Safe Cosmetics ~ Healthy Faces by Eve Organics

Sandalwood Essential Oil

 

It's been a while since I've posted on an essential oil and it's properties.  Sandalwood is one of my favorite oils.

ORIGIN  

Sandalwood has been used for perfumes and cosmetics since ancient times in China, India & Egypt.  It's beautiful wood has been prized by furniture makers; many temples in India are built from it.  Worshippers covered their bodies with a combination of sandalwood, rose, jasmine and narcissus.

The sandalwood evergreen grows in South East Asia, Indonesia and East India.  The syrupy oil is extracted from the chipped wood by steam distillation.  It has a rich woody odor and is used as a "grounding" fixative and lasting base notes in many expensive perfumes.

USES

Sandalwood has sedative properties, which work well for treating tension and depression.  It is an expectorant and anti-spasmodic; used for bronchitis, cough and nausea.  It has also been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine for skin revitalization , yoga and meditation.  Sandalwood is considered an aphrodisiac. 

Blends well with cypress, frankincense, lemon, myrrh, patchouli, spruce, ylang ylang, neroli and rose.

TRY THIS

Make a compress with a washcloth, dampened with warm water and a few drops of sandalwood.  The sandalwood will regenerate cells and is wonderful for dehydrated or dry skin.

5 Reasons to Buy (and Eat) Organic Food

I just read the feature article in TIME Magazine (August 31, 2009) titled "The Real Cost of Cheap Food".  The jist of the article is that, even though organic food is more expensive at the store, when the impact on our health and the earth is considered, the price difference doesn't seem so bad.  What I liked about the article is that it was very fact driven and thorough without being preachy. 

I won't go on for three pages.  Nor will I preach about what you should or shouldn't do.  I just want to throw some stuff out there to ponder about conventional vs. organic food:

1.  HEALTH.  Pigs, cows and chickens fed the conventional way are so overcrowded in small pens (feedlots) that they even cut off the pig's tails so that they won't bite each other.  The livestock are fed corn (fattener, which was grown with chemical fertilizers), and antibiotics to "prevent" them from getting sick.  They are slaughtered at a very young age, so they can be sold as "cheap" meat. The antibiotics get passed into the meat, and on to us. 

2.  EARTH PRESERVATION.  There are over 400 "dead zones" in the oceans due to runoff of billions of tons of chemical fertilizers and manure from overcrowded pens, such as the 6,000 sq. mile dead zone where the Mississippi empties into the Gulf of Mexico.  This area has almost no oxygen, and consequently is void of all marine life.  Pesticides and fertilizers are robbing our fertile farms of nutrient rich soil.  Contrastly, grass fed and free range animals' manure composts into the ground, free of chemicals and keep the soil rich in nutrients.  Taken directly from the article, the farmers say, "If you don't take care of your land, it can't take care of you". 

3.  OUR WAISTLINES.  The skewed goverment subsidies for corn, in part, have created a push for cheap food products made from corn and corn by-products (e.g. high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, etc.).  America has made it cheap to eat badly and it is showing in our waistlines.  Another contributing factor is the quick fattening methods used for livestock to "get it to market", resulting in fatty, hormone and antibiotic laden meat.  It just isn't as healthy or lean as organic meat or poultry.

4.  JOBS.  Organic farming requires more hired hands.  Especially here in Michigan, where we have the highest unemployment rate in the country AND many farms, switching to more sustainable growing practices should be a no brainer. 

5.  TASTE.  Organic farming rotates crops in nutrient rich soil and  allows produce (and meat for that matter) to grow in a natural time span, giving it time to develop flavor.  Organic food tastes better!

Check out the entire article by purchasing the 8/31/09 issue of TIME Magazine.

FREE Product Wednesday - Fanatic Eyeshadow

I received an email a little while back from Caron Ford.  Caron's email reads:

Received the samples of Quantum Quencher Facial Moisturizerand used them...what a find! This product felt AMAZING on my face like nothing I've ever used before.I LOVED this product . . .

 

Caron has won this week's Fanatic Eyeshadow - FREE Product Wednesday giveaway.  Congratulations Caron!

Keep your tips, tricks, stories and testimonials coming!  Email me at info@eveorganics.net and you may win our next FREE Product Wednesday giveaway.

4 Easy Ways to Find Your Skin Tone

To some it may be easy, but to others, finding the right colors to flatter their skin tone is a chore.  If you follow these few easy ways to find the right colors for you, it will be much easier to choose a blush, eyeshadow shade or even a blouse that will flatter you by eliminating the colors you know will not work.

The majority of people break down into either WARM or COOL skin tones.  Very few, although there are some, can wear anything (they would be considered NEUTRAL).  Try any one or a couple of these tips to find our your true coloring.

1. Try on a bracelet in gold and silver, one on each hand.  If you look better in gold, you are warm toned; if you look better in silver, you are cool toned.  If you are not sure, try another tip.

2.  Wrap an orange and then a pink towel over your head or around your neckline.  Do you look better in orange?  You are warm.  Pink?  You are cool.

3.  Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist.  If they look green, you are warm; if they look blue or purple, you are cool.

4.  Try on a white blouse and then an off-white or creme colored blouse.  If you look better in white, you are cool.  If you look better in the creme or off-white colored blouse, you are warm.

Now, if you are one of the few who try these tips and don't really feel one color flatters more than the other on more than two of these tests, you could possibly be NEUTRAL.  But, I would suggest you get a friend or family member to give you their opinion.  Sometimes a second set of eyes may help you see the difference.

Look for the new coding on our makeup products in the next few weeks.  We will be labeling our colors with W for Warm, C for Cool and E for Everyone.  Some colors are pretty neutral and look good on everybody.

As a general rule, following are certain colors to look for, either in makeup or clothing, to flatter your skin tone:

WARM:  Orange, Brown, Rust, Yellow, Orange-Red, Camo or Deep Green, Tan, Nudes, Coral, Gold,Off White

COOL: Pink, Turquoise Blue, Lilac, Lavender, True Red, Black, Gray, Silver, Bright Neon Greens, Silver and White

Have any comments, tips or input?  Leave a comment . . . we love to hear from you! 

Safer (and Cheaper) Ways to Whiten Teeth

One of my favorite magazines is Natural Solutions.  When I receive my new issue each month, I can't wait to plop down and read it cover to cover.  This month's issue (September 2009), is packed with great tips.

In the section "Simple Solutions" tucked in the back of the magazine, I found a great one for whitening teeth.

Most over-the-counter teeth whiteners (along with the real expensive ones from the dentist) are loaded with toxic ingredients that can weaken tooth enamel over time, resulting in teeth can stain more easily.  Following are a couple of inexpensive ideas from the magazine for keeping your teeth their whitest (and you can do them daily without damaging your pearly whites)!

XYLITOL

Xylitol is a fermented sugar alcohol, which reduces bacteria in the mouth; thereby preventing tooth decay by preventing plaque from forming.  Choose a gum containing xylitol and pop one in after dinner or a glass of wine to prevent the staining foods or drinks from taking hold of your teeth.

BAKING SODA

Mix 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with a dash of water to make a paste.  Use it as you would toothpaste twice a week to diminish stains and help prevent new ones.

If you have any tips on natural beauty, leave us a comment and share your wisdom!

Our Little Makeup "Cafe" is Open!

Yay!  We have finally opened our little makeup "cafe" so to speak.  Eve Organics started out primarily online, grew to selling to retailers and, in response to popular demand, we have opened our own little "play place." 

We are located at 46700 Gratiot Avenue, in Chesterfield, Michigan.  For right now, our limited hours are:

Monday          11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday    10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Thursday         1:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Come check us out if you're in the area.  We have all of our cosmetics and skin care open to try out, a couple of work areas to sit and play, and a nice large table to pull up a chair and read some of the many informative magazines and books we have here.  We offer tea (iced in the summer and hot in the winter) and water to customers so that they can hang out and relax a while.

We can put together a great "Green Gift Set" for you or a loved one.

We are selling a couple of other things we feel go hand in hand with our mission:  Health Force whole food supplements and enzymes, etc., Chartreuse organic teas (made in Michigan) and teapots, Plocky's whole grain red beans and rice chips (a favorite of ours!), and soon to come . . . ??

We would love to hear from you.  Let us know what you would like to see us do or carry in our store.  You never know what may happen!

3 Quick Steps to Perking Up Your Face The Morning After

Another tip from that fantastic tip book:  FAST BEAUTY:  1,000 Quick Fixes . . . Have you ever awoke the morning after a late night or a really long flight wondering how to "wake up" your face to look "presentable" for the day's scheduled appointments?

1.  Wash your face with a gentle exfoliating scrub.

2.  Now, alternate splashing your face with cool then warm water, about 3 times.

3.  Apply a moisturizer that contains mint or rosemary. (Cool! All of our moisturizers contain rosemary).  Dab a bit in front of your ears and on your wrists for an instant pick-me-up.

*BONUS TIP:  Use a little Peppermint Lip Balm to wake up your senses and soften up the smoocher too! 

Love to Garden But Hate Dirty Nails?

Ok - I found another great tip for all of us gardeners who hate those dirt-embedded nails that are inevitable, even when you wear gloves.

Listen to this  . . . so simple, yet, I know at least I've never heard of it before.

 

All you need to do is scrape your nails along a bar of soap prior to putting your gardening gloves on.  You can save one bar for this one particular purpose so that all the soap cakes in your house don't end up looking like the cat attacked them. The soap will fill the underside of the nail as well as the gaps in the nail beds, creating a barrier AND they'll be easier to clean when you're done in the dirt!

If you really don't want to scrape up a bar of soap, I have a tip for you too!  Wear two layers of gloves, the first rubber or latex and gardening gloves on top.  It may be a little warm in there, but you'll be dirt free for dinner!

Naturally Energize Tired Muscles

Have you been stepping up your exercise lately?  Or do you just feel like your muscles have had it and need a little pick-me-up?

The remedy is right in your kitchen!  I got this quick tip from the book, Fast Beauty - 1,000 Quick Fixes. . .and it's simple. 

1. Just grate a small piece of ginger
2. Mix it in your hand with a good amount of body lotion
3. Massage your ginger-spiked lotion to wherever your muscles are sore.

Your muscles should feel invigorated and ready for the next ironwoman competition (well maybe that's a little exaggerated).

Do you have any tips on feeling better when you're wiped out?  We'd love to hear from you.