Black Bean Brownies with Agave (Hypoglycemic and diabetic friendly, gluten free, flour free, vegetarian recipe)

Many years ago I used to love to bake (my sister used to call me cookie master!). But when I discovered I was hypoglycemic I stopped eating sweets and stopped baking for a very long time (usually the only sweet thing I will eat is fruit, with lots of protein, but no real desserts). Nowadays, every once in a while (maybe once every couple months) I will get a craving and actually bake or make a dessert. When making desserts, I use sweetener alternatives that don't make me react that much, such as agave. Too much still makes me feel ill, so when baking or making sweets I still have to watch the amount of alternative sweeteners, and make sure the dessert is protein rich. I also try to limit my other carbs too, and really watch the serving size (wish I could eat larger servings, since I love sweets and I need to gain weight, but since I get sick if I eat too much, I need to limit myself strictly to one small serving). So it can be difficult finding recipes that I can eat or that I can easily convert. A lot of the time I look at vegan, gluten-free, and sometimes raw websites since often these recipes are made with ingredients I can eat, or I only have to alter the recipes a little.

One of my favorite recipes is a black bean brownie recipe from 'Baking with agave' by Ania Catalano. The recipe is posted on the 101 cookbooks website. This recipe is not only delicious, but it is made with agave, a single serving does not make me react (I like to drink organic soy or cow milk with the brownie, for extra protein and since the combo of milk and brownies is yummy!), and I didn't need to change the recipe at all. Catalano has hypoglycemia so she uses agave and alternative sweeteners, and also does not use white/refined wheat flour in her recipes. I have seen other so called 'hypoglycemic' recipes that don't use white sugar but that use refined/white wheat flour, so it is nice that she really knows how to bake for this condition, since she has it herself too! Her recipe is also gluten free and grain/flour free (basically the ground nuts serve as the flour). Now some of her other recipes still have a touch too much agave for me (different people have different reactions to sweeteners so some people may be able to tolerate much higher amounts of agave than I, and others may not be able to tolerate it at all). I highly recommend getting her cookbook too.

For agave brands, I basically just get whatever organic agave brand is onsale or least expensive at whole foods or another natural foods store (I have tried a few different brands and they are all pretty good). There are two versions of agave: light/regular and dark. The light version is sweet and heavenly, while the dark version is a bit richer in taste and tastes a little like maple syrup (not exactly like it but it reminds me of it). Agave is technically sweeter than white sugar, so when using it in recipes, you need to use less than the amount of other sweeteners. But Agave is mostly fructose and low glycemic.

Eco Living: Rose Cosmetics

For my newest eco living article on anb (all natural beauty) mall for the month of February, I choose to write about the rose: a symbol of love and beauty.

Rose is one of my favorite skin care ingredients. Since this article was an eco living article, and I try to keep my eco living tips simple, I decided to write about a cosmetic that anyone could easily make, and that had multiple uses (I love multiple use cosmetics; it makes skin and hair care much easier!). So this month's anb mall's eco living article is on using rose infusion in cosmetics. I posted my recipe for organic rose infusion (tea), the properties of rose infusion, and also how to use rose infusion in skin and hair care.

Additional notes, not posted in the article: there are many good vendors for organic roses. You can buy them already dried, or you can dry fresh organic roses (just hang the bunch upside down and let it dry out). I had planned to carry some in my store (but at the time of this writing, I am currently on hiatus, so Earth Alkemie is closed right now, but check back later! I hope to reopen this spring). You may be able to find them locally: either buy fresh organic roses (Whole Foods usually carries them, and you can get a small bunch for only a few dollars--surprisingly much cheaper than other food stores and floral shops--at least in my local store), or check the dried herb or the tea aisle of health food stores. Your local small natural skin care company may carry them. You can find some on amazon. Also one of my favorite herbal vendors, Mountain Rose Herbs carries some.

Just wanted to mention that my recipe is for an infusion (which is pretty much a strong tea) which is different than a hydrosol, floral water, or an aromatherapy (essential oil) spray .

I hope everyone enjoys the article!

A New Beginning...

It's been a very long time since I've posted on a regular basis. A few years ago I stopped posting regularly because I was completing my master's in environmental science and policy (my research and thesis), moderating and answering questions on Garden of Wisdom's forum (which was very time consuming and extremely busy back then), and writing Eco Living articles for the anb (all natural beauty) mall. After I graduated I started an all natural skin care and mineral makeup business, Earth Alkemie, and in the past couple years, much of my online time was devoted to writing entries for Earth Alkemie's blog and EA's forum and EA's face book, answering EA emails, other emails and PMs etc, posting on various other forums, and writing my monthly Eco Living articles. With my health issues (and also helping my dad with his health issues too) that didn't leave me much time to post here.

But I miss posting on Solarkat's eco blog. I loved posting on this blog in the past since this has always been a place for my own thoughts on a wide range of subjects: plants, aromatherapy, herbalism, natural products, eco living, vegetarianism, ecological issues, etc. And even a few things that have nothing to do with some form of environmentalism, like my favorite musicians. Just basically whatever was on my mind on the moment. :) And I have missed having that outlet. I do have a personal face book page and also post regularly on EA's blog, but it is not the same as posting on a personal blog. I am just too wordy and there are some thing that just don't belong on a business blog.

So I am going to try to start posting regularly again. Right now I am on hiatus for my skin care business (because of health reasons) so posts will probably be more often now than in the future when I reopen Earth Alkemie (which I hope will be sometime in March or April. No set date yet). But for now, I will start posting again. :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eco Living: Eating out the green way

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Chinese New Year! :)

Gong xi fa cai! :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Miniature Earth (Environmental/Social Information)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Washington D.C. Green Festival This Weekend

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

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

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

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

Link to Green America's website

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remembering Sept 11th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Li

Larry Hagman solar energy video

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

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

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

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

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

New eco living post

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

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

Hope you enjoy! :)

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

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

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

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


Here is a comment from my old brown sugar scrub post

Question on brown sugar scrubs:

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

All the ingredients used are:

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

My answer

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

Question on freezing aloe vera:

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

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

My answer:

Hi WF

Thanks for posting :)

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

Question on testing cosmetics:

This comment was posted under the current blog update.

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

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

My answer:

Hi P

Thanks! You're very welcome :)

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

Recycling information (Environmental Issues)

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

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

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

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

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

Recycling information from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

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


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

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

Eco Living article updates (Environmental Information, Green Living)

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

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

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

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

Enjoy!

Happy Chinese New Years! (Chinese astrology information)

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).

My store: Earth Alkemie!

I am so excited!

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

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

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

Last EA link: Earth Alkemie also has a forum

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

Cheers!

Li

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

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

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

Eco Living article: Soapnuts

Happy New Year!

I forgot to post about my December Eco Living article!

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

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

Enjoy! :)

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

I haven’t done an Eco Living article update in a while!

A few weeks ago I posted my new Eco Living article on the anb (all natural beauty) mall’s website, which is called: ‘Natural and Organic Products, Part 2: What Is Organic?’. In November's article I defined what organic is, went over the USDA’s National Organic Program’s categories, discussed the difference between natural and organic, and brought up the issues of finding truly organic cosmetics.

Last month I posted part 1 (‘Natural and Organic, Part 1: What is natural?’), which defined the term ‘natural’ and discusses natural and naturally derived ingredients in cosmetics in depth.

Other articles I’ve posted over the last year include ‘Li’s Quick Eco tips on green house cleaning on a budget’, and also ‘Li’s Quick Eco tips on books, packaging, and reusable bottles’. These articles include simple to do tips to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle. I write a lot of ‘Quick Eco Tips’ articles to show that being eco-friendly doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive (a lot of eco-friendly tips are inexpensive or, while they may be more expensive initially, in the long run they save you money, not to mention they are better for you and your family’s health). I also wrote an article that discusses moisturizers, including the importance of water rich ingredients and oils in skin care, and the difference between moisture/hydration and moisturizers (which are not the same thing). There is also an article on different online plant and environmental resources—very useful in researching ingredients, plants/herbs, or some environmental subjects.

A good past article that many may find useful is my article on autumn and winter skin care that I wrote last year (I also have written one on anb mall’s site on spring and summer skin care, which may interest those who live in the southern hemisphere). Skin conditions can change with the season, and as conditions change, you may need to switch your skin care; in this article I give tips on how to do that for your whole skin care routine.

I've written many other articles (including many natural skin care recipes), and I will be writing another one shortly. Many experts in the natural skin care, aromatherapy, or herbalism fields also have contributed great articles to anb mall too :) I hope you enjoy the articles!

Liquid and Pressed Mineral Makeup List (Natural Cosmetics)

Many women have asked me where to find liquid mineral makeup (mmu) and also pressed mmu. I've previously posted a partial list on liquid mmu on this blog but have written an expanded list and also a list of a few brands of pressed mineral foundation. (This list is longer than the one that I emailed to some people.) Happy sampling!

Here is a link to that old post on a few liquid mmu brands and also how to make your own :) Burt's Bees tinted moisturizer (which is mentioned in my old post) is no longer available.


Where can I find liquid mineral makeup (mmu)?

Monave makes several wonderful liquid mmu. The moisture moose (rose one) is actually good for all skin types (not just normal/dry as they recommend. The ingredients are very balancing for sebum levels in all skin types). They also have one made for oily skin (liquid matte), and also a cream foundation. The company that makes them for Monave is headed by someone with an aromatherapy and herbal background (and she really knows her ingredients). The only drawback, shelf life is about 1-3 months, maybe a little longer for the liquid matte because of the container that one is in. It is actually less expensive to buy one of their face creams (which contain many of the same ingredients as some of their foundation bases, but in different proportions so slightly different in texture) and add your own mmu. I highly recommend their face creams and body lotions.



Real Purity and Dr Hausckha and Lavera and Miessence sell natural makeup (including mascara). Dr Hausckha and Lavera can be found at some Whole Foods, Wegman's, or health food stores. Miessence is organic. Shelf life of Real Purity--a couple to a few months. Dr Hausckha and Lavera probably have the longest shelf life as they are preserved with alcohol, so probably will be fine for up to 3-5 months after purchase (depends on how long they have been in the store, shelf life is measured when ingredients/products were made and not when you buy them). Lavera: check out the clearance section of their website, sometimes they are onsale. Miessence's shelf life probably a few months or longer (assuming their extracts contain alcohol; I've never tried their foundation but have tried their creams, which do).

Paul Penders also offers liquid mmu. They should be available at Cosmetics Without Synthetics' website, which sells many different brands and they have samples (if they don't have it yet--since the liquid kind is new, contact them). Shelf life, I estimate about max 3 months or maybe a little more. Here is the link to Paul Pender's website (where you can read about the liquid foundation, but you'd need to buy from Cosmetics Without Synthetics).

Cosmetics Without Synthetics website also sells some of the above brands too in addition to Paul Penders, so you may want to try here so you can get samples. They sell a lot of natural brands, from skin to hair care to makeup.

Cory cosmetics also has liquid mineral makeup.

Essential wholesale (a diy ingredient vendor) has liquid mmu. They sell mostly in bulk but for a few products they sell single regular sized units too. Nearly all natural to natural based, but there is one ingredient they use in some (not all) of their makeup that I don't particularly care for (Tetrasodium edta). I haven't tried their mineral makeup yet, I may try some of them (except for the ones that contain this ingredient). EW is truly a green company (they are carbon neutral).

All of these brands, the liquid mmu foundations double as moisturizers, so you may or may not need to use a separate moisturizer with it (depends on your skin).

All these companies and websites also sell nice skin care :)

What brands sell pressed mineral makeup (mmu)?


For pressed mineral powders, Every Day Minerals has some (but not all) colors available as pressed. I really like the formulation (they pressed with only fractionated coconut oil and vitamin E, no other additives) but the colors I can wear aren't available. (The one I have is a tad orange for me, but it works well underneath my eyes). They also have a few pressed blushes and sometimes pressed eye colors and bronzers (but the pressed blushes, eye colors, and bronzers are usually rotated, on a limited run). I love the pressed summer bronzer. I am not a blush or bronzer person but have been using this as blush and I love it since it gives just a very sheer hint of color/a glow. (The bronzer was pressed with jojoba oil). I really missed not having makeup in compacts so I love their pressed products. Now if they would only come out with more foundation colors! :)

For the brands below, see links above.

Nvery Eco has one but I haven't used it yet. It is organic though but only has a couple colors. They are an australian company. (Available on Cosmetic Without Synthetic website).

Real Purity has has some pressed (Available on their own website, and some colors are on Cosmetic Without Synthetics website).

Essential Wholesale has some pressed mmu like eye shadows, no foundation yet I think but they keep adding more products.

Not pressed but Cory Cosmetics has a mica free foundation stick too.

Lavera and Dr Hauschka also have pressed but they are talc based which I do not recommend (talc while natural is sometimes contaminated with abestos, and in some studies even the non-contaminated ones are thought to be potential carcinogens. It is a highly debated ingredient on if it's safe or not, personally I think it is better to be safe than sorry).

You can also press your own (mix a few drops of a carrier oil or alcohol in a little blender, and then press into a compact and let dry).

Eco Living: Aromatherapy Milk Baths

My newest Eco Living article is up on anb (all natural beauty) mall's website. This month it is on all natural aromatherapy milk baths (vegan suggestions are included too!). Milk baths are great for the skin, and super relaxing! :) Enjoy!

Eco Living: Aromatherapy body and massage oils

Just in time for valentines' day. My newest article Eco Living on anb mall's site is a super easy recipe for an aromatherapy body/massage oil. Perfect for relaxing, de-stressing, meditating, or to use as a sensual blend :) Includes many notes on essential oil safety too!
Hope you enjoy!

Comments FAQ: vegan melt and pour base, a nice comment, rose essential oil

I am bad at answering comments :( (I have been super busy with my thesis and starting my business, etc, and my health has been on the fritz, more so than usual, the last couple months). It is really better to email me; you'll get a faster response most of the time, though recently I have been slow on answering emails too. Honestly if you want an answer on the same or next day, it is best to post on one of the blogs I frequent, for eco questions or natural skin care lines and aromatherapy/herbal questions, crafting, etc, probably best to ask on all natural beauty's forum. I apologize for the long wait for answers.

So I've decided to start posting my answers to comments as blog entries (in addition to answering them in the comments) to make the answers easier to find, and also increase the chances of the person who asked about it, seeing their answer since some of them were posted a couple months old, and I am only now answering them :( Still have several to go through, will get them done soon.

Anne asked on the "How to make your own herbal soaps” post:
"Can anyone tell me if the glycerin base used for melt and pour soups is vegan (no animals products)?"

Hi

Sorry for the very late response (been super busy with my thesis, business, etc).

It depends on which company and which base, since some companies make soap with animal tallow (though most I've seen use vegetable/nut oils), while others may add honey or goats milk to their bases. Was there a particular base that you were interested in? (most companies should post the ingredients on their website, but if they don't I recommend contacting them for a complete ingredient list).


Small Footprints posted a very nice post on the current blog update about liking my blog.

Thank you! I feel very bad as you posted your very nice comment months ago (been super busy so have not been blogging much; very sorry to get back to you so late).
I will be sure to check out your blog soon too!


Genevieve asked about where to get organic rose essential oil (and about the differences in quality and prices).
Hi Genevieve

I apologize for the long wait in response (not much time to blog anymore; thesis and starting a business, etc, have been overwhelming me as of late).

People debate on whether Bulgarian or Turkey is the best damask rose with most people saying that Bulgarian damask rose is the best. A lot of factors goes into scent, especially how they are distilled (some distillers are better than others) and also weather/climate, etc (rose crops around the world in the last couple years haven't been doing well in some areas).

Personally I love both Bulgarian and Turkey damask rose; I don't think one is superior over the other but they are both lovely in their own right. Actually the best smelling rose I've ever tried (and I have sampled from several companies and several different species of roses) is an organic damask rose from Turkey from AV-AT. Butch claims his rose is the best on the market and I have to agree with him; all of his essential oils are superior quality. Both his rose essential oil and absolute are so rich and intense (that distiller in Turkey who he's been getting his rose from for many years, knows what they are doing). They are organic but not certified organic (many farmers in Turkey can't afford the organic process but Butch is originally from Turkey and I believe has seen the places where the crops are grown).

I also like the roses from Mountain Rose Herb (excellent quality). They have a sampler kit of Bulgarian, Turkey, and Chinese (the Chinese is a different species of rose, and not the damask rose but still lovely). I think only the Bulgarian is certified organic though but most of MRH's essential oils that are not organic are tested to be free of pesticides etc.

Be sure to dilute the essential oil well (to 1-2% concentration; a small bottle should last you a very long time :) )

Rose essential oil is very expensive (it costs $300-400 or more for 1 ounce, wholesale price; about $1-2 a drop) so most places will cost a lot (once business costs are factored into the retail price). It is also commonly adulterated (people add other essential oils or synthetics to it to stretch it as it is so expensive). Sometimes the different in price is due to quality of the product, though there are many who charge too much for an inferior product.

Eco Living: Li's New Years' Eco Tips (Eco Living article series)

My newest Eco Living article is up on anb (all natural beauty) Mall's website! It is filled with many of my favorite simple green living tips, perfect for implementing in your life during the New Year :) One reason I am writing this article series is to show that living more eco-conscious doesn't have to be time consuming, expensive, or difficult to do; I hope you find it helpful! Happy New Year! Xinnian kuai le!

Essential Oils: Packaging, Blending, Company recs (Essential Oil/Aromatherapy Information)

Going through old FAQ so I am posting them (edited with additional information of course) :)

How should I package products made with essential oils (plastic or glass)? Are carrier oils okay to store in plastic or should I use glass?

For undiluted, pure essential oils, absolutes, and co2 extracts, you need to store them in colored glass (they usually come in colored glass) since many of them will eat through plastic, and it is thought by some people that toxins from plastic can leech into them (and other products/ingredients). Also it is thought that light can degrade essential oils hence the colored glass, but I know of at least one prominent essential oil company that disputes this and says uncolored glass is fine too and protects the essential oils just as well. Personally I recommend that if you are storing it in a fridge or another dark and cool place, uncolored glass would probably be fine, but if you don't, then use colored glass.

Carrier oils are fine to store and keep in plastic.

Most vendors package essential oils, absolutes, and co2 extracts in glass, if they don't, be dubious of their product, since if they are in plastic, they are probably not undiluted, but are diluted in a carrier of some sort or they are simply not the real thing. (Note: for large wholesale sizes some companies do use metal containers.  You could store them at home in lined aluminum bottles, but make sure they are lined).

But with diluted essential oils in products, it is debated whether they should be stored in plastic or glass. Personally for my own use, I usually don't package them in plastic since I've had essential oils eat through plastic before (during one of my first aromatherapy experiments over eight years ago* I had made bath salts that contained essential oils, and I had put them in a hard, plastic travel container, and it cracked the plastic in under an hour. No idea what kind of plastic it was, but it was a container made for travel). However if you dilute the essential oils very well (2% concentration or less) and use certain plastics (like PET), then short term usage (maybe only a few months) shouldn't be a problem. A lot of companies that offer shampoos and lotions and such with essential oils keep them in plastic bottles, but when I buy from other companies I always make sure I use those products up within a month or two (since many of them are also all natural and have a very short shelf life anyways).

Will mixing essential oils together in a blend (i.e. using two or more in a product) reduce their potency or 'clash' with each other?

It is thought by many aromatherapists and herbalists that combining essential oils actually improves how they work. This theory is called synergy. But keep the total essential oil content for facial formulas to 1% of under, so don't use 1% of each essential oil, but use a total of 1% or less of all the essential oils. And that's just a general rule, some essential oils should be used at way less than 1%, especially on the delicate facial and eye area.

What are some of your favorite scented products (essential oils, hydrosols, and essences) from different companies?

From AV-AT, I love Organic Ylang Ylang Complete, Organic Cocoa Absolute, and Organic High Altitude French Lavender Essential Oil. Actually any of his essential oils are wonderful, all have been fantastic: I rank them as superior quality. Their rose essential oil and absolute is the best out of any company I've tried. They are my favorite essential oil company.

Sunrose Aromatics: Peach tree leaf absolute, Organic Chocolate Peppermint Essential Oil. Yum :)

Enfleurage: Organic Petitgrain sur Fleur Essential Oil (which is distilled branches and flowers of the bitter orange tree, so kind of like a combo of petitgrain and neroli, yum!). Carries many unusual essential oils, they also have a store in New York City.

A Little Ol' Factory: Organic Bulgarian Rose alba (white rose) hydrosol (from an award winning distillery)

Nature's Gift: another superior quality company. I especially like all of their jasmine absolutes (they have three species). I've smelled jasmine from other (good to excellent) companies and while they are nice, they don't have all the notes and subtle yet complex over and under tones of the jasmines that Marge (or another superior essential oil company) carries. Offers some of the rarer essential oils.

Eden Botanicals: I have tried many of their essential oils over the years, and I love them all.  I especially like their jasmine and rose aromatics; they have several different kinds of each.  They offer superior quality products and many of the more unusual aromatics.

Samara Botane I like their rose gallica, which is a species of rose not usually used in aromatherapy (which is on super onsale now). Very fragrant. A well known and respected company. They also carry some of the harder to find essential oils.

See also my few posts on reviews on essential oils companies.

Edited January 25, 2014: Did some minor edits (like a word here and there).  I also added a little more information on metal containers.  Rewrote a sentence about storing well diluted products in PET plastic. I removed the information on Eden Botanicals's crystallized amber since they no longer sell it.  They now sell 100% natural liquid amber (made with essential oils, absolutes, etc in a carrier oil) but I have not tried them yet (since I make my own amber bases for perfumes). Since I deleted that,  I added some information about some of my favorite current products from their company.

*In 2014, it's now been over 13 years but at the time of the original entry it was eight years so I left it as that.

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

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

Premium Steap (Tea company in Philadlphia)

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

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

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

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

Li's Crafting Notes 10-11-08

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


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Hope everyone is enjoying my Eco Living articles so far!

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Support Small Cosmetic Businesses and Suppliers!

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

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

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

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

Please support small cosmetic businesses and suppliers!

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

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

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

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

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


Reviews:

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Part 2 will be posted in a few days.

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

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

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

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

Indie Business Blog

Indie Business Forum

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

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

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