The Natural Beauty Workshop

Water Works

You might be surprised to know that one of the world's greatest beauty potions may be pouring from your kitchen faucet. Although some studies have shown that the skin's moisture is not directly affected by the amount of water a person drinks, it may affect your skin in another way. Your kidneys and liver screen toxins from the body, but they function most effectively when you keep yourself properly hydrated. As many beauty enthusiasts know, toxins are your skin's number one enemy. Toxic chemicals, allergens, and free radicals enter your body through the air, the skin, and through ingestion. In this day and age they can be found in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and ironically, even in the water we drink. If they are not flushed from the body, they can show themselves in some pretty inconvenient ways. Acne, over-sized moles, dry itchy patches, hives, and even cellulite are just some of the skin problems that can be related to contact with everyday toxins.

Other than drinking plenty of water, there are many other things you can do to try and eliminate toxins in your body. Thalassotherapy and body wraps are popular steps in detox and weight loss treatments. They work by drawing toxins out of the body through the skin. These kinds of treatments can be very expensive at spas and salons. Luckily, they can also be prepared at home with a small amount of research, some key ingredients, and a little peace and quiet. Raw food diets, specialty herbal teas, steam baths, and plain old exercise are other methods of detoxification. While researching any of these methods you will find one piece of advice consistently given: drink plenty of water.

The amount of water that we should be drinking each day has been in debate for some time. The classic advice is to drink eight glasses per day. Some doctors think this is too much, other studies claim it is too little. Some medical conditions, such as Diabetes, can actually be negatively affected by drinking too much water. Since every human being has a body that is as unique as their personality, there is probably no "golden rule" that will be perfect advice for everyone. If you want to know how much water is healthy for you, the best thing you can do is talk to your doctor, nutritionalist, or dietitian. Someone who knows your medical history and constitution will be able to give the best advice. Otherwise, you can do what most of us do: drink when you are thirsty!

Rice Bran and Powder

Rice has been a staple in Asian cooking for ages. Did you also know that rice has been traditionally used by Japanese and Indian cultures in beauty treatments and skincare?

Rice Bran, a brown powder that is a byproduct of rice milling, contains beneficial antioxidants which are said to have powerful anti-aging properties. Fine Rice Bran Powder can be used in scrubs, facials, and body masks to provide gentle exfoliation along with a great many other attributes. The powder has been known to aid in balancing skin's moisture by removing excess oils. Rice Bran Powder may also help reduce unsightly blemishes. Coarse Rice Bran Powder can be used for more rigorous exfoliation in scrubs, soaps or wash bags. It can also be used along with oatmeal, herbs, and essential oils for a soothing bath tea.

Rice Powder is made by crushing white rice into a powdered form. This bright white powder was used in some of the earliest forms of makeup. Today, with the growing popularity of mineral makeup, Rice Powder may find it's way back to it's earlier purpose. Rice Powder can also be used in facial and body scrubs, body wraps or masks. Although Rice Bran Powder contains more beneficial properties, the white Rice Powder is generally more aesthetically pleasing, making it a great choice for formulas that involve coloring, or are simply intended for a more finished look. Rice Powder is available at FromNatureWithLove.com in fine and medium particle sizes.

Fruit Seeds and Fibers

Raspberries, Strawberries, Kiwis and Grapes. Who wouldn't want to scrub with such delicious ingredients? Dried Fruit Seeds and Fibers can add color, exfoliation and interest to your formula. Whether you are creating a fresh treatment or a finished product, these unique additives provide a naturally creative flair.

FromNatureWithLove.com carries a wide variety of fruit seeds including Blackberry, Black Raspberry, Blueberry, Cranberry, Kiwi, Red Raspberry and Strawberry. From tiny Blueberry Seeds to chunky Raspberry Seeds, each variety has its own individual color and texture. They can be added to soaps, scrubs, or even suspension shower gels. They can also be used to decorate items such as bath bombs or bath melts.

Fruit Fibers can add natural color to your products as well. The dusty, natural tones of  fruit fibers can be very beautiful in soaps or powders. They can also be steeped in oil and strained in order to add a touch of color to creams or lotions. Their fine particle size provides gentle exfoliation when used in scrubs and facial masks and treatments. Using them alongside a matching Fruit or Berry Seed Oil can help to create a wonderfully fruit or berry themed formula. Fruit Fibers are available at FromNatureWithLove.com in the following varieties: Blueberry, Cranberry, Milled Grape Seed, Kiwi and Raspberry.

Ocean Mineral Bath

The ocean never fails to refresh me. Whether my body or my mind is feeling low, a visit to some sparkling shore does the trick every time. Not surprisingly, the ocean contains countless resources used to nourish the world every day. Ocean resources have even found their place in modern day cosmetics and skin care products. Sea Vegetables like Kelp, Bladderwrack, and Irish Moss contain significant amounts of vitamin A, B, E, D, K, and C, carotenes, and iodine. They also contain minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, silica, iron and zinc. Coral Powder is another natural wonder that provides exceptional benefits to the skin. Fossilized coral contains at least 75 minerals that synergistically contribute to the health of skin, hair, nails, and teeth. This recipe was inspired by the ocean's bounty. Sea Vegetables, Coral Powder and natural Sea Salt make this simple and nourishing bath soak a pleasant way to tap into that special energy, even when you can't get to the beach.

Ocean Mineral Bath

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Coral Calcium Powder                           
4 tablespoons Sea Salt, Fine                                     
2 tablespoons Organic Kelp Powder                           
5 drops Petitgrain Essential Oil                        
3 drops Organic Mandarin Essential Oil
5 drops Geranium Essential Oil

Directions
Mix dry ingredients together in a clean bowl. Add Essential Oils and stir well.

Packaging & Usage
This recipe makes about 1/2 cup of mineral bath. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of powder to a hot bath. The remainder can be sealed in an airtight container until it is used.

Aloe Vera

Aloe is famous for its use as a skincare ingredient. It is cooling, moisturizing, and due to it's antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, it is commonly used to heal irritated or damaged skin. The juice or gel that is expelled from Aloe Vera leaves is used to create a multitude of products.

Probably the most familiar of these products is Aloe Vera Gel, sometimes referred to as Aloe Vera Juice. It actually has a consistency closer to water than jelly. This is the closest thing you are likely to find to pure aloe. Unfortunately, aloe is so fragile that a preservative is often added to delay bacteria growth.

In Aloe Moist, another aloe based product, a gelling agent has been incorporated to create the jelly like consistency that many aloe products possess. The Aloe Moist carried by FromNatureWithLove.com contains 55% pure aloe. It can be used as a hair gel base, a body glitter base, or in other water based formulations at around 10%.

Aloe has also been incorporated into vegetable butters.  Aloe Butter is a combination of a soft fraction Coconut Oil and aloe leaf extract. This soft-solid butter melts upon skin contact making it fabulous for use "as-is" or in formulations. You can use Aloe Butter to incorporate aloe properties in lotions, bath melts, massage bars, soaps, and other products at around 10%. Shealoe Butter is another fantastic aloe product. Aloe Vera and Shea Butter have been combined to create a smooth, cooling, and creamy butter. This luxurious product can help to soothe dry, chapped, or irritated skin without leaving it too greasy.

Last but not least, aloe is also used in it's dried and powdered form as a delightful additive to soaps, scrubs, or bath teas. Aloe Vera Leaf Powder also makes a fine addition to any dry product that you would like to incorporate soothing properties into.

Salt Scrubs

Salt scrubs are popular, effective, and very easy to make. A basic salt scrub is composed of two key ingredients: salt and oil. Additives like color, scent, and emulsifiers may be added to enhance the basic formula. To make a salt scrub, start out with one cup of salt. Add four ounces of oil and stir. Keep adding oil until the scrub reaches your desired consistency. I usually go for the consistency of a thick paste when I am making a salt scrub. If you are adding liquid additives, make sure to leave "room" for them while you are adding the initial oil to your scrub. For a water dispersible base, try adding Castille Soap at about 25% or Polysorbate 20 at about 50% to your carrier oil. Please note that this may change the texture of your carrier oil.

Some information about salt scrub ingredients:

Salts - A variety of salts are available for use in salt scrubs. Fine to medium grain sized salts are ideal.

Sea Salt, Fine & Medium - Sea Salt is rich in minerals, light white to light gray in color, and is one of the most economic choices for making salt scrubs. The fine grain size is slightly larger than conventional table salt and great for use in body polish-type scrubs. Our medium grain size is slightly larger, usually measuring between 4mm and 6mm.

Dead Sea Salt: Powder, Fine & Medium - Dead Sea Salt is known for it's high mineral content and healing properties. What is less well known is the beauty of Dead Sea Salts. Our Dead Sea Salts are slightly off-white and usually slightly translucent. The powder has a very fine grain size, reflective of the name. Fine Dead Sea Salt is similar to the grain size of table salt. The medium salt is rather larger, usually measuring between 1mm and 4mm in grain size.

Icelandic Geo-Thermal Brine Salt - This salt is a stunning, bright opaque white. Its fine grain size makes it a wonderful salt for body polishes. It is rich in silica and essential trace elements but contains 60% less sodium than regular sea salt. It has a very fine grain size, making it ideal for body polish and buffer type scrubs.

Carrier Oils - The carrier oil chosen for a scrub will influence the final product more than it may initially appear to. Light, penetrating oils such as Kukui Nut Oil, moisturize without leaving the skin too greasy. Some prefer a thicker oil or even a Vegetable Butter in their scrubs. Heavier oils such as Castor Oil can either be incorporated with a thinner oil or used alone. Most vegetable butters would need to be mixed with a lighter oil in order to achieve the correct consistency in a scrub. I've listed some suggestions for oils to use in salt scrubs below, but please don't let this modest list limit your creativity! Our complete list of carrier oils may inspire you to create even more great combinations.

Light Oils
Fractionated Coconut
Apricot Kernel Oil
Hazelnut Oil
Macadamia Nut Oil
Rice Bran Oil

Medium Oils
Jojoba, Natural
Organic Jojoba, Clear
Avocado Oil
Pomace Olive Oil
Flax Seed Oil

Thick Oils / Butters
Organic Virgin Coconut Cream
Babassu Butter
Organic Shea Butter, Nilotica
Castor Oil
Monoi De Tahiti
Shealoe Butter
Coffee Bean Butter

Essential Oils or Fragrance Oils can be added to your scrub to increase it's aesthetic or beneficial properties. Oil-Based Dyes or Micas can also be added to increase allure. Some other interesting additives would be Jojoba Wax Beads or Fruit Seeds. The possibilities are endless with a little creativity.

If you plan on selling your scrub or storing it for an extended period of time, you may want to add a preservative to your formula. You can find more information on preservatives here.

So now that you are armed with a laundry list of great scrub ingredients I challenge you to go forth and scrub! I would love to see some pictures of different scrubs that everyone comes up with. If you have a scrub you'd like to share please email me.

Welcome to The Natural Beauty Workshop

FromNatureWithLove.com is excited to announce the launch of our own Natural Beauty blog.  Here on the Natural Beauty Workshop, we will be offering valuable resources including insightful articles, inspirational recipes, detailed ingredient profiles, news and more.

Emmy Gabriel - a writer and recipe formulator for FromNatureWithLove.com - will be authoring The Natural Beauty Workshop. Emmy is originally from the Down East region of Maine but now resides in western Connecticut. She has worked for Natural Sourcing, LLC and FromNatureWithLove.com for three years, meanwhile developing a strong taste for natural and handmade beauty products. Emmy is a dedicated crafter, artist, and naturalist with a strong passion for all things green and natural. 

We hope that you'll visit often and enjoy your time spent with us here on the Natural Beauty Workshop. Comments, questions and input are greatly encouraged. Please let us know what you think. If you have a natural beauty blog of your own, please let us know. We would love to get to know you better.