Happy Chinese New Year, Newest Eco Living Article On Tea (Eco Living, All Natural and DIY Skin and Hair Care)

Happy Chinese New Year! Gongxi fa cai!  It is now the year of the Snake (which started on the 10^th).

Because it is Chinese New Year (we celebrate it for two weeks to a month), I wrote this month’s Eco Living article on green and white tea in cosmetics.  I have included two hair and skin care recipes.  One is an infusion (strong tea), which can be used in many different skin and hair care products, such as toners and hair rinses.  The other is a clay based mask that is made with the infusion.  It is simple but pure bliss!

Writing about green and white tea was inspired by my first trip to China many years ago.  During my trip I visited the Dragon Well tea plantation in Hangzhou. Dragon Well green tea is one of the most famous and highest quality teas.  The tea there is very special;  when I visited the plantation, they told us that the highest grade of Dragon Well tea was only sold in China and that they did not export it outside of the country (so anything sold in the US and other countries is the second highest grade and lower grades; or at least that was how it was 10 years ago, not sure about now).  Dragon Well first grade tea is a national gift (so Chinese leaders/diplomats give this tea to leaders and diplomats of other countries).  While we were there, some of the employees at the plantation told us about the benefits of green tea in skin care.  So when I was thinking of what to write this year for Chinese New Year, I thought about my trip and the use of green tea in cosmetics.  :)

A funny story: after my family visited the Dragon Well tea plantation and bought some of the first grade tea (we couldn’t resist, it really was the best green tea I have ever tried), the tour guide took us to a nearby shop in the area that sold tea and other gifts.  At the store, I bought a jasmine scented green tea (a mix of rolled jasmine flowers with green tea).  When the tour guide saw what I had brought, she made a face and commented it wasn’t that good quality, but I shrugged since I had already bought it.  To me, it smelled good and was inexpensive, and I figured if it wasn’t that good I could still use it for skin care.  After I got back home, I tried a cup, and that cheap tea was better than any of the jasmine green teas I had tried here in the U.S!  

I hope to revisit China again one day (when health and finances allow).  I'd like to revisit some of the same places I saw last time, but also visit some new places too.  I've heard from others that have visited it within the past few years how much it has changed so it will be interesting to see how much the same or how different it is.

Another post about the green and white tea article, with more info on green and white tea in skin care, on Earth Alkemie's blog, my business blog.

Natural Ingredients And Acne (Eco Living and DIY Natural Beauty Formulating Expert article)

I have a few new articles to post here (some eco living ones, and also working on some new entries just for this blog).  The first article is an article on natural ingredients and acne.  It is both an Eco Living and DIY Beauty Formulating Expert article and also a natural info article (thanks Sharon for making the article the main article on anb portal for February!).

There are so many great ingredients that I couldn’t mention in the article (not enough room)!  But I mentioned a few of my favorites that are easy to find, and most of them can be found locally.  I also try to focus on a lot of fresh ingredients that most people already have in their kitchens!

A few other lovely ingredients I didn’t get to mention are papaya (which has natural enzymes that mildly exfoliate the skin.  Plus papaya in masks is a traditional remedy for clear skin!) and shea butter.  Shea butter is very easy to find, but it can sometimes be hard to find cold pressed, unrefined shea butter (I recommend cold pressed, unrefined shea butter because it is very different than a solvent/hexane extracted, highly refined shea.  The textures are very different, and highly refined shea is stripped of its nutrients).  Shea was one of the ingredients that helped clear my skin many years ago (12 or so years ago) when I had acne (I can't believe I've been learning about natural skin care for that long, and plants for far longer than that.  I first became interested in botany/biology in high school!).

For more ingredients and products that are great for acne check out the post on my business blog (this post is in regards to Earth Alkemie products that are good for acne).

anb's 2012: The Year Of Natural Skin Care

I really enjoy writing for the three all natural beauty websites (all natural beauty website and anb portal and anb mall) since I not only love educating people on all natural skin care, but also on green alternatives.  When my friend Sharon (owner of the three anb websites) released her ‘2012: The Year OfNatural Skin Care’ article, I was pleasantly surprised that three of my articles made the list!  My Eco Living/DIY Natural Beauty Formulating articles on professional made products versus home made products, lemon juice in skincare, and age spots made the cut!  Yay!  Thanks Sharon, so happy that you love my articles!  Many other great articles and product spotlights are listed too!  Check it out!

Eco Living: Green Resolutions

I am behind on posting about some of my articles.  My most recent (January's) eco living article is on green resolutions!  It is really easy to be green, it all begins with just a few simple changes.  

This year I have a lot of eco resolutions.  I am working hard to reopen my eco-friendly natural skin care and perfume company, Earth Alkemie (I've been closed for over a year due to my health issues, and my dad's health issues.  I help take care of my dad).  I hope to write more eco living articles and continue to educate people on all things green (so far I am off to a great start.  I will post about my articles as soon as they are finished and published online).   I am also always on the lookout for finding even more green alternatives and solutions, and just living my life as green as I can.  I eventually hope to return to ecological biology or community work in the future but I am still dealing with my health issues (so it won't be anytime soon but I am working towards that) so I am taking one step at a time. :)   I am a big believer in small changes=huge impacts. In my opinion, both small and huge changes are needed for environmental sustainability.

I hope you enjoy the article, and choose to make a few green resolutions this year too!