Solarkat's Eco blog

Current blog update

2011-08-04T04:22:00.000-04:00

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, and still am). Thanks for understanding :)

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 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:

August 8, 2011Post on anb mall contest and sampler. Will be posting more posts within the next few days. :)

May 8, 2011Happy Mother's Day! New post on eco living (where to get utensil travel sets and containers).

April 21, 2011New post on local/Northern Va George Mason University Earth Day/Month events.

Feb 3, 2011Happy Chinese New Year!

Jan. 27, 2001Just some thoughts/a ramble on the snow and eco issues.

January 26, 2011Interesting youtube video called Miniature Earth

January 15, 2011Happy New Year, new post on veggie hypoglycemic friendly cookbooks. It's been a while, but this year I am going to start posting regularly again.

October 22, 2010Washington DC green festival this weekend!

Cheers!
Li

ANB mall contest for FREE products and also all natural summer sampler (Natural Skin Care)

2011-08-04T03:44:00.008-04:00

I don't plug my skin care company, Earth Alkemie, or EA related news too much on here, as I have a business blog, forum, and facebook for that. ;P

But I am going to plug a contest for FREE products, since the contest is for my friend's website, and also plugs many other natural based skin care companies in addition to my own. :)

ANB mall is having a contest for $200 worth of FREE products from different anb mall vendors. These products are either all natural or natural based (mostly natural but non-toxic).

I haven't tried any of the other companies who contributed for the contest prize, but looking at their ingredients, the products look very nice, and many of the companies have gotten good reviews from customers on facebook or various forums. I contributed a yummy smelling aromatherapy soap as one of the prizes.

So definitely check it out and good luck to all that enter. This is an amazing contest, and a good way to try some awesome products if you win.

More all natural beauty website news, is a summer sampler that you can buy that also features products from different all natural and natural based companies. I am not involved in this sampler (but have been involved in previous anb mall samplers, and will probably be involved in the upcoming fall and winter one) but you can try some wonderful product at one low price. The products look amazing, I may get one if budget allows (I have a lot of ingredients to buy for the business, so personal treats have been put on hold for a bit).

I really want to try the perfumes in the sampler from Evan's Garden, because being an all natural perfumer, I am always interested in trying others perfumes! Their perfumes sound delectable and they are a company I've been meaning to try for a while but haven't had the chance to try yet (though I use mostly my own, I still try many other companies and crafters products, since I just like to see what others have created :) ). The other products in the sampler also look nice too.

Eco Living: Eating out the green way

2011-05-08T04:01:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, I posted an Eco Living article on green tips on eating out. I wrote about a few of my favorite green tips (bringing your own utensils & containers, and also eating more vegetarian foods).

I try not to post links to companies in my Eco Living articles that aren't anb (all natural beauty) mall vendors out of respect for the other anb mall vendors (Earth Alkemie, my all natural skin care company, is an anb mall vendor too ;P) so I have decided to post some links here on my personal blog for green utensil companies and container companies that I like. :)

The bamboo utensil travel set I mentioned in my eco living article is from To-Go Ware. I bought one of their sets in a natural food store a year and a half or so ago when I was visiting my sister. I love my bamboo utensil set, I just stick in it my purse, and bring it everywhere with me! As mentioned in my article, the set I have comes with chopsticks, a fork, knife, and spoon. I have the set in the pumpkin colored case. I just checked out their site and it looks like they have stainless steel food containers too! According to their main page, they were recently featured on the Oprah Winfrey show!

For containers, I usually just reuse any container I get from the deli, food places, etc, or I use tupperware or rubbermaid type containers. But my sister recently gave me a container made from Preserve. Preserve is a company I really respect; I like their toothbrushes and also their razors (which are eco-friendly and cruelty free). I didn't know they made food containers though, I have the small apple shaped green container--I love its small size, since I can carry snacks with me and it is small enough to stick it in my purse or bag. Preserve also has a program that recycles plastic #5, which is a widely used plastic, that is often not recycled in most areas.

My next eco living article will be posted on the anb mall site by monday (I submitted it a few days ago). I will post more about it in another post :)

Local Eco Earth Day events for Northern VA, George Mason University

2011-04-20T23:54:00.004-04:00

I graduated a couple years ago but my grad school, George Mason University, has been having a lot of local, green, environmental events (that are free and open to the public). Here is a link to their face book post that sums up all of their Earth Day/Month events. I am going to try to go to some of them since the events look awesome! I wish I could have gone to some of the ones late last month and earlier this month, but I wasn't able to :( (I have been dealing with a lot of family and personal issues, as well as revamping and reorganizing my green skin care business, doing business taxes, and getting Earth Alkemie's new products and Earth Day specials ready--so I feel like I have been in a whirl wind recently! I will be trying to post more often on this blog too, since I miss blogging; lots of things to write and post about :) ).

Different events are being held at the different GMU campuses. Tomorrow (the 21st) there is an environmental expo at the Fairfax/main campus (from 11 am to 4 pm).

Happy Chinese New Year! :)

2011-02-03T20:23:00.003-05:00

Gong xi fa cai! :)

Today is the art of the Year of the Metal Rabbit. It's a very special day today, for many reasons. It is also my skin care company's 1 year online anniversary, among other things).

I remember last year I wrote a post during Chinese New Year on my favorite chinese astrologers. White and Wu have updated their websites (Liao's website isn't working right now, hopefully it will be back up soon). White is also on face book and she regularly posts.

I am just spending today with my family, and also for the past couple months I have been reflecting a lot spiritually, and working to make a lot of positive changes in my life :)

Happy New Year! Hope everyone has much joy and prosperity in this coming year!

Snow, the environment, and crop failures (Environmental Issues)

2011-01-27T15:27:00.004-05:00

We ended up getting somewhere between 5-10 inches of snow in the D.C. metro area/Northern VA (the snow depth at my house is about 7-8 inches), and according to the weather forecasters we may get some more snow on Friday and also next week too.

I like snow but it is very unusual for this area to get this much, the natural pattern is one huge snow–maybe 8-12 inches–every 8 or 9 years. We had a lot of snow last year in two super huge storms one right after another (which was also not part of the natural pattern, since we usually don’t get over a couple feet of snow, and don’t have two major storms within days of each other). We also had a major snow storm, I think in March 2009. Most of the time, in regular years, we usually get maybe 1-3 inches every once in a while during the winter time. As an environmentalist/biologist, changes like this really worries me. Other changes have been really worrying me too, like one day it is freezing cold and the next day hot. Or seeing mosquitoes out of season, or trees blooming at the wrong time, or leaves changing colors too early or too late. I’ve lived in the D.C. area my whole life–except for my undergrad years–(I am 32 now) and none of these are part of the natural patterns in this area.

Another concern that I have is crop failures all over. I’ve noticed this a lot more as a business owner (many ingredient prices are going drastically because of A LOT of crop failures or poor crop yields world wide, which I will post about shortly. There is a long list of ingredients whose prices have been changing over the last couple years. Noticed it as a hobby crafter, pre-business, but as a business owner been noticing it even more especially when many prices have doubled or more). But I’ve also noticed this as a consumer too, like cranberries not being available (a couple years ago) or pumpkin last year (there was a shortage of canned pumpkin during the holidays for a few weeks), etc.

Note: parts of this post (the above information) are also posted on Earth Alkemie's (my all natural, green skin care business) blog.

I hope one day (soon) I can get back to doing environmental field work/education/community work. I really miss it (I had to give it up because of my health issues in recent years). I try to live my life as eco-friendly as possible, but am always trying to find ways to be even more green :) One thing that I will start doing again, is posting on this blog more regularly again (another thing I miss doing!).

Miniature Earth (Environmental/Social Information)

2011-01-26T04:37:00.003-05:00

Someone on a forum I frequent posted this powerful video called 'Miniature Earth'. Basically it shows the world's population in terms a community of 100 people. Very eye opening, and very well done, intense.

Vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, hypoglycemic friendly (Vegetarian Foods and Hypoglycemia information)

2011-01-15T02:15:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of some of my favorite vegetarian and vegan cookbooks that are also hypoglycemic friendly (or that are easily converted to hypoglycemic friendly foods). I will post others at another time.

I am only vegetarian (I eat eggs and dairy) but my favorite veggie cookbook is actually a vegan one called 'Vegan With A Vengeance' by Isa Chandra Moskowitz". I love this cook book because the recipes are very simple to make, full of flavor, and absolutely delicious (she really knows how to use herbs and other ingredients to enhance taste; she's absolutely brilliant). Moskowitz also has a cookie and also a cupcake book that is really good too.

I've mentioned on my blog a few years ago, that it is sometimes hard to convert vegetarian recipes into something I can eat (since I can't eat white/refined flour, white sugar/refined sugars, or too much carbs, since I feel really sick and my symptoms flare up). But I've found that vegan cook books, especially ones that use a lot of whole grains and alternative sweeteners like agave, are easy to convert or don't even need any conversion. (I can have a little agave, but I still feel sick if I have a lot at one time). The author uses a lot of different grains and also things like agave, and when she doesn't, I've found the recipes are still easier to convert into something I can eat (like using whole wheat pastry flour for white flour. And instead of white sugar, try agave or coconut sugar).

She has a few other books that I hope to get soon (I have her cupcake book too but want her others). Parts of her books are viewable on google books. For 'vengeance' most of the recipes are breakfast things like scones.

I also like Madhur Jaffrey's 'World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking'. This book is not vegan (some recipes contain dairy and eggs) but many recipes are vegan, and many that aren't vegan you can substitute vegan ingredients for. I love this cookbook, the spice combos used are authentic and the dishes are tasty, very yummy. The recipes are from many different cultures around the world. Some recipes are a little complex or time consuming to make, but they are worth it. I like making several of the lentil dishes. I remember once E.G. and I made paneer (which is an Indian cheese, it took a lot of milk but it was damn good!).

Peta (People for the ethnical treatment of animals) has a vegan cookbook called 'Compassionate Cook: Please don't eat the animals'. It is one of the classic vegan cookbooks, and one of the first I ever got (I've been veggie for over 16 years). The recipes are very basic (some of them are a little bland, and need to have additional spices added to them. But other recipes are delicious) but there is a lot good info in it. There are several recipes from vegan and vegetarian celebrities, as well as quotes from famous veggies throughout time.

Washington D.C. Green Festival This Weekend

2010-10-22T16:21:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite green festivals is this weekend at the DC convention center. There are lots of green vendors as well as environmental/green organizations, as well as speakers. You can also get discounts for admission (see their website: if you buy a ticket, you can get 'green festival bucks' and use them as a discount for vendors. Also if you are a student, senior, ride a bike or took public transportation you can get a discount and the GF bucks too), or free admission (for free admission: if you shop at MOM's organic market and bring a $25 receipt from october, OR if you become a member of Green America--which is one of the non profit environmental organizations that sponsors the green festivals--you can get free admission).

Next month (in November) there is also one in San Francisco.

There are others in other cities around the country, but these are the last two of the year.

Check out the green festival website for more information for both the Washington D.C. and San Francisco green festivals

Link to Green America's website

Coconut Bliss: Ice Cream with agave (Hypoglycemic/Diabetic and Vegetarian/Vegan Info and Foods)

2010-09-14T00:04:00.004-04:00

I have not had ice cream for several years (I am hypoglycemic and nearly all brands have sugar in them which makes me feel sick). But this year I found a brand that I can actually eat without setting off my symptoms too much.

I just found a coconut milk based ice cream earlier this year called 'Coconut Bliss'. It is soy, dairy, and gluten free and sweetened with just agave. It is also vegan! It just has coconut milk, agave, and things like cocoa, vanilla, pineapple, etc (depends on the flavor). And it's organic and made with fair trade ingredients!

It is so rich and creamy, and delicious. The chocolate one tastes like this coconut chocolate pudding that I make sometimes (just started making that last year sometime). So far I've tried the coconut bars, dark chocolate, and chocolate hazelnut fudge (which is especially yummy). Even if you don't have blood sugar issues, I recommend trying it because it is really good!

PLEASE note that most of the flavors do not contain any cane sugar but at least one of them does (Mint Galactica, because it has chocolate chips that are made with organic cane sugar. So if you have blood sugar issues you may want to avoid this one). I haven't tried one with fruit in it (not sure if it will be too much fructose for me but I am going to try a fruit one next). I am very excited to have found it since (as mentioned above) I have not had any ice cream or many sweets in YEARS. I found mine at Whole Foods.

I still can't eat a full serving of it though (too much agave makes me feel sick though I can tolerate small amounts) so I eat only 1/3 to 1/2 serving. I also have to eat it after a very protein rich meal (can't eat it on an empty stomach) and I usually don't have any other complex carbs in that meal (so when i eat ice cream I don't eat fruit or whole grains in that meal, only lots of protein and also some veggies--so only low amounts of carbs). Other hypoglycemics or diabetes may be able to eat a full serving and may be able to eat it with other complex carbs (I'd still advice to eat it with lots of protein though). While others may not be able to eat it at all :( (some hypoglycemics and diabetes can not tolerate any amount of sugar, even a piece of fruit or a small amount of agave). So if you have blood sugar issues, you will need to see how you personally react to it.

Remembering Sept 11th

2010-09-11T03:16:00.001-04:00

I remember where I was Sept 11th; I was working/interning for National Park Foundation at the time (which is in Washington D.C.).

We saw it on television at work, and it just didn't really click in my head at the time what happened--I was in semi-shock. (NPF was in North West part of D.C. back then).

My company let everyone off, and we all tried to scramble to get home.
For a couple hours I thought I could not get out of the city, and get home (I live in Northern VA) because I had heard on the news that they had block the main highways out of the city. Luckily after a while it was reported that the roads were not blocked or unblocked so I was able to get home.

It wasn't until I got home and watched the news more that I got over my initial shock and finally understood. I remember crying when I saw people in the smashed buildings jumping out of the windows of the towers, and hearing more about the pentagon, and then the crash of last plane in PA.

My sister at the time lived in NYC--you could imagine what she must have went through. Traffic was blocked for days, some people walked miles to get home.

I knew two people from my undergrad college that worked in the world trade center. One of them was sick so didn't go to work that day. The other one was running late since she had stopped to get coffee.

I remember in the weeks afterwards, military with huge guns on some of the street corners of D.C. just standing guard. I thank those soldiers for their presence in the aftermath. Their presence made me feel safer.

Through all the pain, I remember the good things too. How we all got together and stood as a people.

I was in Chicago recently for my grandfather's funeral, and on one of the days there my aunt and uncle showed us around their area. There was a sept 11th memorial. There was a flame burning, a flame as a reminder to remember those events.

Many swore on that day to never forget. Please take a moment with me to pray to all those that we lost.

Li

Larry Hagman solar energy video

2010-07-14T21:32:00.004-04:00

I have a lot of things to blog about (it's been a super busy summer, especially crafting for myself and also my business). But I just thought I'd post this link since I thought it was awesome.

I don't know much about the background of this solar company (Solarworld) aside from what I've read on their own website (they are supposed to be one of the biggest solar energy businesses). But they have an ad with Larry Hagman (I used to watch Dallas with my mom when I was a kid, and also loved watching reruns of I dream of Jeannie too).

Here is the link to Hagman's video on solarworld's website. I thought it was clever getting him to do their ad (because of Dallas and the character he played) to inform the public about solar energy.

I think that 'Shine baby shine' is much better than 'drill baby drill' ;P

I'm not a home owner yet, but I want to get solar panels on my house when I buy one in a few years so need to research about them more (not really about the basics of solar energy and how it works--I've studied that in school--but I need to eventually research more on best options on buying solar panels for houses etc).

New eco living post

2010-07-14T21:27:00.003-04:00

My newest eco living article is up on anb mall's site. This month my article is on summer skin care tips for sun burn, sun protection and hydration.

Last month's eco living article was on laundry and also paper tips.

Hope you enjoy! :)

Eco Living Papaya Mask (All Natural Cosmetics/Make it yourself)

2010-05-11T00:18:00.000-04:00

My newest Eco Living article was posted a few days ago! It is a recipe for a papaya mask (I was talking to S on garden of wisdom's forum about papayas recently, so decided to do this month's eco living article on a papaya mask). This mask will leave the skin soft and smooth! I hope you enjoy the recipe :)

Comments on brown sugar scrub shelf life; freezing aloe; and testing cosmetics for bacteria/fungi (All Natural Cosmetics/Make it yourself)

2010-05-09T20:00:00.003-04:00

So it's been a long time since I've answered comments. (I have about 80 comments to sort through, most of which are spam, though there are a few real comments in there). Below I have answered the most recent (if I have time I will sort through the really old ones, but some of them are many months old, so not sure if I post the answer if the original poster will see it, though it may be of interest to new posters). If you previously posted a comment and I did not answer it, thank you and I am sorry.

Here is a comment from my old brown sugar scrub post

Question on brown sugar scrubs:

I've made a body scrub and have used dried herbs and vanilla extract and peppermint extract (food grade). Do you know what the shelf life would be for these? Thx.

All the ingredients used are:

1) Raw Sugar
2) Grapeseed Oil
3) Olive Oil
4) Aloe Vera Gelly
5) Maple Syrup
6) Fresh Rosemary (dried)
7) Chamomile Flowers (dried)
8) Peppermint Extract (food grade)
9) Vanilla Extract (food grade)

My answer

Hi NH, thanks for posting :) Shelf life would only be a few days (maybe a couple weeks if you are careful, though it could go bad in days) since you added aloe gel and maple syrup. The food extracts contain a little alcohol (which is a natural preservative) but you'd have to use A LOT of alcohol (much too much for a scrub) to preserve it, so the amount of alcohol in the extracts (used in low concentrations) would not be enough to preserve it. Please be sure to use a spoon or spatula to scoop it out of the container to keep it fresher longer. In addition, do not store in the bathroom or a humid area (which will decrease shelf life even faster). For a good shelf life, you may want to add a broad spectrum preservative (like Geogard Ultra, which is an eco cert approved preservative). Or just omit the aloe gel and maple syrup next time. If you still wanted to use aloe in a future scrub, try aloe oil (which is aloe that has been infused in an oil). Hope that helps!

Question on freezing aloe vera:

This comment was posted under the Herb info: Aloe vera (Natural Skin Care)" entry.

I would like to know how freezing aloe leaves affects the plant and its properties. Can they be thawed out and used topically with the same results?
Thanking you.

My answer:

Hi WF

Thanks for posting :)

I am not sure, I have never frozen an aloe leaf before. I think it would be best to take the gel out of the aloe leaf and then refrigerate the gel or freeze it to prolong shelf life. You can add potassium sorbate to it, but that is only a good anti-fungal and a poor anti-bacterial, so it is not a broad spectrum preservative (most companies add this to packaged aloe. Personally I would add geogard ultra or another preservative (geogard is a broad spectrum preservative so would protect against a wide range of bacteria and fungi, and shelf life would be at least a few months or longer)). Aloe (when you buy it from a company) is packaged in clean sanitized conditions and for several weeks/month can sit on the shelf unopened, but once the consumer opens the bottle and handles the aloe, the potassium sorbate won't be able to preserve it for long. So if you prepare/process the aloe yourself, and add potassium sorbate to aloe, it may or may not be able to keep it fresh for a long time (and it would only protect against fungi and not bacteria).

Question on testing cosmetics:

This comment was posted under the current blog update.

I've been a long-time reader of your blog, and I've gained so much from it, not least discovering AV-AT (and their amazing essential oils) and Monave - thank you for your wonderful blog!

Congratulations on starting up your business!! So exciting! I'm de-lurking because I'd love to know more about something you mentioned... in your post on the Earth Alchemie blog about Geogard, you wrote that you do your own simple bacteria and fungus tests at home - I'd love to know more about how to do this myself! Can you point me to a reference? I was wondering, do you just use the Chek-It tests from Snowdrift? I come from a science background too (though not a lab science), and I understand it's not as good as a challenge test in the lab - but I'd love to be able to collect a bit more data myself before forking out the $ to send a batch to a lab!

My answer:

Hi P

Thanks! You're very welcome :)

I do not use Snowdrift Farm's check it kit, I buy the supplies from a biology supply company (less expensive), but their kit is a good way to start out with (gives you everything you need, with instructions). These tests would only indicate if there is bacteria or fungi in a batch. It would not tell you what kinds of bacteria or fungi, or how much is in it. Also I'd imagine there may be some kinds of bacteria and fungi that may not grow very well on the plates, though a wide range of bacteria or fungi will grow on agar plates (depending on the types of agar used). So it not as good as what a lab can do, but I still do them anyways because it is still a good indicator if an ingredient or product has gone bad. Many small companies do not even conduct basic tests). If you didn't want to do the tests yourself, Cindy Jones from Sage script does them for a reasonable fee.

Recycling information (Environmental Issues)

2010-04-28T02:45:00.009-04:00

Someone asked about recycling on my forum, so I thought I would post the information I wrote there on my blog too (slightly edited).

Recycling not only saves energy but it reduces waste. Though recycling takes some energy and water use (to melt the plastic or glass down etc; everything has an impact), less energy etc is used when recycling compared to making new materials from scratch. In addition, less waste goes into the landfill (many landfills do not have much room left, and there isn't much place to put things).

Everything makes an impact, but the goal of recycling and being 'eco-friendly' is to create less of an impact.

Here are some links from governmental, school, and organization websites.

The EPA's (Environmental Protection Agencies) information on recycling

Recycling information from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Energy Quest is a site for kids but there is a lot of good information, eco living tips, and also some stats on this site. Also contains good links to many other sites. It is by the California Energy Commission.

A bit of info about recycling from Stanford university. Contains information on how much energy is saved.

This was from a magazine. I am not sure how accurate some of the stats are (not sure who wrote it) but it was interesting since it showed how much energy is saved. Super interesting is that it's from Popular mechanics magazine

Eco Living article updates (Environmental Information, Green Living)

2010-04-18T03:40:00.001-04:00

I haven't posted about my Eco Living articles in a while!

My last Eco Living article was posted on anb mall's website earlier this month. It is on a few quick eco living tips (just in time for Earth Day!). I love the concept of Earth Day but I think that everyday should be Earth Day ;P so these tips are good steps to live a more green lifestyle every single day :)

My february article was on simple ways to donate. I wrote it after the aftermath of Haiti.

My March article was a recipe for a simple apple mask. I love apples in skin care, they mildly exfoliate and provide the skin with lots of nutrients!

Enjoy!

Happy Chinese New Years! (Chinese astrology information)

2010-02-14T04:06:00.007-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Also Happy Chinese New Years! Xinnian kuai le!

Today is the start of Chinese New Year, and this year it falls on Valentine's Day :) This year is the start of the year of the metal tiger!

One of my interests is chinese astrology (I am an amateur when it comes to Chinese astrology. My sister is very advanced in western astrology though). I think it is very interesting and I am getting better at guessing what year people are born. Though astrology is about potential and not set in stone, it amazes me how eerily accurate it can be at describing the personality traits of people. Here are the websites of some of my favorite Chinese astrology authors.

Shelly Wu's is a chinese american astrologer. She just updated her site, so has many horoscopes for the year of the metal tiger :) She also has a new book out called 'The definite book on chinese astrology", which I need to get!

Sabrino Liao also writes Chinese astrology books (but as of this writing, she hasn't updated her website for the new year yet. Hopefully she will update it soon).

I also like Suzanne White. She has chinese astrology and western astrology books; and she has a book where she has combines both Chinese and western astrology(to me it makes sense in combining them). Her site is updated for the new year too! :)

Man-ho Kwok's book 'Chinese Astrology: Forecast Your Future from Your Chinese Horoscope' goes a little more in depth than most other astrologers. I don't know if he has a website or not.

Theodora Lau's book Handbook of Chinese horoscopes is one of the first books on Chinese astrology I read. I only have the older editions of her books though so may get the updated version soon but some people on amazon mentioned the older editions are more in depth. Not sure if she has a chinese astrology site or not (I found a website that I think is hers, but it is only an index page and mentions that her book is in the newest print).

My store: Earth Alkemie!

2010-02-03T23:58:00.002-05:00

I am so excited!

My skin care and mineral makeup company is finally open! :) Please check it out!

I have named my company Earth Alkemie, which I think is accurately describes my philosophy and how I feel about plants!

I won't be posting about my cosmetic line on this blog (since Solarkat's Eco Blog is my personal blog, and I am keeping my business and personal hats separately ;P), but I just created a blog for Earth Alkemie, where I will be posting sales and news etc. (I am having a sale right now so read EA's blog for more details!) :)

Last EA link: Earth Alkemie also has a forum

Hope you like my aromatherapy & herbal based skin and hair care, and mineral makeup!

Cheers!

Li

Edited: April 18th, cut and paste from my 'current blog update': I got a couple of comments on the entry about my skin care business; thank you for the comments :) I am sorry :( but I can't make product suggestions for my line on Solarkat's Eco blog (that is also why I did not allow those comments to be posted), because I don't want blogger to close down this blog (a few crafters on a forum mentioned that blogger closed down their personal blogs with no notice, when they plugged their own store and had a lot of pictures to their lines on their blog). I do not want this to happen to my Eco blog (I love blogger and want to keep using it!). If you have questions please post on Earth Alkemie's forum or email me (using my business email, which is listed on my website). Thank you for understanding!

Eco Living article on a simple yogurt cleanser/mask (All Natural Skin And Hair Care, Make/Do it Yourself Cosmetics)

2010-01-17T21:26:00.004-05:00

A week and a half or so ago, my new Eco Living article was posted! This month's article is on a super simple, multi-purpose yogurt based cleanser or mask for the facial skin, body, or hair. I love this recipe, it makes the skin and hair super soft! Enjoy!

Eco Living article: Soapnuts

2010-01-05T00:48:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year!

I forgot to post about my December Eco Living article!

I wrote an article on soapnuts! I love soapnuts for skin care and also house cleaning (laundry, etc). In my article I have a recipe on how to make an all purpose liquid decoction (but for laundry you can use the whole nuts and don't need to make it into a liquid unless you want to).

I still need to write and post my January article. I am not sure what I'm going to write yet but I was thinking maybe a skin care recipe since I haven't written an Eco Living article just about skin care in a while (though the soap nuts recipe can be used on the skin).

Enjoy! :)

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

2009-11-26T15:33:00.015-05:00

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)

2009-10-05T11:30:00.010-04:00

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

2009-03-06T03:40:00.002-05:00

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

2009-02-09T13:50:00.002-05:00

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

2009-01-09T03:55:00.006-05:00

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)

2009-01-08T02:26:00.002-05:00

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)

2008-12-30T00:40:00.003-05:00

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.

Eco Living: Living green on a budget (Environmental Information)

2008-12-10T03:45:00.005-05:00

A few days ago I finished the new Eco Living Article, which is a series of articles I write for for anb (all natural beauty) mall. This month's article is on living green on a budget. In it I've mentioned many great tips for food, clothes, and also cosmetics and soaps, as well as general green tips for how to be green (eco-friendly) while saving some green (money). Enjoy!

Premium Steap (Tea company in Philadlphia)

2008-10-22T19:08:00.001-04:00

During a previous trip to Philly my sister, Ed, and I stopped at this little tea shop called Premium Steap. They had some unusual combinations so I got a couple packages of flavored rooibos (even though my tea stash is too large and I didn't really need anymore tea). I am so glad that I did because they are some of the most delicious tea blends I've ever had!

Rooibos is probably my favorite tea. My favorite plain (nothing added) red and green rooibos teas are from a popular organic herb vendor, (Mountain Rose Herbs), whose herbs are superior quality. But most flavored rooibos teas I've tried in the past were good but not as good as plain rooibos in my opinion (not even the flavored rooibos blends from Adagio teas which I think are good to very good but not extraordinary).

But the ones from Premium Steap I have to say are the best flavored rooibos teas I have tried (and I usually get some kind of rooibos when I visit all the little tea shops in Philly or restaurants and shops in New York City). I tried their 'heaven' rooibos which tastes minty and chocolately, and also their chai rooibos which I have to say is one of the best chai blends I've had (rooibos OR decaff black tea chai).

So if you live or plan to visit Philly, and love tea, be sure to stop by this tea shop. And if you don't, check out their website for some very fine tea :)

Li's Crafting Notes 10-11-08

2008-10-11T00:14:00.001-04:00

I've been very busy this year trying to finish my thesis (which will be done very soon and then it needs be approved by my committee and lastly I have to defend it), and over the last year and a half or so (has it really been that long? Time has really flown by!) I have been choosing old or formulating new recipes for my future business. Though I've been crafting for over eight years now, it is hard deciding what to offer, especially since I keep coming up with ideas all the time ;P . I plan to start out with only a few products, since many of the ingredients I am using are on the more expensive side like organic rose absolute and essential oil, organic jasmine absolute, organic helichrysum essential oil (these essential oils and absolutes are very pricey even at the wholesale level--when you buy these essential oils by the ounce like most hand crafters and small companies do--they are only a little less expensive than retail prices), red raspberry seed oil, organic non-deodorized cocoa butter (this smells so yummy, so chocolatey), east shea butter (one of my favorite ingredients), etc. I prefer getting organic and/or fair trade ingredients whenever possible, so I am going to be very happy :) but very broke :( by the time I open.

I hope to finally open my business sometime this fall (it keeps getting delayed but it'll be soon, promise!) but there is so much administration and general business stuff to do before that, that I have been working on slowly (in between working on my final thesis). So no set date yet. Keep reading this blog for updates! :)

List of things I've been working for a long while for my business (and a preliminary list of the types of products I am planning to offer):

Oil based serums: I have been working on both very complex blends and very simple blends for over a year and a half. I've used simple blends for many years but sometime in the last couple of years I have been experimenting with really complex blends, focusing even more on the properties of ingredients in relation to skin type and conditions. I really love the complex blends, my skin has never looked better (and it was pretty good to begin with ;P).

Toners I have been crafting and testing many new different formulations during this year and a half, and experimenting with so many new hydrosols (I've tried over 30 hydrosols so far). I used to use only very simple toners but my skin really loves my new blends, so I am finding it hard to choose favorites: too many fantastic combinations! :) I definitely will have a rose based one since rose toners are my favorite, and great to use during the drier autumn/winter months!

Mineral Makeup I have many shimmer and frost shades done (I have been crafting shimmer and frost shades ever since I started crafting mineral makeup about three or so years ago and have so far developed over forty colors, though I will only be offering a few colors at first). But I am still working on matte shades so will only have shimmer, frost, and semi-matte ones initially. I won't be offering foundations since I need to work on formulations for them, and not sure if I even want to focus on them or not (I believe in making the skin look better, rather than covering it up; I don't wear makeup most days though when I do I love wearing a wide range of different colors and finishes). I've crafted a great lip gloss base and I have made a few colors for the lip gloss but they are all very sheer but still figuring out packaging for my glosses (I am trying to keep packaging as eco-friendly as possible).

Cleansers I've been tweaking my old and developing some new recipes for cleansing oils and liquid cleansers. The cleansing oil I crafted a while back is one of the only ones I've ever used that doesn't break me out; since it cleanses without feeling too greasy. The liquid cleansers are soap based and clean without overdying; I've added a lot of extra oils/butters and herbs to them so they are super gentle.

Perfumes: I've made two lovely jasmine perfumes that I totally love (made with different species of jasmine) but may or may not offer them initially (since I am already way over budget). I will be offering a rose perfume though, and maybe a few other surprise blends :) I got a lovely ounce of organic Turkish rose absolute a few months ago from AV-AT at a very good price. The absolute is very intense and floral and very lovely. Butch (the owner of AV-AT) was very kind and sent also sent me a ton of samples of his other essential oils and absolutes, including a couple ones I previously hadn't tried yet, so now I must get my hands on an ounce or two and craft some blends with them! I am also getting his organic rose essential oil (distilled), since though I use absolutes in perfumes, I don't really use them in skin care (except for jasmine). His rose essential oils and absolutes really are the best I've tried, and they are organic too :)

Lip balm and body butters: I am totally done with the lip salve (which also doubles as a body salve) and some of the butters (scent combinations are made up but deciding which ones to offer), but I am still crafting a couple other butters. The lip salve contains awesome ingredients like organic arnica. I love this herb but this is one plant that I would never buy the wild crafted one (most of it is wild crafted), only the organic grown one--even if it is currently $72 a pound from my herb vendor--since it is vulnerable, threatened, or endangered in many places in the wild, and not all wild crafted herbs are ethically wild harvested.

Eco Living: Autumn and winter skin care (Green Living)

2008-10-01T15:37:00.002-04:00

I have just posted my second Eco Living article for the ANB (all natural beauty) Mall. September's article is on all natural and natural autumn and winter skin care. Skin tends to get dehydrated and dry during the colder seasons, so most people need to switch their skin care. I have also included a recipe for a delcious smelling banana chocolate mask that leaves the skin soft and hydrated!

In August's article, I discussed what Eco living was and also included a few simple green living tips

October's article will be on eco living on a budget. I will probably post it on anb mall's site in a few weeks.

Hope everyone is enjoying my Eco Living articles so far!

Also be sure to check many of the excellent companies on anb mall's site. My friend Jen, owner of Camellia Rose, recently joined the list of natural stores there.

All Natural and Natural Based Shampoo and Conditioner Recs: Part 3 (Natural Hair Care)

2008-09-02T00:31:00.002-04:00

And here is part 3! I think I've covered all of the natural brands I've tried over the last eight years, hopefully I didn't miss one! :) If I try other lines I will post about them too in the future.

Alaffia should have been my first entry in part 1 but I forgot to include them since just started using their products a couple months ago!

Alaffia is a new brand that is from Agbanga Karite: a fair-trade shea butter company. This company works directly with African communities to attain many of their ingredients. Their shampoo is a combination of real African black soap and a mild synthetic detergent. Their conditioners are very rich in shea. I think both the shampoo and conditioner I tried are awesome, but I prefer not using them together! I like using Alaffia's super rich conditioner with my shampoo bars (from other companies see parts 1 and 2) and Alaffia's shampoo with conditioners from other companies. Other people will probably prefer using them together (I've only tried one of the shampoos and conditioners so far so don't know if I prefer mixing all of their products with other brands, or just like mixing up just the specific two I tried). I love how soft my hair is after I use the conditioner, but the formulation is so heavy in shea that the conditioner separated a little (shea butter is really thick so in conditioners, creams, and lotions, it usually mixed with liquid oils but they didn't do that, they only used the butter). Though the texture was a little thick and it had separated slightly, their conditioner is one of the best conditioners I've used in a long time. The shampoo I tried is less drying than other detergent based ones since it also has soap in it but I still can't use it every day but I've found I can use it more often than many other brands: though most other people will be able to use it regularly (daily or every other day) with no problems. It's better to lather the shampoo in your hands before applying it to the hair because of its texture. I think most of their products are vegetarian, and some are vegan (some formulas contain honey). I really love their scent combinations (they use essential oils); their products smell yummy!

Terressentials is a completely 100% natural and organic skin care line. They make a 'shampoo mud' made with clay (I know that sounds like a strange concept but some cultures have traditionally used clays to cleanse their hair). I have not used their shampoo mud yet (I make my own) but I have seen it plugged in articles and I have used some of their other products and they are excellent. They are definitely one of the purest lines out there and one of the most natural lines I have reviewed in all three hair care blog posts. I am sure all of their 'Pure Earth Hair Washes' are vegan, and all of their products are vegetarian (some contain beeswax). They are USDA NOP certified organic.

Real Purity is a brand that is sold online (through their own website and a few other vendors) and in a couple of stores. Their shampoo and conditioners are simple, basic formulations that are good for frequent use. Their products are all natural (a 'super natural' line, one of the purest/most natural). I like the light conditioning of their conditioner.

Vermont soap works is one of the biggest online natural soap vendors. I really like this soap company. They make very nice basic soap. They also make a shampoo bar but I didn't like it very much when I tried it a few years ago but others may like them better than I did (my hair is super picky). But I highly, highly recommend both their bar and liquid soaps. They also sell things like cleansers for yoga mats and pet shampoo (please do not use essential oils on Kitty). They are one of the few skin care companies that are USDA NOP certified organic. Their soaps are inexpensive, simple basic combinations: good every day bars.

Another company that has some (but not all) of their products certified by the USDA is Aubrey Organics. I forgot to mention that in part 1.

Note: Because of the natural preservatives in the lines above they have a much shorter shelf life than something preserved with synthetic preservatives (months as opposed to years) so be sure to use up quickly and not over buy.

All Natural and Natural Based Shampoo and Conditioner Recs: Part 2 (Natural Hair Care)

2008-08-12T21:40:00.003-04:00

And here is part 2! Part 3 will be posted in a few days.

Please note: since most (but not all) of these brands are only preserved with mixes of alcohol (an extremely effective natural preservative if used in the correct concentration), herbal extracts (which contain alcohol) and essential oils (anti-bacterial ability depends on the plant, and will only preserve against certain bacteria and fungi), the shelf life of most of these products is much shorter than products preserved with synthetic preservatives: only a few months. A couple of these brands use synthetic/naturally derived preservatives (meaning that some people call these preservatives 'natural' because they are derived from a natural substance, but I personally consider them synthetic since they are not completely natural since they are altered. However they are relatively benign so I use products with them) so shelf life for those products is at least a year. I don't recommend storing most natural products in the bathroom since that reduces shelf life (the only products that you can leave in your bathroom are soaps and small amounts of soap based liquid cleansers, small amounts of shampoos, and powdered mineral makeup made only with minerals and pigments).

Giovanni makes some nice shampoos and conditioners. I like their products but don't love them. They are available online and in stores. Their products range from nearly all natural to natural based (depends on the formula). Their shampoos and conditioners contain a nice assortment of herbs that are good for the hair. Light conditioning, very basic products for frequent use. Inexpensive.

Heart of Iowa Soapworks. I've plugged this company on my blog before. For a few years they were my favorite shampoo bars (though now Chagrin Valley is, see part 1). Before I tried Karla's (the owner) shampoo bars I hated shampoo bars because other brands left my hair feeling dry and greasy. Karla's shampoo bars clean well without over stripping. I like her aloe fresh shampoo bar the best. Her facial bars are also very nice (a few years ago her shea special bar was one of the few soaps I could use on my face that didn't dry out my skin--though thankfully I now have found several other companies I can use on my face now). The shea special bar is awesome, rich in shea and smells very yummy! She makes 100% natural and nearly all natural (some have fragrance oils) soaps. Most are vegetarian or vegan but there are a couple that are not vegetarian. They are available online, through a few different vendors that I have posted about previously before. The link above is to her own site.

Kiss My Face Organics. I don't care for their regular line (which is not natural enough for me ;P and contains ingredients I don't recommend using though I admit their regular line is much better than many conventional lines) but their organic line is all natural or nearly all natural or natural based (depends on the product). I haven't used their shampoo in years so I don't really remember what it's like, but I have used their conditioner lately. Nice, light conditioning, which is better for oily hair because of the herbs used in the product. Basic care. In stores or online. Inexpensive.

Miessence is a very nice nearly all natural organic cosmetic company from Australia. Most of their products are all natural and organic, except for their shampoos (which use an extremely mild sugar based naturally derived synthetic detergent) and conditioners (depends on how you personally define certain emulsifiers). Miessence is one of the purest lines out there. Very gentle and lots of herbs that beneficial the hair. I like both their shampoos and conditioners (but of course can't use either very often since their shampoo is detergent based and their conditioner has apple cider vinegar in it. Most people love sugar based detergents since they are so mild, and also the majority of people who have tried apple cider vinegar in rinses or conditioners love it, but as I mentioned my hair and facial skin are very picky!) Very nice formulations.

Paul Penders. I love Paul Pender's products. They are originally a European company but I think are ship out of Asia now (but shipping is NOT expensive even though it is international; but they have currently have a minimal order of $50). Definitely also one of the purest lines out there. They do a lot of environmental work too. They use a very complex blend of amazing and beneficial herbs in most of their formulas: over 20 different herbs. Most of their product line is all natural or nearly all natural. Their shampoos and conditioners are natural (except for of course the detergent and the emulsifiers depending on your own definition of natural). I haven't used them in a couple years but I remember I really loved their conditioner: for a while it was my favorite conditioner. However they reformulated many of their products within the last few years and I have not tried them since (sadly they have started to add apple cider vinegar to most of their conditioners which works for nearly everyone, but not me! But they still have at least one without). I remember I really liked their shampoos, which I found I could use more often than most other brands even though it's detergent based because I think it's because herbs are their first ingredient and they don't add a lot of detergents to their shampoos: in fact they now have a medium and also a low suds formula. Time for me to try them again! :)

Samara Botane is a well respected essential oil company with an ecological conscious. They have a lovely natural (and very inexpensive) herbal conditioner. They also have a shampoo base ( but I have not used it since I don't formulate with detergents but I may try it in the future). Their conditioner is one of my favorites. Their product is somewhere between nearly all natural or natural (depending on definition of the emulsifiers). This is what I am currently using. Excellent formulation, contains herbs that actually do something for your hair :) I have to mention I love their essential oils: extremely high quality and very fragrant.

New all natural beauty website and environmental articles: anb Mall and Eco Living articles (Environmental Products and Information on Green Living)

2008-08-08T15:06:00.004-04:00

I am pleased to announce the opening of my friend Sharon's (owner of all natural beauty website, SharAmbrosia, anb forum, and anb Portal) newest all natural beauty related website called the anb Mall! Not sure where to get truly natural beauty products (or products from small businesses, and many women and family owned businesses)? This is the place to look! Links to many fantastic truly natural brands including several I haven't tried yet (I guess this means I have to try them now, LOL! :) ). This is as natural as it gets!

It is a double pleasure to let everyone know about her newest project because I am the anb Mall's Eco Living writer! :) I am so honored that Sharon has asked me to write eco living related articles for her site and I hope that everyone finds all of my environmental friendly tips helpful! In this month's issue (click here) I have defined what eco living is and provided a few very simple green tips. So once a month check out the Eco Living section for even more awesome tips on green living! And be sure to check out all of the other great sections of the anb Mall for cool deals, articles, and all natural beauty related news!

Support Small Cosmetic Businesses and Suppliers!

2008-08-02T22:06:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I posted about the FDA Globalization Act of 2008, click here for the entry. If you haven't already I urge you to please support small cosmetic businesses and suppliers and sign the petition against this legislation. There is no doubt in my mind that it will pass since the vast majority of the proposed legislation is a food bill (only a few small sections on the cosmetic industry is tucked in the bill). However the cosmetic sections of it can greatly impact the small cosmetic industry, and by signing the petition and writing to congress and voicing our concerns, it can be amended before it is passed to take into consideration the situation of small cosmetic businesses and suppliers.

This proposed legislation may change the all natural beauty cosmetic industry, natural based cosmetics industry, hand crafted businesses, environmental/socially responsible cosmetic companies, family owned and women owned businesses as we know it: namely most of the companies that I have blogged about over the last few years may either disappear or will have to raise prices drastically if this is passed. The passing of this bill may cause many small companies to close, less choices to buy all natural/natural based cosmetics, and huge increases in prices (from those that do stay in business).

Please read my previous entry on this issue and sign the petition and write to congress by August 5th!

Sharon of all natural beauty website and portal has compiled a list of who to contact in congress.

Please support small cosmetic businesses and suppliers!

All Natural and Natural Based Shampoo and Conditioner Recs: Part 1 (Natural Hair Care)

2008-07-26T04:13:00.002-04:00

In my opinion, finding truly natural hair care is harder than finding all natural skin care, since it can be difficult to formulate completely natural hair care products (concerns that formulators deal with: cleaning or conditioning ability, rinsability, convenience of product, buildup, choosing whether to craft products that customers are familiar with or creating products not typically used by the majority of people, etc). Below are many all natural, nearly all natural, and natural based companies and products that I have tried.

Note: I've put these products into three categories based on my personal definitions of ingredients. People have different definitions on what constitutes a 'natural' ingredient. I nearly always use only 100% natural products, but occasionally will use nearly all natural or natural based products, as long as the synthetic ingredients in them are safe, non-toxic, and relatively benign.

I am (of course) very biased ;P but I thought I should mention that I will be offering some hair care products in my future business (which will open this fall (2008). Keep checking this blog for more information on when my grand opening is!). Initially I am only offering hair oils (a great 100% natural deep hair conditioning treatment) but in the future I hope to also offer herbal hair rinses, liquid shampoo (soap based), and shampoo soap bars.

This is part 1 of my reviews. Coming soon, part 2!

Reviews:

Aubrey Organics has an extensive line of many shampoos and conditioners. I highly recommend trying their shampoos and conditioners from several different categories since they all act on the hair differently. There is also no need to use the corresponding shampoo with its conditioner. I've found that it is better for me to alternate products between several different shampoos and conditioners that are made for different hair types. Most of the conditions are very rich so better for dry hair. If you find them too heavy, try the ones in the oily hair type category (even if you have normal, dehydrated, or dry hair) which are lighter. If you have very oily hair use the conditioners sparingly. They are sold in stores and online, and their hair products range from nearly all natural to natural based (depends on how a person defines certain ingredients).

Aubrey Organics used to be my favorite shampoo brand, until they reformulated all of their shampoos and conditioners a few years ago. I'm sensitive to an herb combination they began to put in many (but not all of their) hair products. I am pretty sure (but not 100% positive) that they are now using a detergent instead of a real soap like they used to though they still call it a soap (my friend Jen aka Camellia Rose pointed out to me a few months ago that their cosmetic dictionary now says under their 'coconut-corn soap' entry that it is a "natural" detergent made from sugar and coconut/palm fatty alcohols similar to plant saponins. Very strange since they still have real soap bars and use real liquid castille soap in many of their shower and bath products). Though most people can use gentle naturally derived synthetic detergents on a regular basis, I can't use them daily or often because they dry my hair and skin out too much. I only use Aubrey Organics shampoo and conditioners occasionally now, but I still love the ones I use! Great for most hair types (unless you have very strange hair like me!). Mostly vegan, some vegetarian, but also a couple are not vegetarian/vegan.

Burts Bees: I still like many of their products but even before Clorox bought them out, more 'borderline natural/synthetic' ingredients that I personally consider synthetic began to crop into their products (but most of these ingredients so far are relatively benign and non-toxic). I am not really sure how I feel about Clorox owning them now (I have not bought much from them in months because of this). Their liquid shampoos and conditioners are not as natural as they state but they are still a pretty good formulation. The shampoos clean pretty well (but I personally can't use them too often since they are detergent based, though they use a mix of the gentler ones. But they would work fine for most other people). I like their conditioners (very light conditioning) better than I like their shampoos. Overall, though I like their hair care products I can't say I love them. In my opinion, they are very basic and good to use if you don't have too many hair issues. They also have a shampoo bar, which personally I didn't like at all, but some others may. Their products are vegetarian but not vegan (contains honey). The shampoo bar is vegan though. They are sold in stores and online.

Chagrin Valley Soap and Craft Company. They make my absolutely favorite shampoo bars EVER. Actually they make my favorite shampoo (whether bar or liquid) AND soaps EVER. I think the soap maker, Ida, is a true artist, and I really respect her ability to craft. I have never seen another soap maker use ingredients quite in the same way she uses: she uses combinations of ingredients that I have not seen in other soap lines (and I've sampled a lot of natural soaps since I am a soap fiend!).

But I think she is underselling herself because she uses a lot of the more expensive ingredients, and when you consider all the other business costs that go into running a business, she still charges the same per ounce or in many cases less than other soap makers (and believe me, most other small soap makers are not overcharging or making huge profits).

Her shampoo soap bars are amazing. The combination of ingredients she uses makes rich, lush, non-drying soaps, that are simply divine. I highly suggest that people try samples of several different kinds, as all of the bars are different (unlike many other companies who use only one base for all their soaps, her soaps are made with different ingredients so each bar acts differently upon the hair and the skin than other bars). I tried about twelve different shampoo bars so far: they are all fantastic. Nearly all worked for my hair though I love some more than others, and I use certain ones when my hair feels oily and others when my hair feels dry. My favorites are the cafe moreno, summer sunshine, rosemary lavender, and nettle shampoo bars :) For face/body soaps are fantastic too! :)

The samples are huge (so big I was able to split them up and send them to a friend, and though I wash my hair nearly every day, more than 7 months after I first got them I am still using the remnants of my last two samples). It says on their website the sizes of their samples are about 1.5 ounces but several of mine weighed more than that (the samples are odds and end pieces so irregular in shape, though they do sell gift samples that look nicer). Another great thing about them, if they don't work for your hair, you can use them for your face, body, or hands since they are (real) soap! The full size bars are huge too: anywhere from 5.5 to 7.2 ounces (depends on if she used her old or new soap molds). Vegetarian and many are vegan too.

Note: When first switching to shampoo soap bars, you'll need to use some sort of rinse (either diluted apple cider vinegar or--my favorite--herbal rinses). After your hair gets used to them you won't need to use them as often.

Garden of Wisdom: I am also slightly biased ;P in mentioning them (since the owner Markey is a friend and I am also one of the moderators of her forum, but I don't work for them). She has a couple of conditioning serums, but I have never used them because they aren't vegetarian. She also sells a lot of ingredients and bases, including liquid castille soap, detergents, and ingredients like soapnuts (a saponin rich herb) so you can make your own (in the past, Garden of Wisdom was mostly an ingredient vendor, but that has been changing. Markey has been coming out with a ton of skin care products!). Products range from all natural to nearly all natural to natural based. Great prices and customer service! Online. Drop by the forum if you want to chat! :)

Part 2 will be posted in a few days.

Very Important! FDA Globalization Act of 2008 (Natural Cosmetics and Small Business News)

2008-07-02T18:21:00.004-04:00

Please read about and sign a petition against the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. If passed, this legislation would mandate huge annual registration fees (at least $2000) and import fees (at least $10,000), which would greatly affect many existing and new small cosmetic businesses and suppliers (This legislation could cause many small businesses to go out of business. Many companies would not be able to afford the yearly fees. Also the majority of natural ingredients like essential oils, carrier oils, hydrosols, and herbs are grown/made in other countries, which would affect many suppliers). It would also affect consumers who love hand crafted products and who like supporting small businesses (less of a choice of natural and hand crafted cosmetics, and also huge increases in prices since small business companies and suppliers who pay the fees would have to increase prices to stay in business).

This is an issue that I am really concerned with as a long time crafter, a new small business owner, and a supporter of small businesses (many of which are usually family or woman owned or that are usually more ecological and social conscious, or that focus on natural cosmetics). Most of my favorite companies and suppliers are small businesses. Though I support more regulation of the cosmetic industry to increase safety in cosmetics, and support some (but not all) of the proposals in this legislation (like required registration of companies and listing of all ingredients in a product or following good manufacturer practices, which many small companies already do) I do not support the annual fees since they do not take into consideration the situation of or affect it will have on small cosmetic businesses and suppliers, especially the all natural and natural based cosmetic industries.

For more information on the issue or what you can do, check out Indie Beauty’s business blog and forum below (the owner of Indie Beauty Network, Donna Maria, is a well known natural cosmetics author and was a D.C. attorney). Sign their petition on the blog and also write to congress (the House, especially to the representatives on the energy and commerce committee) and tell them what you think! Read Indie Beauty’s forum for in depth discussion of the issue, and viewpoints of cosmetic owners and suppliers.

Indie Business Blog

Indie Business Forum

To read the draft of the proposed law, here is the link to the House’s Energy and Commerce committee.

the House's Energy and Commerce committee, FDA Globalization Act 2008

Thanks for reading, and please support small cosmetic businesses and suppliers!

Natural Sunscreen Recommendations (All Natural Cosmetics and Skin Care)

2008-06-11T22:55:00.000-04:00

I have been getting a lot of questions on sunscreens recently so I decided to write an entry on my favorite all natural or nearly all natural sunscreens. Most on this list also double as a cream or balm (except for the spray sunscreens). None of the sunscreens on this list have a 'chemical' smell; most are scented with natural essential oils and smell very nice.

Aubrey Organics makes a wide range of all natural to nearly all natural (depends how a person classifies some of the ingredients) sunscreens. Some sunscreens contain only a naturally derived source of PABA esters (PABA can be an irritant to some but I've never had a problem with it and my skin is fairly sensitive. PABA used to be classified as a B vitamin, but is no longer considered a vitamin), and most contain a combination of PABA and titanium dioxide. I especially like the green tea spf 25 one (which is suitable for adults as well as children). It smells fantastic like jasmine and chamomile. It absorbs pretty quickly, but the consistency of each bottle may vary (sometimes it is a little thick so you may have to apply to damp skin. But with all natural/nearly all natural products that are crafted in small batches, sometimes variations in product texture happens, so changes in texture are a given). I also like the saving face spray (spf 10) since sometimes I prefer a spray product instead of a lotion/cream type product. Their sunscreens can usually be found in all health food stores or their website online. Good for nearly all skin types. Their sunscreens are my second favorite.

Badger Balm's sunscreen is 100% natural. They call it a cream but it is really a balm (it contains no water) so it is a bit thicker and takes a lot longer to absorb into the skin. I recommend applying to damp skin (which helps with absorption). Good for very dry skin, dry skin, normal, combination dry, and some people with dehydrated skin; I think it is better for the body rather than the face unless your facial skin is on the dry to normal side. It's found in some health food stores or online.

Burt's Bees also has one, but I haven't tried it yet (Personally I've been feeling mixed about Burt's Bees products recently; not sure what I feel about the direction the company is moving in but still like many of their products and their previous eco-work). All health food stores, some other retail and book stores, and online.

Dr Hauschka's sunscreens have a very nice non-greasy texture. They offer a couple different formulas and just came out with a spray (that I now have to try!). I would recommend their sunscreens for all skin types except for very dehydrated and very dry skin. It is preserved with natural alcohol (which tends to be less drying than synthetic alcohols but may still be a tad drying for very dehydrated and dry skin), but it is a wonderful formulation for most other skin types, and I think would be okay to use on most mildly dehydrated and mildly dry skin types. Their products can be found in most health food stores or online.

Lavera. This is my favorite sunscreen :). Probably the nicest, lightest, non greasy formula I've found. But if your skin is very dry, it can be drying (like Dr Hauschka's products, Lavera products contains natural alcohol to preserve, but I find Lavera is not as drying as Dr Hauschka's products. My skin is very dehydrated and I can use Lavera most of the time; I usually just add more a couple drops of oil based serums or a tad of shea butter and use plenty of hydrosols to keep my skin soft and hydrated when using this sunscreen). They can be found in some health food stores or online.

Green Guide To Go's Greendex (Environmental Information/Eco calculator)

2008-05-26T17:22:00.000-04:00

National Geographic's Green Guide just released its new eco-impact calculator a week or so ago called Greendex which is a survey of sustainability. (I've plugged about another eco-calculator here before). I did my calculation and was very surprised how high I scored (the higher the score, the more 'green' your life style is supposed to be or, in other words, the more your consumption patterns and behaviors are environmental sustainable). I am an environmentalist and I implement many green practices in my life but I know there is always more I can do :) and we (the U.S.) live a very consumption based society so I thought my score would be higher than the U.S. average, but not as high as it was! My score was a 57. The US (out of the 14 countries surveyed) has the lowest score of all: 44.9. The highest scores are Brazil and India (60 points), China (56.1 points), and Mexico (54.3 points). The countries in the survey are the ones that consumed most (75%) of the world's energies in 2007 so of course many countries NOT on the list consume less (and in that sense are probably more sustainable). African countries were not included in the Greendex results (which were based on online surveys), but they did survey some people in face-to-face interviews from Nigeria and Egypt so do have some data collected from Africa. This website also has a knowledge quiz and much other eco-related information on their website. A great new resource, so definitely worth checking out!

Ingredient profile: Vanilla oleoresin (Aromatherapy/crafting information)

2008-05-02T18:22:00.006-04:00

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

2008-04-02T14:07:00.001-04:00

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)

2008-03-22T16:14:00.000-04:00

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)

2008-03-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

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)

2008-02-12T18:25:00.000-05:00

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)

2008-02-02T23:41:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-25T22:20:00.000-05:00

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.

Organic Cloth Menstrual Pads: Lunapads (Women Issues, Eco-friendly products)

2008-01-18T02:41:00.000-05:00

I realized I never reviewed Lunapads! Lunapads are one of the most popular and well known menstrual reusable cloth pads, which are made in Canada. I bought three of the organic cloth menstrual pads about five months ago (when I first bought cloth pads to try).

What I liked about them:

They are really soft (but not as soft as my beloved organic bamboo, hemp, or bamboo-cotton, or hemp-cotton fabrics from other companies. But much softer than the cotton flannel from Gladrags).

The backing is a very effective leak proof cotton canvas material.

When I first got them I liked the idea that you could just change the top liner layer and didn't have to change the whole pad.

Excellent customer service and shipping.

What could be improved:

They were thick (much thicker than my all-in one pads from other companies, though not as thick as the Gladrags). I may just start using them without a liner.

I thought the design was a bit strange. The pad consists of the canvas backing, and then is topped with a couple layers of a cottony soft flannel, and then you can place a liner on top of the whole thing (there are straps to hold the liner in place). But the flaps/'wings' of the organic cotton flannel were not attached to the wings of the backing, so when you snap the backing's wings around the panties, the cottony flannel wings just kind of stick out. Kind of a bulky design. But though it felt a little bulky, the bulkiness can not be seen through clothes. I just looked on the site, and it looks as if maybe they redesigned them, so if you use a wingless liner, maybe you won't have the problem with the wings sticking out like I do. When I bought them many months ago, they were onsale and the organic kind so maybe an older design. I haven't tried a non-organic one so don't know if they are the same design as the organic ones (the pictures on the website are of the non-organic ones and the design looks different than what I have). For the non-organic ones, it looks like there is now only one snap instead of the few snaps I have on mine (the multiple snaps are kind of annoying, so I am glad it looks like they changed it).

The wingless liners just aren't wide enough. I am a small framed woman and have a light-medium flow, but because they aren't wide enough, I end up changing the whole pad instead of the liner, which defeats the whole purpose of the liner concept. I guess I could get the liners with wings, but then would have the wing problem. But for the most part the liners stay put and the pad is comfortable. Though they are not my personal favorites, others may prefer them. I just saw on their site, they now have wider maxis available (and as mentioned above may have redesigned their pads) so I may give them another try sometime in the future.

Other things to consider:

They are a tad pricier than some of the other brands, but when they have sales on their site, they are very good deals.

The organics only come in cream/uncolored. So be sure to add oxyclean to your soak bin so they won't stain.

Overall I think Lunapads are okay. I tend to usually use them at night because of the design though. I'm interested in trying their all-in-one panty liners (so no problems with the wings sticking out!), and maybe another maxi since they may have redesigned them (or at least that's what it looks like from the pictures). They also have luna cups and lunapanties, I haven't used these but other women I've talked to have and love them.

Places To Buy Essential Oils: Part 3 (Aromatherapy Information)

2008-01-11T22:10:00.000-05:00

Yet more places to buy essential oils (Can you tell I am addicted? :) ) There will be a part 4 of 'Places To Buy Essential Oils'.

Aura Cacia: This is the brand that is sold in health food stores. In my opinion they are not the best essential oils I've tried but they are good quality. The lavender is very nice (this is the kind my sister gets so I use it a lot when I visit her), but it is not one of my favorites (I think maybe it has a little too much of a camphor note compared to my favorites). The essential oils I would skip are the citrus scents since citrus (with the exception of bergamot) have a short shelf life (there is no way to know for sure how long it's been sitting on the shelf). I once got the organic orange from them and it was pretty good, but the scent just did not 'sparkle' as much as some of the organic orange essential oils I've tried from companies with higher turnover rates. This is a good line to start out with (and to help a beginner familiarize themselves with each scent since most stores have testers). Good pricing too. Not all stores carry their organic line though (most stores just carry their conventional/regular line). Also most of their pricier essential oils and absolutes (jasmine, rose) are diluted in a carrier oil (usually jojoba). I am not sure at what concentration though, so even if the 'precious' essential oils are diluted already they probably should be diluted even further before use.

Jeanne Rose: I admit I am a tad biased in reviewing Jeanne's essential oils because I'm now a student of hers (for those of you that aren't familiar with Jeanne, she is one of the pioneers in the fields of aromatherapy, herbalism, and natural cosmetics, that has been practicing for over forty years). But I got to try forty-three of her essential oils (from two excellent essential oil vendors) in her October blending class and they are some of the best essential oils I've ever used: the quality of each essential oil was superb. I liked them so much that I bought a few of them from her (and plan to buy more). If you are seriously into blending (either for remedies or perfumes) I highly recommend getting her Basic 7 kit to teach yourself and to train your nose on the seven basic aromatherapy/perfume notes (floral, fruit, citrus, green/vegetative, herbal/camphorous, woody, spicy). She also sells different species of lavender and chemotypes of rosemary that I haven't seen available from other vendors. I just received california lavender (high in borneol, which is considered to be an immune stimulant) and rosemary pyramidalis (high in pinene. This chemotype of rosemary essential oil is thought to be good for sinus problems), as well as Christmas Fir from her. Smells wonderful! I am not sure if all her essential oils are organic or ethically wild harvested or not, but since she supports local, small distilleries (many of which are organic but just not certified), and also the two essential oil companies that she recommends (and that supply her classes with essential oils) have many organic or ethically wild harvested essential oils, I am guessing most of her essential oils probably are too (just not labeled as such). Shipping can be a little high, but if you get a kit, most of the kits are really good deals. Also recommend her books, especially the ones that aren't easily available (all the self-published booklets). All of her kits come in a nice little pouch/bag. Be sure to either keep the essential oils in the bag or in the fridge since she packages in clear glass.

Nature's Alchemy: This company is found in health food stores too. I only tried them once but it was the absolutely first essential oil I ever bought (peppermint) :) From what I remember the peppermint was strong and lovely, and potent. Never bought more for same reason as below (see One Planet's paragraph).

Nature's Gift: The owner Marge is one of the most respected essential oil vendors out there. Incredible quality of essential oils and service. Excellent selection, her company offers many of the rarer essential oils and hydrosols available. Wide selection of organic essential oils. Some of the essential oils may be a tad more expensive than other companies I've reviewed, but it is well worth the investment (you get what you pay for). With Nature's Gift you can be assured you are getting the real thing and the best and highest quality (unadulterated essential oils. Many other companies, including maybe a couple that I've written about, you can't be 100% sure sometimes, but with Marge's essential oils you can). Her site is also a wealth of information. Free samples available (a sample consists of a few drops, enough to sniff).

One Planet: I think this was one of the first companies I've ever tried, but I've only bought from them once. This was many years ago when I first started learning about aromatherapy but from what I remember service was good and so were the essential oils; they were very inexpensive too. I remember the only thing that kind of bothered me was that I had ordered 5 ml of some essential oils, and they came in 10 ml bottles (so lots of air space; the more air space, the higher chance of essential oils oxidizing). But the main reason I never bought from them again didn't have anything to do with their service or products but because soon after I decided to try buying more organic or ethically wild harvested essential oils. Not sure if after all this time One Planet is the same, and what the quality of their essential oils are currently like, but it's still worth a look!

Sun Rose Aromatics:Extremely high quality, and excellent selection of rare, harder to find essential oils, some of which I haven't seen in other places. They do charge a handling fee in addition to shipping, but you can request free samples of essential oils. The samples are very generous (much more so than other companies I've tired) so the samples kind of offset the handling cost. Some of the rare essential oils and absolutes include: organic chocolate peppermint, peach leaf absolute (if someone had told me that there was a natural peach scent a few years ago, I would have thought they were either using a synthetic scent, severely misinformed, or maybe using one of those fruit extracts they usually use in foods. Peach leaf absolute is lovely stuff that is, to my knowledge, new on the market), and green tea absolute (same reasoning as the peach absolute).

Li's Quick Eco Tips And Actions: Reusable Totes/Bags (Environmental Information)

2007-12-28T19:51:00.000-05:00

*edited to add information at the end of the entry

About seven years ago, I started saving all of my plastic and paper bags from shopping to be a little more eco-friendly (I was reusing them as trash bags and storage bags). After only a couple months, I could not believe how many bags I had accumulated in such a short amount of time--and most of them were from food shopping! Since it was a lot of waste, I began using reusable canvas/fabric totes and bags when purchasing something to be more eco-conscious. When my health took a drastic turn a few years ago, I got out of the habit of using my reusable totes/bags but in the last year I've gotten back to doing this simple but effective eco-friendly habit.

What are the advantages of using reusable totes/bag?

Less waste (which is good for the planet and in the long run good for you!).

Less pollution and usage of resources (since less trees have to be cut down, and no materials and energy are produced in making new/more plastic and paper bags).

Durable bags (no more ripped paper bags and broken spaghetti sauce!).

No plastic discarded in the environment (animals can choke on plastic).

Some stores currently offer incentives if you bring your own bag: Whole Foods will refund you 5 cents for every reusable bag you use; Trader Joe's will often have raffles where if you use a tote you have a chance to win a gift certificate for free food. And I don't know if they still do it or not since I haven't been to one in a while, but Shopper's used to give you 3 cents for every bag you reuse. Check your local food stores to see if they have similar incentives.

Any disadvantages?

You have to remember to bring them (it helps to keep them in a place where you won't forget like by the door or in the trunk of your car). You'll need to get at least a few (since for food shopping you need several bags especially if you are buying food for many people). You may have to buy some (but if you try you may be able to get some for free, and even if you have to buy, they aren't that expensive).

Where can I get a reusable tote/bag?

I have a wide variety of totes, some of them I got for free and some of them I paid only a few dollars (they range in price anywhere from $1 to $15 or more, but are generally around $3-10). You can usually get free or inexpensive tote bags at:

Festivals: You can get totes/bags from some festivals, like D.C.'s National Book Festival or Green Festival. This year at the Green Festical you could get two free basic canvas bags from two different organizations, and another vendor was selling (nicer) bags for only about $3 or so dollars. I didn't go to this year's National Book Festival but during (two) previous years they offered a free tote (that had the NBF logo on it).

Events: I've attended events in school (during my undergrad days) where they've given away free bags.

Jobs:I've also gotten free totes from places I've used to work at.

Stores: During the holidays some department stores will offer free totes or bags from (non-natural) cosmetic/perfume or clothing companies.

Whole Foods now sells reusable bags. My sister got a really nice lined, zipped bag they were selling for for $3 that I think she mentioned she got for free since she bought over a certain amount of food. I got a nice green bag (not as nice as hers but still durable) at my Whole Foods for 99 cents. So I'm guessing different Whole Foods in different areas have different promotions (my sister and I live in different areas).

Many craft stores sell totes for really cheap, for only a few bucks (and supplies to decorate them too!)

One of the nicest bags I have is a celtic/pagan design bag I got in college for under $10 at a local clothing store. I got this bag about nine years ago and it's only now beginning to fall apart (but easily fixed with thread and a needle, if I ever remember to fix it!)

Companies or organizations: Companies and organizations may have totes with their logo on it. They either may give them away free at an event, or you can buy them at a decent price to support their organization.

What if I forgot to bring my reusable totes/bags to the store?

If you are only buying only one or a few (easy to carry) items items (and it isn't raining) then ask for no bag. But if you are buying a lot and forgot then no sweat: you can still reuse the plastic or paper bags you get from the store. Once a month I purposely leave my bags at home when I go food shopping since my recycling/trash company requires us to place mixed paper/newspaper and cardboard in paper bags, and since I recycle I need paper bags! (Your community may be different). I also still reuse plastic bags for trash etc when I get them. And when I had a kitty (rest in peace Kitty!) I used bags to clean up his litter. Some stores recycle plastic bags too (many grocery stores, and yes, even places like Walmart).

Where can I learn more about this topic?

National Geographic had an interesting article about plastic bags, paper bags, and reusable bags from 2003 on the advantages and disadvantages of plastic bags and reusable totes.

Some statistics on the issue from the Sierra Club.

Some cities like San Francisco have already banned plastic bags in some stores and other cities like New York City are considering making it mandatory to recycle plastic bags. Article from the New York Times, July 2007, which contains a good summary on worldwide recycling of bags.

The Green Guide (part of National Geographic Society) has an excellent article on suggestions on cutting down bag use. The Green Guide also offers an excellent free e-newsletter :) (Note: the article is from Jan of this year, and San Francisco has already implemented a ban, but this article has a lot of great tips in it so is worth reading!)

Article about San Francisco's ban on plastic bags from the San Francisco Chronicle. The ban is only for large super markets and large chain pharmacies.

To find out where the closest recycling facility to you, check out Earth911.org.

My sister posted a great idea in the comments about crocheting or knitting your own bag! On a kind of related but not really related side note, my sister is the bomb at knitting; for the holidays she knitted me a Slytherin scarf (and she's made me a lot of other beautiful scarfs, hats, gloves, and socks over the last few years). (We love Snape!). So if you are an awesome knitter like my sister is, you can definitely make your own bag! Handmade stuff not only rocks but is very eco-friendly! :)

The Aromaconnection Blog (Aromatherapy Information/Resouces and Environmental Resource)

2007-12-22T21:15:00.000-05:00

One awesome blog that I've come across is the Aromaconnection Blog. The Aromaconnection Blog is the brainchild of many noted and distinguished people in the aromatherapy/essential oil and plant conservation fields: Rob Stitt and Marcia Elston (owners of Samara Botane, a well respected essential oil/aromatherapy company), Marco Valussi (from the InfoErbe website, an Italian botanical database), Robert Tisserand (one of the pioneers of aromatherapy, founder of the Tisserand Institute and Tisserand Aromatherapy), and Tony Burfield (from Cropwatch.org and the AromaResearch list). I've only been reading this blog for a few weeks but it is an excellent resource for aromatherapy students & aromatherapists, environmentalists, and those interested in plant conservation or economic botany/ethnobotany (all of my interests, yay!). Some of the topics that the authors have covered include new research in aromatherapy/essential oils & botany & the natural perfume industry, plant conservation, organic issues, and cultural & ecological sustainability. It is a wealth of (good, reliable, and authentic) aromatherapy and botanical knowledge, and an excellent representation of a wide range of viewpoints including science, alternative, traditional, and cultural perspectives. There are also a lot of links to other great resources on their blog (including a link and a very nice review of my blog. Thanks Rob and all at Aromaconnection!)

Essential Oils: Rose geranium, rose, petitgrain sur fleur, bay, ylang ylang, using essential oils neat, and absorbency (Aromatherapy Information)

2007-12-09T00:51:00.000-05:00

*Edited to add another link for a petitgrain sur fleur source. Also to fix my description of what ylang ylang smells like to me because I accidentally typed the wrong grade (mixed the two grades up)!

Some random FAQ about essential oils that I've answered on different forums over the last five months (with extra information added, of course :) )

What is the difference between the two kinds of rose geranium essential oil?

There are a couple species of 'rose geranium' used in aromatherapy (I put geranium in quotes because they aren't actually true geraniums but are from the Pelargonium genus), including Pelargonium roseum and Pelargonium graveolens. The common names are often used interchangeably between these two species: meaning sometimes the essential oil from Pelargonium graveolens is called rose geranium, bourbon geranium, or geranium (and the whole plant has been called sweet scented geranium, among other names). And I've seen Pelargonium roseum also called geranium and rose geranium. When most aromatherapists mention rose geranium they usually mean Pelargonium graveolens, though some aromatherapists consider both species to be rose geranium. Aromaweb has good essential oil profiles on both species.

As far as I know, most of the rose geranium or geranium hydrosol produced is from Pelargonium graveolens (from what I've seen, but I could be wrong since I haven't tried every single hydrosol vendor yet!). Many essential oil vendors often only sell Pelargonium graveolens essential oil, but some sell both species. Note: Plants (and their products) produced in different regions or seasons or by various manufacturing/processing methods can smell very different, even if it's the same species. For example I've sampled lavender essential oil from at least six different countries and from different seasons and they all smell very different from each other, though they are all the same species (Lavandula angustifolia). Geranium essential oil produced in different areas, seasons, etc can smell extremely different from each other.

I love rose. Is rose geranium a kind of rose?

Rose and rose geranium are two different species. Rose is usually from the damask rose (Rosa damascena), and rose geranium isn't a rose at all or a true geranium even but it's a Pelargonium species. Another rose species that is used in aromatherapy is the white rose: rose alba (Rosa alba). But it is rarer and harder to produce than the damask rose (it has even less essential oil in it than the damask rose) therefore it is even more expensive than (damask) rose essential oil. In my opinion, rose alba is more floral and fruitier in scent than the damask. Damask rose smells floral with herbal notes and a hint of fruit notes to me. A third rose species used in aromatherapy: Rosa centifolia.

What is and where can I buy petitgrain sur fleur essential oil?

Regular petitgrain (Citrus aurantium) is made from the leaves of the bitter orange tree. Petitgrain sur fleur essential oil is produced from both the leaves and the flowers of the bitter orange tree. It is a good sub for the very expensive neroli essential oil, which is produced from only the flowers. It smells like a very light neroli but with more herby notes in it.

I only know of a couple places that sell petitgrain sur fleur essential oil. I got mine at Enfleurage. Theirs may seem a little pricey, but it's organic (so will of course be more expensive) and it is heaven on earth! Sunrose Aromatics also has it (but it's conventional not organic so it's a little cheaper). I haven't tried theirs yet, but with every order, you can request samples and their samples are very generous. But they charge a handling fee in addition to shipping, so if you are only buying a few things s&h can get expensive. So be sure to ask for samples to make it worth it :) I think both places do wholesale in addition to retail. White Lotus Aromatics also has it but I haven't ordered from them yet, but they are supposed to be a good company. I think they have a minimum and may only be wholesale (not sure yet, need to check on that).
Another place that sells it is Samara Botane. I haven't bought from them either but they are a well respected company that is often cited as a good essential oil company in aromatherapy and natural skin care books.

What is the difference between Bay Laurel and Bay Oil Rum Dominican Essential Oils?

They are two different species. Bay laurel is Laurus nobilis and Bay Oil (Rum) Dominican is Pimenta racemosa. Aromaweb had good essential oil profiles (listed as Bay and Bay laurel)

What is the difference between Ylang Ylang #1 and #3?

Ylang Ylang is a tropical flower from a tree. There are different grades/fractions--like how olive oil has different pressings. The different grades refers to when in the distillation process the essential oil was removed and all the grades smell different. The different grades include extra, #1, #2, #3, and complete. I've used #1, #3, and complete, and I've smelled extra once. I've never used or smelled #2. The different grades smell different because they vary in chemical composition. #1 smells floral and kind of like candy to me! while #3 smells slightly floral but also has a lot of heavy notes. A lot of people say that ylang ylang is a good sub for jasmine in perfumes, and I never believed it or agreed, until I tried complete (which is when the distillation is run until the end without removing any grades, or all the different grades after distillation are mixed together). I now believe that complete would be a good sub for jasmine (but though it can be used as a sub for the floral sweetness of jasmine, it of course doesn't smell the same. It's like comparing coke and pepsi, or cow milk and soy milk, how many people say there is no difference, but most people can tell). Most people suggest extra or #1 in perfumes, but I like complete. Ylang Ylang from different distillers can smell very different from each other, even if it's the 'same grade' since different distillers pull the fractions at different times.

Can I use essential oils neat or should I dilute them?

It is not recommended that essential oils exceed a total of 1 to 2% in most products (except perfumes and a couple other types of blends) since too high of a concentration of essential oils can be irritating or in some cases toxic or have the opposite effect. Note: the concentration refers to the total amount of essential oils, and not 1 to 2% of each essential oil. It is always better to add less than more.

I do not recommend using any essential oil undiluted on the skin. Occasionally you can use lavender and tea tree--but this is only for short term emergencies (like a bug bite or a fungal infection, so only for a few days, and no more than 1 drop at a time) and should not be used daily over long periods of time. This is because essential oils are highly concentrated substances--1 drop is akin to several ounces or pounds of plant material (depending on the plant). In high amounts certain essential oils may be irritating, toxic, have the opposite effect, or can even be fatal (if orally ingested). Aromatherapy is not just about scents, but like herbs, most essential oils have medicinal properties as well (they contain hundreds of chemical components that in plants are responsible for not only scents but are substances against diseases, insect repellents, etc). Personally even for emergencies like a bug bite or a fungal infection, I'd recommend diluting the oil, since these conditions are usually around for more than just a couple days (if you use lavender neat for a long time, there is a great chance you can become sensitized to it). Please take care when using them, and be sure to research any herbal product well before use (I recommend reading essential oil profiles from at least three or more good references). There are a lot of fake aromatherapy products out there and many companies may cite unsafe essential oil usage (since there is no real regulation of aromatherapy in the US). Be safe! :)

Can using different ingredients (when crafting) affect the absorbency and effectiveness of essential oils?

It depends on what ingredients you are using. Different ingredients have different absorbency rates, and some ingredients do not absorb at all. But overall, if you are using well absorbing ingredients then no, it shouldn't affect the effectiveness of the essential oils since they are very potent substances. Carrier oils are not only used to dilute essential oils but they also slow down their absorbency. Diluting essential oils in carrier oils is a good thing because carrier oils help prevent against toxicity from using too much essential oil, essential oil irritation, and allows for the essential oil to safely be spread over a large amount of skin. Carrier oils are absorbed by the skin, just more slowly than essential oils, so the skin will still eventually absorb the essential oils and you also absorb them by breathing them in. One reason I am against using mineral oil and petroleum jelly in skin care products is that it just sits on top of the skin and is not absorbed by the skin--meaning it is probably preventing any nutrients or other substances, like essential oils, in the cream or lotion you are using from being absorbed too. Plus mineral oil and petroleum jelly have no nutrients or vitamins!

Li's Quick Eco Tips and Actions: Introduction and Benefits of All Natural Cosmetics (Environmental Information/Natural Cosmetics)

2007-12-02T15:47:00.000-05:00

This post has been edited, and also appears on All Natural Beauty's website under the shortened title "Li's Quick Eco Tips: Benefits of All Natural Cosmetics"

One thing I've noticed in my thesis research (public perception of mammals and conservation) is that people in my local community seem to be aware that environmental issues exist and generally support them. But I think that many people are not aware of how much their actions have on the environment or may not know what they can do to be more eco-conscious or perhaps think it is too hard to live a more environmental-friendly lifestyle.

So I've decided to start writing more about simple and small eco-friendly changes that people can make in their lives. I live in a highly urbanized area (though I live in the suburbs, over a million people live in my county) and I am somewhat on a budget (grad student here!) so I really understand what it's like to try to be more eco-conscious, but because of many reasons (money, time, personal issues, daily living, etc) it can seem hard to do!

Everything we do has an impact. By living our lives in a certain way (such as refraining from using certain products) or by choosing environmental-friendly alternatives, we can make less of an impact, and live our lives in a more sustainable manner: not only for our own benefit, but also for the planet’s benefit.

Since I craft a lot of herbal and aromatherapy products (and my love of the Earth and conservation is tied directly to my passion for using herbs and herbal ingredients) I thought I'd start with the subject of using all natural cosmetics.

Why Use All Natural Cosmetics?

Some Skin Benefits and Advantages of All Natural Cosmetics (skin care and hair care):

The skin absorbs at least 60% of what you put on it. According to the Environmental Working Group, most of the ingredients used in cosmetics have not been evaluated by the FDA (the FDA only regulates some colors and really toxic ingredients like mercury in cosmetics). EWG’s cosmetic database is a great resource where you can look up cosmetic ingredients and a wide range of products to assess their safety. Though many synthetic ingredients used in small amounts are non-toxic, in large amounts many are known to be potentially irritating or toxic, and it is generally unknown what the long term effects of using small amounts of these ingredients every day for years can have on human health.

As a long time crafter I can tell you that most of the non-natural ingredients used in cosmetics (with the exception of synthetic lab derived actives) are either fillers, emulsifiers, texturizers (used to improve the texture of the product), fragrances, or synthetic preservatives: all designed to make the product look and smell good but do little for the skin. In my opinion, none of these ingredients, with the exception of the preservatives*, are necessary since they do little to improve the health of your skin (there are many natural ingredients that can be used as emulsifiers, fragrances, and texturizers, most of which also provide skin benefits). (*Note about preservatives: for your own safety, preservatives must be used in products that contain water such as creams and lotions. However, I personally choose not to use most synthetic preservatives because many of them are potentially toxic and irritating. There are only a couple synthetic preservatives that I would actually use on my skin, but I prefer using natural preservatives. Please see below for more information on synthetic versus natural preservatives.)

Many natural ingredients are healing for the skin, since they contain numerous vitamins and nutrients. They can improve the health of the skin (if the product is properly formulated) and actually nourish the skin (the skin can absorb the nutrients).

Natural cosmetics usually contain much higher amounts of actives than conventional products (no fillers!).

Many synthetic ingredients can cause skin allergies or skin conditions. Some of the symptoms I had when I became allergic to many conventional ingredients and products eight years ago include breathing problems (from synthetic perfumes), hives, acne, and headaches. But if you are allergic to a particular plant please do not use it on your skin, as allergies to plant and natural ingredients are also possible. Be sure to do skin allergy tests on the inner elbow with any new (natural or synthetic) ingredient or cosmetic you use.

If you use aromatherapy and herbal products, they may help heal skin conditions (such as rashes), and have some medicinal and psychological uses* (such as helping soothe depression and anxiety) and spiritual properties. Be sure to research ingredients well before use. (*Note: Please see the "A Few Things to Consider..." section for more information about plant medicinal uses.)

Some Ecological and Social Advantages of All Natural Cosmetics:

They are 100% biodegradable, so no toxins down your drain and into the watershed (many other species are sensitive to many synthetic chemicals, which in some severe cases--such as the usage of synthetic chemicals that mimic estrogen--can cause mutations in certain species).

Products and ingredients that are organic* support good farming practices, and are much more sustainable in the long run. Using organic, cultivated without chemicals (ingredients that are usually organic but not certified yet), or ethically wild-harvested goods also reduces the use of toxic pesticides. (*Note: Just because something is natural does not necessarily mean it's organic).

Using products made with ethically wild-harvested and fair trade ingredients* ensures that ingredients are produced in a sustainable manner, and that other cultures and the Earth are not exploited in the process. Some companies also work closely with the communities that produce the goods. When done in a non-exploitive manner it supports the local economy, often generates income for women and people in poverty, and in some cases may help conserve local natural resources. (*Note: Be sure to check the credentials of fair trade or ethically wild-harvested products to make sure they are truly fair trade or ethically wild-harvested).

Many truly natural cosmetics are made by small companies, stay-at-home moms, or are women-owned. By buying products from these companies you are supporting small businesses, families, and women in business.

Some natural companies donate part of their proceeds to environmental or social organizations.

A few businesses are owned by herbalists and aromatherapists, who not only have a deep respect of the Earth, but who are also active in educating the public on plant conservation issues (which is often a neglected conservation topic). Many people don't realize that some of the most active environmentalists and conservationists are those in non-traditional plant related fields like herbalism or aromatherapy.

Do not underestimate the power of 'buying green'! By buying green you are letting different industries (such as those in business and politics) know that you want and support eco-friendly alternatives. More and more companies and organizations are beginning to implement greener practices (while some businesses are doing this for environmental reasons, others are doing this because they know if they don't, in the future they will lose money because more and more people are interested in buying only eco-friendly products). The organic and natural industries are rapidly growing; many businesses are jumping onto the green bandwagon (be wary of 'green washing'). In my thesis research the majority of people in my community stated that if a politician or political party supported conservation policies, they would view that politician or political party more favorably (and presumably vote for them). Many politicians know this. Your views and what you do matter and can greatly influence people and events!

Many people (including me) view using natural plant ingredients as a spiritual journey tied closely to the Earth. In many cultures and religions around the world (past and present), the medicinal, cosmetic, food, and spiritual uses of plants are connected to each other. It wasn't that long ago that this was also true in many contemporary mainstream western societies as well.

A Few Things To Consider When Buying All Natural Cosmetics:

Though I advocate buying all natural cosmetics, it is always better to consume less or only buy what you need. Choose quality over quantity.

Everyone has a different definition of what 'natural' is. Be sure to research ingredients well before use (there are a lot of borderline natural/synthetic substances that some people consider natural and others consider semi-natural/naturally derived or synthetic). Just because a label says it's natural or organic doesn't mean it is. For organic cosmetics, only products with the USDA NOP organic seal are truly organic. For cosmetics, unlike food products*, the word ‘organic’ is currently not regulated by the USDA. The USDA only regulates cosmetics products that have undergone certification and carry the USDA seal, and does not regulate cosmetic products that have not undergone certification. Also, there is no regulation of the word natural. Cosmetic products that are not natural or organic can legally place those words on their product--even if their product only contains only 1 drop of natural or organic ingredients! (*Note: In food products, the word ‘organic’ is regulated by the USDA.)

In addition to cosmetic uses, herbs and herbal products (such as essential oils) also have many medicinal uses. Aromatherapy and herbalism are not regulated by the government. In the United States, aromatherapists and herbalists cannot legally practice medicine (under the law), however, they often act as consultants to many different industries. Be sure to research herbs, essential oils, hydrosols, and other plant ingredients well before use. If you are pregnant, an elder, using conventional medicine, or want to use herbs and essential oils on children, please do extra research (as many essential oils and herbs can not be used on these people, and some herbs and essential oils may interact with conventional medicine. Ask an aromatherapist or herbalist that focuses on these subjects and a conventional nurse or doctor before use. Some nurses are also aromatherapists or herbalists in the U.S. (On a related note: In France, most aromatherapists are medical doctors).

100% natural products have a much shorter shelf life than conventional products (usually 3 months to a year depending on the product and what is used to preserve them. Powdered mineral makeup will last much longer, nearly indefinitely). Don't stock up on 100% natural products, and also be sure to use them quickly. If you tend to take a long time to use products up (longer than a few months), try buying a smaller size or a sample (many small vendors offer samples or smaller sizes since you often can't return products from small online vendors), or you may want to consider using a product with synthetic preservatives (natural products preserved with a synthetic preservative will have a life shelf of at least a year if not longer). Though I personally choose not to use synthetic preservatives in most of the products I buy (since I prefer using completely natural products and many synthetic preservatives are potentially irritating or toxic), I usually use products up within a couple months of purchase. I especially want to emphasize that while many natural preservatives have extremely effective anti-bacterial and/or antiseptic properties (and some are antiviral and antifungal as well), they don't preserve products for as long as synthetic preservatives do. Natural preservatives are generally non-toxic if used in the correct proportions and many also provide skin benefits, so it's a trade-off.

Preservatives (whether natural or synthetic) are extremely important ingredients to use in cosmetics. In general, waterless products (like balms and oil based serums) are much more stable and less prone to bacterial contamination than products that contain water. Most non-aqueous products may not need a preservative, but to be on the safe side, I highly recommend using one. For non-aqueous products, many companies usually use a blend of natural preservatives (such as essential oils) and/or antioxidants (like vitamin E). Products with water in them (such as creams, lotions, and ‘wet’ facial masks) are extremely perishable and prone to contamination. Preservatives are a must in water-based products. Make sure that water-based products have an adequate preservative system. For all natural creams or other water-based products in jars, use a clean spatula to spoon out your product (or at least make sure your fingers are very clean). 100% natural creams and lotions will only have a shelf life of a few months (in some cases, shelf life may be slightly longer depending on the preservatives used, and type of container). Many companies tend to use a blend of natural preservatives (like herbal extracts which contain alcohol, essential oils, or alcohol) and antioxidants (like vitamin E) to extend shelf life and protect against a wide range of bacteria. But not all natural preservatives have the same antiseptic ability, and different herbs will kill different bacteria (and some plant ingredients make very ineffective preservatives). Antioxidants only extend shelf life but do not kill or inhibit bacteria. If you choose to use 100% natural water-based products (preserved with natural preservatives), for your own safety, be sure to use it within a couple months of purchase.

It is not a good idea to store natural cosmetics in the bathroom (too humid, which will make them spoil faster).

Refrigeration of most natural products (when not in use) will extend shelf life. For some products the texture may change a bit in the fridge, however, this will not alter the effectiveness of the product.

All natural or nearly all natural products are more expensive* than drugstore brand cosmetics (but often cheaper than some department store brands, though there are a few overpriced natural brands in my opinion). However, since there are no fillers, you can often use less of a product to get great results. Also because they are 100% (or nearly all) natural, the products generally contain more actives in them than conventional products. (*Note: About the price of all natural and nearly all natural products. Natural ingredients usually cost a lot more than conventional cosmetic ingredients. And if the ingredients are rare or harder to obtain or if they are organic, they are even more expensive. For carrier oils, if they are unrefined, cold or expeller pressed (nutrient rich) oils they are usually more expensive than refined oils (that are stripped not only of odor but nutrients). It takes most conventional cosmetics only pennies to occasionally a couple bucks to produce their products, while it may take many dollars to produce a completely natural product (no cheap fillers and also the much higher cost of ingredients, and in some cases packaging—colored glass used in many essential oil products costs more than plastic). An example of the cost of a natural ingredient, rose essential oil: it takes thirty to sixty roses to make one drop of rose essential oil, hence the $1-2 per drop price tag (and why most rose scented products on the market are synthetic).)

If you are on a budget, just start out with a couple of basic products, or consider crafting your own cosmetics! Ingredients from herbal vendors are often cheaper and higher quality than ingredients found in stores (even with shipping). But if you can find things locally, I highly suggest buying them (saves on gas consumption). (But buying locally may be difficult in some areas, since it is easier to find many herbal ingredients in certain areas of the country than others.) Many recipes can be found on the internet, or you can get books at the library (if books aren’t available at your library, use the library’s interlibrary loan system), or a used bookstore. Amazon also sells many natural cosmetic, herbal, and aromatherapy books usually for up to 30% off. If you sign up for Border's reward card (in the stores), they send you coupons (through your email) nearly every week or so (from 10% to 30% off).

Last note: Just because something is natural does not mean it is safe, and just because something is synthetic does not mean it is bad. For example, certain essential oils used in high concentrations are toxic. In addition, I still currently use rubbing alcohol (91%) as one method to clean and sanitize my cosmetic glass bottles, which is a pretty safe substance as long as it's used in a well ventilated room (I also sterilize in the oven). Lastly, in some products, borderline synthetic/naturally derived ingredients, or synthetic ingredients may be preferable, such as using cetyl alcohol as an emulsifier in natural hair conditioners (since many other emulsifiers like many waxes won't rinse out of the hair easily), or using synthetic preservatives in an alcohol free, scent free cream or lotion (to my knowledge there is no completely natural way to preserve this).

Li's Crafting Thoughts 11-16-07

2007-11-16T16:43:00.001-05:00

Haven't done a crafting thoughts entry in a while, though I've been crafting like mad recently.

In addition to all the wonderful essential oils combinations I made in Jeanne Rose's class (and I like some of them so much that I am considering using some of these combinations in my future business), I've worked on several products for my future line.

Serums: I've been working on oil based serums for specific skin types for many months. I am happy with half of them, and the other half though I've done the formulation on paper I still need to make and tweak them. It's taking me a long time to create them, since there are so many carrier oils I've researched, tried, and love (it's hard to pick a favorite especially since so many are beneficial to the skin). The next steps will be formulating the rest of my serums, and then starting work on the essential oil combinations.

Body Oils: I also started working on body oils. I'll probably offer a few formulations since different people like different textures and "slips" for body oils. The easy part is working with all of my carrier oils to craft a nice base. The hard part will be choosing which essential oils combinations to use. I am not sure if I'm going to offer scents just based on smell, or combinations for specific conditions (that just happen to smell good too) yet. But I really like some of the blends I created for class, and of course I have about seven years of notes on essential oil combinations to shift through (so it's hard to choose a favorite since I think everything smells good!). Maybe I'll offer both :)

Perfume: I am still working on complex perfume blends. I've been working on a jasmine based floral blend for a while; I still need to tweak it a bit but I really love the scent so far. Though it's jasmine based, it's not too heavy or overpowering like how some jasmine based perfumes can be. It's light but wonderfully sensual.

Whipped shea: What can I say?: I love whipped shea butter. It makes it so much easier to spread, and is so creamy :)

Soap:I'm working on liquid soap cleansers and also glycerin (melt and pour) soaps, though I may consider rebatching soaps too (not at the cold process stage yet! One day...). I just crafted a couple butter soaps, one of them I think I'm sensitive to the base, and the other I still have to use. I am not completely sure yet which base to use for my business, since I've only tried a couple brands and I haven't bought any in a while, and so need to try more companies in the near future.

In the coming weeks I will be working on the above as well as:

Lip Balms: I have been meaning to craft new lip balm formulations for a while but never got around to it since it took me forever to order the herbs and essential oils I wanted to use, and then I got distracted in crafting other products, so never crafted them. I did just craft a very basic one, just trying to figure out how much I like the wax blend I'm using; still deciding on which waxes to use (everyone who's tried my different formulas for lip balms seem to love them so far but I am not sure what to think of the wax I'm using).

Mineral Makeup: So far I just have a bunch of shimmer and sheen multipurpose powders. I plan to craft even more colors, but eventually will start working on matte and semi-matte colors as well. I still have no plans to work on foundation yet, since I believe more in healing the skin than covering it up (but I have to admit I love using MMU as sunscreen, so if I manage to craft everything else, I will start working on foundations, but probably this will not be for a while since I have to work on cleansers and toners first).

All Natural Cream: The weather is changing, and I need to craft some for myself since I've been using mainly serums (my own), and some lotions from natural companies. Natural preservatives are extremely effective (when you use the right ones, in combination with each other), but I am still sometimes wary of giving my creams to others because they have a much shorter shelf life than creams preserved with synthetic preservatives. Honestly I won't be offering creams initially, since I won't sell them unless they undergo bacterial and fungal testing (if not challenge testing), but testing can be quite expensive.

Review of Jeanne Rose's Aromatherapy Blending Class, Hosted by All Natural Beauty website (Aromatherapy Information)

2007-11-08T18:11:00.000-05:00

I took Jeanne Rose's aromatherapy class (sponsored by All Natural Beauty website and All Natural Beauty portal) from October 26-28th, and though was exhausted for several days afterwards, I am extremely content. I am really glad that I took the class; though I've been learning aromatherapy through self study for over seven years, it really helps to take a class to learn new concepts that aren't in books, and to tie together everything I've learned so far. An added plus: most of the time Jeanne Rose doesn't repeat material in her books (like how some authors reprint the same articles/chapters/sections of books in different books), so all the material in the blending book we received during class was new.

First I have to say it was amazing finally meeting Jeanne Rose; I've always wanted to meet and take a class with her. Her Aromatherapy Book was one of the first aromatherapy books I ever read, and is still one of the first books I reach for when I am crafting aromatherapy remedies (the charts for specific conditions and the essential oils profiles are very good). I really enjoy her writing style, and I've learned a lot about aromatherapy, herbalism, and all natural/kitchen cosmetics from her writings. She has been teaching about herbs and aromatherapy for somewhere between 30 or 40 years, and is one of the pioneers in both fields. In person, she is warm, passionate about her craft, and full of energy. I still can't get over the fact she is seventy years old--she barely has any lines on her face, and she is so vibrant, youthful!

I also really enjoyed meeting Sharon (owner of ANB website and ANB portal, and SharAmbrosia--an all natural skin care and spa line). We've been chatting on the forums and through email for the last two years; I've always enjoyed our conversations and her passion for all natural cosmetics :) She is an amazing woman, who is creative and works on so many different projects! We talked so much about all natural skin care; it was very generous of her to host this class and open up her home to this workshop.

It was wonderful getting to know all the fascinating women in my class--everyone came from a wide range of backgrounds: some people were novices, and others were advanced students or herbalists. A couple people were also store or business owners. It was cool talking to other women that were knowledgeable about aromatherapy, herbalism, or crafting, since there aren't really any aromatherapy, herbalism, or crafting groups where I live (I'm seriously thinking of starting one though ;P)

The first day of class I was late and missed the first half of class! :( I left my sister's house a good three hours before the class started, but got caught up in traffic on the highway (Philly rush hour), and then when I got to the area, missed my exit (it was raining heavily and the exit was immediately after I paid the toll), got off the next exit, and promptly got lost. I didn't miss much (since Jeanne was kind enough to go over most of what I had missed over the next two days, and we all received a book with all the instructions/experiments, including a lot of information we didn't get to go over) but I am sad I was late because I missed all of the stuff not in the books--all of Jeanne's herbal related stories.

But since Jeanne and I stayed in the same hotel, I got to have breakfast with her, so was able to ask her a lot of aromatherapy and herbalism questions! :) I also learned more about her background, and found out we have a lot in common: she has a biology background (so knows both the scientific and alternative/indigenous/traditional uses of plants) and went to grad school (so learned how to really research), is very spiritual/believes in magic (I was already aware of this about her from her writings ;) ), and like many aromatherapists/herbalists is ecologically and socially conscious (she is the founder of the Aromatic Plant Project that advocates the usage of locally grown organic hydrosols), and believes in empowering women. I respected her a lot before I met her, and now that I actually met her, I respect her even more. :)

Overview of the class:

I learned so much in the class, including some concepts that I've never even read or heard about. In the first part of the class (which I missed but she went over several times later) we learned to distinguish seven different odor names (Floral, Fruity, Citrus, Green/Vegetative, Woody, Herbaceous/Camphoraceous, Spicy). This part of class was kind of new to me. Though I'm pretty good in smelling a combination and picking out which essential oils are used (for example: I was smelling one of my classmate's synergies, and she didn't remember what other essential oils she had used, and from scent alone, I guessed one of the essential oils she used was Eucalyptus citriodora (common name: Lemon eucalyptus)--though this class was the first time I had ever smelled that particularly species of Eucalyptus), sometimes I have trouble describing what type of odor it is, and this part of the class really helped me understand how to do that.

The next two parts were on measuring (which I also missed most of, and I need to do again soon) and also blending. I have a pretty good background in measuring and blending, but these two parts of class changed my perception a bit on essential oil concentration in blends, and also the act of blending. Though I was already aware that essential oil concentrations/the number of drops in a ml depended on the size of the dropper, the type of dropper, the viscosity and type of essential oil, I did not know it could vary by person (even if two people are using the same equipment and liquid substance, the number of drops in a ml will vary for each person). Also I did not know that combining essential oils together (with carrier oils) in different ways could affect the scent so greatly (each group combined essential oils and carrier oils in different ways, using the same ingredients and tools).

The rest of the class was spent learning how to craft remedies for different types of cosmetic, medicinal, and spiritual uses: uplifting and calm, uplifting and energizing, emotional blend (I made one for fear/anxiety), therapeutic (I chose Sinusitis, in an oil base), therapeutic for the respiratory system (smelling salts), spiritual (I chose to make a blend for psychic awareness), and perfume. During each lesson, after we researched essential oils and brainstormed ideas, Jeanne checked over each student's work, and offered advice on which combination of essential oils would be better to use. I am proud of myself because most of the time I was pretty good at choosing what essential oils to use, and she approved most of them without tweaking them (though she offer suggestions on how to improve a few of them). :)

Overall I really enjoyed the class, especially since Jeanne gave personal attention to each student and detailed answers if we had questions. For the class, we received a blending booklet, pencil, had access to forty three different essential oils (which were all very high quality, and included many I haven't used before; now I have to buy them ;P), and made eight different products (including the blend we made in a group). I felt the class really helped solidify my knowledge of aromatherapy, and helped improve my confidence in choosing the right essential oils in crafting aromatherapy remedies. I was so impressed with all the information we learned that I am going to take another (in person) class with her, and also enrolled in her aromatherapy home study course. The unique thing about her home study course (different from most other aromatherapy courses I was considering) is that she gives personal attention to her students (I will be able to call and email her with questions) and has a (private) yahoo group (where she answers her students' questions). The course book is fairly large and looks like it goes into great detail, and as part of the course, I'm also going to receive another book on essential oil usage for reproduction. In addition, after completing her course, I'll be eligible for practitioner's liability insurance, and her class counts for credits from various organizations.

The only thing I didn't like in class was using the orifice reducers (the kind where you have to tap the bottle hard, and not the little 'stick' kind where you can just tilt the bottle). I definitely prefer using glass droppers! But I guess that in a classroom setting you kind of need to use the orifice reducers (because if droppers or pipettes were used, there is a chance that a student might stick the wrong dropper into the wrong container, and contaminate the whole bottle of essential oil with another scent). I just had a little trouble with using them since I never use them! (I'm fine with using both kinds of orifice reducers on finished products, but when crafting products, when one drop can change how a whole blend smells, I really prefer droppers since with droppers I know how many drops actually make it in the bottle!)

I am excited about continuing my aromatherapy studies with Jeanne Rose. Though I know quite a bit about aromatherapy and am not an amateur, I am by no means a professional and most certainly I am not an expert or pioneer. I guess I see myself as an advanced student but I've really never felt that I had the right to call myself an aromatherapist (even though many great aromatherapists and herbalists are self taught, and some people call themselves aromatherapists or herbalists even though they haven't read more than a couple books, and have only completed maybe just one day long or weekend class). I still feel like I can't (though I've been crafting, studying, and researching this for years and have read a ridiculous amount of books, and have now actually taken a class, and am starting on another ;P), but I feel that I am on my way to (truly) becoming one.

For a list of all of Jeanne's classes (taught all over the U.S.), be sure to check out her website.

Check out Sharon's/All Natural Beauty portals's pictures of the events and blog entry.

Places To Buy Essential Oils: Part 2 (Aromatherapy Information)

2007-10-26T03:47:00.001-04:00

Garden of Wisdom: I may be a tad biased in saying that I love GOW (since I am one of the moderators on their forum, however, I am not an employee) but Markey (the owner) is awesome. She really cares about her customers, and her prices are low (pretty much wholesale prices) on a lot of her items. Her essential oils are very high quality (she gets them from a couple very good vendors). And if you are obsessed with carrier oils like I am--her selection is one of the best (in quality and price) that I've found. She carries a large assortment of make-it-yourself herbal and cosmetic (natural and non-natural) ingredients (and if she doesn't have it, ask! She is a sweetheart and is constantly adding customer requests to her stock). Many of her essential oils are organic or ethically wildharvested, though it's not listed on the site which are. I wish I had known that before I restocked my essential oils because I would have gotten them from her!

Lavender Lane:Another company that I kind of had a bad experience with (bought from them many years ago though so don't know if their customer service is the same now as it was then). When I had ordered from them, they didn't send me the right amount of melt and pour soap (I had ordered a pound, and what I received weighed a little less than 14 ounces) and (a few months later when I looked at the shipping shipment) I noticed that they had overcharged me a lot for shipping and handling (more than what their website had said. I've paid some pretty hefty prices for shipping and handling from other companies without blinking an eye but never as much as this--and this was many years ago when shipping prices were much lower). Unfortunately, I never called them to fix it though.

Mountain Rose Herbs:
Mountain Rose Herbs is one of my favorite herbal vendors (definitely in my top three). They have a very nice selection of essential oils and carrier oils (very high quality). Many of them are organic or ethically wild harvested. This company really cares about their products, have strong business and environmental ethics (they are a carbon neutral company and--though they are a small company--are one of the largest organic internet/mail order vendors). They also have a great selection of herbs; in my opinion they are the best place to get dried herbs--superior quality and fresh! Most of the herbs are organic, but much less expensive than many conventional herbs from other places. I have some herbs from them that are three years old (so need to use them asap before they go bad)--and they are still better quality than herbs from super markets or other herb stores that I've tried. They sell everything from skin care to miy ingredients. Their rose essential oil sampler is lovely and a great way to sample rose essential oils from around the world (note: rose is one of the most expensive essential oils).

Places To Buy Essential Oils: Part 1 (Aromatherapy Information)

2007-10-15T21:45:00.000-04:00

Here is a list of some of the essential oil companies I've tried thus far (from over 7 years of using essential oils), good and bad mini reviews. (Part 1. The rest of the list will be in part 2).

Aromaland: I tried this company many years ago, when I first started learning about aromatherapy. I thought their essential oils were very high quality--I remember their expressed lime essential oil was divine :) Customer service was good. But after a couple years, they raised many of their prices. Their prices for many of their conventional essential oils are still pretty good (some are a very good deal while others are a tad pricey), but since I now only buy mostly organic essential oils, there are other vendors I prefer. I remember I liked their sampler packs though (samples in little perfume vials).

Aromatherapy Outlet: First I have to say that their essential oils are very nice, especially their citrus essential oils. They have a great assortment (including organic choices), and the prices are pretty low. I only bought from them once (last year) but I had a pretty bad experience buying from them (and later when I posted on Delphi's Mineral Makeup Mania forum, I found out that others had too). It's a bit of a long story, but they took many weeks to ship my order (I'm usually very patient with orders--I'm the kind of person that if I get an order within 2 to 2 1/2 weeks I'm happy, but this took nearly a month--even when I had emailed them a couple times and received responses), and I never received my free samples or free bottle of essential oil from their promotion at the time (after I got my order I emailed them twice again, and even received an email from the owner saying that she would mail them to me immediately, but never got them).

AV-AT: Probably my favorite place to get essential oils at the moment :). I love their essential oils! I think they (along with the ones I've tried from Enfleurage) are the best quality I've tried so far (and most of the places I've tried have been great, if not excellent). I think it is because the owner (Butch Owens) has close relationships to the distillers he buys from, and he lab tests his products to check for their purity. Most of their essential and carrier oils are organic or ethically wild harvested and their prices are excellent (considering they are organic which is usually more expensive). Their ylang ylang complete and cocoa absolute are heaven on earth. You can also get free samples (a fews drops in a glass vial--not full).

Camden Grey:This vendor is great! Large assortment of all kinds of ingredients. They have a good selection of essential oils, including many organic ones, at awesome prices (wholesale prices). The best thing you can buy very small to very large amounts of essential oils and all their ingredients. Everything I've tried there has been good, though I've heard on a forum that some essential oils are hit or miss. They also tend to have a lot of sales.

Enfleurage:I haven't bought from their online store but I've been to their store in NYC. Their prices are a tad more than other companies but the prices for certain oils are pretty good. They carry many of the more unusual essential oils, and their essential oils are very high quality, and many are organic too.

Local Fall Festivals (D.C./VA/MD area) (Fall Festival Information)

2007-09-28T14:39:00.000-04:00

Quick post on local fall festivals

Fall for Fairfax: tommorrow, Sept 29 . In addition to the activites, they will be recycling old computers, and they will be conducting a blood drive. Free admission.

National Book Festival (D.C.): tommorrow, Sept 29 Free admission (some activities have a small fee).

D.C. Green Festival: Oct 6-7. Admission: Children under 12 are free; $15 for general; students, seniors, union members, and bike riders for $10. Admission is good for both days, and you also get coupons. When I went a couple years ago, there were many environmental organizations (if you are looking for a job, bring a resume).

Maryland Renaissance Fest: every weekend through Oct 21

I have previously written reviews on the Green Festival, National Book Fest, and Renn Festival, see links on right side of (main page of) blog. But for the Green and Nat. Book Festivals, not all the same organizations, vendors, and speakers are attending this year. For the renn fest, most of the same vendors will be there.

IUCN 2007 Red List: The Conservation Status of Animals and Plants (Environmental News and Information)

2007-09-26T00:54:00.001-04:00

A couple weeks ago, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) released their 2007 Red List of Threatened Species (news link here). IUCN is the largest international environmental information network, composed of many states/nations/countries, NGOs, government agencies, and conservation scientists. Their Red List is one of the most respected and comprehensible resources available on biodiversity and the conservation status of flora (plants) and fauna (animals). The news is not looking good: 188 more species were added to the list this year, bumping up the total of species threatened with extinction to 16,306 species, and 41,415 species now listed. According to IUCN: 25% of mammals, 1/8th of birds, 1/3rd of amphibians, and 70% of plants (known species) are now in danger. For the first time corals have been added to the list (corals are like the ‘rainforests of the ocean’; a high concentration of marine life lives around or near the coral reefs) and they think that the Yangtze River Dolphin (whose status is listed as critically endangered) may possibly be extinct.

Li’s FAQ:

What are some of the causes of population degradation?

A few environmental issues that may affect species biodiversity include habitat encroachment and degradation, urban development, deforestation, global warming/climate change, invasive/exotic/non-native species, lack of available prey, chemical discharge, and pollution.

What are some of the things people can do to help species and the environment?

-donate to your favorite environmental or conservation organization (like IUCN)
-volunteer at your favorite environmental or conservation organization
-donate to colleges/universities (and support grad school level research in these topics)
-support local environmental issues
-write to your local congressmen to let them know your viewpoints on the environment
-buy/consume less
-but when you need to buy something, use eco-friendly products (or at least higher quality products that can be reused or that last longer)
-for food/plants/herbs: buy organic or ethically harvested plants (healthier for you, less chemicals that poison wildlife and the Earth, and it's sustainable)
-drive a more fuel efficient car or take public transportation (to reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming)
-plant native/local trees or a wildlife habitat/garden in your yard to attract and provide a home for small mammals, birds, butterflies, and other wildlife

Carrier Oil Books and Shelf Life (Aromatherapy/All Natural Skin Care Resources and Information)

2007-09-19T13:22:00.000-04:00

A couple FAQ on carrier oils :)

I am looking for a book on carrier oils but haven't been able to find one; any suggestions?

Most aromatherapy and natural skin care books have a small section on carrier oils but there are only two books that I know of that are devoted solely to carrier oils. Both are kind of hard to find and are a bit pricey (mainly only easily available in England). They are Liquid Sunshine by Jan Kusmirek (2002), and Carrier Oils by Price, Price, and Smith (Len Price is the main author; 3rd edition 1999. There may be a 4th edition, see below). They are both very good resources; many people talk about Liquid Sunshine, and Len Price and Shirley Price are well known British aromatherapists.

I recently got my hands on these books, but have only read part of Carrier Oils so far. It has profiles for over 40 oils, including my beloved kukui nut oil, but it didn't have camellia oil which I thought is strange since that is quite a popular skin care oil! It also didn't have a complete profile for shea butter (only a couple sentences on it). Overall I love this book--Price makes the chemical composition of carrier oils easy to understand, better than my undergrad chemistry books! And one of the best things about this book is that at the end of each profile, Price lists the sources/references he used for each profile/chapter (of course now I want to go find the ones I haven't read! LOL!). In my opinion this book is a must have for understanding oils.

I haven't read Liquid Sunshine yet but it has many oils that aren't in Price's book, including some that I've never heard of. It also has a profile on camellia (though a species I haven't used yet) and shea butter :) I'll post more on it once I read it :)

To buy:

For Liquid Sunshine, I got mine at Sun Rose Aromatics (right now it's being sold for $35 plus shipping and handling. Handling is $4 and shipping for me was $6, but you can request essential oil samples with each order, and the samples are extremely generous, so they off set the cost of shipping and handling fee). You can also try England's Amazon site, and can get it for cheaper (though you'd have to wait longer to receive the book). I do not recommend getting it from the U.S. Amazon site since people were selling it for ridiculous prices there, but sometimes someone will sell it for a decent price, so it's still worth a look. NAHA (National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy) presently sells it for $30, but I haven't bought from NAHA before so can't comment on their shipping (I could not find any information on their shipping costs on their site).
Nature's Gift is also currently selling this book for $30 (sale price). It is a great price and now I am wishing I had known that they were going to reorder them (they hadn't carried this book in a while).

For Carrier Oils, I got mine at Amazon for an awesome price a couple months ago (about $25). The thing about Amazon, you have to wait for a decent price. Currently, there's this one British company (called the_book_depository) that sells it from time to time on the U.S. Amazon site for $25-34, and the other times other sellers charge anywhere from $50 to over $100 for it. This company ships fast so I got my copy in a few days. You can also try the British Amazon site, but may have to wait up to 2 weeks for it to ship. According to the British Amazon site, there is a fourth edition that was released a couple months ago but it is listed as unavailable, so I am not sure if this actually came out or not.

Other suggestions: If you can't get your hands on these books (either by buying them or from your local inter-library loan :)) I highly suggest reading the profiles that many vendors list online. Good companies include Mountain Rose Herbs, Nature's Gift, From Nature With Love, and also Garden of Wisdom's site has a little information on it as well (and you can always ask me or everyone :) on the forum about a particular oil if you have a question)

What is the shelf life of carrier oils/butters, such as camellia oil, shea butter, and coconut oil? And how do I store them?

Carrier oils last 6 months to 3 years, depending on the oil. Camellia: I'd say about a year, maybe longer. Shea butter: 1-2 years. Coconut: 2 to 3 years. But shelf life is just an estimate. For example I've had rosehip seed oil last for 3 times as long as the expected shelf life, and I've had coconut oil go rancid on me after 1 and 1/2 years, so if the oils smell rancid (like stale nuts or french fries), toss them out.

I highly recommend not storing any natural product in the bathroom. It is too humid and warm and will greatly shorten shelf life. Refrigerating oils and butters can (in some cases) double shelf life (from personal experience, refrigerating my oils has tripled shelf life for some oils).

I usually keep all my oils and butters in the fridge, and just put a little in a glass container for daily use.

Li's crafting thoughts 09-13-07

2007-09-13T21:11:00.000-04:00

Edited a bit for clarity:

A few things I've been crafting recently :)

Hair tonic:While I was in Philly, I finally strained the herbal hair tonics I made for my sister (made with fresh herbs like sage from her wonderful garden) and added a blend of various essential oils that are good for hair (such as rosemary). I hope she likes it! :)

Cream:I ran out of cream a while back so just made a new batch. I formulated and crafted a new recipe but I think I added too much shea or wax so it's a bit slick on the skin but the strange thing is that it's thin! I guess next time I won't try to craft a cream from memory, LOL! :) (need to look at previous recipes for the right wax proportions)

I'm still thinking of/working on a preservative system for lotions (for a shelf life of at least 6 months, if not longer). There are a lot of problems with trying to formulate a completely natural preservative system, namely that all natural or nearly all natural lotions have a much reduced shelf life compared to conventionally preserved products, and also the most effective natural preservatives are very fragrant or contain alcohol (a problem for those with sensitive skin).

Serums:I am still working on serums for my line. I just received many new carrier oils (thanks Markey!). I now have close to 60 carrier oils to work with, and still need to finish figuring out which oils work for which skin type. The problem is that many of these oils are new to the market (either newly available on a wider scale, newly available to the retail market, or totally new) so there is not much information on these oils in books (so most of my research is based on my own observations on how they react on the skin and also sometimes from online vendors). When I first started crafting and using natural skin care, I thought that no carrier oils worked for my skin--I went through nearly a dozen of the most popular, basic ones before I found a few that worked. Nowadays, with the range of carrier oils on the online market, it is easy to find something that works! I am having so much fun crafting serums for different skin types!

Perfume and Aromatherapy Blends:I've been working on a jasmine perfume for a while and I think it is almost perfect. Crafting an aromatherapy perfume is different than crafting a simple aromatherapy blend, since you need to pay special attention to top, middle, and base notes, and how each essential oils melds with the other (and a perfume, of course, is typically at a much higher concentration). When I craft aromatherapy blends, I just craft whatever I think would go well together, and don't pay too much attention to whether I have all three notes in a blend. They smell lovely but they aren't really technically perfumes (though I admit I do wear single or simple blends as my scent sometimes ;P ). I am still kind of an amateur at crafting perfumes but I am proud of how my jasmine perfume is coming along.

I made an aromatherapy blend for a family friend during one of my out of town trips; it did have a top, middle, and base note but only had 3 essential oils, and I made it at a perfume concentration (so I guess it was kind of like a hybrid!). Very simple but lovely blend.

In general, I've been doing a lot of research on ingredients and how to run a business, and (of course) crafting like mad. I've been crafting most of my own skin care/aromatherapy products and remedies for a long while (about seven years now), but there is so much to consider before starting a business, that most people never think about. One thing is for sure, I will never again complain about the prices that some vendors sell their goods at, since I'm beginning to discover there are so many hidden costs in running a business!

All Natural Beauty website/Jeanne Rose chat (Aromatherapy/Herbalism/All Natural Cosmetics information)

2007-09-03T19:16:00.001-04:00

This Wednesday, Sept 5th, the All Natural Beauty Website will host a web chat with Jeanne Rose. Jeanne Rose is one of the pioneers in both herbalism and aromatherapy, and is one of my favorite aromatherapy/herbalism/all natural skin and hair care/cosmetics/beauty authors. The chat will take place at 2 pm (EST) on All Natural Beauty's delphi forum. If you are not a member of delphi, it is very easy to sign up, and after you sign up you'll have access to all of delphi's forums (including the forum I help moderate: Garden of Wisdom). Personally I can not wait until Wednesday and am very excited and hope that I don't miss it! Thanks Jeanne Rose and Sharon! (Sharon is the owner of the All Natural Beauty Website, All Natural Beauty Portal, All Natural Beauty forum, and Shar Ambrosia/All Natural Spa store)

The ANB website and ANB Portal have many great articles on all natural beauty products and ingredients (including articles and recipes written by Jeanne Rose, and, on ANB portal, a couple of my own recipes :) ) and links to many (truly) all natural cosmetics. Shar Ambrosia sells many great spa products as well. The ANB forum is a great place to ask questions and is one of my favorite forums to visit :)

Jeanne Rose's site is an awesome resource for anyone interested in herbalism and aromatherapy. It is a gold mine for articles in those fields. Her books are among the first I reach for when deciding upon essential oils for cosmetic and medicinal uses (her profiles/tables of essential oils, herbs, and hydrosols are among the best out there). She is the person who coined the term 'hydrosol'. So if you have a question about herbs, essential oils, hydrosols, and other natural ingredients, join the chat! :)

On the Search For Good Hypoglycemic And Vegetarian Friendly Cookbooks (Vegetarian and Hypoglycemia Information)

2007-08-16T21:08:00.000-04:00

As many people are already aware, I'm hypoglycemic as well as vegetarian. I've been vegetarian for about 13 years (I became veggie in high school), and I think I've had mild hypoglycemia since childhood (I could eat refined flour and sugar in moderation as long as I ate every few hours and my symptoms were mild most of the time). Shortly before I became a grad student my hypoglycemia became severe (mainly due to major stress and adrenal fatigue) causing many strange and unusual symptoms, and my body basically collapsed. Nearly three years later I still suffer from many of the symptoms but they are thankfully less severe and in most cases are mild/moderate (except when they flare up during frequent colds or pms) due to major changes in my diet.

While it is hard learning how to eat a hypoglycemic diet, it is doubly hard being a hypoglycemic vegetarian! My symptoms are much better than they were, and while I eat pretty well, I know I can do even better. Since I have to eat 6 times a day (at least) and protein at every meal or snack, I've been relying far too much on nuts, soy, and fake meat products (like veggie sausages etc which are probably way too processed for me). In addition, I think I recently just developed a mild allergy to cashews, so it is definitely time to re-evaluate my hypoglycemic diet and what I've been eating!

I have been scouring bookstores for good cookbooks for a while. The problem is that there is only a couple hypoglycemic cookbooks, and while they aren't bad, the recipes in it are...well, kind of bland! (My taste buds are spoiled. Though I live in VA/DC metropolitan area, I've been to so many great restaurants (all types of different cuisine) in NYC and Philly that I am a bit of a food snob, LOL! ;P Restaurants in Philly are very underrated, by the way). These books have a lot of good ideas for snacks, and some veggie or many easy-to- convert-to-veggie recipes, and while the recipes are okay, the ones I've tried aren't extraordinary either (they don't utilize spices well to make up for the lack of sugar in many recipes). They contain some good basic recipes for every day, comfort food, but if you crave things like Indian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, and most importantly good American and fresh salad/gourmet-type/'peasant' food dishes--basically food that is healthy but loaded with flavor--like I do, I've found these cookbooks a bit lacking in the taste department.

The low-carb, high protein cookbooks I've seen aren't that great either. While most hypoglycemics follow a lower carb, high protein diet, many of the cookbooks I've flipped through in the bookstore are meat based (eating meat 6 times a day would not be that healthy for an adrenal fatigued hypoglycemic, much less anyone else!), too strict (eliminating all carbs or too many carbs), or the (veggie) recipes simply don't look that good.

Diabetic books aren't that much better. While most eliminate sugar, the ones I've seen do not eliminate things white flour, white rice, etc, or use things like synthetic sugar substitutes (which I avoid like the plague!).

So I've been inventing my own recipes or converting recipes from my favorite veggie books for the better part of the last few years.

When I was in Philly I went through my sister's cook book selection (she is an awesome cook--much better than me--and has a wonderful selection of good cookbooks) and went to one of my favorite used book stores (Molly's Bookstore in the Italian Market). My sister recommended several of her vegan cookbooks (she even gave me one of them; love you, Bexn!) and I found a couple of nice macrobiotic cookbooks at Molly's.

I've found that both the vegan and macrobiotic cookbooks I got are much closer to how I eat than any other cookbooks I've seen. I didn't know anything about the macrobiotic diet, but it looks similar to the hypoglycemic diet because it is based on fresh ingredients (non-processed), mostly vegetarian, based on whole grains and non-refined sugars, and taste is an important factor. It isn't as high in protein than a hypoglycemic diet though, and while there are many recipes I won't have to convert, I will still have to convert some a bit (though just one or two ingredients instead of several).

I was surprised that the vegan cookbooks were much more similar to how I eat than many of my plain veggie cookbooks. It took me a couple days to figure out why: they used a variety of whole grains (like quinoa and spelt--which are high in protein--and not just the common products like refined wheat and white rice); these particular cooks preferred granulated frutose, agave, or other liquid sweeteners over white sugar; since they don't eat eggs or dairy they used a much wider range of ingredients (many of which were high in protein); the cooks/chefs realized if you don't use eggs and dairy you need to pay extra attention to seasonings to be satisfying; and when subbing for eggs and dairy in desserts they used hypoglycemic-friendly things like pureed fruit and tofu. Like the macrobiotic books I won't have to convert most recipes, but even the ones I will have to, I'll only have to change them a little (less chance of the recipe failing).

So I am a happy camper and the recipes I've tried so far are easy to prepare and so good! I am super excited at trying the dessert recipes because I used to be a baker (and not a cook), and in the last three years I've only had about 6 or 7 real baked goods or desserts (not including breads or the occasional grain sweetened chocolate and carob). In the following weeks I'll try to post reviews of all my cookbooks once I try several recipes :)

Monave's Mineral Makeup and Marketing Class Review (Natural Cosmetics Class)

2007-08-12T23:30:00.000-04:00

I just came back from Monave's mineral makeup and marketing class (I mentioned it in my last crafting notes entry).

I had a lot of fun, but I am very tired right now (from blood sugar fatigue and brain fog, meals/snacks at odd times, and driving to Baltimore and back). Overall I thought the seminar was very informative and I learned a lot! This year's class was focused more on marketing and business strategies than mmu crafting, though we did craft a little bit :) Topics included protecting intellectual property (things like copyright and trademarks), maximizing profit/buying in bulk, tips for selling, setting up the workspace, and also crafting.
Crafting (of course) was the most fun (we made a sample foundation, and the most beautiful shade of blush :) ) but I am glad that I went because I really need to learn as much as I can about the business side of things! I took a lot of notes and we got a lot of useful handouts too, and I can't wait for the transcripts to be available (see below).

I was excited since I got to meet Deb (owner of Monave), Kelley (Monave's wholesale executive and also an esthetician with her own business), Sharen (Monave's skincare and makeup artist), and Kim (owner of Geografx Cosmetics), as well as all the attendees! But I didn't get to talk to anyone as much as I'd like since I arrived only minutes before the first class was supposed to start, and sometimes when my blood sugar gets low I tend to be a bit quiet since I had brain fog on and off throughout the day :( . But the people I did briefly talk to were very nice and seemed very passionate and knowledgeable about their chosen fields (some had businesses already, some were starting from scratch, there was at least one other skin care crafter, and some were skin care estheticians or makeup artists getting into the mmu business). Deb and her staff were also extremely nice, and so was Kim of Geografx (I haven't used Geografx Cosmetics before but I must comment she had great looking skin!). It was amazing seeing so many mmu addicts and (present/future) business women in one room :) (The class was at Kim Ease Salon on Fleet Street, who lent Deb the space for the day).

After all the classes were over, we got to visit Monave's warehouse/office. It was really cool seeing where one of my favorite MMU lines is made/packaged/sent. I got a few free powders (including a very generous amount of a couple of unblended minerals--thank you very much Deb!), and I also bought one of the crafting booklets that I didn't have (which are usually sold with the kits but since I already have two kits, and I have most of the minerals/pigments, I only needed the matte mmu booklet), and also bought a few mini-lippie vegan glazes (Deb was so sweet and gave us all big discounts on the minis).

For those that missed it, in a couple months, videos of the more hands on lectures will be online and transcripts will also be available online to buy (the transcripts will be free to those who attended though). Also next year's MMU class will be focused more on the crafting rather than the business side, and (according to the retail forum), Deb will also be offering classes in CA sometime in the future.

Overall a good but tiring day :)

Organic Cloth Menstrual Pads: Gladrags

2007-08-04T04:17:00.000-04:00

Gladrags is one of the best known cloth menstrual pads. Unlike many other online vendors, gladrags are available at many online stores and some retail (actual) stores. Unfortunately I could not find them locally, so ordered one online.

I bought a colored organic day time pad from Mothernature.com. Gladrags has its own website (and if you sign up for their newsletter you'll receive a coupon for 15% off your next order) but I decided to get my pad at Mothernature.com because their prices for their individual pads were less expensive. The Gladrags website has great deals on kits (and coupled with the 15% coupon it's even better) but since Gladrags individual pads are a tad more expensive than smaller less known brands, and since I only wanted to try a single pad before I invested in more, I got my pad at Mothernature.com. In addition to Gladrag's organic pads, they also sell non-organic pads (which are much less expensive than the organic ones).

I've been shopping at Mothernature.com since my undergrad days, and their customer service is usually great: they ship fast. The only minor qualm I had with this order was that I ordered a burgundy colored pad and they sent me a light blue one. But since I didn't care too much about the color and the blue was a nice shade, I didn't bother contacting them.

At first I wasn't too sure what to think about the concept of inserts. Basically a single pad comes with a thin outer layer called a holder and two inserts. You can either put one or both of the inserts (or more if you buy others) in the holder to cater the thickness of the pad to your needs. I kind of liked the idea that I could control the thickness but at first I didn't get why if after you use it, you have to change the entire pad (holder plus inserts) and not only the inserts (like how you change just the liners in the changeable-liner type pads), then why even use insert pads? Why not just buy all-in-one pads (AIOs) in different absorbencies? Since you change the whole thing (and not only the inserts), the cost of one gladrags pad (holder and inserts) is slightly more expensive compared to AIOs from other companies (but still cheaper in the long run than using disposables).

When I first looked at the pad, I thought I wasn't going to like it very much. The holder (without the inserts in them) looked very flimsy. Also when both inserts are placed in the holder, the pad is much bulkier than AIOs. I think it's still a tad thinner than regular maxis, but it was still kind of thick. But once I used it, I really liked it! :) The pad is actually pretty sturdy once you put the inserts in it. It did not bunch up or move, and it was very comfortable. The organic cotton was soft (but not as soft as hemp, cotton velour, or bamboo velour). A plus about the inserts: I could peak into the pad and see if I needed to change it or not. And though I initially thought the pad looked bulky, it didn't feel bulky at all! You could not see the outline of the pad through clothes. It was also pretty easy to wash. The pads are not made with artificial backing (like fleece or PUL) so it was a completely natural and organic pad.

Overall I like gladrags. The only reason I may or may not buy more is because there are other pads I like more. But they worked well and were comfortable, and if I hadn't tried hemp, bamboo, and cotton velour AIOs, I'd probably buy a kit. I may try their panty liners in the future though (which are basically AIOs). They are a good pad to start out with and more widely available than other companies. Also I really admire their company ethics; their website host is powered by green, renewable energy (carbon neutral). They also offer huge discounts (20%) to students doing a group order. They also guarantee their pads if you order from their website (they are returnable unlike many other pad companies). And I don't remember which company it was, but when I looked at their website last month, they were working with an organic lipbalm company (offering a special deal). They are a great company and I think one of the first cloth pad companies established (they were established in 1992).

For non-pad users, they also offer the diva cup and the keeper moon cup (inserts). For women who have given birth, they also offer a specially designed insert called a moon cup. My sister uses the keeper and she loves it!

Li's crafting thoughts 08-01-07

2007-08-01T23:37:00.000-04:00

Products I've been working on over the last several weeks (I haven't crafted much over the last two weeks since I'm currently out of town)

Serums (oil based): A few weeks ago I made a serum that's good for all skin types, one that is super high in antioxidants, and one for mature skin. I still have to work on all the essential oil blends for my serums though (which will up the antioxidant content even more, so all my serums will contain antioxidants). I also need to craft serums for other skin types too. But the trouble is that I have thirty or so carrier oils to work with and I can't seem to decide which oils to use because I keep coming up with so many different combos! ;P

Toners: I've been experimenting with blending different hydrosols together for toners. I think that initially I may just offer plain hydrosols to tone and hydrate, and later add hydrosol toners to my product line.

Lip Balm:A while ago, I also made yet another vegan lip balm; this time I made one that is high in antioxidants. I don't really know what I think about it yet. The texture of this one is nice but I don't like how much the balm shrinks after pouring them in the tubes. Either I need to find a different way to pour it in tubes, reformulate it, or offer it in a pot or jar. Also I used distinct smelling carrier oils which may bother some people (I tried to improve the scent with essential oils but it didn't really help).

I also need to test all my balms to make sure they don't melt too much in the heat! (They aren't as hard as some of the balms I've tried on the market). The trouble with crafting vegan balms is that if you use too much of certain (vegan) waxes the balm will not only become too hard but it will be so hard it becomes brittle (ask me how I know-LOL!). I kind of miss crafting with beeswax because the texture of a beeswax balm is perfect; it is really hard to mess up a beeswax based balm (if you use too much beeswax it simply gets really hard but not brittle).

Though I am pretty happy with the formulation of my other three balms, I still need to work on which scents/essential oil combos to offer. The bad thing is that I don't know if I will be able to sell the lip balm formulation I like the most, which has east shea butter in it, because east shea is really hard to come by now (very few places sold it before, and all the sources I know of are all sold out now or do not wholesale it any longer). I may have to switch to using west shea butter, but that will totally change the texture, and may become gritty if I'm not careful.

Mask:A couple days ago I made a body mask/scrub with some basic food stuffs (true 'kitchen cosmetics' :) ). I love traveling but when traveling I really miss not crafting almost every day, and having access to all of my herbal ingredients :( The mask/scrub was vegetarian but not vegan. The mask was yogurt (unsweetened, organic), honey, and sugar based (one of these days if I find a good unsweetened organic soy yogurt I'll probably try using that in skin care instead of regular yogurt! :) ) It was very moisturizing for my dehydrated skin.

Hair: My family has asked for some hair products to improve hair health so I am going to craft some for them using herbs from their delicious garden :)

Those are the main (new) things I've crafted (in addition I crafted some old favorites like body oils, herbal rinses, and a couple new things like other masks and scrubs, etc)

Agenda: (once I get back into town): lotion, lotion, and more lotion (for face and body) and a variety of facial cleansers, but mostly I will be focusing on serums (I think I may end up offering at least 12 and maybe up to 20 different formulations) and essential oil blends (for both the serums and lip balms, and possibly other products).

I also will be attending Monave's mineral makeup and marketing seminar on August 12th :) Looking forward to it since there will be a lot of business info.

Organic Cloth Menstrual Pads: E-a-poo's Review

2007-07-28T02:48:00.000-04:00

I loved E-a-poo's pads! They are my second favorite pads (tied in second place with the pads from Go with the flo).

I bought two pads from E-a-poo's: a blue royal organic hemp cotton velour top with a woven terry two-ply soaker and a microfleece bottom (a waterproof barrier) AND a scarlet bamboo organic cotton velour layer with a two-ply woven terry soaker and a one-ply coordinating micro fleece (description taken directly from their website, slightly edited). They cost $9.75 each and are both organic AIOs (all-in-ones) with wings. They also make pads in a variety of (non-organic) fabric prints.

Though I loved both pads, I liked the bamboo/cotton pad slightly better than the hemp/cotton because it was ever so slightly softer (but the hemp/cotton one was pretty soft too!). I liked the pads because they stayed in place, absorbed well, didn't bunch, and were very comfortable. The cloth is hand dyed and the colors are very bold and pretty, and the dyes didn't run at all (the blue royal had a dark blue and green top with a light-medium blue back, and the scarlet one had a red and yellow top and a yellow bottom). They were about the same thickness as the ones from GWTF; in other words, much thinner than a regular conventional pad but not as thin as an ultra thin pad. I especially liked how they were cut, they offered superior protection.

Not only were their prices good but shipping was fast and I also received a free sample of soap with my order (vegetarian but not vegan, and nearly all natural; it contains goat milk and fragrance oils). They also sell a number of other items including cloth baby diapers, a few bath products, and nursing pads. They do custom orders. I will definitely buy more pads from them and will probably also try their panty liners in the future :)

Overall, I think I prefer AIO pads over pads with liners or inserts (I'll be reviewing the pads from Lunapads--a pad with liners--and Gladrags--a pad with inserts--shortly).

Organic Cloth Menstrual Pads: Go with the Flo Review

2007-07-24T02:34:00.000-04:00

I really loved the pads from Go with the flo. Though Homemade Mama's hemp pad with waterproof backing was my favorite pad out of all the ones I tried, these (along with the pads from E-a-poos; review soon to be posted) were a very close second. I bought two of their AIOs (all in ones): a standard maxi pad and petite maxi pad, both in a tie-dyed multi-colored blue. The pads I got were made with a hemp core, and topped with bamboo velour (organic). Other fabrics they offer are organic cotton velour, hemp velour and hemp fleece, backed with either fleece or wool. They also sell pads with inserts, but I did not try these. All of their pads have wings. They usually also take custom orders, but at this time are not accepting custom orders.

First I have to say the colors were bright and among the prettiest of pads that I got. The pads were very, very soft and comfortable to wear (I love bamboo velour, and both bamboo and hemp are super absorbent). The pads were thin (not as thin as the hemp one from HM or a disposable ultra thin pad but much thinner than a conventional regular pad). They also didn't bunch up and stayed in place. There wasn't too much of a difference in the width between the petite and standard maxis but though I have a small frame I actually preferred the standard since it fit my underwear better.

They also washed easily, without staining. The only minor qualm I had is that though I prewashed them, in my soak container one of the pads rubbed up against some of my cream colored pads (from other companies) and tinted parts of them a very light bluish-green. It was so strange because the dye from the other pad didn't run. It doesn't really bother me (since the tinting was very slight and kind of pretty) but just thought I'd mention don't mix your cream colored pads in with your colored pads in your soak container (I usually never mix my whites/creams with my colored clothes, but I just didn't think about this with the menstrual cloths).

The cost of these pads are pretty good (especially for organic bamboo and hemp). I paid around $10 per pad (I'll post the exact figure a little later, I'm out of town so don't remember the exact price and the style of pads I bought isn't instock so the price isn't on the website). I bought them through the K and F shop; shipping was fast and free (no shipping fee) (so though they were slightly more expensive then the ones from HM, there was no shipping fee so it ended up being about the same price or just slightly more). I originially had wanted to order through the Yinia shop (since they also were selling pads from other companies) but had trouble with their shopping cart, even though I tried several times to buy from them with different browsers (see the GWTF website for links to the different shops that sell them). I also received a lovely free candle with my order (with their business info attached to the label; smart advertising).

Organic Cloth Menstrual Pads: Homemade Mama Review (Women Issues)

2007-07-17T01:53:00.001-04:00

Edited to say: I was mistaken; the panty liners I got had a fleece backing. The hemp pad had PUL backing.

Edited Jan 4 2010: homemade mama is now called homestead emporium http://hyenacart.com/HomesteadEmporium/

Well I finally used all of my cloth menstrual pads from several companies. So here is my review for the first of those companies: Homemade mama. I only tried organic pads with wings from each company so will only be reviewing organic pads.

Homemade mama: This was one of the Canadian companies I tried. Peggy, the owner, sells cloth pads in a wide range of fabrics, including organic cotton velour, organic bamboo velour, organic hemp, and also many non-organic fabrics as well. I first heard about this company from a fellow delphi forum poster (thanks Flower!) who recommended the hemp and bamboo pads (she told me that they were much cooler to wear than some of the other fabrics from other companies). I bought a blue organic cotton velour tiny liner, a blue marble organic bamboo velour tiny liner, and a cream colored organic hemp medium pad with waterproof backing. The tiny liners were essentially panty liners and cost $5 each, while the medium pad (which is at least the size of a conventional pad or maybe a little longer) was $7.50. HM is one of the least inexpensive companies I've found, which was surprising since they use a lot of organic fabrics that aren't as easy to acquire as (and are more expensive than) the organic cotton flannel that many companies use.

First I'd like to comment on the great customer service I received from HM. Before I ordered, I emailed Peggy with a bunch of questions (mainly asking which pads were organic, whether the custom/sampler kits were available, and questions about shipping) and she responded to all of them quickly in a very friendly manner. The thing that struck me about her customer service was that several days after she first responded and after I had already ordered and received my pads, she emailed me to let me know that the custom kits were now available (they weren't available when I initially ordered). I wasn't ready to buy more pads yet, but I thought it was great that she had remembered that I had asked about them and then sent me an email about them when she put them on the site (it was nice if her to email me since items on her site go fast when she posts them up--I didn't buy more, but I checked the website twice after she emailed me, and all the custom sets were gone in less than a day).

Anyways, about the pads: first thing I have to say is how well made they are. I liked the fact that they were all-in-ones (AIOs) because AIOs tend to be less bulky than the ones with liners or inserts. Also all of her pads were very soft, especially the bamboo and hemp ones, though the cotton velour was pretty nice too. The colors of the panty liners, while not as bright and intense as some of the other companies I tried, were still very pretty. I also received my order quickly (about a week, though sometimes orders can take up to 2 weeks since it is an international company). And even though I only ordered 2 panty liners and a pad, Peggy included a 10% off coupon for my next order, which is awesome, especially since the prices of her products are already super inexpensive compared to some other companies.

I really liked the hemp pad with PUL waterproof lining. I think it is the pad I liked the most out of all the companies I tried. Many pads from other companies were close seconds but I really loved this one because it was the thinnest pad I tried (only a little thicker than a disposable ultra pad), and since it had a waterproof lining, it had superior leak prevention protection. Now I have to say I didn't leak with any of the pads from any companies I used but I was sure to change them in a timely manner (many of them were made only of fabric except for one other company :) ). But this one I used for several hours longer than other pads and it was so absorbent and stayed in place, yet the waterproof backing was not hot at all, did not irritate my skin, and though the hemp top was cream colored I did not have a problem with staining (be sure to rinse and soak promptly to avoid staining). And did I mention it was soft and comfortable? And thin? And inexpensive?

The panty liners were great as well. They had a fleece backing and they were very effective, extremely soft, and comfortable.

Homemade mama sells many other products, such as baby products and products for nursing mothers, and from time to time they offer sampler kits (free shipping with sampler kits) and custom kits (where the pads are made to order) at great deals. Overall, an excellent company, and I am definitely getting more pads from them :)

Mineral Makeup Galore! (All Natural Cosmetics)

2007-07-13T17:36:00.000-04:00

More FAQ on mineral makeup (MMU)

Do you have any recommendations for liquid MMU?

Monave makes many excellent liquid MMU foundations. They are all natural and they offer 3 different formulations. I haven't tried them, but did try their base (which you can use to miy) and several of their creams, which are excellent. Their powder mmu foundation is pretty good too.

Real Purity also makes one. I haven't tried this one either but it's gotten many good reviews. But I've tried some of their other products like their shampoos and conditioners and they are very nice.

Miessence makes an organic, all natural one. Their skin care is excellent.

Burts Bees makes a tinted moisturizer, however, it only comes in four colors. I used to use it and from what I remember of it, it was pretty moisturizing. I really liked it as a daily use cream but the color wasn't a perfect match.

To MIY: add a small amount of your favorite (powder) mineral makeup foundation to either aloe gel or your favorite all natural cream. Note: Be sure to use an all natural aloe vera (versus the synthetic green stuff a lot of companies sell) like from Aubrey Organics, Garden of Wisdom, or Mountain Rose Herbs. Apply with finger tips, a taklon foundation brush, or a flocked sponge.

What can I use as a setting spray for MMU?

It depends on your skin type. You can use hydrosols, toners, or aloe (juice or diluted gel). Hydrosols are very moisturizing and also have herbal properties similar to essential oils (but are gentler). They are all astringent (to various degrees) but are non-drying. Some (but not all) toners may contain alcohol, witch hazel extract (not the hydrosol) or apple cider vinegar, which would be great for oily skin but may be drying for dry skin. Aloe juice is good for all skin types especially with blemishes, but some people find it drying. Plain water is great too! (Make sure it is distilled or spring).

I tried MMU foundation. It made my skin look chalky and dry, and settled into my lines. Is that supposed to happen?

Mineral makeup is not cakey at all! It creates a very smooth finish. I have pretty good skin but it makes it look flawless. I have dehydrated skin and many brands do not dry out my skin (but a couple brands of the heavier brands do). I don't have any lines so can't say if it settles in lines or not, but it shouldn't since mineral makeup is usually very light weight (though some companies provide heavy coverage formulas).

Five reasons why MMU may look cakey:

The main reason MMU looks cakey is that people apply way too much product. You only need to apply a small amount, a lot less than what most people are used to (compared to conventional powders). For example, most companies that provide samples, provide sample baggies or 3 to 5 gram jars containing about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of product. I apply with a very light hand (1 very, very light layer), and samples last me around a month and a half or two. Most people find they like to apply 2 to 3 light to heavy layers, so samples usually only lasts them 2 to 3 weeks. During application, be sure to use only a very small amount of MMU (much less than you think. When I first started using MMU I used what I thought was a small amount (I had always used a small amount to apply conventional loose powder), but it looked very chalky and emphasized my pores (which are small, so I was shocked!)). After experimenting, I reduced what I was using to literally a few grains, and it blended beautifully into my skin.

The second reason is that the color may be wrong. If the color is too light, it may look chalky. And if it's too dark, your skin will look muddy. Also using the wrong color can emphasize pores and fine lines, etc.

The third reason is that some companies provide heavier formulas than other companies, and the formulation may be too heavy for your skin. For example, I have tried about eleven or so different foundation formulas (from five companies). My skin tends to do well with formulas that are light or light-medium coverage, but I can not seem to wear the heavier or concealer foundation formulas. They seem to be way too dense for my skin, and it looks cakey on me (though many other women do not have this problem). My suggestion is to sample like crazy before buying full size. Some people seem to think once you've tried one mineral makeup company, you've tried them all. This is simply not true; though many companies use similar ingredients, formulas from one company vary greatly to the next (it's like making chocolate cookies, or any recipe really. You may start out with the same ingredients, but the end product varies greatly from one recipe to the next).

Another reason is that your skin may be dry or dehydrated. Your skin may be naturally dry or dehydrated, your skin care may be stripping your skin too much of its natural oils, or sometimes using minerals made with certain ingredients can dry out your skin. If the 'canvas' of your skin is no longer as smooth as you think, the minerals will get caught on flakey skin. Be sure to moisturize really well before applying MMU. I personally prefer all natural serums or creams (made with carrier oils) which has really balanced my dry, flaky but oily skin. It may sound ironic but giving your skin some natural oils can actually help balance your skin. After cleansing and before moisturizing spray your skin liberally with a setting spray to help reduce dryness. Also make sure to exfoliate. A gentle and great way to exfoliate is to use a brown sugar scrub, an almond scrub, or an oatmeal scrub. (Just add a carrier oil or aloe vera to either brown sugar, almond, oatmeal or all three, and maybe a few drops of essential oil). Many people also like to use microfiber.

Last but not least, sometimes using a different application tool helps. Most people prefer using a kabuki or a flat top brush, but some people also like using flocked sponges to apply MMU, and others like to use a liquid MMU. I like using a synthetic kabuki brush. Not only are they soft, don't shed, and pick up minerals better, but they are truly cruelty-free!

How do I wear intense, highly pigmented shades? They look too intense.

For intense shades, I like using them on my lids (but then again I like intense shades). If they are too pigmented for you, try applying less to the lid, apply a little over lighter colors to tone them down a little, or apply to just the crease. I also love using them as eyeliners. They make my eyes pop without making me look too made up. Or you could add mix in a little serecite (uncolored mica) to lighten the color a bit.

I am Asian/Asian-American (or African American, Latino/Latino American, etc) but have trouble finding foundation colors that match my skin. Help!

If you are a women of color, MMU is your friend :). While few mainstream/conventional companies have colors for women of color, most MMU companies have yellow and golden toned shades, olive, and dark deep tones (as well as the usual pink and peach, and every shade in between).

I know how hard it can be to find a good match (I'm Chinese American with light-medium skin), so here is a list of what I use :) (yellow/golden based) I have also listed suggestions for other skin colors too.

Everyday Minerals: I currently use 'light winged butter' which is a perfect match. EDM comes in 3 different formulas, and you can get free samples on their site (just pay shipping).

Meow Cosmetics: To my knowledge, their assortment is the largest currently on the market. They have so many different shades, in three different formulas. I wear their abyssinian (yellow beige), angora (golden yellow), and korat (beige yellow) breeds in the light/frisky shade. I like abyssinian the best. Some asian/asian americans also like the breeds manx (yellow peach) or chartreux (peach yellow). (Each 'breed' has many different tones/shades). Note to vegetarians: some of their other products have carmine in them, be sure to read ingredients carefully (Their foundations are carmine free).

Jlynne Cosmetics: I used to wear 1.5 ivory golden. But my skin has become more drier in the last year so it's been drying me out a bit. It used to be my holy grail. I also think it's a tad too golden for my skin now.

Monave: I can wear either the colors caroline or hyeyeon but these are only available in the concealer formula (so is a tad too heavy for my skin).

If you are African American, Monave has many great colors (half their customers are African American). There is also this company called Ada Cosmetics which is a line specifically created for African Americans. Ada Cosmetics is from Botanical Skin Works. Meow also has many colors for deep, dark skin tones.

Latino/Latino Americans probably want to try olive based shades. Meow has an olive/beige breed called Ocicat. Sevi Cosmetics also sells several olive shades, and Monave sells 2 or 3 colors.

Alima Cosmetics also has a wide selection of colors.

Eco-friendly Menstrual Products: Organic Menstrual Pads (Women Issues)

2007-07-07T04:42:00.000-04:00

This is a bit of a personal subject, but as I've never had qualms about discussing my period, I decided to post about eco-friendly menstrual products :) . I am finally making the switch to using cloth menstrual pads :) I've been using more eco-friendly products for the last few years (disposable, oxygen bleached, organic pads), but recently decided to take the plunge into reusable products.

First more about disposable organic menstrual products. They are a much better, healthier, and environmental friendly product than conventional pads. Not only are most conventional products bleached with chlorine (which produces the by-product dioxin, an environmental toxin that can greatly affect health since it bio-accumulates. Many scientific studies have linked dioxins to cancer, immune system suppression, endometriosis, etc), pesticides (cotton is extensively sprayed with pesticides, so be sure to buy organic :) ), but some contain synthetic chemicals that draw the blood away from the body and cause the blood to form a gel in the pad (to better prevent leaks) or for odor control. On the plus side, since using disposable organic products my moon cycle has been regular and my flow is much lighter, and I no longer itch! (My cycle was irregular and very heavy up through my mid twenties, and didn't become regular/lighter until I switched). Though organic, eco-friendly products look like they are more expensive, I spend about the same amount each month as I did on conventional pads since I bleed a lot less. And I've heard you can compost some brands since they are biodegradable (though most people don't).

Quick reviews on brands:

Natracare: I really like this brand. I prefer the ultra thin with wings to the regular non-wing pads, which I've found tend to bunch up. I like that they are very cottony soft and are much cooler than conventional pads (some of natracare products have a backing and some don't, but their backing is not made with plastic like conventional pads). They seem to absorb just as well as the conventional pads. I also like their panty liners. I like that their products come in a cardboard box instead of plastic packaging, so I can recycle it (where I live they recycle cardboard, not all places do though). (Some pads and the panty liners are packaged only in the box, but the ultra thins are packaged in a box but are individually wrapped). They also make organic tampons for those that prefer tampons.

Seventh Generation: I tried the ultra thin ones with wings once, but didn't like them as much as the Natracare pads, because their backing was very hot (I'm not sure but they may be made of plastic, since their backing seemed similar to conventional pads, but I could be wrong). I also did not like the fact that these pads are packaged in plastic not cardboard. They work great though, so some people may like them more than I do. Like Natracare, they also sell tampons too, are organic, and are chlorine/dioxin free :) Seventh Generation is a well known natural brand that also sell natural detergents and dish washing soaps, and most of their products are pretty good.

Though I am pretty happy with using my natracare pads, the environmentalist in me is always on the look for better and more eco-friendly alternatives. Now I was a bit hesitant about using cloth resuables--not because of the 'gross factor' that many people seem to have when they hear about cloth menstrual products--but because of budget concerns. Like many eco-friendly solutions they are very expensive initially, but in the long run they are cheaper, not to mention better for you and the environment! So I decided to forgo buying more herbal products (to craft with) this month, and instead use my extra cash to buy my first few pads, and I am really glad I did! In the future, when I am traveling (and don't have a place to clean my pads), I'll probably sometimes still use disposable pads, but for the most part I am switching!

List of reasons why cloth menstrual pads are better for you and the environment!:

In addition to the same reasons as organic disposables (no dioxin or weird chemicals, and may decrease menstrual/pms problems like irregular cycle, heavy flow, or itching), they are the ultimate environmental friendly solution! Since they are reusable there is no waste, so less trash in the landfills! I've read on most sites that sell them that they last for 5 years at least, and some people have been using the same pads for the last 10 years. Many sites have statistics on how many pads/tampons women throw away, and if you think about it, using non-disposable products makes sense: if women menstruate for roughly 30 years, and each month every woman uses a couple packages of pads or tampons, you do the math--that's a lot of trash! Also many online stores sell organic pads (in cotton such as flannel, bamboo, hemp, and the various velours made from these materials), which support good farming practices, are even more eco-friendly, and are good products for women with sensitive skin to use.

Many people are also concerned about sanitation and believe that they are not sanitary. First many parents use cloth diapers on their babies, and no one questions the sanitation of cloth diapers, so why the stigma? Why are people questioning the sanitation of cloth menstrual pads? In addition to using natural detergent and oxyclean (a non-bleach stain remover) to wash mine, I plan to add some essential oils in the cleaning process, so sanitation is not an issue! (nearly all essential oils are antiseptic, some are antifungal and antiviral as well).

A lot of women may also be initially grossed out with the idea of washing them, and dealing with cleaning their menstrual blood from the cloths. To me, the idea of cleaning cloth pads is empowering because I know I am not only doing something that's good for myself but that I am doing something that's better for the planet too. I think it's time to put the sacredness back into the idea of menstruation :)

One thing I've noticed is how soft the pads are, especially the hemp and bamboo ones I got, so they look very comfortable. Though some are from very small companies (made by women who have home businesses) all of them are well sewn and quite pretty too! You can buy them in many colors and patterns. None of them are too bulky (I ordered all three designs: AIO (all in one pads), a pad with inserts, and pads with replaceable liners). The pads were thicker than disposable ultra thin pads but much thinner than regular conventional pads. The thickness of most of them are somewhere in the middle of an ultra pad and a natracare regular pad (which is thinner than most conventional pads).

Some women cite the inconvenience (of washing them and also dealing with used ones when not at home) but I don't think that they would be that inconvenient. When you are not at home, it's recommended that you place used pads in a plastic bag or a specially designed 'wet bag' that many companies carry (it doesn't take up too much room in a purse or bag). When you get home, soak them in a container of water and then put them in the wash to clean. Some women hand wash them too.

I brought pads from several different companies to compare different materials and pad styles and will be sure to post a full review once I try them all. I purchased only organic pads so will only be reviewing companies that carry organic products.

Note:If you aren't a pad woman, then many of these companies also make natural sponges and various cups (subs for tampons). I'll mention them in my next post on the subject, as well as forums, resources, etc.

Li's crafting thoughts 6-28-07

2007-06-28T01:12:00.000-04:00

I haven't crafted all week (I have a cold) but here's what I've crafted since my last crafting thoughts post :)

Serums: I made the most perfect serum for my skin a couple weeks ago. It is light, absorbs fast, and the last several days my skin has looked great (and my skin is good to begin with)! I still need to work on crafting blends for other skin types but I am off to an awesome start in designing my skincare line! I just got a big box from Garden of Wisdom (thanks Markey!) and once I'm better I'm going to start working on crafting antioxidant serums, both in an oil and water base (I've only formulated it on paper thus far, still need to mix and concoct it :) ). I'm definitely adding some pomegranate CO2 to both blends, but ouch! everything I plan to use is extremely pricey stuff! ;P

Lotion: Made a body lotion using both of my rose hydrosols (regular rose and rose alba). I added way too much sea buckthorn oil so the color is pretty orange though! This was my first lotion with alcohol in it (from the herbal extract I used) so I am proud of it! Note: if you use sea buckthorn oil, always dilute it well because it can stain the skin if you have very light skin.

Mineral makeup multipurpose powder:Crafted a gorgeous light pink shade that looks great as eye shadow, a blush, and an all over body shimmer. As an eyeshadow it looks more pink, but as a blush or body shimmer it is mainly a touch of color with silvery sparkles. Just perfect!

Scrubs and masksMore experiments with agave in masks and scrubs. I need to post more agave recipes soon! :)

Aromatherapy spray:Made a simple spray for bugs. It smells great and the thing I love about natural cosmetics--they are multi-purpose! I've also been using it as a room freshener, sanitizer, and also body/perfume spray!

Hair oil treatment:Made a simple hair oil deep conditioning treatment scented with Ylang Ylang complete. I love YY #1 and #3 but I never believed it could sub for jasmine until I tried YY complete. It is the most sensual, but relaxing scent--and it made my hair look and smell great!

It's all about the lips! (All Natural Cosmetics, Vegan/Vegetarian Information)

2007-06-24T00:23:00.000-04:00

FAQ about lip products, lipstick history, inflamed lips, and crafting lip cosmetics

What ingredients can I use in a lip scrub?

I suggest making a brown sugar scrub. You can also try making a scrub with things like jojoba spheres and ground almonds.

What are some toxic ingredients that have been used throughout history in lipsticks?

Lead has recently been found in some brands of lipstick (despite claims that lead in lipsticks is a hoax). Women who wear lipstick on a regular basis ingest a lot of lipstick over time, I believe somewhere along the lines of 5 lbs of lipstick throughout their lives. It's learning about things like these that made me go all natural in the first place!

Eosin: a red dye that people have been poisoned by using lipstick

Phthalates: reproductive toxins

From a natural lipstick stand point: the ultramarines which are not FDA approved colors for lips. So MIY mineral makeup crafters please do not use the ultramarines in lip products!

My lips are dry and inflamed, what should I use? I use currently use Yves Rocher Calmille moisturizer and things like Blistex, Carmax, Chapstick, and Burts Bees.

I suggest lip products with chamomile, lavender, or helichrysum (all of these essential oils have anti-inflammatory properties) or other soothing herbals. Or an all natural cream made with these, since lip balms do not contain moisture/water.

Though Yves Rocher pure calmille moisturizer does have chamomile in it, it also has a lot of synthetics in it (in 2001 when I was using this before I switched to all natural, this was one of the products that I became sensitive to that gave me a rash).

I would also recommend not using Blistex, Carmax, Chapstick, etc which all contain vaseline/mineral oil which has no nutrients, does nothing to heal the skin, and over time actually dries out the skin.

Burt's Bees is a good choice but contains peppermint oil, which is soothing in small amounts but in large amounts can be irritating and somewhat drying to some people.

Are Monave's (a MMU company) lippies vegan or vegetarian? How is the pigmentation, are they drying? How do the minis compare to the full sizes?

If you tried their lipstick maybe a year or so ago (not sure of the date) their lipsticks had lanolin and beeswax (but no carmine). Currently their lipsticks are now vegan (no lanolin or beeswax or carmine). So if you read the ingredients you can tell if it is the old or new formula (if you get them directly from Monave, they are vegan, but if you buy from a Monave reseller, you should read the label to make sure you are being sold the new formula).

For pigmentation and dryness: for the old formula, I think it depended on the color, because I had some samples that were moist and creamy and very pigmented, but one color was a bit dry. The new vegan formula I think is a little less pigmented than the old one but they are very creamy and still deposit a good amount of color. I've only gotten minis of the new vegan lippies (I prefer minis over full size) so I don't know how they compare to the full size, but I assume they would be similar. Just when you order the minis be sure to ask for the vegan formula in the comments section since they may still have some of the minis in the old formula.

They also sell lip glaze (I love these, they are vegan too). They also sell lip gloss (in a wand and potted form. The potted form is pretty pigmented and very nice) and I think also lip tints, but while these glosses and tints are vegetarian, they are not vegan (contain beeswax but no carmine). So there are many different formulas that you can try. (Monave while not a completely vegan company has many vegan friendly formulas. All the formulas are vegetarian though).

What are some other vegan lippie brands?

Aubrey Organics makes a nice vegan lip balm and tints called natural lips that comes in three colors plus clear (highly recommend getting the kit since they are way cheaper than getting the colors individually. For the cost of 2 of them individually, you can get all four colors in the kit for about the same price). While not MMU, they are 100% natural, and the color is herb based. (Note: while most of AO products are vegan two or so of them are not vegan or vegetarian).

Sevi Cosmetics also makes a vegan lip gloss, and soon will have vegan lipstick available too (completely vegan company).

How do you make vegan liquid lip gloss?

I'm actually working on vegan glosses for my future line. They are similar to making a lip balm, but you have to use more carrier oil than in a balm so that the texture is soft/loose.

About pigmentation: when I made gloss I made one with a small amount of pigment and then one with double the pigment; the one with less pigment was very sheer and the one with a lot was almost too pigmented (for gloss but not for lipstick). To add opaqueness, you can try a mica/iron oxide blend (like how they do in some lipsticks) but you only need a tiny amount of iron oxide.

Tip: If you make a base, and it is thin enough, there is no need to remelt it to add your color if you are only using micas (make sure the base is room temperature though). But if you are using a mica and iron oxide blend, you'll need to heat it before you add the blend.

To scent: citrus (like sweet orange), herb/flower (like lavender), or spice (like cardamon) essential oils are nice to use.

I Love Capogiro! (Food, Gelato, Vegetarian/Vegan Information)

2007-06-17T23:15:00.000-04:00

My sister Bexn (who has an awesome vegetarian food blog), Ed, and a couple of their friends have started a new blog about a gelato company in Philly called Capogiro Gelato Artisans. Bexn and Ed are obsessed with this gelato; when I was in Philly they ate at both locations many times, often going to both on the same night! They love the gelato so much that they even keep a stash in their freezer! Though I'm hypoglycemic, I admit it: I've sampled it a few times (only a very, very tiny bite, eating a lot of protein afterwards) and it is damn good, much better than ice cream. And the flavor selection is unusual but delicious! Too bad I can't eat it or I'd be obsessed too! So if you are in Philly (or are one of the few lucky states they ship pints to), are crazy for Capogiro too, or just want a really good dessert, go see their new blog! And did I mention that they have vegan flavors too?!!? :)

Vegan Avocado Agave Mask (All Natural Cosmetics)

2007-06-15T01:38:00.000-04:00

I have just posted a new recipe for an avocado agave mask on the all natural beauty portal website. This mask is good for dry, dehydrated, combination dry, and many people with normal skin. It is all natural (of course) and also vegan, featuring one of my newest favorite skin care ingredients: agave nectar.

Previously I have posted my blog entry for miy all natural aromatherapy sprays on the all natural beauty portal's website. Camellia Rose/Jen has also posted many awesome recipes there as well. Many of the recipes on the site are easy to prepare and are 'kitchen cosmetics', made with easy to find ingredients, often already in your pantry, or that you can get at a super market. So go look at the recipes and try them! :)

Vegan Makeup Brushes: Where To Buy And Also Forever Female Review (All Natural Cosmetics, Vegetarian/Vegan Information)

2007-06-14T02:02:00.000-04:00

A question on vegan brushes and also a review on a company named Forever Female.

Where do I buy vegan brushes?

I've blogged about synthetic brushes before a while back, but there are thankfully a lot more choices now! I have not tried most of these brushes yet (but I have tried other products from these companies), but just thought I'd post about them because they've gotten good reviews on some of the forums I visit.

Forever Female (see below for review) has a nice selection of synthetic brushes (including a kakubi and a brand new flat top) at great prices! The owner, Ann, also wholesales many of her brushes.

Everyday Minerals (a mineral makeup company) also has a synthetic foundation brush at a good price (be sure to shop carefully, they also sell non-vegan brushes). They have great customer service. On a related note, I really like their foundation.

Sevi Cosmetics (a vegan skin care and mineral makeup company) has synthetic brushes, including a kakubi, but their brushes are a tad pricey (not overly pricey, but just a bit expensive for grad students like me!) They also make wonderful face creams (Sevi understands and knows her herbs and plants!)

Monave (a mineral makeup and skin care company that sells many vegan products, but is not totally vegan but still one of my faves) is supposed to come out with synthetic brushes sometime in 2007. They make the best eye shadows and lippies!

And I hope Camellia Rose (Jen) doesn't mind me posting this, but she will be carrying vegan brushes in the future too :)

Forever Female Review:

I promised to write a review on Forever Female's vegan brushes--I have both the vegan kabuki and the 20 piece vegan brush kit (note: I think the vegan brush kit is no longer available, however I just found out from Camellia Rose/Jen that Forever Female is coming out with many other new vegan brushes soon! Thanks Jen! :) )

I love the vegan kabuki (called the ultimate kabuki; this brush is still available). I love it so much that I have two of them, since synthetic bristles can take a while to dry after you wash them (and I tend to wash my brushes after only a couple uses). I've been looking for a dense vegan brush for a while, but didn't want to pay $25 to $60 for one. Ann's vegan brush is not only inexpensive but very dense and so soft. Since it's made with synthetic bristles, it picks up the minerals well, and applies my MMU smoothly.

I love the vegan brush kit too. It does come with powder and blush brushes but these are more flat than dense, but still dense enough to apply a dusting of powder or blush. Though they don't look that dense, I was able to apply MMU foundation and blush without any trouble. The assortment for eye shadow application is almost mind boggling--there are so may different types of brushes, but all of them are soft, pick up the minerals well, and are easy to blend with. There are also foundation brushes and concealer brushes, and even a lip brush.

Overall, I am very happy with the brushes from Forever Female. They are not only high quality, but they are inexpensive and truly cruelty free as well! And they don't shed! Customer service is great, and she ships fast!

Li's crafting thoughts 6-06-07

2007-06-06T01:05:00.000-04:00

I've been out of town for a couple weeks so didn't get to craft much (so I've been itching to seriously craft for many days!)

Things I've been crafting: infused oils, brown sugar scrub

Infused oil: Bexn and Ed let me raid their garden :) I made tiny bottles of chocolate mint and also peppermint infused oil. Yummy! Can't wait until it's ready to strain, which reminds me I have a lot of other tinctures and herbal oils that are waiting to be strained! They must be super intense by now!

Brown sugar scrub: made a simple scrub. Definitely shows when I visit/travel that natural cosmetics are truly kitchen cosmetics. Give me access to a kitchen and I can easily whip something up (that works wonders) with common ingredients :)

On my agenda for the new couple weeks: serums for each specific skin type, perfumes, hair tonic, and I really need to craft a body cream for myself. I'm also thinking of crafting some historical/ancient cosmetics/recipes that I've read about--a little bit of spirit, art, passion, and history combined: the way beauty should be :). My organic rose hydrosol and rose alba hydrosol from A Little Ol'Factory arrived sometime when I was gone so I can't wait to use and craft with them. They smell like heaven! I've come up with several ideas for new recipes (and potential products), and am now debating about starting my business earlier than I said. Lastly, I've been promising to post recipes on All Natural Beauty's site for a while now, which I hope to get to sometime in the next several days. I will also try to do the links to the rest of the archives sometime soon too. :)

Monave: New Sultry Collection Review (Mineral Makeup/All Natural Cosmetics)

2007-06-02T00:08:00.000-04:00

Review and description of all of Monave's (a retail and wholesale MMU and skin care company) new colors. I was fortunate enough to receive samples of their 5 lip glosses and 13 powders from their new sultry collection. The colors will be available on their website soon. This review is cross-posted on Monave's forum.

Here is my review/description of the new sultry collection. For reference, I have light-medium skin, strong yellow/gold tones (I am Chinese American), and look good in nearly all colors (cool, neutral, and warm. I think it's pretty cool that I can wear pretty much any color!). My monave foundation color matches are Caroline or Hyeyeon.

Overall I love Monave's new collection. They are totally fierce!!! I honestly can't really say which ones I like the most, because they all are beautiful. I've been wearing some colors by themselves, and in the last few days have started pairing colors together. I've always liked Monave's shadows because they are richly pigmented yet they are very easy to blend. I've tried MMU shadows from other companies and they are just not as pigmented. The great thing about Monave's shadows are that if you prefer a more subtle look you can apply them lightly and/or blend the more darker/vivid colors with the lighter colors, or if you prefer a dramatic look you can wear the darker colors by themselves or apply a tad more for intense color! I think one of the best things about this collection is that all the colors look great paired with each other. These colors are perfect for a day look (when applied lightly, or when only the lighter colors are used) or absolutely stunning for night time use. These new eye shadows and glosses are hot! Monave is definitely my favorite MMU brand for eye shadows and lippies (next to my own of course! ;P )

Here are my descriptions of the lip gloss colors (vegetarian but not vegan, hopefully Deb (Monave's owner) offers them in the vegan formulas as well):

Ruby Slippers: like bright ruby red sequins: red with red sparkles. The red looks intense in the jar but is actually a very wearable shade of red (and much sheerer than it first appears). A light swipe of this would be perfect for the day, but layered, it makes a bold night color! :)

Divine: a light-medium frosty mauve pink. This is my favorite lip color of the bunch. Just gorgeous.

Allure: a light (very slightly brownish) pink. High sheen. Very pretty.

Hot cocoa: a medium matte brown. Really does look like hot cocoa! Good day color.

Quick sand: light tan, semi-matte/sheen. Though it is a kind of brown, on my lips it just makes them look like a bit of a sheen (my lips are very pink though, so on someone else the brown color would show up better). Lovely.

Blush:

Kasha: on the baggie it said this was a blush color but I used it on my eyes. It is a very nice pinkish bronze.

Eye shadows:

Vamp: a beautiful coppery plum. I wore this with kasha and my sister said it looked the best on me so far!

Oasis: pure medium sparkly copper. This would be awesome to wear in the summer or early fall.

Sahara: reddish copper, slightly darker than oasis. This color is beautiful paired with oasis.

Ivy: a multi-faceted green with green and gold sparkles. Beautiful.

Mamba: intense burgundy red. Great as an eyeliner, and totally hot as a lippie! This looked amazing as an eyeliner with ivy on the lids.

Sabatage: a dark blackish, bluish, purple (think blackberries but sparkly). I love this color! This can be applied lightly and blended with other colors for subtleness, or used on it's own for intensity!

Jinx: medium dark purple with a plum highlight/sheen. Plum eye shadow is so underrated! It looks good on many different skin tones.

Blizzard: a light pinkish beige. Perfect for applying to the brow bone as a base color.

Envy: dark, blackish green. Kind of like a peacock feather (not the bright green in the center but the other parts of the feather that are blackish green).

Hypnotic: this is a dark brownish-purple with lots of big reddish-bronze sparkles. Very multifaceted color. I love this shade!
I like wearing it over my entire lid, but it also makes an awesome eye liner.

Mirage: deep, dark gold. Intense, mysterious! Perfect for those with yellow toned skin and probably also dark skin tones.

Rain: this is a deep, dark almost midnight blue. This makes my eyes really stand out. People with light skin may like using this as an eye liner, I have light-medium skin and I use it all over the lid. I think this color would look absolutely stunning on dark skin tones.

Book Review: Natural Perfumes by Mindy Green, and Other Natural Perfume Blending Books (Aromatherapy/Essential oil Resources)

2007-05-28T12:21:00.000-04:00

I started this entry many months ago before this book went out of print. I mentioned this book in a post several days ago and a couple people asked about it and also aromatherapy perfume blending books, so decided to post this review though this book is hard to find at a decent price. This entry also contains links to books that are still in print or at least inexpensive, as well as links to things that are out of print/hard to find/being sold at ridiculous prices but worth it. Most aromatherapy books will at least contain a couple simple aromatherapy perfume blends.

Since last fall I've been seriously experimenting with crafting all natural perfumes. I first started learning about aromatherapy sometime in 2001, and I've made dozens of simple blends that I've used as perfumes. These blends usually consisted of 2 to 4 different essential oils, which smell absolutely wonderful. But recently I've really wanted to learn more about the art of perfume making, the art of blending, and start crafting more complex combinations.

To my dismay, there aren't that many aromatherapy/essential oil/all natural perfume books out there. Most of them seem to be out of print or just contain general information. Many aromatherapy books will have at least one to a handful of recipes, but I wanted to find a whole book on the subject with recipes. There are basically only a few main books out there that are not out of print: Nancy M. Booth's Perfumes Splashes & Colognes, Mandy Aftel's Essence and Alchemy plus a couple of Aftel's other books. I've only read Booth's book, and part of Aftel's, but they aren't really what I am looking for. Like all Storey books, Booth's book is full of information and has many recipes, however, I was a bit disappointed that she included the use of several synthetic fragrance oils. In some recipes she used synthetic rose, jasmine, and vanilla, instead of the essential oils. Aside from the toxicity and allergic reactions of many synthetic fragrances, they simply do not smell as good as the real thing, or even accurately mimic the smell correctly (vanilla is probably the exception, since it does come really close, but after smelling the real thing, you can definitely tell the difference!). Aftel's book is supposed to be one of the best on perfume history and also contains tips on blending, but there are barely any recipes in the book (literally only a couple. Though I highly recommend getting it for history and blending notes, it's lacking in actual recipes).

It seems like all the books on truly natural perfumes with completely natural recipes are out of print. Noted aromatherapist Chrissie Wildwood's perfume book is also referenced a lot, but it is out of print, and the second edition now sells for anywhere from $65 to well over $100, and the first edition is nearly as pricey (totally off subject but I just got my hands on a copy of the first edition for only $24 so I am a happy camper). Arctander's book (which is supposed to be the best) is very rare and costs (if you can find it) well over $1000. I was nearly about to give up until I came across Mindy Green's Natural Perfumes. Since getting and reading it, this book just became out of print, and is currently (at the time of this writing) being sold at Amazon for $36 to $90. However, many herbal/aromatherapy shops may still be selling it at its original price (though the two I know of are currently sold out), and I got mine last year for its original price. For those that can't find it at a good price, you may be able to request it from your local interlibrary loan or find it at a used book store. Two great blending books are Valerie Worwood's Scents & Scentuality: Essential Oils & Aromatherapy for Romance, Love, and Sex and Chrissie Wildwood's Erotic Aromatherapy: Essential Oils for Lovers (Note # 1: some people may not care for the pictures of the people in Wildwood's erotic aromatherapy book) (Note #2: both are either out of print or simply harder to find than both authors' other books, but used/new copies are being sold on Amazon at very low, great prices. I hopefully will post a review on these books sometime in the future).

I've read Green and Keville's Aromatherapy book, which contained a few heavenly perfume blends (I highly recommend this book as a good all over aromatherapy primer. For your own safety, please read at least three good aromatherapy books before you start using essential oils). So I was happy to get my hands on her perfume book, since Green is both an aromatherapist and an herbalist. Overall, my only real complaint is that this book is too thin! It is only 96 pages, including the bibliography, resource directory, and index, and also its dimensions are small (so smaller pages). However, it is jammed pack with information and has a ton of recipes. Yay! Perfect!

The first chapter is a couple page introduction, and the second chapter (also a few pages) explains our attraction to scent. The third chapter is (another short) chapter on aromatherapy: what essential oils are, how they're made, and natural vs. synthetic scents. The fourth chapter is about a 10 page primer on blending basics: fragrance notes, basic blending equipment, carriers, and proportions. Next is a chapter on forty essential oils, and note type and odor intensity. There's also a chapter on a blending lesson and classification. Finally she lists thirty recipes. Some of them are simple (4 to 5 essential oils), but most are more complex blends.

I think that though the book is a bit thin, Green does a good job of explaining the basic steps of crafting perfumes and understanding scents--better and more thorough than most aromatherapy authors! I've only made a few of them so far, but love the few I've crafted. I can definitely detect the faint notes of essential oils (in recipes that I used only 1-2 drops of an essential oil). A single drop in a blend definitely makes a difference! There is some information on essential oil usage and safety, so it is important to cross reference properties in other books since the profiles are simply short summaries.

My favorite recipes so far are simple delight and angel's whisper, which are both jasmine based perfumes. Green recommends not using vodka, and I only partially agree with her. It's true that essential oils will not dissolve fully in vodka (because of the water content, though some absolutes will dissolve fully in vodka), but if you can't get your hands on a more pure alcohol, it is a good sub since it is practically odorless--though your creations will definitely have to be shaken before use. (You can also use a carrier oil or perfumer's alcohol, but I am not sure of what I think about perfumer's alcohol yet).

Overall, in my opinion this is one of the best blending books out there, if not the best! If you can get your hands on it, then I highly recommend getting this book!

Burts Bee Workshop and Review in Philly (All Natural Cosmetics)

2007-05-24T14:18:00.000-04:00

Maybe posting this a bit late for anyone in Philly (visiting my sister right now) but just came back not to long ago from a Burt's Bees skin care consultation in the Whole Foods on South Street. Though I had already previously been to a Burt's Bees workshop in VA a year or two ago, I wanted to attend this one because in the last year or so Burt's Bees has come out with a slew of new products and I wanted to learn about them. Though I mainly craft vegan products, I still buy and use products that are vegetarian and not necessarily vegan. But I got confused about the time of the workshop: the flyer had said 11:30 am but when I reserved on the phone, the Whole Foods employee who answered said that it looked like there were specific signup times but he didn't sound too sure. The one in VA had been a group workshop so I showed up at 11:30 because I thought maybe the flyer was right and the guy who answered the phone was wrong. Turns out the guy was right; it was not a group workshop but a one on one consultation (the flyer wasn't clear on this).

The Burt's Bees rep (I can't remember her name) was very nice about the mix up and consulted with me early since the person who was supposed to be at 11:30 never showed. She was very informative about their products (but refreshingly not pushy and did not try to sell me anything but only suggested stuff for me), and clearly passionate about the company and her job. We mainly talked about the new products (since I was already familiar with and have used most of the old products), and I really want to try them now! They have a new cleansing cream (with soapbark and chamomile) that is good for drier skin types, but (according to her) doesn't clog pores. They also have a peach and willowbark scrub that she said was gentle. She also told me about the new radiance creams that contain royal jelly and that are much lighter than their other creams. They also have a relatively new shampoo and conditioner with pomegranate and soy that sounded interesting.

But what was the most interesting to me was how Burt's Bees is becoming more active in being green. She told me that Burt's Bees is now a neutral carbon company, meaning that they compensate for all the carbon they produce (mainly by buying credits). Also they are working with Habitat for Humanity to build a green development in North Carolina (near Raleigh). Totally cool! :)

So what do I think about their products: overall I like their products and their company. Their older creams can be heavy (so be sure to apply only a little to very, very damp skin), but many of their formulations are very nice and contain a lot of beneficial herbals. Their newer formulations, I am not sure of them yet: they contain some of the borderline natural/synthetic ingredients that (depending on who you ask) is either natural, semi natural, or synthetic (but often naturally derived). It depends where you draw the line. For the most part (for the older formulations) the percentages that they list on their products on how natural it is are accurate; for the newer stuff (especially the shampoos) I do not think they are as accurate (or at least according to the ingredients I define as natural), but all of their formulas are (I estimate at least) 80-100% natural depending on the product (I would say most of their products are 90-100% natural). But the borderline ingredients are for the most part non-toxic, non-irritating (except for those who are allergic to synthetic fragrances), and biodegradable. (Sometimes I think I am just way too anal in defining what's natural and what's not ;) ) Favorite products of mine: blemish stick, marsh mellow vanishing cream, beeswax day cream, carrot lotion, repair serum (wonderful for the under eye area), almond milk cream (this smells so good)

Just saw their website; it looks like they also have new sunscreens and a lip balm with pomegranate oil in it (sounds yummy). According to the rep, they are coming out with new products every six months.

At the end of our talk, the rep gave me a sampler of the Burts Bees products (a natural weaved bag filled with their older, much loved products). Totally awesome! So if you are in Philly, you may still be able to catch her today! :) If you are elsewhere, ask your local natural food store if they are coming soon, or check their website to see where workshops are being held. To learn more about new products you can sign up for their email newsletter on the website.

Note: the lip shimmers are not vegetarian (contains carmine, a red colorant from beetles), and also they are going to discontinue their vanishing facial tissues (I need to stock up on these)

Li's crafting thoughts 5-22-07

2007-05-22T22:34:00.000-04:00

What I've been crafting recently: eye shadows, vegan lip balm.

Eye shadows: I've been working on several new shades. I crafted a few of the usual: super pigmented/intense, multifacated sparkles and sheens. So far I've created over 30 colors, the majority of them being greens and golds, but I have crafted some blues and purples too. Also a couple pinkish shades that I've been using in lip glosses or as blush. Need to work on mattes, semi mattes, and also more lippie colors!

Vegan lip balm: crafted yet another one, this time for slightly dry lips. This was a remake of my original lip balm in a tin vegetarian one, but now I've made it vegan and it now comes in a tube. It took me three tries to get this right (to convert it to vegan); as much as I love cold pressed grapeseed it was throwing off this recipe, so I switched back to solvent extracted (most grapeseed oil on the market is solvent extracted, it is very hard to find cold pressed). I'll save the cold pressed for serums! :)

I am currently in Philly visiting my sister so while I still have access to a computer, won't be crafting as much for a few weeks (unless she actually lets me raid her garden!) ;P

Soapnuts, Soapwort, Yucca: Skin Cleansers and All Natural/Eco-friendly Cleaning (Environmental Cleaning Information, All Natural Cosmetics)

2007-05-18T22:54:00.000-04:00

Since I've recently discussed microfiber, I decided to blog about herbs that are be used to cleanse the skin, and also clean the house and laundry.

I've already blogged about soapwort (including a recipe), which is used in museums to clean ancient, delicate fabrics, is an awesome, very gentle skin cleanser, and can also be used to wash the hair.

So here are a couple of other great herbs and eco-friendly choices:

Soapnuts: I just got this herb recently. Apparently it can be used not only as a skin cleanser, but it has also become the environmental rage as a natural laundry detergent. I've only tried it as a facial cleanser (added a pinch to water, but may try a decoction in the near future) and will try to use it to clean my laundry (though I have the powder and not the whole nuts so not sure if that would make a mess or not. I think a decoction would be better rather than adding the nuts to my laundry as recommended by some web sites).

Yucca root: prepared similar to soapwort, but you have to crush the roots more before adding the water. But I do not believe the decoction has as long as a shelf life as soapwort decoction (only a few days, refrigerated). In the past, it was used to clean skin and hair by some Native American peoples. I am not sure about using it for the laundry but I may experiment with this. I've used this to wash my hair and it seems to do a pretty good job (but I love my soap based shampoos more).

Microfiber: Environmental House Cleaning and also Cosmetic Exfoliant! (Environmental Information/House Cleaning and Cosmetic Information)

2007-05-16T18:48:00.000-04:00

One thing I have to blog about is microfiber. I've been hearing so much about it from many delphi forum members for a while, and also a few months ago from my sister. I finally used some and decided to blog about it because it has great cosmetic and environmental cleaning uses (so combining many of my interests) :)

How they work: the fibers of these seemingly soft cloths are textured, and the special fibers gently remove dirt and other substances from a variety of surfaces (the fibers are not treated with chemicals). They feel gentle to the touch but are tough on cleaning power, and you can use them dry or wet with only water--no chemicals or any cleansers! :) According to my sister: use wet for cleaning hard surfaces, dry to wipe stuff.

To clean them: Regular machine wash, but line dry them (or at least Costco brand).

Cosmetic use: many people have been using microfiber to exfoliate. This deceptively soft cloth effectively removes flaky skin, revealing smoother skin underneath. Several people on the delphi forums claim that the ones that are sold for the face are similar to the ones sold in the automobile section of stores, but others have claimed they are different grades and the auto ones shouldn't be used on the face. I've only use an auto one on my skin once, and even though I scrubbed gently and barely used it, I think it did too good of a job. I will probably try one of the ones made for the face sometime in the future, just to compare. But if you use microfiber facial cloths be careful: I've heard horror stories of people using them and scrubbing too hard that they ended up removing too much skin (which was why I was so cautious when using it) but personally I think my skin is just too sensitive for it, or at least the brand/kind that I used.

Cleaning uses: this was originally a best kept secret of hotels (in europe)--how to clean surfaces quickly and effectively without harsh chemicals. I personally think the cleaning uses are much more impressive than the cosmetic uses. I am an advocate of using more earth-friendly, more natural cleansers, and have even concocted some of my own recipes over the years, but microfiber is the ultimate environmental cleaner because you clean with only the cloth and water and maybe a little elbow grease! Microfiber works better on harder surfaces like counter and stove tops, floors, and faucets than more porous things such as walls.
Though it removes tough grime, it is gentle, and it doesn't scratch materials. You can buy a big bag in the automobile section of your local department store.

Now though I've heard about the cosmetic use on the forums for many months, I was amazed when my sister gave me some cloths and showed me how well they cleaned. I ended up cleaning part of her house, LOL! (It was part of her evil plan ;P ) Everything looked so nice, shiny, and new--within seconds of just scrubbing.

Now does this mean I'm going to stop using my natural cleaning supplies? No, because sometimes you need to use products with essential oils/herbs that will kill germs. But this definitely will replace much of my daily cleaning--especially since everything gets very clean and looks good, and I can clean more in less time.

The brand that she used is Swift Microfiber. They are more expensive than the ones in the auto department, but they seemed to be a nicer/higher quality, and also they are a small company. She also gave me a microfiber cleaning cloth for glasses from this company (different from the cleaning/auto cloths) and it is the best glass cleaning cloth I've ever used (I have like four glass cleaning cloths in a variety of materials from other companies and none of them seem to work very well). We also got a big bag at Costco. They didn't seem quite as nice as the ones from Swift, but they still are very good quality, very inexpensive, and clean extremely well.

Li's crafting thoughts 5-13-07

2007-05-13T13:47:00.000-04:00

Though I've done some crafting, the last few days I've been focusing more on aromatherapy/herbal research. To better understand ingredients, I've been choosing topics, and then pouring through my library and writing down every natural ingredient that works for that skin/health ailment or condition, or everything about that one ingredient that I can. I had actually started this some time ago (a year or so ago?) but never did it on a regular basis. Things I've learned are this is no easy task (especially since I have like sixty to seventy books to pour through), it's been very time consuming, and that I am probably still missing some information since many indexes of books could be better! (And some like Tisserand's awesome classic, don't even have one and I can't reread all seventy books to make sure I'm not missing anything!). I think this will definitely help my crafting, since in the end I will have a master list of all things that work for any particular topic (instead of just what I can remember off the top of my head at the moment), and then I can use those ingredients in crafting a fantastic and very effective product for it!

So list of things I've actually crafted these last few days: body oils, eye shadow, serums, herbal tinctures, herbal infused oil, clay masks

Body oils:Been making them for years, but have recently been making single scent oils made with new essential oils and carrier oils, so I can become familiar with the scents, and also the properties of the oils (how fast absorbing it is, how effective a moisture barrier, for essential oils: whether it is a relaxing oil or stimulating etc)

Eye shadows: Started to make new shades, haven't done this in a while (though I've made lippie shades/glosses in the last few weeks). I need to work on making mattes sometime in the next few months, since all I've been making are shimmers, sparkly sheens, and sheens!

Serums: working on oil based serums for particular skin types. Starting with my own skin type of course (dehydrated which is water dry but produces enough oily, occasionally with blemishes). Though I won't be using the serums for other skin types on my face, I will be using them on my body, so I can really see how they work.

Tinctures/herbal extracts: I made green tea tincture (made with a blend of six kinds of green tea. Thanks E.K. for the tea!) and also red rooibos tincture. I intend to use these in making water based serums (the only water based serums I've made so far are those with aloe, but trying to learn to make different kinds). I may use them in creams too.

Herbal infused oils: I made calendula oil, which is a great skin care ingredient. Like the tinctures, this has to infuse for several weeks until ready. So I won't get to play for a while :( (I could've made it the fast way by applying heat but I prefer to make it the slow way so I don't have to heat up the oil any more than neccesary so all the vitamins don't get destroyed!)

Clay masks: just playing around with different ingredients. I need to post those recipes on all natural beauty portal website that I promised a while back :)

I am glad I am taking this time for all this research, since I want to craft products that actually work! (Instead of just using whatever herb is popular at the moment like many companies)

Li's crafting thoughts 5-4-07

2007-05-01T13:43:00.000-04:00

The last couple of weeks I've crated several things, and I've also been organizing all my essential oils, herbs, and oils: taking stock of what I still need to get, what I need to use up in the next few months, and also rebottled a few of my essential oils. I don't think I've ever mentioned this on this blog, but in addition to keeping essential oils out of direct light and storing them in a cool and dark place (colored glass and refrigerator storage), after you use part of the bottle, it is good to rebottle your essential oils into smaller bottles. This will help prevent oxidation (less air space equals less air in the bottle that will degrade the essential oils).

Things I've crafted recently: body oils, butter balm, scented liquid soaps, yucca root shampoo, and complex perfume blends

Body oils: I crafted one when I was sick (with MQV/Niaouli oil) a couple weeks ago and also one to help with some of my stress related health symptoms.

Butter Balm: I made a 100% butter balm with a mix of several different butters (only with my regular stash of butters, but I just got the sampler pack from Camden Grey, and have even more butters to play with; many kinds that I haven't worked with yet. ;P Wicked grin. The only bad thing about the CG sampler was they included a refined shea. Yuck. Though LOL I am sure some other butters I have are partially refined, and I am just being anal about the shea). Anyways there are two important things that I learned in making this butter balm:

1) Do not attempt to pour a 100% butter balm into large tubes, since they will leak (I've made big lip balms with these tubes so oils/butters plus waxes don't leak because they harden and also cool down within minutes).

2) Suprapein (a natural lab tested blend of herbal extracts used to preserve products) has a very strong scent even at the low recommended concentration. Now I like herbal smells (I think tea tree and eucalyptus smell great!) but this was even a tad too much for me! Definitely needs to be blended with essential oils. I think I need to remelt it down and add something or else I won't be able to use it!

Scented Soaps: just scented some liquid soap with some essential oils.

Yucca root shampoo: made like soapwort decoction, except the roots need to be way more crushed, I will be using this to clean both my skin and hair. Seems to clean pretty well.

Perfumes: M. Green's book is definitely a superior blending recipe book to anything that's out there (I was writing a review for that book but never finished it, and now it's out of print! I need to blog and craft more!). I've made several of the recipes, and they all smell like heaven and all the essential oils blended beautifully together, unlike other blends in other books (when you can find perfume recipes). Though a couple other blending books are good too (for less complex blends). I can only one day hope to be as good as a master blender like Green. :)

Used book sales in Fairfax County (Library/Book Information)

2007-04-30T14:44:00.000-04:00

In May there will be several book sales at different libraries in the county. This weekend there is a sale at the King's Park (Burke), Tysons-Pimmit, and Chantilly libraries. Last fall Jen, Ed, and I went to one and got a big box of books for only $5. Definitely will be going to a few this month. Books ;P

Sugarloaf Craft Festival in Chantilly (Craft Show Information)

2007-04-30T00:24:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to let those in the DC area know that this friday, saturday, and sunday, the Sugarloaf Craft Festival will be held at the Dulles Expo Center. I went a year and a half ago, and it was amazing! I got a lot of nice pottery pieces for my sister and Ed. They also have food vendors, jewelry, and a lot of craft demos. Some 350 vendors will be there, so it's a great place to get good deals on gifts. Cost is only $7 to get in for all three days, and kids are free. If you go to their website, you can get coupons for $1 off admission. I'm definitely going again (for mineral makeup addicts in the area this is a great chance to get 'swirly bowls' for your minerals. Ok, I'm such an enabler! ;P ).

FAQ: All About Soap (All Natural Cosmetics)

2007-04-28T13:51:00.000-04:00

Time for another FAQ since the stickies on my desktop are getting way over crowded. I guess this means I need to blog more! ;)

What is castile soap? And how is it different than conventional soap?

Castile (also spelled castille) originally meant a soap made with only olive oil (no other oils). Nowadays it usually means an olive oil soap or an olive oil blend soap (though I've seen soaps that call themselves castile that don't contain any olive oil, sometimes people just use this term to mean any natural soap). Castile soap can be liquid or in bar form.

Most commercial soaps are actually not soap, but either synthetic detergents or a blend of soap and synthetic detergents. The exception is Ivory (which is real soap but made with beef tallow, which I personally wouldn't use).

I can't seem to use soap on my face: why and also what can I use instead (my skin is really dry)?

While many people can use soap to cleanse their face, some people (especially with very dry skin) just finds that it removes too much of the skin's natural oils (sebum), and hence your skin's natural moisture barrier. It's also said to disrupt the natural acid barrier (however the acid barrier quickly re-establishes itself).

Though my skin is dehydrated (so water dry but can also get oily), I prefer using natural soap, but during colder/drier months, I like using soapwort or cold cream which cleans my skin but doesn't strip it as much as soap does.

For extra dry skin, you may prefer using a cleaning oil, cream cleanser/cold cream, or if you still want to use soap, try a liquid soap with things added like oils, aloe, hydrosols, glycerine, and other moisturizing ingredients. Liquid soap is usually less drying than bar soap because of all the added ingredients. Also some people like honey with or without clay (vegans may want to use agave; also for really dry skin, you may want to skip the clay).

I am allergic to all fragrances, including natural. Where can I get unscented soap?

Vermont Soap makes a nice unscented oats and aloe bar, and a butter bar. They are certified organic and are natural, and you can buy eco bricks of their soap (uncut block of soap, enough for 12 bars). Also check your local natural food store; many brands like Dr. Bronner's sell unscented soaps.

How do you color soap (in soap making)?

Well I haven't tried it myself but I know some people use things like titanium dioxide in soap (that what makes white melt and pour soap white) and I think I've read some people use micas etc. There might be more info about this is tkbtrading's website (a minerals, colorant supplier).

I've been hearing about shampoo bars, are they any good?

I love Heart of Iowa Soapworks. They also make my favorite facial soaps, and I love their shampoo bars.

Many people will need to use either a vinegar or herbal rinse with soap based shampoos. I personally prefer herbal rinses or cream conditioners, and after using shampoo bars and soap based shampoos for years no longer have funky hair syndrone, and sometimes don't even use hair rinses or conditioner (but I wash my hair every day).

The aloe fresh one is my favorite. I've tried other shampoo bars (from VT Soap and Burts Bees) and didn't like them because they left a film on my hair, but some people swear by them (and I like many of their other products).

Li's crafting thoughts 4-20-07

2007-04-20T18:35:00.000-04:00

I've been on a crafting kick the last couple weeks. I've crafted hair conditioner, a bug bite oil/skin healing serum, lip gloss base, two different lip glosses using said base (including one brand new color), a new vegan cream formula, and five single note perfumes. Here is a quick overview of everything I made.

Hair conditioner: my first attempt making a conditioner using cetyl alcohol. I made it with almond oil and aloe juice. I think I used too little cetyl and almond oil and way too much aloe, so it ended up separating on me. LOL! Which in natural formulation isn't that bad of a mistake (it just needs to be shaken before use, so it forms this kind of thin almond milk rather than the rich thick conditioner I was hoping for). Though the formulation needs work, I have to say since I've started using it my hair looks great! :) (For the all natural purists, some people argue that there are natural and synthetic sources of this ingredient, others argue it is at best semi-natural or that it is definitely synthetic. I personally think it is like stearic acid, natural but it goes through so much processing so it is more semi-natural. However most waxes would coat the hair in conditioners and are hard to rinse off, and so far I haven't found a better alternative).

Bug bite oil/skin healing serum: I made this for my mom (after using a commercial brand which somehow burned and blistered her skin more). I used anti-inflammatory essential oils like helichrysum, and her skin is starting to heal. :)

Lip gloss base: finally used the castor wax I bought a while ago. It made a slightly gooey (but not too gooey, nearly the perfect texture for gloss) but very shiny base that wasn't as moisturizing as I'd hope (though when I use this gloss on top of my awesome lip balms, it's pretty good. I'll have to try different oils with this wax). I mixed this base with two mineral makeup blends that I made (one new and one that I had made a few months ago), using different amounts of minerals. For gloss, definitely less minerals are best because when you add too much, the gloss feels drying and the color just doesn't look as good.

Vegan cream: I am on a kick with making vegan creams, this one contained red raspberry oil which has a high spf!

Perfumes: nothing complicated. I had received five free essential oils samples when I recently ordered from AV-AT, so I made perfumes out of them (the samples were in these cute vials; each vial was not filled to the top, only about maybe 6 to 10 drops of oil in each vial so lots of room to add vodka and make perfume). The cocoa absolute from them smells divine.

I also have given several samples (full size really) away of vegan cream and a couple different lipbalms, and have received good reviews on all of my formulations. :)

Agenda for the next few days: I haven't crafted anything in the last few days because my damn cold came back :( I'll probably make some complex perfume blends, and I still have to strain my herbal infused oil that I made a few weeks ago.

Happy Earth Day/week (Environmental Information/Events)

2007-04-15T14:33:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, April 22nd is Earth Day, and many organizations are having Earth Day events this week.

This week George Mason University (my school :) ) is having many environmental related events. If you are in the area I highly recommend going to some of these events, especially tomorrow's screening of "An Inconvenient Truth". I finally just saw this documentary recently with my sister. I have studied global warming and climate change at GMU, and think that the film did an awesome job at presenting the issue in an easy to understand manner (translating the science into something the public can understand, which is often difficult to do). Best of all, tomorrow after the viewing of the film, Dr. Crate (who was trained by Al Gore on presenting his presentation) will be speaking on solutions (this will be a lecture on solutions and will not be a presentation of what was in the film). Dr. Crate's lectures are very thought provoking; she has studied the potential effects of climate change on indigenous peoples and the arctic region extensively. Also not to be missed: on Tuesday environmentalist Janisse Ray will speak three times on various environmental issues.

For those of you not in the DC/Northern VA area, check out your local community paper for events. Many universities, organizations, parks/nature areas, and local governments will be hosting activities.

I'm definitely going to some of GMU's events. I think Earth week/day activities are very informative-though as an environmentalist I think that every day should be Earth Day! :) Personally there are many things that I do to be more environmentally aware and also more environmentally friendly, however I realize that I can always do more. One thing I will definitely do is begin posting more environmental tips and issues on this blog (don't worry miy lovers, I will still post miy information, as my interest in aromatherapy/herbalism is part of my passion for the environment). Happy Earth Day! :)

Tori Amos: American Doll Posse

2007-04-08T01:30:00.000-04:00

I can not wait for Tori Amos's new album American Doll Posse to come out (it will be released May 1st). Tori's music has helped me get through a lot throughout the years, including now: there are about a dozen songs that I've been listening to over and over again recently. It's really strange but I've heard all of these songs hundreds of times and they've always meant something to me in a particular way, but listening to some of the songs now, I've been finding different meanings in the lyrics.

So far I've heard two songs from the album and clips from all the songs (links on undented.com), and I absolutely adore the song "Bouncing Off Clouds". This album is definitely more guitar driven than her previous works, but I really like the concept of how she takes on the personas of all of these different women, which are kind of parts of every woman. I think I've been each of these women throughout my life at particular/different times and sometimes all of them at the same time too, but I'm kind of identifying with the persona of Clyde right now, so maybe that's why I like Bouncing Off Clouds so much! :)

Li's crafting thoughts 4-01-07

2007-04-01T01:37:00.000-04:00

Last week I finally made a new batch of vegan cream and lip balm to send to a couple people that I'd promised. I've given my cream and lip balms to several people; so far the reviews have been good. The biggest compliment has been from my sister, who I gave her some cream to help her inflammed skin. She said it was awesome and really helped heal her skin! :)

My crafting agenda for the next few days: I think I'm going to work on crafting more perfumes. As I've mentioned, I restocked my essential oil collection and now have nearly 50 organic essential oils (only maybe 6 or so are non-organic) and I can't wait to start experimenting with more complex perfume blends.

Like the ancient Eqyptians and many other ancient or indigenous cultures, pagans, herbalists, and aromatherapists, I see perfume as more than something that smells good or an aphrodisiac but also as a means of communicating with the spirit. In addition to the cosmetic and medicinal properties of essential oils, the scent of essential oils affects moods, emotions, and certain oils can help a person attain a level of spiritual awareness. Essential oils directly influence the limbic brain, the "seat of the emotions/conscious/soul" that controls memory, hormones, stress, some bodily functions (like heart rate), and emotions.

So I really need to craft, breathe in my essential oils, and do some serious healing! :)

Li's crafting thoughts 3-21-07

2007-03-21T00:41:00.000-04:00

I finally got myself a new mixer and made a batch of whipped shea. Though the texture was creamy, it didn't turn out quite as light and fluffy as I'd hoped since I used the wire whisk attachment instead of the regular beaters. I had thought the wire whisk would make a fluffier butter (my thinking was "whisk=more air") but apparantly I was wrong! Next time I'll stick to just using the regular beaters. If it ain't broke, don't fix it :)

I also made a serum for my pimples (I haven't had acne in years, aside from the occasional blemish around my period, but because of stress/sadness recently I've actually broken out!) It seems to be working well. Instead of putting it in a regular dropper bottle I put it in one of those roller bottles (usually used for perfumes or gloss), making it much easier to apply.

I've also been experimenting with masks and scrubs this week (all natural and vegan and all containing agave nectar). I plan to post these recipes on all natural beauty portal's website when I have some time. Though I miss honey I'm really loving agave nectar in skin care; it seems to clean and hydrate the skin as much as honey does and isn't as sticky (though I think honey contains much more vitamins/minerals than agave).

This week's agenda: I need to make a new batch of my vegan cream (since I promised a couple people cream but my last batch went grainy) and maybe work on crafting new perfume blends. And pour more lip balms!

Li's crafting thoughts 3-14-07

2007-03-14T04:16:00.000-04:00

Last week I didn't get to craft as much as I'd like; my heart just wasn't into it. But I did craft a couple of things.

I made an herbal infused oil (long traditional way) so it should be ready in a couple of weeks. Though my focus has been mainly on aromatherapy (with some herbalism) I've been learning more about traditional herbalism in the last couple years so have been trying to use more whole herbs in my medicinal and cosmetic remedies/crafts recently.

I also made a couple of aromatherapy blends for someone I really cared about, but never gave them to him, because, well, he broke my heart :( So I'm not really sure what to do with them; maybe use them to fragrance liquid soap, or in my own diffuser? Haven't decided yet.

I didn't get to make a batch of my beloved whipped shea because I still haven't bought a new hand beater/mixer (old one broke). So hopefully this week.

On the agenda this week: the whipped shea butter and maybe a cream or lip balm.

Li's crafting thoughts 3-05-07

2007-03-05T03:41:00.000-05:00

I didn't get to craft much last week, I only got to try out a few new ingredients like essential oils and have been re-trying carrier oils that I haven't used for a long time.

I think that apricot oil is underrated. I haven't used it in years but it is really a nice, light oil that is usually recommended for massage/body oils. I've been using it straight on my face; it has a light texture and absorbs quite well but forms a slightly heavier (but still light) barrier on the skin than my beloved kukui and camellia oils.

The bad news is I think I may be allergic to Melissa aka Lemon Balm essential oil (the first essential oil I've ever had a reaction to) which is strange since I've used the hydrosol in the past (and hydrosols contain a small percentage of essential oil), only used it at the 1/2% dilution (usually it is recommended to use it at the 1% concentration or less), and have also used lemongrass essential oil (at the 2% concentration) with no reaction (which contains citral which is the same sensitizing ingredient in Melissa. Then again lemongrass has other chemical compenents that somewhat lessen the citral effects). However, the smell is an effective anti-depressent and it does get rid of PMS symptons; my skin just felt hyper sensitive (I got goosebumps and it felt prickly. Very weird sensation). Well I suppose I can always use it in a diffuser--it's too expensive to let it go to waste! I may have to do an allergy test patch with it, as it may have just been that my skin was just more sensitive since I tend to get strange skin reactions during this time of the month, just to make sure it really was the Melissa and not pms (Note: if you deside to buy it be sure to get it from a reputable source as it is often adulterated).

On this week's agenda: on the GOW forum a lot of people have been talking about whipped shea butter. I haven't made this yummy concoction in a while as I need a new mixer/beater! But as soon as I get one I'm going to try whipping liquids into it since a couple people mentioned they successfully did this (without an emulsifier. Shea does have natural waxes in it so I guess this is why it works).

Of course I have a never ending list of things I want to make. Also I've recently gotten over a dozen essential oils and a dozen carrier oils I have never worked with previously before so I still need to try all of them individually (I did make a cream with over ten of the new oils in it several weeks ago. It was pretty nice except I added too much of a gum to it so the texture was a bit off so need to maybe retry this recipe. But I haven't tried the oils individually yet)

Vegan Baked Goods at Whole Foods (Vegetarian/Vegan Food Information)

2007-02-28T13:12:00.000-05:00

I was just walking in the Philly Whole Foods this weekend, when I noticed they had vegan baked goods. For those that are relatively new to Whole Foods and buy regularly at the bakery department this may not be a surprise to you, but it was to me. I remember that before Whole Foods bought out Fresh Fields (in the DC area) Fresh Fields used to have a very good assortment of vegan desserts: from cookies to cakes and everything in between. I used to enjoy them on the rare occasions I went to Fresh Fields (I was young and didn't have a car) but to my dismay after Whole Foods bought them out, all the vegan desserts disappeared. Now I don't know when exactly they brought them back (I obviously haven't been looking at the baked goods section for the last three years) but it was really nice to see vegan desserts back on the shelves--even if my hypoglycemia is worse and I can't eat them (they contain white flour and sugar). I didn't get to check to see if the DC/VA Whole Foods carry the vegan desserts/baked goods, but will post when I do. My mom, who tried the vegan carrot cake, loves it (my mom is one of the pickiest eaters in the world, and also--after all this time--still hasn't accepted the fact that me being veggie is healthy).

Li's crafting thoughts

2007-02-17T01:57:00.000-05:00

I've been crafting like mad recently. I've been trying to craft natural cosmetics no less than three times a week--ideally I'd like to craft at least 5 times a week, but with school work (mainly consisting of my thesis and work for my seminar class on ecotourism), and just every day living spending time with my family, friends, and boyfriend, and trying to get my health back completely on track that isn't possible right now. But in the last few months I feel like I've been more focused on crafting than I ever have: I've been thinking a lot about my future, about opening my own business and what types of products I'd possibly like to make and sell. In the past I used to just concoct one product, and once made, start working on a different product, usually never experimenting with the proportions, or even ever making the exact same recipe again (too many different ingredients to play with, and too many recipes to think up of). I still do that to some extent now, but I've been focusing more on trying to get the texture right, revamping the formula, and just trying different proportions, etc.

Recently I've mostly been crafting vegan lip balms, vegan creams, and also (melt and pour) soaps, but I've also been experimenting with perfume combinations as well. Some of the recipes have turned out wonderful (I've made two vegan balms and a vegan cream I love very much), and others have turned out not quite to my liking (either I just use them as is--dealing with the weird textures--, or I melt it down and play with the proportions, or I use it to make an entirely different product. Quite a few of my balms have been made into creams). But over all I've been really happy with what I've been crafting.

I've gotten quite a few new carrier oils (I think by now I've tried over thirty different oils), been playing around with different emusifiers (waxes and gums), and recently just restocked my essential oil collection. My essential oils now consist primarily of organic oils, though a couple of them (the more expensive ones, or a couple that I don't use as much) are conventional. I've also bought many essential oils I haven't tried yet. I can't wait to start experimenting with them but my credit card sure has been burning! ;)

I am still intent on crafting vegan cosmetics, though I do miss some ingredients (like yogurt, honey, and beeswax). I still have a ton of beeswax left still, and am debating what to do with it. Candles, maybe?

Essential And Carrier Oil Storage; Droppers; Recognizing True Essential Oils; Using PEOs neat; Shelflife (Aromatherapy)

2007-02-13T21:13:00.000-05:00

I've already blogged about storage and shelflife of aromatherapy products and also storage and shelf life of essential oils but several more questions have come up in recent months so I thought I'd post more about this topic.

Can I store my essential oils in a glass container with a rubber bulb?

I do not recommend storing any essential oil with a rubber bulb, because over time (to my knowledge) all essential oils will dissolve the rubber, releasing toxins into the essential oil.

Can I store carrier oils in clear bottles? What about essential oils? Can I change the bottles?

It is fine to store carrier oils in clear bottles (but just don't store them in direct sunlight). But for a mix of carrier oils and essential oils, I prefer dark colored glass because essential oils eventually eat through plastic (I've had this happen to me when I first began crafting), degrade easily when exposed to light, and may cause leaching of the plastic's toxins into your product. For short term storage it would probably be okay to use dark colored plastic bottles, but I just generally use glass.

I usually store my essential oils in the bottles they come in (dark 10 ml to 1 ounce glass bottles). If you change bottles make sure they are sterile and also that there is no room for air in the bottle (air=oxidation). (blue or amber is standard but I'm sure other colors would work well too).

Which dropper is the best to use: the orifice reducers or glass droppers? Where can I buy them?

To measure drops I usually use a glass dropper. I usually remove the plastic drop dispenser aka orifice reducers that comes with the essential oils for two reasons: I buy essential oils from several companies so all of the drop dispensers are different (so drop size would be different if I used the drop dispenser, which may alter scent blends), and over time essential oils eat through plastic releasing toxins (so I never really understood why they were included, other than for convenience).

Most companies include the drop dispensers if it is a small sized bottle (under 30 ml in most cases), but really small bottles (1-3 ml) and larger bottles usually don't have them). And some companies do not use them at all--even for the regular 10 to 15 ml sizes.

Some places that sell glass droppers:

Camden Grey

Garden of Wisdom

Mountain Rose Herbs

You may also find them locally (vendors that sell essential oils or in a pharmacy. They are sometimes called medicine or eye droppers)

If you have children, you may prefer the orifice droppers for safety reasons (also some people prefer them since they are convenient).

How do I recognize if an essential oil is a true, undiluted, pure essential oil (PEO) or if it's been diluted/adulterated?

An easy way to test if an essential oil is pure or not is to put one drop on a piece of paper and let dry. Steam distilled or expressed essential oils will usually not leave an oily residue behind. However this will not work if the essential oil is an absolute (extracted with solvents), as this will probably leave a residue behind. Also if it was diluted with another essential oil, fragrance oil, alcohol, etc, it may also not leave an oily residue.

Can I apply PEOs "neat"/undiluted?

Always dilute essential oils before use. Though some can be applied neat, applying an essential oil neat is only for during emergencies (like insect bites) and not for every day usage. Most essential oils should not be used neat as essential oils are highly concentrated substances, and some of them in high doses are toxic. Some, like cajeput, can be very irritating to the skin.

I've had this essential oil for a while, how do I check to make sure it's still okay to use?

The strength of the smell. When you open the bottle, slowly wave your hand across the top and breathe it in. Is it strong smelling or can you barely smell it?

As a general rule, citrus essential oils have a shelf life of 6 months to a year. Most others have a shelf life of 1 to 2 years. And some, like a few of the resinous ones or a few of the woody or grassy ones, get better with age: sandalwood, patcholli, etc. According to Tisserand and Balacs (1995), refrigeration can double shelf life. If you've had them for a while, you may just want to use them to fragrance things like paper, rooms, etc since many of the medicinal, antibacterial, and cosmetic properties would be diminished.