Essential Oils · Eco-Chick

Browsing all posts tagged with essential oils

BABYBEARSHOP

Inspired by a lack of hip, organic baby products on the market, Diana Lussenden Stewart founded the BABYBEARSHOP line of organically derived oils and butters for mama and baby. In an effort to create a body line that is free of parabens, phthalates, and other known toxins, Diana has succeeded in developing a yummy line of natural treats for the body, whether pregnant or not. I highly recommend the “All The Better to Kiss You With” lip balm that comes in Lavender Vanilla, Chai Mandarin, and Pepperminty flavors. Being a lip balm junky, I can officially say this is one of the best. Some “organic” lip balms I have tried are too dry, or cakey, or just don’t work very well, but this one is awesome and they all smell delicious. The Mama Belly Oil uses essential oils of lavender, chamomile and red mandarin to protect against stretch marks and induce relaxation in mamas-to-be, but this oil could most definitely be used on baby’s dry skin or as a nice after-shower moisturizer for anyone. All of the ingredients in the BABYBEAR line are listed on the website, instilling confidence in the holistically minded, and the funky packaging makes these items great gifts.

Baby, bears, essential oils, FDA, junk, Lavender, Moisturizer, mom, oil, oils, Organic, phthalates, skin, Toxins

Way Out Wax Does Lavender

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by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 09/16/06

Walking by a mainstream candle store on my way to the health food shop made my head pound almost instantly yesterday. The vulgar synthetic pumpkin smell being pumped out of this place was nothing remotely similar to any natural smell I have ever known. I am always amazed how many people burn these candles indiscriminately in their homes, sometimes all day long, filling the air with a stench that is supposed to evoke the aroma of a sugar cookie, an autumn breeze, or the smell of Christmas – Ugh! These odoriferous bombs make my nose itch. Go natural. Don’t expose your family and loved ones to synthetic, artificially derived fragrances that can cause allergies, asthma, and headaches. There are plenty of natural essential oils that can produce a pleasant scent experience.

As far as natural goes, lavender has always been one of my favorite herbs. At the health food store, I picked up a lavender candle made by Way Out Wax and it filled my house with the soothing smell. I try to support Vermont industries, having lived there in the past, and Way Out Wax makes it easy. This candle company makes some of the best smelling handmade candles around using soy and beeswax while avoiding dyes or artificial fragrances. Lavender has long been used as a stress aide, headache reliever, to deter insects, for skin problems and to alleviate insomnia and depression. As with all herbs, if you plan to use the essential oil directly, research the herb and its properties and cross-reference existing conditions and contradictory indications regarding therapeutic use.

allergies, autumn, candles, Christmas, dyes, essential oils, farm, Food, Handmade, health, Home, insects, Lavender, mainstream, oil, oils, produce, rape, reference, skin, soy, sugar

Buns of Steel Don't Come Without Pain

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by Summer Rayne Oakes · 04/12/06

So this is my third day with my Guayanese tank of a trainer named Inka.

I can’t move.

Not sure if my ass is tighter because my muscles are just one big knot or if it actually is tighter. The goal? I really want to see if someone can smack a quarter against my ass and see if they get their change back. (Oh, plus all the health benefits)….but won’t be able to do that if I can’t lift my dead weight out of this chair – My Rx = deep tissue massage (I like it hard…but doesn’t every girl??).

I was looking into organic massage theraphy places and came across an interesting one: Fort Meyers Massage. Though I’m nowhere near Fort Meyers, something else caught my attention: Young Living Essential Oils. They provide essential oils, dietary supplements, and personal care products by developing one of the world’s largest organic herb farms for the production of therapeutic grade essential oils. Rock on.

car, Eco-Chick, essential oils, farm, farms, Hair, health, oil, oils, Organic, personal care products, rape

UnCommon Scents

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by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 01/10/06

There is nothing more odious (pardon the impending pun) than that heavy, pungent perfume you can smell from a mile away. And many of us have spent time perusing the shelves of that ubiquitous modern shrine to plasticity called Sephora only to leave with a pounding headache that has that “fake vanilla” scent stamped all over it.

Ugh.

I have been a true scent-junky for at least fifteen years and recently, upon applying a commercial fragrance, noticed I started sneezing almost instantly. I started to wonder just what exactly is in these products we apply on a daily basis. Being one who tries to always buy organic, it dawned on me that my personal doctrine to “stay natural” had not penetrated my hankering for smells.

Many companies, even those claiming to be “natural”, use synthetic fragrance and chemical additives such as preservatives and artificial coloring, and contain dangerous chemicals such as phtalates that are proven endocrine disruptors whose activity has been found to mimic hormonal signals in the body.

There are what I have always considered to be more natural alternatives to smelling like “Calvin Clone,” but often you end up smelling like a head shop or your grandma’s lavender garden when using organically derived essential oils. Some of us like smelling like a head shop, but for those who want something more unique, there are some interesting alternatives.

Rich Hippie is a line of completely organic, wild-crafted perfume, founded in LA. Through the use of carefully selected plant extracts and the implementation of traditional perfumery practices, Rich Hippie has created an environmentally conscious fragrance line that is original and hip.

The line boasts scents such as “Psychedelic – a sensual, lush, mysterious and romantic scent with extracts of organic Madagascan vanilla bean, organic ginger root and organic sweet orange peel,” “Nirvana” – a “unisex scent with extracts of organic sandalwood, West Indian bay leaf and organic Italian bergamot peel,” and “Wild Thing – an intoxicating, romantic, and sensual floral with rare Indian jasmine, Albanian Orris root and Egyptian rose.” There is also the signature scent, “Rich Hippie” – a “hip, bohemian, seductive floral with extracts of exotic African flowers, Madagascan Vanilla bean and Guatemalan Cardamom.”

These perfumes ain’t cheap, at an average of $85.00 per 1/2oz, but to support a small company that is investing in organic farming practices is worthwhile compared to the minimum $35 to $40 that is typically spent on factory-made fragrances that are known health hazards. According to the FDA, perfume companies don’t have to publish their ingredients anywhere, because they are considered “trade secrets”. Through growing consumer pressure to monitor cosmetics companies and clearly substantiate the safety of perfumes and other products, the FDA has clearly delineated its authority over this domain on its website This means there is no way for us to know what is in common colognes until independent labs do their own analysis and there aren’t a lot of scientists lining up to joust with big name cosmetics.

California is actually the first state in the union to implement the “Safe Cosmetics Act,” signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2005, which states that manufacturers must disclose (to the state) any ingredient that is on state or federal lists of chemicals linked to cancer or birth defects.

For more information on what is actually in your beauty products see NOT TOO PRETTY, SAFE COSMETICS and how they are affecting the environment see MARINE LIFE