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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mineral Makeup Galore! (All Natural Cosmetics)

More FAQ on mineral makeup (MMU)

Do you have any recommendations for liquid MMU?

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

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

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

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

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

What can I use as a setting spray for MMU?

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

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

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

Five reasons why MMU may look cakey:

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alima Cosmetics also has a wide selection of colors.

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

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

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


Quick reviews on brands:

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Li's crafting thoughts 6-28-07

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

What ingredients can I use in a lip scrub?

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

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

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

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

Phthalates: reproductive toxins

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


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

What are some other vegan lippie brands?

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

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

How do you make vegan liquid lip gloss?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vegan Avocado Agave Mask (All Natural Cosmetics)

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

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

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

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

Where do I buy vegan brushes?

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

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

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

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

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

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


Forever Female Review:

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

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

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

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

Li's crafting thoughts 6-06-07

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Blush:

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


Eye shadows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Li's crafting thoughts 5-22-07

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Li's crafting thoughts 5-13-07

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Li's crafting thoughts 5-4-07

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sugarloaf Craft Festival in Chantilly (Craft Show Information)

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

FAQ: All About Soap (All Natural Cosmetics)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

How do you color soap (in soap making)?

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


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

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

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

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

Li's crafting thoughts 4-20-07

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

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

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

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

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

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




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

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

Happy Earth Day/week (Environmental Information/Events)

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

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

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

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

Tori Amos: American Doll Posse

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

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

Li's crafting thoughts 4-01-07

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

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

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

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

Li's crafting thoughts 3-21-07

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

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

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

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

Li's crafting thoughts 3-14-07

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

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

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

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

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

Li's crafting thoughts 3-05-07

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Li's crafting thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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

Some places that sell glass droppers:

Camden Grey

Garden of Wisdom

Mountain Rose Herbs


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

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



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

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


Can I apply PEOs "neat"/undiluted?

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


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

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

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

Puffy Eyes (All Natural Skin Care)

My eyes are really puffy; what natural products can I use for puffiness and general eye care?

The classic remedies for puffy eyes are to apply either cold cucumber slices or chamomile tea bags (dampen; okay to use used tea bags) to the eyes for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you don't have time for that, try a serum or cream with german chamomile or helichrysum essential oil (6-12 drops of essential oils in 1 ounce of carrier oil or cream), which are both good for inflammmation and puffiness.

For general eye care, I recommend using shea butter around the eye area. Since west shea may be a little hard to spread, either let it melt in your hands before applying, or use east shea which is easier to spread. Also some good carrier oils to use are rosehip seed oil, camellia oil, and kukui nut oil (all are anti-aging and nourishing). For those that don't want to use straight oils and butters, try buying a natural eye cream that has some of these ingredients.