Here is a list of some of my favorite aromatherapy books. There are many others that I've read and love but these are some of the best in the subject in my opinion. For some more book reviews and online resources, check out my Natural Skin Care and Aromatherapy Books and Resources Archives links. Note: be sure to reference at least three different books before using an essential oil, as not all books have the same information on the oil's properties, not all essential oils are safe to use, and some essential oils are not safe to use in certain instances (like pregnancy, or in children or the elderly, or those with certain medical conditions).
A very good book on essential oil profiles is:
Jeanne Rose: 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols. I love this book--it lists many of the rarer essential oils that aren't usually described in other books.
Jeanne Rose's "Aromatherapy book: applications and inhalations" also has good decriptions and charts on usages. There aren't too many recipes in this one, but it has a lot of interesting historical notes, and her charts (which were compiled along with the help of another noted aromatherapist: Victoria Edwards) are among the first things I look at when concocting a new blend.
I use Jeanne Rose's books the most for referencing essential oil properties (but I always use them along with others like Tisserand's safety book, see below).
Good beginner books:
Aromatherapy for dummies by Kathi Keville. Highly recommended if you are completely new to essential oils. I love the dummy guides--they really are helpful and often written by experts in the field--and this book clearly explains most of the uses of essential oils. There are some recipes, but perhaps not as many as other books. Good essential oil profiles and also has a section on the medicinal uses in the back of the book. She really knows her herbs (both aromatherapy and herbalism!)
Another good one for beginners is:
Aromatherapy: a complete guide by Kathi Keville and Mindy Green. Maybe a little more advanced than the dummies guide but still great for beginners and also more advanced students. This one has more recipes than the dummies guide (skin care and medicinal uses).
Victoria Edwards has a wonderful book called "Aromatherapy companion" which goes over many aspects of aromatherapy, from some profiles to chemical components to cosmetic to medicinal to spiritual uses. Lots of recipes. She has some interesting blends!
I love the Valerie Worwood books--I have learned so much from them; she goes over a lot of topics not found in other books. Definitely for more advanced students but also good for beginners. "The complete book of essential oils and aromatherapy" is considered one of the 'bibles' of aromatherapy. Not really many oil profiles (get Rose's or Tisserand's books for that), but this book has many recipes and suggestions on a very wide range of medicinal and cosmetic uses of essential oils. I love this book. If I am making any medicinal concoctions, this is one of the first I reach for to see what essential oils are good for whcih conditions. For people with children, there is a very good section on essential oils and children (there are also great sections on women, men, and the elderly as well).
Robert Tisserand's book "Art of Aromatherapy" is a classic (first published in 1978). This book is what spured aromatherapy's popularity in England, and later the U.S. There are only a few recipes but this book has good profiles and also background info on how essential oils work. Tisserand has done many scientific studies on essential oils.
Other books by him: "To tend and heal the body" which contains many case studies from many prominent aromatherapists, and my favorite by Tisserand's and Balacs' "Essential oil safety" which contains many scientific studies and also essential oil profiles on essenial oil safety. I always use this book to check how safe an essential oil really is before I purchase one. This book is the best but it is pricey. A new edition is probably going to be published soon--hopefully!
Kurt Schnaubelt has a great book called "Advanced aromatherapy: the science of essential oil therapy" which breaks down essential oils to the chemical components.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query book. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query book. Sort by date Show all posts
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Monday, May 28, 2007
Book Review: Natural Perfumes by Mindy Green, and Other Natural Perfume Blending Books (Aromatherapy/Essential oil Resources)
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!
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!
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Making Aromatherapy Creams part 2: books/resources (Skin care/Natural Cosmetic resources/book reviews)
For a good online resource for recipes check Make Your Cosmetics. This site is sponsored by Donna Maria and Handmade Beauty Network. I really love this site, there are lots of good recipes and great ideas! Some recipes may use a few synthetic ingredients (like emulsifying wax and fragrance oils) but most are all natural.
Here are some of my favorite books with cream recipes (mini book reviews):
Dina Falconi's Earthly Bodies and Heavenly Hair : This book explains techniques and the differences between creams/lotions, salves/balms, herbal oils, tinctures, herbal vinegars, powders, etc (check out the last chapter book). It has very easy and wonderful recipes for all kinds of skin and hair care products, including creams (emulsified with beeswax, with and without borax).
Erich Keller's Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care. This book is jammed pack with information, including aromatherapy/essential oil info and usage (which essential oils to use over others for specific skin conditions; there are lots of charts), how the skin and hair functions, skin and hair conditions, and contains a wide range of skin and hair cosmetic recipes. The cream recipes are well detailed; they clearly describe what temperatures the water and oils phases should be at, for those that are concerned with accuracy.
Donna Maria's Making aromatherapy creams and lotions. Depending on who you ask, people either really love this book or they hate it. I think it gives a great technical explaination on cream making, and also has recipes on how to make a few other goodies. It does an awesome job (even better than the other two books above) at describing the various ingredients, except that it neglects to mention natural preservatives. The only thing I didn't like is that it uses a lot of emulsifying wax in its recipes (which is not a natural ingredient), but there are some beeswax and borax recipes too. It may not be a good book for the beginner, as it uses many rare and expensive ingredients, which may be frustrating for some people to find. I, personally, haven't had a problem finding the ingredients, but then again I know where to find most of the ingredients since I make crafts all the time. In a way this is good for the beginner in that it describes the process in great detail, but at the same time some people get frustatrated in trying to track down the ingredients, or the recipes may seem daunting because they contain so many exotic ingredients. These are good recipes for 'fancy/exotic' creams. It has a basic beeswax cream, but mainly has complicated recipes if you want to play with textures (like creams with the floral waxes). I highly recommend it for the technical information.
Dorie Byers' Natural Beauty Basics : Create Your Own Cosmetics and Body Care Products. This book has nice beeswax (with no borax) recipes, and if you want to make a cream with lecithin, this is the only book I've found that has recipes that uses ONLY lecithin to emulsify creams (Donna Maria has recipes with lecithin but if I recall correctly she uses it with a mix of other emulsifiers). The recipes are for hand creams, but they are very nice, and you could use them all over the body/face. There is a fantastic shea butter cream recipe too. This book has many other wonderful recipes in it too. They only thing I didn't like is that ocassionally a few synthetics creep up in her recipes (like using baby shampoo to make an herbal shampoo), but for the most part the recipes are 100% natural.
Rosemary Gladstar. One of the best cream recipes ever. Get either the 'Family Herbal' or 'Herbs for Natural Beauty' (which has the same information; the Family Herbal is like a compilation of many of her little books like Herbs for Natural Beauty). Although it is only one recipe, the instructions for that recipe are awesome. This cream recipe is my favorite for my body skin, and the one recipe that I've based most of my porportions on. It is so rich and versatile, and is simply the best. Gladstars books have many other recipes on skin care, and if you get the Family Herbal book, it is a good resource on herb descriptions, and contains good recipes on natural remedies for all kinds of problems. And the rest of the book--gorgeous layout but extremely useful information. Gladstar is considered one of the best herbalists in the country. One of my favorite herbal remedy books.
Janice Cox books. Very easy recipes; beeswax based creams and some creams made just with stearic acid (which I haven't seen in other guides). I think the stearic acid creams are in her 'Natural Beauty at Home' book (make sure you get the expanded, revised edition which has more recipes). It is a good beginner guide and excellent for a wide range of simple recipes, not just creams. I like her books, and the recipes are nice but they are VERY basic (not very technical, simple ingredients). The creams I've tried from her were ok; I liked recipes from other authors better though. The bulk of the book consists of recipes; a good place to get ideas from. You can usually find Janice Cox books in your local library too (the others may be harder to find in your library though).
Here are some of my favorite books with cream recipes (mini book reviews):
Dina Falconi's Earthly Bodies and Heavenly Hair : This book explains techniques and the differences between creams/lotions, salves/balms, herbal oils, tinctures, herbal vinegars, powders, etc (check out the last chapter book). It has very easy and wonderful recipes for all kinds of skin and hair care products, including creams (emulsified with beeswax, with and without borax).
Erich Keller's Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care. This book is jammed pack with information, including aromatherapy/essential oil info and usage (which essential oils to use over others for specific skin conditions; there are lots of charts), how the skin and hair functions, skin and hair conditions, and contains a wide range of skin and hair cosmetic recipes. The cream recipes are well detailed; they clearly describe what temperatures the water and oils phases should be at, for those that are concerned with accuracy.
Donna Maria's Making aromatherapy creams and lotions. Depending on who you ask, people either really love this book or they hate it. I think it gives a great technical explaination on cream making, and also has recipes on how to make a few other goodies. It does an awesome job (even better than the other two books above) at describing the various ingredients, except that it neglects to mention natural preservatives. The only thing I didn't like is that it uses a lot of emulsifying wax in its recipes (which is not a natural ingredient), but there are some beeswax and borax recipes too. It may not be a good book for the beginner, as it uses many rare and expensive ingredients, which may be frustrating for some people to find. I, personally, haven't had a problem finding the ingredients, but then again I know where to find most of the ingredients since I make crafts all the time. In a way this is good for the beginner in that it describes the process in great detail, but at the same time some people get frustatrated in trying to track down the ingredients, or the recipes may seem daunting because they contain so many exotic ingredients. These are good recipes for 'fancy/exotic' creams. It has a basic beeswax cream, but mainly has complicated recipes if you want to play with textures (like creams with the floral waxes). I highly recommend it for the technical information.
Dorie Byers' Natural Beauty Basics : Create Your Own Cosmetics and Body Care Products. This book has nice beeswax (with no borax) recipes, and if you want to make a cream with lecithin, this is the only book I've found that has recipes that uses ONLY lecithin to emulsify creams (Donna Maria has recipes with lecithin but if I recall correctly she uses it with a mix of other emulsifiers). The recipes are for hand creams, but they are very nice, and you could use them all over the body/face. There is a fantastic shea butter cream recipe too. This book has many other wonderful recipes in it too. They only thing I didn't like is that ocassionally a few synthetics creep up in her recipes (like using baby shampoo to make an herbal shampoo), but for the most part the recipes are 100% natural.
Rosemary Gladstar. One of the best cream recipes ever. Get either the 'Family Herbal' or 'Herbs for Natural Beauty' (which has the same information; the Family Herbal is like a compilation of many of her little books like Herbs for Natural Beauty). Although it is only one recipe, the instructions for that recipe are awesome. This cream recipe is my favorite for my body skin, and the one recipe that I've based most of my porportions on. It is so rich and versatile, and is simply the best. Gladstars books have many other recipes on skin care, and if you get the Family Herbal book, it is a good resource on herb descriptions, and contains good recipes on natural remedies for all kinds of problems. And the rest of the book--gorgeous layout but extremely useful information. Gladstar is considered one of the best herbalists in the country. One of my favorite herbal remedy books.
Janice Cox books. Very easy recipes; beeswax based creams and some creams made just with stearic acid (which I haven't seen in other guides). I think the stearic acid creams are in her 'Natural Beauty at Home' book (make sure you get the expanded, revised edition which has more recipes). It is a good beginner guide and excellent for a wide range of simple recipes, not just creams. I like her books, and the recipes are nice but they are VERY basic (not very technical, simple ingredients). The creams I've tried from her were ok; I liked recipes from other authors better though. The bulk of the book consists of recipes; a good place to get ideas from. You can usually find Janice Cox books in your local library too (the others may be harder to find in your library though).
Monday, April 10, 2006
Magical Aromatherapy by S. Cunningham (Aromatherapy book review)
One thing that frustrates me when I'm trying to book shop on the internet is that it's sometimes hard to tell how good of a resource a book is or not. Looking at Amazon's site helps, since they offer 'sneak peaks' into many of their online books, but sometimes those peaks aren't enough. Reading the reviews also helps, but most of the time the positive reviews don't tell me much otherwise than the fact that someone enjoyed it (the 'bad' reviews often tell me much more!). So I'm going to start posting about aromatherapy/natural skin care/natural household/herbalism etc book reviews. I've done a few "mini" aromatherapy/miy book reviews in the past, but I'll be sure to blog about each book in depth! I have 30-40 or so books in my collection so it's probably going to take me a while to get through all of them, especially since I plan to keep blogging about other things too! :)
"Magical Aromatherapy" by Scott Cunningham:
This was one of the first aromatherapy books I got, and I still use and love it. Aside from the usual well-known uses of aromatherapy (skin care and medicinal/psychological), another use of aromatherapy is the use of natural fragrances (essential oils) in spiritual matters. Though I've read other aromatherapy and herbal books that provide some information about spiritual uses of essential oils and herbs, I haven't found another book quite like this one. This one, first of all was written by a well known pagan/wiccan (who has since passed) who truly knew and understood herbal lore and ritual uses of plants--but even if you aren't pagan or wiccan don't let that stop you from getting this book! Cunningham was well known for writing for all audiences, so whether you are Christian or Taoist, or are just interested in crafting things such oil blends to wear during meditation or personal growth rituals, this book can be used by people of all faiths to incorporate in their own belief systems. It is not geared towards any one specific religion or belief system.
Chapter 1 begins with a few of Cunningham's thoughts on the subject of aromatherapy and magic. He defines magic as 'the movement of subtle natural energies to manifest needed change' (p. 5), in this case, basically using the scent of plants with visualization to bring change. His concept of magic is similar to what other personal and spiritual growth authors have also described as visualization, and also similar to meditation or prayers used in religion.
In Chapter 2 he describes the use of natural fragrance for spiritual matters in cultures throughout the world. Some of the cultures he describes are the Egyptians, Native Americans, and the Greek and Romans. I think this chapter is very fascinating but it is it way too short! Though he describes some cultures in depth, he only briefly mentions (in a single sentence) that scent has also been used in other places such as Asia and Africa, but doesn't go into detail about any of those cultures.
Chapter 3 briefly lists fresh and dried plants that you may want to grow. Very short chapter that basically lists which herbs are better used as fresh versus dried.
Chapter 4 is about essential oils. While this chapter is also short, it is full of useful information. He describes the difference between synthetic versus natural essential oils in an easy to understand manner, and the importance of using natural essential oils instead of synthetic. There is also a comparative chart of essential oil prices. Though this book was written in 1993, with the exception of a few oils, this very useful chart is still pretty accurate in terms of prices for essential oils.
Chapter 5 is on methods and techniques. He lists several inhalation techniques and describes examples of how visualization can be used. On the usage of essential oils he gives a lot of good suggestions on inhalation techniques (like placing a drop on a cotton ball or using it in a bath) but I much prefer using essential oils in a base oil (which he doesn't describe in this chapter but does in another chapter). Basically his message is to breathe in the scent and he doesn't give any elaborate rituals on how to use the fresh herbs or plants or essential oils. On one hand this is an advantage because then the user can the information in the book to cater it to their own beliefs. On the other hand if you are a beginner you may want to check out another book that describes visualization, meditation, or religious rituals more in depth.
Part 2 is titled "the aromas". This is the bulk and most important part of the book. He lists the common and Latin names, parts used (fresh, dried, essential oil, or specific part of plant), ruling planet and ruling element (western elements), magical influences (what the scent acts upon, for example: healing, love, wisdom, etc), and lore (historical, ritual, and magical uses of plants), for over 100 plants! I love this section especially the lore sections! The herbs are listed in alphabetical order, making them easy to find.
Part 3 consists of tables. The first table is a table on herbs used for specific magical/spiritual matters. For example, under herbs to use "for courage", herbs such as black pepper, clove, fennel, ginger, onion, sweet pea, thyme, and yarrow are suggested. Other lists include aromas of the days, seasons, lunar cycles, those associated with crystals, elements, planets, and the zodiac. After checking out the lists, you can read about the herbs more in depth in Part 2. In this section he also describes how to make a basic aromatherapy base oil, lists six examples of blends (including healing, spiritual, and protection blends), and lists generally true and generally synthetic essential oils, and hazardous essential oils. There are also appendixes and a short glossary, and a good bibliography.
I found these lists very useful, since I don't have to aimlessly flip through part 2 first to figure out which herbs to use. The instructions on making base oils were very simple but clear. I love the examples of blends he suggested, but as I mentioned this book is more of a reference to make your own blends, rather than using the author's "recipes". I actually prefer this, since I may not have all the oils listed in the recipes, but I may have adequate different herbs or oils listed on the lists that I can use to make a blend that caters my own needs.
The true and generally synthetic essential oil lists are still pretty accurate with the following exceptions: he says that true coconut oil has no coconutty smell. This is only partially true; if coconut oil is refined, it has no smell, but extra virgin, unrefined coconut oil does smell coconutty. I think he was comparing artificial coconut scent with refined coconut oil (fatty oil NOT essential oil. To my knowledge there is no coconut essential oil). He lists frankincense as often imitated; while this may be true, if you buy from any reputable supplier, it shouldn't be a problem obtaining genuine frankincense. He mentioned an absolute of honey is produced but not available to the public. Currently, it is now available to the public but it is extremely hard to find. He also mentions mimosa is unavailable, but it has recently been made available but it is very difficult to find too. Furthermore, he states that tuberose is rarely available; this is still true but it is becoming more popular and easier to find.
For the hazardous oil list, the information he provides is still for the most part accurate, but I don't completely agree with all of his advice. Some of the citrus, peppermint, and lemon like scents can be irritants (and the citrus are usually phototoxic) as stated, but they can still be used on the skin by most people, though at very low concentrations (less than 1/2%), and, in regards to the citrus, at night. Those with sensitive skin should probably avoid usage as suggested.
Overall, I love this book. This book is unique in that it lists herbs for different spiritual uses, and can be used by any belief system. It is easy to use and comprehend, and full of useful information. Since this book was written over ten years ago some things (like which essential oils are genuinely true and which are synthetic) can be a little out of date, but for the most part those lists are still accurate. Definitely a must-have for anyone who wants to make their own spiritual blends for meditation or ritual work.
"Magical Aromatherapy" by Scott Cunningham:
This was one of the first aromatherapy books I got, and I still use and love it. Aside from the usual well-known uses of aromatherapy (skin care and medicinal/psychological), another use of aromatherapy is the use of natural fragrances (essential oils) in spiritual matters. Though I've read other aromatherapy and herbal books that provide some information about spiritual uses of essential oils and herbs, I haven't found another book quite like this one. This one, first of all was written by a well known pagan/wiccan (who has since passed) who truly knew and understood herbal lore and ritual uses of plants--but even if you aren't pagan or wiccan don't let that stop you from getting this book! Cunningham was well known for writing for all audiences, so whether you are Christian or Taoist, or are just interested in crafting things such oil blends to wear during meditation or personal growth rituals, this book can be used by people of all faiths to incorporate in their own belief systems. It is not geared towards any one specific religion or belief system.
Chapter 1 begins with a few of Cunningham's thoughts on the subject of aromatherapy and magic. He defines magic as 'the movement of subtle natural energies to manifest needed change' (p. 5), in this case, basically using the scent of plants with visualization to bring change. His concept of magic is similar to what other personal and spiritual growth authors have also described as visualization, and also similar to meditation or prayers used in religion.
In Chapter 2 he describes the use of natural fragrance for spiritual matters in cultures throughout the world. Some of the cultures he describes are the Egyptians, Native Americans, and the Greek and Romans. I think this chapter is very fascinating but it is it way too short! Though he describes some cultures in depth, he only briefly mentions (in a single sentence) that scent has also been used in other places such as Asia and Africa, but doesn't go into detail about any of those cultures.
Chapter 3 briefly lists fresh and dried plants that you may want to grow. Very short chapter that basically lists which herbs are better used as fresh versus dried.
Chapter 4 is about essential oils. While this chapter is also short, it is full of useful information. He describes the difference between synthetic versus natural essential oils in an easy to understand manner, and the importance of using natural essential oils instead of synthetic. There is also a comparative chart of essential oil prices. Though this book was written in 1993, with the exception of a few oils, this very useful chart is still pretty accurate in terms of prices for essential oils.
Chapter 5 is on methods and techniques. He lists several inhalation techniques and describes examples of how visualization can be used. On the usage of essential oils he gives a lot of good suggestions on inhalation techniques (like placing a drop on a cotton ball or using it in a bath) but I much prefer using essential oils in a base oil (which he doesn't describe in this chapter but does in another chapter). Basically his message is to breathe in the scent and he doesn't give any elaborate rituals on how to use the fresh herbs or plants or essential oils. On one hand this is an advantage because then the user can the information in the book to cater it to their own beliefs. On the other hand if you are a beginner you may want to check out another book that describes visualization, meditation, or religious rituals more in depth.
Part 2 is titled "the aromas". This is the bulk and most important part of the book. He lists the common and Latin names, parts used (fresh, dried, essential oil, or specific part of plant), ruling planet and ruling element (western elements), magical influences (what the scent acts upon, for example: healing, love, wisdom, etc), and lore (historical, ritual, and magical uses of plants), for over 100 plants! I love this section especially the lore sections! The herbs are listed in alphabetical order, making them easy to find.
Part 3 consists of tables. The first table is a table on herbs used for specific magical/spiritual matters. For example, under herbs to use "for courage", herbs such as black pepper, clove, fennel, ginger, onion, sweet pea, thyme, and yarrow are suggested. Other lists include aromas of the days, seasons, lunar cycles, those associated with crystals, elements, planets, and the zodiac. After checking out the lists, you can read about the herbs more in depth in Part 2. In this section he also describes how to make a basic aromatherapy base oil, lists six examples of blends (including healing, spiritual, and protection blends), and lists generally true and generally synthetic essential oils, and hazardous essential oils. There are also appendixes and a short glossary, and a good bibliography.
I found these lists very useful, since I don't have to aimlessly flip through part 2 first to figure out which herbs to use. The instructions on making base oils were very simple but clear. I love the examples of blends he suggested, but as I mentioned this book is more of a reference to make your own blends, rather than using the author's "recipes". I actually prefer this, since I may not have all the oils listed in the recipes, but I may have adequate different herbs or oils listed on the lists that I can use to make a blend that caters my own needs.
The true and generally synthetic essential oil lists are still pretty accurate with the following exceptions: he says that true coconut oil has no coconutty smell. This is only partially true; if coconut oil is refined, it has no smell, but extra virgin, unrefined coconut oil does smell coconutty. I think he was comparing artificial coconut scent with refined coconut oil (fatty oil NOT essential oil. To my knowledge there is no coconut essential oil). He lists frankincense as often imitated; while this may be true, if you buy from any reputable supplier, it shouldn't be a problem obtaining genuine frankincense. He mentioned an absolute of honey is produced but not available to the public. Currently, it is now available to the public but it is extremely hard to find. He also mentions mimosa is unavailable, but it has recently been made available but it is very difficult to find too. Furthermore, he states that tuberose is rarely available; this is still true but it is becoming more popular and easier to find.
For the hazardous oil list, the information he provides is still for the most part accurate, but I don't completely agree with all of his advice. Some of the citrus, peppermint, and lemon like scents can be irritants (and the citrus are usually phototoxic) as stated, but they can still be used on the skin by most people, though at very low concentrations (less than 1/2%), and, in regards to the citrus, at night. Those with sensitive skin should probably avoid usage as suggested.
Overall, I love this book. This book is unique in that it lists herbs for different spiritual uses, and can be used by any belief system. It is easy to use and comprehend, and full of useful information. Since this book was written over ten years ago some things (like which essential oils are genuinely true and which are synthetic) can be a little out of date, but for the most part those lists are still accurate. Definitely a must-have for anyone who wants to make their own spiritual blends for meditation or ritual work.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Carrier Oil Books and Shelf Life (Aromatherapy/All Natural Skin Care Resources and Information)
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
All Natural, Do It Yourself Skin Care Recipes and Books
One of the things I love doing most is crafting all natural skin care. So I love sharing recipes for making simple, natural, 'kitchen', DIY (Do It Yourself), MIY (Make It Yourself) cosmetics. There are many recipes located on this blog (you may have to do a search in the search box--located in the upper top left hand side of this blog--to find them, because although some of the more popular posts are listed on the right hand side of this blog, there are over two hundred entries on this blog, so I can't link all of my posts on the right side). Search using the name of the herb/plant first (such as 'aloe'), and if that doesn't help, then I recommend searching for the basic type of recipe (like 'brown sugar scrub').
Here is my list for other good (free) recipes online:
One of my friends, Sharon, has three amazing all natural beauty (anb) websites, and all three websites have skin care and hair care recipes from herbalists, aromatherapists, natural skin care formulators, skin care business owners, and/or diy recipe enthusiasts, including herbal and aromatherapy pioneer Jeanne Rose and aromatherapist Alexandra Avery. I have posted many recipes on all three websites too (either under Li Wong or the user names Snowcat or Solarkat). I have been posting recipes and articles on the anb websites for many years (years before I ever started my all natural skin care and DIY ingredient business, Earth Alkemie). I am proud to say that Earth Alkemie is an all natural beauty partner to all three anb websites! (The criteria to become an anb partner is very strict, especially for anb portal and all natural beauty website). There are so many amazing recipes, articles, and other companies listed on her websites, so I highly recommend checking them out.
The all natural beauty website has a nice recipe section. Be sure to also check out the articles (many of which discuss ingredients and herbs) and also the list of all natural companies too!
There are a lot of recipes on anb portal. Some of the recipes are the same as the ones on all natural beauty website, but others are exclusive to the anb portal.
There are several beauty recipes on anb mall.
I have many recipes in my eco living articles on anb mall. This includes recipes not posted in the anb mall beauty recipe section above, and my articles also include more in depth notes. I have also written a lot of articles on green house cleaning (including recipes) and many other eco living topics.
The other article sections (beautiful living, inspired living, and the general article section) of anb mall have some recipes too.
One of my favorite forums, skin care talk has a nice recipe section too. I have posted one recipe there (for a vinegar based toner).
Here are some links to several good book reviews or book lists:
A long time ago I wrote several posts on book recommendations or book reviews on natural skin care (herbal, aromatherapy, and other books) here on this blog. The link will bring you to many of my previous posts. :)
This is Sharon's list of books and their links to amazon, and some reviews on anb portal.
In my spotlight (about my plant background) on the anb websites, I have listed many books, scientific journals, and other resources (it's a long spotlight, so you will have to scroll down in the article for this info).
My friend Markey of Garden of Wisdom has also listed some of her favorite books on her website (she offers a lot of nice ingredients too).
Amazon has great prices for used books (many of them are only available used). A few of the more popular ones may be available as an e-book, but many of my favorites are not yet available as e-books.
Your local library may have some books or you can request them through interlibrary loan. Sometimes libraries have annual (old library book) sales too. Another good place to try are local used book stores.
Here is my list for other good (free) recipes online:
One of my friends, Sharon, has three amazing all natural beauty (anb) websites, and all three websites have skin care and hair care recipes from herbalists, aromatherapists, natural skin care formulators, skin care business owners, and/or diy recipe enthusiasts, including herbal and aromatherapy pioneer Jeanne Rose and aromatherapist Alexandra Avery. I have posted many recipes on all three websites too (either under Li Wong or the user names Snowcat or Solarkat). I have been posting recipes and articles on the anb websites for many years (years before I ever started my all natural skin care and DIY ingredient business, Earth Alkemie). I am proud to say that Earth Alkemie is an all natural beauty partner to all three anb websites! (The criteria to become an anb partner is very strict, especially for anb portal and all natural beauty website). There are so many amazing recipes, articles, and other companies listed on her websites, so I highly recommend checking them out.
The all natural beauty website has a nice recipe section. Be sure to also check out the articles (many of which discuss ingredients and herbs) and also the list of all natural companies too!
There are a lot of recipes on anb portal. Some of the recipes are the same as the ones on all natural beauty website, but others are exclusive to the anb portal.
There are several beauty recipes on anb mall.
I have many recipes in my eco living articles on anb mall. This includes recipes not posted in the anb mall beauty recipe section above, and my articles also include more in depth notes. I have also written a lot of articles on green house cleaning (including recipes) and many other eco living topics.
The other article sections (beautiful living, inspired living, and the general article section) of anb mall have some recipes too.
One of my favorite forums, skin care talk has a nice recipe section too. I have posted one recipe there (for a vinegar based toner).
Here are some links to several good book reviews or book lists:
A long time ago I wrote several posts on book recommendations or book reviews on natural skin care (herbal, aromatherapy, and other books) here on this blog. The link will bring you to many of my previous posts. :)
This is Sharon's list of books and their links to amazon, and some reviews on anb portal.
In my spotlight (about my plant background) on the anb websites, I have listed many books, scientific journals, and other resources (it's a long spotlight, so you will have to scroll down in the article for this info).
My friend Markey of Garden of Wisdom has also listed some of her favorite books on her website (she offers a lot of nice ingredients too).
Amazon has great prices for used books (many of them are only available used). A few of the more popular ones may be available as an e-book, but many of my favorites are not yet available as e-books.
Your local library may have some books or you can request them through interlibrary loan. Sometimes libraries have annual (old library book) sales too. Another good place to try are local used book stores.
Saturday, November 02, 2013
Free Kindle Perfume Book
I was on amazon and I saw that G. W. Septimus Piesse's perfume book was free! I am not sure how long it is free for, but I recommend getting it! It is in the kindle format.
G. W. Septimus Piesse was a perfumer who lived from 1820 to 1882. In the 1850s he wrote a perfume book called "The Art of Perfumery And Methods Of Obtaining The Odors Of Plants". Piesse believed that scents were linked to sounds and he assigned a musical note to scents. For example he considered the scent of rose to be a C. It is an interesting read because the book contains many recipes for perfumes and scents for products; an interesting look into the historic past of perfume and scent making!
So if you love learning about the history of perfumery, I recommend downloading this book. Many natural perfumers still refer to his concept of scents as music notes! It is a must read for all that are interested in the art of perfumery. :)
Project Glutenburg has his book on their website too so if the amazon link doesn't work anymore, then try their website (they have many different formats available).
G. W. Septimus Piesse was a perfumer who lived from 1820 to 1882. In the 1850s he wrote a perfume book called "The Art of Perfumery And Methods Of Obtaining The Odors Of Plants". Piesse believed that scents were linked to sounds and he assigned a musical note to scents. For example he considered the scent of rose to be a C. It is an interesting read because the book contains many recipes for perfumes and scents for products; an interesting look into the historic past of perfume and scent making!
So if you love learning about the history of perfumery, I recommend downloading this book. Many natural perfumers still refer to his concept of scents as music notes! It is a must read for all that are interested in the art of perfumery. :)
Project Glutenburg has his book on their website too so if the amazon link doesn't work anymore, then try their website (they have many different formats available).
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
FREE Aromatherapy Kindle Book Today, March 18 (Aromatherapy)
Today on March 18, 2014, vintage aromatherapist Marge Clark is offering her aromatherapy book, 'Essential Oils And Aromatics' for free. For the kindle edition. Here is the description on her website. The link to the kindle edition's page on amazon is on her website. :) Edited to add the direct link to the amazon page, since certain browsers are having issues showing the amazon link on Marge's website.
Marge Clark has been learning about aromatherapy for around twenty years or longer. She is considered a vintage aromatherapist in the aromatherapy community. By vintage I mean a knowledgeable aromatherapy pioneer that has been using aromatherapy for decades. She is the owner of an awesome aromatherapy company called 'Nature's Gift'. I buy most essential oils in bulk or wholesale (since I had/have an aromatherapy skin care and perfume business), but I still buy from her store sometimes, for the rarer aromatics. The quality of her products is excellent to superior: top notch, and one of the aromatherapy companies I recommend the most to others. Her website has lots of authentic information on aromatherapy, and I enjoy reading her newsletter.
I remember several years ago, Marge Clark put a link to Solarkat's Eco Blog on her blog (Nature's Gift's blog). I was so excited that she reads my blog!
I have her book both in the printed edition and the kindle edition. When the kindle edition came out a few months ago, I was so ecstatic, because currently there are very few GOOD aromatherapy, herbalism, natural skin care, natural remedy, etc books on kindle. I have downloaded a lot of free books, and many of them are filled with mistakes, misinformation, don't list safety information or contraindications, or there are formulation issues with the recipes, etc. I like her book since I think it is a good introduction to the world of aromatherapy. It includes a lot of aromatherapy recipes for different issues.
On Nature Gift's facebook page, she mentioned to me that she wishes she had the time to complete the second edition and get it reprinted in hardcover, so I am hoping that in the future she will have the time to write! Considering how awesome the first edition is, I know it will be worth the wait!
The kindle book is only free today. But if you miss it, it has been on sale in the past, and it really isn't that expensive; it costs about $7 or so. So it's still a great book to get if you miss the free offer.
Marge Clark has been learning about aromatherapy for around twenty years or longer. She is considered a vintage aromatherapist in the aromatherapy community. By vintage I mean a knowledgeable aromatherapy pioneer that has been using aromatherapy for decades. She is the owner of an awesome aromatherapy company called 'Nature's Gift'. I buy most essential oils in bulk or wholesale (since I had/have an aromatherapy skin care and perfume business), but I still buy from her store sometimes, for the rarer aromatics. The quality of her products is excellent to superior: top notch, and one of the aromatherapy companies I recommend the most to others. Her website has lots of authentic information on aromatherapy, and I enjoy reading her newsletter.
I remember several years ago, Marge Clark put a link to Solarkat's Eco Blog on her blog (Nature's Gift's blog). I was so excited that she reads my blog!
I have her book both in the printed edition and the kindle edition. When the kindle edition came out a few months ago, I was so ecstatic, because currently there are very few GOOD aromatherapy, herbalism, natural skin care, natural remedy, etc books on kindle. I have downloaded a lot of free books, and many of them are filled with mistakes, misinformation, don't list safety information or contraindications, or there are formulation issues with the recipes, etc. I like her book since I think it is a good introduction to the world of aromatherapy. It includes a lot of aromatherapy recipes for different issues.
On Nature Gift's facebook page, she mentioned to me that she wishes she had the time to complete the second edition and get it reprinted in hardcover, so I am hoping that in the future she will have the time to write! Considering how awesome the first edition is, I know it will be worth the wait!
The kindle book is only free today. But if you miss it, it has been on sale in the past, and it really isn't that expensive; it costs about $7 or so. So it's still a great book to get if you miss the free offer.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Chinese New Years! (Chinese astrology information)
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!
Sabrina 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).
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!
Sabrina 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).
Saturday, October 21, 2006
More on Natural Perfume Making and Essential Oil Concentrations/Diluting Essential Oils (Aromatherapy)
I'm allergic to many synthetics which is why I switched to all natural products about 6 years back. Most commerical perfumes are made with hundreds of chemical components, and only a small amount of pure essential oil.
I've previously blogged about perfume concentrations and how to miy and where to buy perfume but I decided to post some more information.
How do I dilute essential oils to 1%, 2%, etc concentration?
To make a 1% essential oil concentration, add 6 drops of an essential oil (or essential oil blend) in 1 ounce of carrier. To make a 2% concentration, add 12 drops of essential oils in 1 ounce. There are 300-600 drops of liquid in an ounce, so you can calculate the rest.
Note: Never use more than a 2% concentration in a massage oil/body oil/cream/serum etc (most products). So whether you use one essential oil or twenty essential oils, don't use more than 12 drops total. The only exception is perfume, in which you would use up to a 30% concentration (the reason why such a high concentration is okay in perfumes is because you'd only use a couple drops of the product versus a teaspoon or more of the lotion etc. So the actual essential oil concentration you put on your skin is fairly low). And never apply essential oils neat to the skin (though some books say you can apply lavender and tea tree neat, this is only during emergencies like insect bites and only like a drop once or twice.) Always dilute for daily use.(When I hear that people apply large amounts of essential oils neat to their skin, I cringe because there have been some reports of fatal toxicity of certain essential oils in large amounts (around a teaspoon)).
What are top, middle, and base notes? And what are the best aromatherapy perfume making books?
A lot of basic aromatherapy texts explain top, middle, and base notes. But the best aromatherapy book I've found that focuses on perfume is Mindy Green's "The Natural Perfume Book". It is a small book but it gives a good overview on perfume making and also contains over 30 recipes; but it is out of print and when you can find it online, it is expensive; so try used book stores or try to request it through your local library. Mindy Green's and Kathi Keville's Aromatherapy: A complete guide to the healing art has a small section discussing perfume making (but only contains a few recipes), and is also a good overall aromatherapy primer. Mandy Aftel's book Essence and Alchemy is considered one of the best, and I think it gives a good overview on the history and also components of natural perfumes, however it hardly contains any recipes (just like 3 or 4). Nancy Booth's Perfumes, splashes, and colonges also has very good background info, however she includes fragrance oils along with essential oils in her recipes. i think it's a good reference but I don't use FOs so I found Green's book to be much more helpful. I've also heard that Chrissie Wildwood's Create Your Own Aromatherapy Perfumes: Enchanting Blends for Body and Home (2nd edition) is fantastic but it is out of print too and I haven't been able to get my hands on an inexpensive copy yet.
See my links for other aromatherapy books and online resources. I highly recommend getting at least three good aromatherapy primers in addition to the books above.
I've previously blogged about perfume concentrations and how to miy and where to buy perfume but I decided to post some more information.
How do I dilute essential oils to 1%, 2%, etc concentration?
To make a 1% essential oil concentration, add 6 drops of an essential oil (or essential oil blend) in 1 ounce of carrier. To make a 2% concentration, add 12 drops of essential oils in 1 ounce. There are 300-600 drops of liquid in an ounce, so you can calculate the rest.
Note: Never use more than a 2% concentration in a massage oil/body oil/cream/serum etc (most products). So whether you use one essential oil or twenty essential oils, don't use more than 12 drops total. The only exception is perfume, in which you would use up to a 30% concentration (the reason why such a high concentration is okay in perfumes is because you'd only use a couple drops of the product versus a teaspoon or more of the lotion etc. So the actual essential oil concentration you put on your skin is fairly low). And never apply essential oils neat to the skin (though some books say you can apply lavender and tea tree neat, this is only during emergencies like insect bites and only like a drop once or twice.) Always dilute for daily use.(When I hear that people apply large amounts of essential oils neat to their skin, I cringe because there have been some reports of fatal toxicity of certain essential oils in large amounts (around a teaspoon)).
What are top, middle, and base notes? And what are the best aromatherapy perfume making books?
A lot of basic aromatherapy texts explain top, middle, and base notes. But the best aromatherapy book I've found that focuses on perfume is Mindy Green's "The Natural Perfume Book". It is a small book but it gives a good overview on perfume making and also contains over 30 recipes; but it is out of print and when you can find it online, it is expensive; so try used book stores or try to request it through your local library. Mindy Green's and Kathi Keville's Aromatherapy: A complete guide to the healing art has a small section discussing perfume making (but only contains a few recipes), and is also a good overall aromatherapy primer. Mandy Aftel's book Essence and Alchemy is considered one of the best, and I think it gives a good overview on the history and also components of natural perfumes, however it hardly contains any recipes (just like 3 or 4). Nancy Booth's Perfumes, splashes, and colonges also has very good background info, however she includes fragrance oils along with essential oils in her recipes. i think it's a good reference but I don't use FOs so I found Green's book to be much more helpful. I've also heard that Chrissie Wildwood's Create Your Own Aromatherapy Perfumes: Enchanting Blends for Body and Home (2nd edition) is fantastic but it is out of print too and I haven't been able to get my hands on an inexpensive copy yet.
See my links for other aromatherapy books and online resources. I highly recommend getting at least three good aromatherapy primers in addition to the books above.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Collapse!!! (Book review/environmental)
I have been reading Jared Diamond's book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed for the past month (for a grad school class; summer seminar). Diamond argues that the failure of many (though not all) past and present societies is caused by environmental degradation. Though at times it seemed like he was a bit repetitive, I really liked this book (and the class too!) for several reasons. First, he writes in a friendly, easy to understand yet intelligent manner. I think he does a good job in reaching the public with his message, without using complex environmental concepts. I liked the fact that he researched societies from all over the world--from the Maya to pre-modern Japan to Rwanda to Australia--instead of just focusing on one area. He also makes it a point to note that while we tend to think of past civilizations of being 'pristine stewards' of the earth, environmental problems have plagued human kind since the beginning of civilization; it's just we're faced with issues on a greater, more global scale.
A couple things bothered me though, and it's partially because I am a bit nitpicky when it comes to writing and researching since they are my passions. I found it slightly annoying that although he included a 'further reading section' at the back of the book, he did not footnote any of the information in the book. I realize that this is a novel for the general public, and not a research article, but it would have been nice to know all of his sources. I point this out, because in class I was required to do presentations on some of the subjects, and when doing extra research often found figures that were slightly different than what he used (only slightly though, nothing too drastic). Furthermore, although I think he is generally a good writer, occasionally his grammar was horrible! Not that my grammar is 100% correct all the time, but I am not a novelist (not yet anyhow ;) ) and do not have an editor to double check my work! Aside from these slight issues, I definitely think that this book is worth checking out!
A couple things bothered me though, and it's partially because I am a bit nitpicky when it comes to writing and researching since they are my passions. I found it slightly annoying that although he included a 'further reading section' at the back of the book, he did not footnote any of the information in the book. I realize that this is a novel for the general public, and not a research article, but it would have been nice to know all of his sources. I point this out, because in class I was required to do presentations on some of the subjects, and when doing extra research often found figures that were slightly different than what he used (only slightly though, nothing too drastic). Furthermore, although I think he is generally a good writer, occasionally his grammar was horrible! Not that my grammar is 100% correct all the time, but I am not a novelist (not yet anyhow ;) ) and do not have an editor to double check my work! Aside from these slight issues, I definitely think that this book is worth checking out!
Monday, November 06, 2006
Insect Repellents on Animals (Aromatherapy)
Meant to post this a while back.
Can I use essential oils on pets for fleas, mosquitos etc?
There are many essential oils that are effective moisquito repellents for use on humans, but I don't know too much about what essential oils are safe to use on dogs (some essential oils that are used on humans are very toxic on other animals). I haven't researched this too much, since I'm a cat person and essential oils are toxic to cats. Some are fine to use on dogs.
There is one book which is supposed to be the best source for essential oils on animals called Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals by Kristen Leigh Bell (who is incidentally the owner of the mineral makeup company Aromaleigh--I am so sad they moved away from being all natural so i don't use their products any longer. Anyways...)
There is another book called "Veterinary Aromatherapy" but Aromaweb (an aromatherapy website) cautions about some of the advice in this book.
I do not have these books yet, but I suggest getting the one by Bell since she is considered the expert in aromatherapy for animals.
Worwood's complete book of aromatherapy also has some info on use on animals, but since it was written in 1995, and she recommends using essential oils on cats which has since been shown to be toxic, the info from that book is dated for animals (though it is considered one of the aromatherapy bibles for humans)
Be sure to dilute the essential oils well (probably only at the 1/2 to 1% concentration or less; remember: less is better!) or consider using hydrosols, which are much more gentle.
It would probably be better to use essential oils on a collar rather than on the fur so your dog can't lick it off.
Vermont soap sells dog shampoo, and Aubrey Organics has dog shampoo, a dip for fleas, and a spray. You can look at the ingredients to get an idea of what you can use. (For cat lovers reading this, please don't use these products on cats. Use plain castille soap to wash kitty if it is absolutely necessary).
Can I use essential oils on pets for fleas, mosquitos etc?
There are many essential oils that are effective moisquito repellents for use on humans, but I don't know too much about what essential oils are safe to use on dogs (some essential oils that are used on humans are very toxic on other animals). I haven't researched this too much, since I'm a cat person and essential oils are toxic to cats. Some are fine to use on dogs.
There is one book which is supposed to be the best source for essential oils on animals called Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals by Kristen Leigh Bell (who is incidentally the owner of the mineral makeup company Aromaleigh--I am so sad they moved away from being all natural so i don't use their products any longer. Anyways...)
There is another book called "Veterinary Aromatherapy" but Aromaweb (an aromatherapy website) cautions about some of the advice in this book.
I do not have these books yet, but I suggest getting the one by Bell since she is considered the expert in aromatherapy for animals.
Worwood's complete book of aromatherapy also has some info on use on animals, but since it was written in 1995, and she recommends using essential oils on cats which has since been shown to be toxic, the info from that book is dated for animals (though it is considered one of the aromatherapy bibles for humans)
Be sure to dilute the essential oils well (probably only at the 1/2 to 1% concentration or less; remember: less is better!) or consider using hydrosols, which are much more gentle.
It would probably be better to use essential oils on a collar rather than on the fur so your dog can't lick it off.
Vermont soap sells dog shampoo, and Aubrey Organics has dog shampoo, a dip for fleas, and a spray. You can look at the ingredients to get an idea of what you can use. (For cat lovers reading this, please don't use these products on cats. Use plain castille soap to wash kitty if it is absolutely necessary).
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Craft Mineral Makeup! (Mineral Makeup)
I've been experimenting with crafting mineral makeup for the last few months. I haven't tried making any foundation yet, but I have made eye shadows galore (I've made at least 8 different shades of gold eye shadow!), a couple of blushes (I usually don't wear blush so this is a milestone for me!), and even a few lippies (I made the color but used an all natural pre-made base; plan on making my own base soon).
There are only three mineral makeup books that I know of (I am a natural cosmetic book fanatic, and I've been looking for books on mineral makeup but I haven't found that many).
The first one is Creative Faces by Maxine Nelson. I borrowed this from the library a while back, and I personally didn't like it very much. There was a section on ingredients but most of their recipes for eyes and foundation were based on talc and some (like the lippies) used F D&C colors (ingredients I avoid). Also the instructions were not that specific; they were basically "take a pinch of this" and mix it with a teaspoon of that etc, which is very vague (when crafting you definitely need to use a gram scale). But you may get some basic info from it.
The second one is Recipes for Makeup by Karen Bombeli. I have not read this one, but the amazon reviews are pretty bad (there is apparantly a lot of spelling mistakes). Also I've seen the website of the author's company and many of her recipes have a lot of synthetics that I avoid (more so than the book above).
The last one is from Coastal Scents: Mineral Makeup Secrets Revealed (online book). I don't have this either but someone e-mailed me a review about this book, and it also contains some ingredients I avoid (but still primarily natural), and apparantly contains just basic information.
I personally learned more about minerals from Deb (owner of Monave and Monave's MMU kits (I have two of them). Once a year, Deb hosts and teaches an all day conference on making MMU (the only person I am aware of that teaches how to craft MMU). I haven't taken the seminars but I've e-mailed her many questions about mineral makeup crafting, and she has been very friendly and helpful. She is awesome! In addition to the kits she sells individual loose pigments and micas. Deb is also working on a book--I told her I'd be one of the first ones in line to buy it if she ever finishes it!
Other companies that sell loose micas, pigments, and kits are Tkb Trading and Coastal Scents. Tbktrading sells so many different choices! If you are concerned about using certain ingredients be sure to read the ingredients for every mica and pigment etc you buy. Tkb also has a great blog on minerals!
Gram scales (to weigh the minerals; to keep recipes accurate) or any scales for that matter can be purchased at Oldwill Knott Scales. Monave sells mini grinders, or you can use a blender to mix (please purchase a separate blender for your cosmetics; don't use the same one that you blend food in).
Tips on crafting:
Unblended colored micas are very intense and usually need to be mixed with a base. Though the straight unblended colored micas also make great intense eyeliners and eyeshadows, especially wetlined or foiled!
I suggest trying a variety of different bases (micas), since all of them will make the colored micas look different. To make things lighter: You can mix the colored micas with serecite (uncolored mica; it will make your blends more matte), or with the splendids/highlights/starlights (which are the refraction micas; which look like white powders but in the light have a 'highlight' color; comes in several colors), or silver fine (a whitish silver color). To make things darker: black mica, the blackstars (which are dark/black but with different tones; they are coated with iron oxides; comes in several colors). OR try mixing the colored micas together.
The shades look way different depending on what you mix with what. As an experiment I took one colored mica and then mixed it with each of the other micas I mentioned. The end results looked so different, even if I started with the same colored mica!
You can also try bases/blends of bismuth (if you're not allergic), titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and magnesium stearate (avoid this if you are vegetarian).
Don't mix the colored micas for too long, as over blending may damage the mica particles.
If you use pure iron oxides (to make matte shades), they need to be mixed for much longer than the colored micas, and you don't need to use as much of them.
Also try playing with the ratios too!
Micas in creams/lotions; how to make sparkly creams/lotions:
I've read (from Monave) that the easiest micas to use in a product are probably the splendids which refract light and come in a variety of colors: blue, violet, red, gold, green (in the jar they look like a white powder but if you move them in the light or wet them you can see their different colors).
You will definitely need to use either a gum or gel to thicken your lotion (or make a cream which are thicker than lotions), to prevent the micas from sinking (or you could just shake gently).
There are only three mineral makeup books that I know of (I am a natural cosmetic book fanatic, and I've been looking for books on mineral makeup but I haven't found that many).
The first one is Creative Faces by Maxine Nelson. I borrowed this from the library a while back, and I personally didn't like it very much. There was a section on ingredients but most of their recipes for eyes and foundation were based on talc and some (like the lippies) used F D&C colors (ingredients I avoid). Also the instructions were not that specific; they were basically "take a pinch of this" and mix it with a teaspoon of that etc, which is very vague (when crafting you definitely need to use a gram scale). But you may get some basic info from it.
The second one is Recipes for Makeup by Karen Bombeli. I have not read this one, but the amazon reviews are pretty bad (there is apparantly a lot of spelling mistakes). Also I've seen the website of the author's company and many of her recipes have a lot of synthetics that I avoid (more so than the book above).
The last one is from Coastal Scents: Mineral Makeup Secrets Revealed (online book). I don't have this either but someone e-mailed me a review about this book, and it also contains some ingredients I avoid (but still primarily natural), and apparantly contains just basic information.
I personally learned more about minerals from Deb (owner of Monave and Monave's MMU kits (I have two of them). Once a year, Deb hosts and teaches an all day conference on making MMU (the only person I am aware of that teaches how to craft MMU). I haven't taken the seminars but I've e-mailed her many questions about mineral makeup crafting, and she has been very friendly and helpful. She is awesome! In addition to the kits she sells individual loose pigments and micas. Deb is also working on a book--I told her I'd be one of the first ones in line to buy it if she ever finishes it!
Other companies that sell loose micas, pigments, and kits are Tkb Trading and Coastal Scents. Tbktrading sells so many different choices! If you are concerned about using certain ingredients be sure to read the ingredients for every mica and pigment etc you buy. Tkb also has a great blog on minerals!
Gram scales (to weigh the minerals; to keep recipes accurate) or any scales for that matter can be purchased at Oldwill Knott Scales. Monave sells mini grinders, or you can use a blender to mix (please purchase a separate blender for your cosmetics; don't use the same one that you blend food in).
Tips on crafting:
Unblended colored micas are very intense and usually need to be mixed with a base. Though the straight unblended colored micas also make great intense eyeliners and eyeshadows, especially wetlined or foiled!
I suggest trying a variety of different bases (micas), since all of them will make the colored micas look different. To make things lighter: You can mix the colored micas with serecite (uncolored mica; it will make your blends more matte), or with the splendids/highlights/starlights (which are the refraction micas; which look like white powders but in the light have a 'highlight' color; comes in several colors), or silver fine (a whitish silver color). To make things darker: black mica, the blackstars (which are dark/black but with different tones; they are coated with iron oxides; comes in several colors). OR try mixing the colored micas together.
The shades look way different depending on what you mix with what. As an experiment I took one colored mica and then mixed it with each of the other micas I mentioned. The end results looked so different, even if I started with the same colored mica!
You can also try bases/blends of bismuth (if you're not allergic), titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and magnesium stearate (avoid this if you are vegetarian).
Don't mix the colored micas for too long, as over blending may damage the mica particles.
If you use pure iron oxides (to make matte shades), they need to be mixed for much longer than the colored micas, and you don't need to use as much of them.
Also try playing with the ratios too!
Micas in creams/lotions; how to make sparkly creams/lotions:
I've read (from Monave) that the easiest micas to use in a product are probably the splendids which refract light and come in a variety of colors: blue, violet, red, gold, green (in the jar they look like a white powder but if you move them in the light or wet them you can see their different colors).
You will definitely need to use either a gum or gel to thicken your lotion (or make a cream which are thicker than lotions), to prevent the micas from sinking (or you could just shake gently).
Monday, September 26, 2005
Fun at the festivals (National Book and Green Festivals review)
Overall, I had a very good time at both the National Book and Green Festivals on Saturday. D.C. was a happening place this weekend. In addition to these two fests, there was an anti-war protest (which I also saw a bit of), and several other festivals/conventions at the Convention Center. Here are some of the highlights of the Book and Green festivals.
I only stayed at the National Book Festival for maybe an hour and a half. I went there primarily to see Neil Gaiman's reading, and got there just as he was being introduced. He was extremely funny and warm (and not to mention cute, and all dressed in black, as usual ;) ). He mentioned that one of the reasons he wrote 'Anansi Boys' was because, after he had children, he began to understand that all children are embarassed by their parents, and he wanted to write about that and family ties. He also wanted to write a funny novel because it's been 15 years since he wrote one ('Good Omens' with Terry Pratchett) and people are convinced that he actually wrote 'Good Omens' as a serious novel, and that Terry ran after him like a pixie inserting all the funny lines and footnotes :). He read what he called one of the 'Anansi stories' from his new novel, which were based on actual Anansi myths. Another highlight was that that when he mentioned (at the beginning of his reading) that he was utterly bookless (from being shuffled all around, since he's on tour right now), one of his fans rushed up to the stage and handed him her copy of the book. I loved his reading, but it was way shorter than last year (I think last year each writer had at least 45 minutes if not an hour to speak, instead of 30 minutes like this year's). But I enjoyed it immensely.
After eating and listening to some poetry, I headed to the Green Festival (the reading was packed, and since I didn't have time to buy any books earlier, I knew that by the time I bought one and got to the line, it would be insanely long. Also I wanted to really go to the Green Festival, so I didn't bother to get anything signed). I had such a good time at the Green Festival. I talked to a lot of non-profits, including one of the directors of Defenders of Wildlife (whom I'm supposed to e-mail to get more information about Congress's attempt to undermine environmental laws like NEPA). I also found out that D.C. has a Vegetarian Society; I never knew that! I got lots of yummy recipes from them and a vegetarian restaurant guide of the area. I also bought a lot of natural cosmetics and got to talk to the owners of Terressentials, James and Diana, who are are really nice, and meet Nadina of Nadina's Cremes, who is a sweetie! (And I got the contact information for the vice president of Dr. Bronner's/Sun Dog's Magic (he wasn't there so I didn't get to meet him), so I could contact him and get some information for my paper on their lawsuit with the Organic Consumer Association against the USDA, for their attempt to weaken organic standards in natural cosmetics.) I got some free samples of a few products: lotion (Dr. Bronner/Sun Dog), laundry detergent and dish soap (Seventh Generation), and drank free tea. I also talked to a few yoga schools in the area, and inquired about classes.
Another totally cool thing that happened, was when I came upon the table for one of the herbal schools, and overheard the conversation between one of people at the booth, and an interested lady, talk about natural medicine and how this natural doctor in the area helped her. I pulled out my courage and asked the lady (the festival go-er) if I could have the name of her doctor. She kindly gave me the doctor's card (she happened to have it on her), and then gave me a hug, gave me her e-mail, and said to let her know how I'm doing in the future (I told her I had some health problems and all these western doctors couldn't help me). You know it's times like this when I truly feel like people actually do care and help each other; it helps me hold onto my faith in humanity, even when things look down.
And also totally awesome, as I was leaving I bought some african black soap (which I've never tried but heard so much about) from this local company called Divinity Vegannatural. However because of the reception, my credit card took forever to go through their machine (the signal kept going in and out). After walking around and coming back twice (so I could sign the slip), one of the nice owners said that it was ok, and that I already waited around long enough, and if I had to leave, it was fine. I offered to leave my contact information, but she said it wasn't necessary and she was sure it'd go through once they got outside, and if it didn't then I'd get free soap since I'd already earned it by waiting so long. So I shook their hands, and was about to leave, when one of the other owners hands me a small jar (for free) of their vegan hempchocolate body butter! They were so cool and nice. I do hope that their machine began working after I left; I know my money is good, but I wasn't so sure about their machine!
(the black soap is marvelous and the hempchocolate butter is absolutely delicious, by the way)
Most of the companies and organizations there were truly green, and the cosmetic ones were really 100% natural--even many that I hadn't even heard before. That said there were a few 'green washers' did show up; like Nature's Gate, a cosmetic company who claims to be 70% organic but whose products are cock full of synthetics. Their products are better than a lot of the other (conventional) cosmetic brands out there, but having any amount of synthetics in your product really defeats the whole purpose of being organic or natural!
All in all, I really enjoyed myself at the Green Festival today, and all the people I talked to were super friendly and nice except for this one company, Al-Qemi, whose TWO reps TOTALLY ignored me for several minutes, by concentrating on talking to someone else at their booth. Didn't even acknowledge my presense, so I walked away. Also they were supposed to have a community talk on natural cosmetics at 3 pm, that I was looking forward to, but they cancelled it! Didn't get to try out the free yoga though, not enough time.
Once I go through the ton of literature (I really DID get a lot), and sort through it all, I will report on all the different companies. Eventually.
I only stayed at the National Book Festival for maybe an hour and a half. I went there primarily to see Neil Gaiman's reading, and got there just as he was being introduced. He was extremely funny and warm (and not to mention cute, and all dressed in black, as usual ;) ). He mentioned that one of the reasons he wrote 'Anansi Boys' was because, after he had children, he began to understand that all children are embarassed by their parents, and he wanted to write about that and family ties. He also wanted to write a funny novel because it's been 15 years since he wrote one ('Good Omens' with Terry Pratchett) and people are convinced that he actually wrote 'Good Omens' as a serious novel, and that Terry ran after him like a pixie inserting all the funny lines and footnotes :). He read what he called one of the 'Anansi stories' from his new novel, which were based on actual Anansi myths. Another highlight was that that when he mentioned (at the beginning of his reading) that he was utterly bookless (from being shuffled all around, since he's on tour right now), one of his fans rushed up to the stage and handed him her copy of the book. I loved his reading, but it was way shorter than last year (I think last year each writer had at least 45 minutes if not an hour to speak, instead of 30 minutes like this year's). But I enjoyed it immensely.
After eating and listening to some poetry, I headed to the Green Festival (the reading was packed, and since I didn't have time to buy any books earlier, I knew that by the time I bought one and got to the line, it would be insanely long. Also I wanted to really go to the Green Festival, so I didn't bother to get anything signed). I had such a good time at the Green Festival. I talked to a lot of non-profits, including one of the directors of Defenders of Wildlife (whom I'm supposed to e-mail to get more information about Congress's attempt to undermine environmental laws like NEPA). I also found out that D.C. has a Vegetarian Society; I never knew that! I got lots of yummy recipes from them and a vegetarian restaurant guide of the area. I also bought a lot of natural cosmetics and got to talk to the owners of Terressentials, James and Diana, who are are really nice, and meet Nadina of Nadina's Cremes, who is a sweetie! (And I got the contact information for the vice president of Dr. Bronner's/Sun Dog's Magic (he wasn't there so I didn't get to meet him), so I could contact him and get some information for my paper on their lawsuit with the Organic Consumer Association against the USDA, for their attempt to weaken organic standards in natural cosmetics.) I got some free samples of a few products: lotion (Dr. Bronner/Sun Dog), laundry detergent and dish soap (Seventh Generation), and drank free tea. I also talked to a few yoga schools in the area, and inquired about classes.
Another totally cool thing that happened, was when I came upon the table for one of the herbal schools, and overheard the conversation between one of people at the booth, and an interested lady, talk about natural medicine and how this natural doctor in the area helped her. I pulled out my courage and asked the lady (the festival go-er) if I could have the name of her doctor. She kindly gave me the doctor's card (she happened to have it on her), and then gave me a hug, gave me her e-mail, and said to let her know how I'm doing in the future (I told her I had some health problems and all these western doctors couldn't help me). You know it's times like this when I truly feel like people actually do care and help each other; it helps me hold onto my faith in humanity, even when things look down.
And also totally awesome, as I was leaving I bought some african black soap (which I've never tried but heard so much about) from this local company called Divinity Vegannatural. However because of the reception, my credit card took forever to go through their machine (the signal kept going in and out). After walking around and coming back twice (so I could sign the slip), one of the nice owners said that it was ok, and that I already waited around long enough, and if I had to leave, it was fine. I offered to leave my contact information, but she said it wasn't necessary and she was sure it'd go through once they got outside, and if it didn't then I'd get free soap since I'd already earned it by waiting so long. So I shook their hands, and was about to leave, when one of the other owners hands me a small jar (for free) of their vegan hempchocolate body butter! They were so cool and nice. I do hope that their machine began working after I left; I know my money is good, but I wasn't so sure about their machine!
(the black soap is marvelous and the hempchocolate butter is absolutely delicious, by the way)
Most of the companies and organizations there were truly green, and the cosmetic ones were really 100% natural--even many that I hadn't even heard before. That said there were a few 'green washers' did show up; like Nature's Gate, a cosmetic company who claims to be 70% organic but whose products are cock full of synthetics. Their products are better than a lot of the other (conventional) cosmetic brands out there, but having any amount of synthetics in your product really defeats the whole purpose of being organic or natural!
All in all, I really enjoyed myself at the Green Festival today, and all the people I talked to were super friendly and nice except for this one company, Al-Qemi, whose TWO reps TOTALLY ignored me for several minutes, by concentrating on talking to someone else at their booth. Didn't even acknowledge my presense, so I walked away. Also they were supposed to have a community talk on natural cosmetics at 3 pm, that I was looking forward to, but they cancelled it! Didn't get to try out the free yoga though, not enough time.
Once I go through the ton of literature (I really DID get a lot), and sort through it all, I will report on all the different companies. Eventually.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, hypoglycemic friendly (Vegetarian Foods and Hypoglycemia information)
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.
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.
Saturday, March 07, 2015
The Aromatic Spa Book Digital Download (Aromatherapy, Natural Skin Care)
Speaking of good books, one of my most favorite aromatherapy skin care books is now available as a digital download. It is not free but it is is worth every penny.
I greatly respect aromatherapy pioneer and essential oil safety expert Sylla Sheppard Hanger. I am honored she is one of my aromatherapy teachers; I have learned a lot from her wisdom and experience in the field. One of her books, The Aromatic Spa, is now available as a digital download. I don't have the download, but I have the paper copy, and it is jammed packed with information. Some of the information is from Sylla's aromatherapy practitioner course, and her aromatherapy practitioner reference manuals, so The Aromatic Spa is kind of like a short course on aromatherapy.
And if you are considering taking her aromatherapy practitioner course or investing in her reference manuals in the future, the Aromatic Spa book is a good way to find out more about Sylla's knowledge and teaching style. In addition, the digital download costs much less than the paper version. I have read many natural skin care and aromatherapy skin care books over the years, and this book is one of the best ones I have read on the subject. If you want to learn about authentic aromatherapy and natural skin care, I highly recommend this book!
I greatly respect aromatherapy pioneer and essential oil safety expert Sylla Sheppard Hanger. I am honored she is one of my aromatherapy teachers; I have learned a lot from her wisdom and experience in the field. One of her books, The Aromatic Spa, is now available as a digital download. I don't have the download, but I have the paper copy, and it is jammed packed with information. Some of the information is from Sylla's aromatherapy practitioner course, and her aromatherapy practitioner reference manuals, so The Aromatic Spa is kind of like a short course on aromatherapy.
And if you are considering taking her aromatherapy practitioner course or investing in her reference manuals in the future, the Aromatic Spa book is a good way to find out more about Sylla's knowledge and teaching style. In addition, the digital download costs much less than the paper version. I have read many natural skin care and aromatherapy skin care books over the years, and this book is one of the best ones I have read on the subject. If you want to learn about authentic aromatherapy and natural skin care, I highly recommend this book!
Tuesday, April 07, 2015
Aromatherapy Book Recommendations And Specials (Essential Oils)
I found out about this from aromatherapy pioneer Robert Tisserand's facebook page. Right now a few great aromatherapy practitioner or advanced essential oil books are onsale at Elsevier's website. This includes Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young's second edition of Essential Oil Safety, Jane Buckle's Clinical Aromatherapy 3rd edition, and Shirley & Len Price's Aromatherapy For Health Practitioners 4th edition and also their Understanding Hydrolats book! These books are some of the most advanced books we have on aromatherapy, and they are usually very expensive. But right now (not sure for how long) they are onsale for 30% off! The promotional code is AZK3E14166
These are not books I recommend for the absolute beginner but for those with a good solid background in aromatherapy. I highly suggest getting these books if you are serious about learning the art and science of aromatherapy! Robert's book is considered the best, most accurate resource on essential oil safety. Buckle's book was just released and it is already considered a standard and must read in clinical aromatherapy practice. The Prices's books are amazing resources too. Robert and the Prices are considered legends for a reason. Buckle is also an aromatherapy pioneer and a nurse too.
These are not books I recommend for the absolute beginner but for those with a good solid background in aromatherapy. I highly suggest getting these books if you are serious about learning the art and science of aromatherapy! Robert's book is considered the best, most accurate resource on essential oil safety. Buckle's book was just released and it is already considered a standard and must read in clinical aromatherapy practice. The Prices's books are amazing resources too. Robert and the Prices are considered legends for a reason. Buckle is also an aromatherapy pioneer and a nurse too.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Ayurveda Resources (Natural Skin Care And Alternative Health)
Recently I was answering a question on a facebook group, and someone mentioned she wanted to learn more about Ayurveda. Since I am studying Ayurveda now, I told her that I would be happy to suggest some good resources. So I thought I would share my resources here. Thanks J for the excellent question! :)
I highly recommend Michael and Lesley Tierra's professional herbalism course; this is one of the herbalism courses I am currently taking. The Tierras are long time, respected pioneers in herbalism, and they are also licensed acupuncturists. They are some of the founders of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG). They have a unique way of looking at herbalism: they teach a combination of western herbalism, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). I have been learning about western herbalism for thirteen years, but Ayurveda and TCM are pretty new to me. Aside from reading a few Ayurveda based beauty books, and a few articles, I really didn't know much about it. So I am very glad I am taking their class; I am learning so much! Their class is very intense and in depth; it typically takes two years or longer to finish. However they do offer a shorter home herbalist course, which is basically the first third of their professional herbalism course. Their professional course goes on sale a few times a year.
If you can't take one of their classes right now, then I suggest getting Michael Tierra's 'Planetary Herbology' book (which discusses western herbalism, TCM, and Ayurveda). Tierra wrote a book with K.P. Khalsa called the 'Way Of Ayurvedic Herbs'. I've only read a few chapters of both books so far, but they are very in depth, and I have learned a lot from them!
Karta Purkh (K.P.) Khalsa is one of the most respected teachers of Ayurveda. Khalsa is the current president of the AHG. He has a couple free webinars on the AHG's website and on Floracopeia (an aromatherapy vendor). One of the AHG's webinars is on Floracopeia's website; it is on Ayurvedic herbs. I've taken a few of his free webinars, and once I finish some of the herbal and aromatherapy courses I am taking, I hope to take more of his classes! I think some of his courses on Floracopeia's website are currently on sale (at the time of this writing).
I would check out the works of David Crow (owner of Floracopeia, who is a teacher of Ayurveda, TCM, and aromatherapy). Floracopeia has several different types of courses, including Ayurveda courses from many different teachers. There is even an aromatherapy Ayurveda course too! Best of all they always have free webinars! Floracopeia courses go on sale a few times a year.
J said that she was interested in learning about Ayurveda for beauty. I read a few Ayurvedic beauty books years ago. One of the ones I really liked was Absolute Beauty by Pratima Raichur. Pratima Raichur is an Ayurvedic practitioner, and she has a degree in biochemistry. She is the owner of Pratima Ayurvedic skin care, a well respected skin care company. I have never used her line, but a lot of people are fans of her sunscreen!
I enjoyed the Ayurvedic beauty books by Melanie Sachs. I think her most popular book is 'Ayurvedic Beauty Care'. It is now available on kindle; it is one of the few GOOD natural beauty books available as an e-book.
There are so many other excellent Ayurvedic books; these are just the tip of the iceburg. I am having so much fun learning about this different way of looking at life, and this way of healing. And I can't wait to learn even more!
I highly recommend Michael and Lesley Tierra's professional herbalism course; this is one of the herbalism courses I am currently taking. The Tierras are long time, respected pioneers in herbalism, and they are also licensed acupuncturists. They are some of the founders of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG). They have a unique way of looking at herbalism: they teach a combination of western herbalism, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). I have been learning about western herbalism for thirteen years, but Ayurveda and TCM are pretty new to me. Aside from reading a few Ayurveda based beauty books, and a few articles, I really didn't know much about it. So I am very glad I am taking their class; I am learning so much! Their class is very intense and in depth; it typically takes two years or longer to finish. However they do offer a shorter home herbalist course, which is basically the first third of their professional herbalism course. Their professional course goes on sale a few times a year.
If you can't take one of their classes right now, then I suggest getting Michael Tierra's 'Planetary Herbology' book (which discusses western herbalism, TCM, and Ayurveda). Tierra wrote a book with K.P. Khalsa called the 'Way Of Ayurvedic Herbs'. I've only read a few chapters of both books so far, but they are very in depth, and I have learned a lot from them!
Karta Purkh (K.P.) Khalsa is one of the most respected teachers of Ayurveda. Khalsa is the current president of the AHG. He has a couple free webinars on the AHG's website and on Floracopeia (an aromatherapy vendor). One of the AHG's webinars is on Floracopeia's website; it is on Ayurvedic herbs. I've taken a few of his free webinars, and once I finish some of the herbal and aromatherapy courses I am taking, I hope to take more of his classes! I think some of his courses on Floracopeia's website are currently on sale (at the time of this writing).
I would check out the works of David Crow (owner of Floracopeia, who is a teacher of Ayurveda, TCM, and aromatherapy). Floracopeia has several different types of courses, including Ayurveda courses from many different teachers. There is even an aromatherapy Ayurveda course too! Best of all they always have free webinars! Floracopeia courses go on sale a few times a year.
J said that she was interested in learning about Ayurveda for beauty. I read a few Ayurvedic beauty books years ago. One of the ones I really liked was Absolute Beauty by Pratima Raichur. Pratima Raichur is an Ayurvedic practitioner, and she has a degree in biochemistry. She is the owner of Pratima Ayurvedic skin care, a well respected skin care company. I have never used her line, but a lot of people are fans of her sunscreen!
I enjoyed the Ayurvedic beauty books by Melanie Sachs. I think her most popular book is 'Ayurvedic Beauty Care'. It is now available on kindle; it is one of the few GOOD natural beauty books available as an e-book.
There are so many other excellent Ayurvedic books; these are just the tip of the iceburg. I am having so much fun learning about this different way of looking at life, and this way of healing. And I can't wait to learn even more!
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Book and Green Festivals in D.C. (Things to do)
Just a quick reminder. The National Book Festival in D.C. is this weekend (September 24th, on the mall). It is free! I will definitely be there to see one of my most favorite authors, Neil Gaiman. He's presentating in the Fiction and Fantasy Pavilion from 12:40-1:10pm, and then signing from 2-4pm. He'll probably be reading from his new book, Anansi Boys. Be sure to line up quickly for the signing, as the line for him (as I discovered last year to my dismay) was long. Hopefully this year I'll actually get something signed.
After the Book Fest (which is why I might forgo the signing), I intend to head towards the Green Festival. It is also on September 24 and 25. It is at the Washington D.C. Convention Center, and cost $15 for adults each day, $7 for Students/Seniors, but kids 12 and under get in Free! Also if you ride your bike to get there you can get in for $5. There will be a lot there: clothing made out of organic and sustainable materials, organic food, fair trade coffee and chocolate, and speakers galore! Also free yoga and tai chi classes. Can we say I am excited this weekend?
After the Book Fest (which is why I might forgo the signing), I intend to head towards the Green Festival. It is also on September 24 and 25. It is at the Washington D.C. Convention Center, and cost $15 for adults each day, $7 for Students/Seniors, but kids 12 and under get in Free! Also if you ride your bike to get there you can get in for $5. There will be a lot there: clothing made out of organic and sustainable materials, organic food, fair trade coffee and chocolate, and speakers galore! Also free yoga and tai chi classes. Can we say I am excited this weekend?
Monday, September 19, 2005
All Natural Cosmetics and Products (all natural cosmetics and makeup information and books)
*Note: edited Sept 29, 2006 to remove a MMU company (Aromaleigh) which is no longer all natural.
I try to use only 100% natural products (or as close to them as possible). Ever since my skin has become super sensitive to chemicals, I've tried to stay away from synthetic ingredients in cosmetics and makeup. Throughout the years I've learned a lot about what really consitutes as natural, what is 'borderline' natural, and what simply isn't. It still astounds me how many companies 'green wash'; that is, claim to be natural or organic when they are not. In the coming weeks, I will profile many companies, reviewing their products, and commenting on their effectiveness. Most of them will be 100% natural, or as close to it as possible, and some will even be (or have some) organic (ingredients), though I will also try to profile why I won't use some of the other popular 'natural' brands (hey, I'm anal about this!). If some of their products contain synthetic ingredients, I will mention it.
Until then here are some good brands: Aubrey Organics (skin and hair, some makeup and household cleaners), Paul Penders (skin, hair, makeup), Burts Bees (skin, hair, makeup), and Badger Balms (skin). Aubrey Organics and Badger Balms also use some organic ingredients. For 100% natural and organic: Terressentials (skin and hair), MiEssence (from Australia; skin, hair, makeup), Dr. Bronner's and Sun Dog's Magic (skin, in particular soap and lotion), and Vermont Soap (soap, some cleaning products). For mineral makeup: Monave.
I recommend getting books on the subject or researching on the internet, since some of the companies in natural health food stores, while they may use a lot of natural ingredients, they really aren't 100% natural (Kiss My Face, Avalon, Nature's Gate, and Jason come to mind). They are way better than other companies though.
For a good site on the topic check out the Organic Consumers Association's website. Though this only focuses on 100% natural and organic standards, and may exclude 100% natural (though not organic) companies.
Also check the websites of some of the companies I've listed (in particular Aubrey Organics, Terressentials, Miessence, and Dr. Bronner/Sun Dog); lots of good information on the subject on their sites.
I would also suggest any book by Aubrey Hampton (of Aubrey Organics): 'What's in your cosmetics' is a good source on natural and synthetic ingredients in products (written like an encyclopedia). If I come across an ingredient I don't know, 95% it's in this book. 'Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care' is the book on natural versus synthetic comsetics. He's also written 'the Take Charge Beauty book' which I thought was better organized than 'Natural Organic' but 'Natural Organic' has more information. 'Take charge' has more recipes though.
I try to use only 100% natural products (or as close to them as possible). Ever since my skin has become super sensitive to chemicals, I've tried to stay away from synthetic ingredients in cosmetics and makeup. Throughout the years I've learned a lot about what really consitutes as natural, what is 'borderline' natural, and what simply isn't. It still astounds me how many companies 'green wash'; that is, claim to be natural or organic when they are not. In the coming weeks, I will profile many companies, reviewing their products, and commenting on their effectiveness. Most of them will be 100% natural, or as close to it as possible, and some will even be (or have some) organic (ingredients), though I will also try to profile why I won't use some of the other popular 'natural' brands (hey, I'm anal about this!). If some of their products contain synthetic ingredients, I will mention it.
Until then here are some good brands: Aubrey Organics (skin and hair, some makeup and household cleaners), Paul Penders (skin, hair, makeup), Burts Bees (skin, hair, makeup), and Badger Balms (skin). Aubrey Organics and Badger Balms also use some organic ingredients. For 100% natural and organic: Terressentials (skin and hair), MiEssence (from Australia; skin, hair, makeup), Dr. Bronner's and Sun Dog's Magic (skin, in particular soap and lotion), and Vermont Soap (soap, some cleaning products). For mineral makeup: Monave.
I recommend getting books on the subject or researching on the internet, since some of the companies in natural health food stores, while they may use a lot of natural ingredients, they really aren't 100% natural (Kiss My Face, Avalon, Nature's Gate, and Jason come to mind). They are way better than other companies though.
For a good site on the topic check out the Organic Consumers Association's website. Though this only focuses on 100% natural and organic standards, and may exclude 100% natural (though not organic) companies.
Also check the websites of some of the companies I've listed (in particular Aubrey Organics, Terressentials, Miessence, and Dr. Bronner/Sun Dog); lots of good information on the subject on their sites.
I would also suggest any book by Aubrey Hampton (of Aubrey Organics): 'What's in your cosmetics' is a good source on natural and synthetic ingredients in products (written like an encyclopedia). If I come across an ingredient I don't know, 95% it's in this book. 'Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care' is the book on natural versus synthetic comsetics. He's also written 'the Take Charge Beauty book' which I thought was better organized than 'Natural Organic' but 'Natural Organic' has more information. 'Take charge' has more recipes though.
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