too (either under Li Wong or the user names Snowcat or Solarkat). I have been posting recipes and articles on the anb websites for many years (years before I ever started my all natural skin care and DIY ingredient business, Earth Alkemie). I am proud to say that Earth Alkemie is an all natural beauty partner to all three anb websites! (The criteria to become an anb partner is very strict, especially for anb portal and all natural beauty website). There are so many amazing recipes, articles, and other companies listed on her websites, so I highly recommend checking them out.

The all natural beauty website has a nice recipe section. Be sure to also check out the articles (many of which discuss ingredients and herbs) and also the list of all natural companies too!


There are a lot of recipes on anb portal. Some of the recipes are the same as the ones on all natural beauty website, but others are exclusive to the anb portal.


There are several beauty recipes on anb mall.

I have many recipes in my eco living articles on anb mall. This includes recipes not posted in the anb mall beauty recipe section above, and my articles also include more in depth notes. I have also written a lot of articles on green house cleaning (including recipes) and many other eco living topics.

The other article sections (beautiful living, inspired living, and the general article section) of anb mall have some recipes too.


One of my favorite forums, skin care talk has a nice recipe section too. I have posted one recipe there (for a vinegar based toner).



Here are some links to several good book reviews or book lists:

A long time ago I wrote several posts on book recommendations or book reviews on natural skin care (herbal, aromatherapy, and other books) here on this blog. The link will bring you to many of my previous posts. :)


This is Sharon's list of books and their links to amazon, and some reviews on anb portal.

In my spotlight (about my plant background) on the anb websites, I have listed many books, scientific journals, and other resources (it's a long spotlight, so you will have to scroll down in the article for this info).

My friend Markey of Garden of Wisdom has also listed some of her favorite books on her website (she offers a lot of nice ingredients too).

Amazon has great prices for used books (many of them are only available used). A few of the more popular ones may be available as an e-book, but many of my favorites are not yet available as e-books.

Your local library may have some books or you can request them through interlibrary loan. Sometimes libraries have annual (old library book) sales too. Another good place to try are local used book stores.