The Natural Beauty Workshop

Margarita Salt Scrub

During our most recent employee workshop we made some deliciously scented salt scrubs and body creams, inspired by one of our favorite indulgences, the margarita! The first recipe I would like to share is the Margarita Salt Scrub.

Dead Sea Salt and Cold Pressed Lime Essential Oil made this salt scrub totally scrumptious. The Shea Butter Shower Gel Base acts as an emulsifier, and helps to provide an even appearance and fluffy texture to the scrub. For an all natural alternative, you can try using Liquid Castille Soap Base or Liquid Castille Shower Gel Base instead.

Margarita Salt Scrub

1/2 cup of Dead Sea Salt, Fine
1 oz Shea Butter Shower Gel Base
1 oz Fractionated Coconut Oil
2 ml of Lime, Cold Pressed, Mexico Essential Oil (40 drops)
Optional Colorant*
FD&C Yellow #6(3-5 drops) 
D&C Green #8(1-2 drops)

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the Fractionated Coconut Oil and Shea Butter Shower Gel Base. Mix these well, until thoroughly combined. Next, stir in the Dead Sea Salt. Add the colorant and essential oil and mix once more. Spoon into a sterile jar.

Packaging and Storage

The best storage container for this recipe would be a jar made from high density plastic. A PET or HDPE container should do well. Due to the essential oil content in this recipe, the plastic may erode over a long period of time. Since this recipe contains natural ingredients, it should be used long before this becomes an issue. However, I thought it would be worth mentioning just in case. For safety's sake, don't leave this jar of scrub on top of any expensive linens. You never know.

Usage

There are many scrubbing techniques out there, but this is one I am particularly find of. Step into the shower and before turning the water on, scrub your body all over! (Of course, avoiding very sensitive areas or broken skin.) When you are thoroughly scrubbed, turn the shower on and rinse. When the shower is over, make sure to moisturize your skin with a body oil, cream, or lotion.

Preservation

I will leave the preservation of this recipe up to you. The scrub can be made without any preservative, but this will be prone to contamination. If it is left unpreserved, I would suggest handling it with extreme care. Do not take the jar into the shower. Instead, use a clean spoon to scoop one serving at a time into a paper or plastic cup.

If you are using the Shea Butter Shower Gel, please be aware that is does contain parabens. However, this recipe has not been challenge tested, and the preservative content in the shower gel base may not be enough to thoroughly preserve the entire scrub. You can add further preservative to the remaining ingredients, if you choose to. Liquapar Oil would be a good choice if you are going with a chemical preservative. It can be added to 0.3 - 0.6% of the fractionated coconut oil, which is 1 oz. This would be a very minuscule amount.

If you are creating a natural scrub, using Castille soap, you may also want to consider adding some Grapefruit Seed Extract. This will act as an antibacterial agent, but it will not "preserve" the ingredients. It can be added to the formula at 0.5 to 1%. In this recipe that would be 1 drop. While this will help to fend off bacteria, it may be wise to still handle the product with extra care. Exposure to water may still compromise the formula's stability.

*To achieve a green hue with natural ingredients, steep 1 teaspoon of Parsley Powder in 4 ounces of warm Fractionated Coconut Oil for 30 - 60 minutes. Strain the herb from the oil using a cheese cloth. Use this colored Fractionated Coconut Oil in place of the oil in this recipe. No additional colorant should be needed. The excess oil can be stored in a clean bottle for later use.

Kaolin Clays

Kaolin Clays are some of the most versatile ingredients that you can use in natural skincare. They can be incorporated into soaps, body powders, facials, scrubs, or any number of other skincare products. Their variety of beautiful colors only add to their desirability to a formulator, or a home spa enthusiast. Kaolin Clays provide the natural skincare artist with a wonderful palette of colors and properties to draw from. The distinct colorings of these clays are quite striking when combined. Whether used for presentation, or in treatments, taking advantage of Kaolin Clays similar natures and gorgeous colorings present a unique opportunity to be creative.

White Kaolin Clay
The soft, fluffy texture and pure white appearance of White Kaolin Clay make it not only aesthetically pleasing, but ideal for mild exfoliation when used in a cleanser or scrub. This gentle clay is perfect for sensitive skin and is often used in shave creams or soaps for the silky slip that it provides. White Kaolin clay can be used as a face or body mask along with almost any wetting agent, including Hydrosols, purified water, or Aloe Vera Gel. Try adding milk, yogurt or even pureed cucumbers to your fresh masks. For sensitive skin treatments, Oatmeal and other grain products are great additions to White Kaolin Clay masks. 

Yellow Kaolin Clay
Like other Kaolin clays, Yellow Kaolin has mild absorption and a soft texture. While still being gentle, it provides slightly stronger absorption than is found in White Kaolin. It is safe for use on most skin types and therefore a very versatile skin care ingredient. It is even safe for use on sensitive skin. When used in a facial scrub, Yellow Kaolin Clay will act as a gentle cleanser and exfoliant, stimulating circulation, and leaving skin fresh and bright. The color of this clay is an earthy gold, making it an attractive additive for honey themed products.

Red Kaolin Clay 
Red Kaolin has a considerably stronger drawing power than other Kaolin Clays. While most clays in the Kaolin variety are ideal for dry, sensitive, and normal skin types, Red Kaolin is more suitable for oily skin. It can make a great addition to acne masks or detoxifying body wraps. It's bold coloring, a dusty red orange, makes it an ideal additive for coloring heavy duty soaps. Due to it's strong drawing ability, Red Kaolin Clay should not be used in a facial more than once per week.

Pink Kaolin Clay
Red and White Kaolin have been skillfully combined to their ideal balance to create Pink Kaolin Clay. This beautiful clay is ideal for normal skin types due to its unique balance of properties. The Red Kaolin Clay provides a deep absorption of toxins and excess oil from the skin while the gentle White Kaolin keeps the skin from becoming irritated or overly dried. Unlike many cosmetic clays, Pink Kaolin has a very vibrant, bold color.  It can make a lovely addition to soaps, scrubs or dusting powders.

Rose Clay

Rose Clay is known best for its gentle nature, but its soft, exfoliating texture, and gorgeous color are also worth noting. Rose Clay is a mild Kaolin Clay that has been naturally tinted with red oxides. This results in the dusty rouge color that the clay was named for. Dry, sensitive, mature, and normal skin types can all be benefited by the use of Rose Clay. It is effective at drawing toxins and impurities from the skin, without harshly depleting the skin's moisture. It is also an efficient cleanser and exfoliant, making it a superb ingredient in gentle scrubs and facials.

One pound packages of Rose Clay are on sale at FromNatureWithLove.com during the month of November, 2007. Visit the Sales and Specials Section to view this, and other specially priced items!

Walk in Beauty

The Natural Beauty Workshop is proud to present the next in our series of featured customer interviews. Vicki Garland is the owner and sole operator of Walk in Beauty, a home based company that creates and sells natural, and naturally inspired personal care products, such as soaps, lotions, and more.

Vicki’s first passion was dance. She became dedicated to the art at a young age, while living in St. Louis, Missouri.  After majoring in Modern Dance during college, Vicki continued to follow her passion for dance until the unfortunate loss of her mother in 1971.

At that time, Vicki stepped away from dance and became interested in horticulture. Very soon, this interest became her life's next great passion. She spent many years in career horticulture, working in design, teaching classes, and guest speaking. Her love of horticulture inspired her to study aromatherapy, herbalism, and flower essences, as well as becoming certified in the field of permaculture. Organic gardening also became a serious hobby of Vicki’s.

In 1981, Vicki Garland made her very first soap with the help of a friend. Throughout the years to follow, Vicki continued to make soap for her family, including her two children, Damon and Charity Rose. Vicki’s daughter told her recently that she couldn’t remember ever using any other soap growing up than what her mother had made.

When Vicki’s children began college in 2003, she began to make soaps and other bath and body products with a renewed fervor. Vicki described how the creation of her business soon followed, and how it helped to heal her emotionally after many personal hardships, including the passing of her husband in 2002.

“With the nest emptied, I was clearing out the studio and began to feel an impetus to create things… big batches of soap, lotions, herbal potions, and little by little, as though bringing itself to life, Walk in Beauty was born. And the parts of my heart that needed healing were growing into life. It’s been such a healing process for me. Every time I go “to work” I feel a sense of inspiration, well-being, and intuition that I use in all the formulas. I hope the healing I receive in making these products also comes through to everyone that uses them!”
-Vicki Garland

Vicki was kind enough to share her story with us on The Natural Beauty Workshop. Her wonderful story was followed by some intriguing questions and answers.

What are some of the signature products and elements of Walk in Beauty?
The Harmony Elixir Sprays and the Blessings line may best represent the unique aspect that Walk in Beauty brings to the natural beauty industry. Not only do I go to great lengths to create pure, synthetic and chemical-free products for positive physical benefits, there is an uplifting psychological and spiritually energetic component in all of the products. These effects are brought about by the use of aroma-therapeutic essential oils, flower essences from several repertoires, specially energized water, and the infusion of Reiki and Qi healing. I have certification in healing Qigong (pronounced Chi Gung) and training as a Reiki Master. I use these energies in all the products.

Another aspect that’s special is our use of fresh plant material in our soaps. For example, organic Sugar Pie Pumpkin is steamed, pureed and added to the Spicy Pumpkin Walnut Soap. Fresh raspberries are mashed (complete with seeds that act as a natural exfoliant) into the Raspberry Peach Smoothie Bar. I love using plant material in the soaps. Three types of mint, all of which I grow, go into the Peppy Mint Wake-up Bar. Wild-gathered Sagebrush leaves go into the Taos Sage Smudge Soap, and wild-crafted wild rose petals are added to the Wild Rose Bar.

What are your immediate goals?
My most immediate need seems to be finding a good helper! I have a very personal relationship with all the products, and am invested in keeping the environment where they are made and packaged very clean, and clear of negativity. I wish I could clone myself. One of me could work in the office, the other one could formulate, and another could do the packaging and shipping. A right-hand person hasn’t shown up yet.

Where would you like to see your company go long term?
It’s tricky to see where I’d like to see my little business to go long term. It’s like trying to picture your newborn as an adult. At this point, I am just hoping I can keep up with all of it as people discover the products.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced while seeing your company to where it is today? How did you face this challenge?
Figuring out how to formulate products that would stay stable using minimum emulsifiers and no chemical preservatives has been very important to me, and has been a big challenge. Trial-and-error formulating has resulted in some losses, of course, but ultimately it has been a good way to learn. I’ve been very persistent in researching natural ways to emulsify and preserve with specific extracts and essential oils.

Since I do see the products as skin food, I try to educate customers to treat them as such, to refrigerate when possible and to use them fresh. I recommend that all the products be stirred or shaken regularly. Everything is made in small batches, and I stay on the small side of bottling so products will get used up when they are still very fresh.

Where are your products available?
Locals drop by my studio or shop by appointment. I’ve just recently gotten the Walk-In-Beauty.net website up and running. Some products are in a gallery/shop called Taos Homegrown in Taos, New Mexico. They are also available at Milagro Therapies Spa in Las Vegas, NM , and Body Evolution Spa in Bellevue, Washington.

Please tell us why you purchase through FromNatureWithLove.com.
FromNatureWithLove.com was my first supplier when I began. This company had (and still has) the best selection! Anything I need, I can find there. Plus, it was such fun to try the free Fragrance Oils with every order. The prices are fair and they are always adding new up-to-date products.

Does your company have a motto or philosophy that you would like to share with us?
"There is beauty above you,
there is beauty below you,                                                                                       
there is beauty all around you.                                                                                             
May you always walk in beauty."
-Navajo Prayer

To "Walk in Beauty" is to experience "heaven on earth." Create heaven in your experience of life and you will experience a heavenly existence, right here and now. May I touch myself, my life, and all others with beauty. May I walk this blessed beauty way. Great Spirit, may I walk in beauty.

We'd like to thank Vicki Garland for sharing her story and experiences with all of us. To learn more about Walk in Beauty, and to view Vicki’s products online, please visit Walk-In-Beauty.net.

If you are a small business owner, or have a career in natural skincare and would like to be interviewed on The Natural Beauty Workshop please let us know. We would love to hear your story!

Bolivian Pink Salt

Bolivian Pink Salt is one of our newest products. The first thing you notice about Bolivian Pink Salt is how beautiful it is. The granules almost remind you of powdered Rose Quartz. In fact, this salt is also known as Bolivian Rose Salt. It is slightly translucent, crystalline, and a lovely, natural shade of pink. It is available in two grain sizes. The Fine Bolivian Pink Salt is similar in size to table salt, while the Coarse grain is more similar to our Medium Sea Salt, measuring between 4mm and 6mm.

But Bolivian Pink Salt is more than just a pretty variety of sodium chloride. This salt is rich in essential and trace minerals such as Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium and Iron.  Much like Dead Sea Salt, Bolivian Pink Salt is known to have restorative abilities. It can help to benefit skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, improve skin tone and condition, increase circulation, and draw toxins from the skin. It also makes a superb exfoliant in scrubs, soaps and body treatments.