The Natural Beauty Workshop

Red Raspberry Facial Mask

This fresh mask is great for combination skin.  The Organic Honey Powder acts as an antiseptic to help fight acne and oily patches while Organic Red Raspberry Oil, which is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, nourishes the skin.  Gentle Pink Kaolin Clay provides deep cleansing action without over-drying.  Our main wetting agent in this mask is Neroli Hydrosol, a gentle, but effective astringent with a sweet fruity and floral aroma.  This recipe makes about a third of a cup (or about 3 ounces) of mask.  You can share with a friend or two when you make this up or you can store the remaining mask, sealed tightly in your refrigerator for 3 - 5 days.  As with all natural formulations, the mask will run the risk of becoming contaminated or going rancid  prematurely without a preservative added.  Discard your mask if it changes color, odor or if appears “off” in any other way.

Red Raspberry Facial Mask

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Pink Kaolin Clay
2 tablespoons Organic Raspberry Seed Powder
1 tablespoon Organic Honey Powder
1/2 ounce Neroli Hydrosol
1/8 ounce Organic Red Raspberry Seed Oil          

Directions
In a small mixing bowl, combine the Pink Kaolin Clay, Raspberry Seed Powder, and Honey Powder.  Stir the ingredients together, making sure to break up any clumps.  Next, add the Neroli Hydrosol and Red Raspberry Seed Oil.  Stir the mixture thoroughly, forming a smooth paste.

Instructions
Before applying the mask, gently open your pores by dabbing your skin with a warm, damp towel.  This mask can also be used on your neck, shoulders or any other problem zones.  Allow the mask to dry for about ten minutes before rinsing it away.  The Fruit Seed Powder makes a great exfoliant so be sure to gently massage the mask onto your skin before rinsing.  Follow the mask with the toner and moisturizer of your choice.

This mask is gentle enough to be used about twice a week.  Please be aware, though, everyone’s skin is different.  If you experience any negative effects from this or any other recipe, discontinue use immediately.

Organic Colloidal Oatmeal (Ultrafine)

Oatmeal Powder is an extremely handy ingredient when it comes to natural skin care.  This finely milled powder can help to soothe irritated skin when used in baths, facials, body masks, and soaps.  Oatmeal also makes an excellent base for an all natural cleanser.  When mixed with a nutritive wetting agent, such as fresh milk, plain yogurt, Hydrosol, or pureed fruit, Oatmeal can be used to gently cleanse and exfoliate the skin. 

FromNatureWithLove.com is proud to now be carrying USDA Certified Organic, Ultrafine Colloidal Oatmeal.  This ultrafine powder is totally pure, has a very small particle size, and is ready for use in your next organic formulation.  Try combining Organic Colloidal Oatmeal (Ultrafine) with Organic Honey Powder and Organic Milk Powder to create a completely organic milk bath.  You can add aroma therapeutic benefits to this recipe by including one of our Organic Essential Oils. Organic Lavandula Abrialis Essential Oil would be a wonderful choice.

Organic Raspberry Seed Powder

Finely ground Organic Raspberry Seed Powder makes an excellent exfoliant in natural facials, body scrubs, and soaps.  Organic Raspberry Seeds contain a wealth of beneficial antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and other nutritive components.  Traces of these beneficial components remain within the seed powder, adding benefit, color, and gentle exfoliation to natural skin care formulations.

It is important to use ingredients sourced from organic raspberries when possible because these particular berries tend to be heavily sprayed with chemical pesticides during farming.  FromNatureWithLove.com is proud to offer both Organic Raspberry Seed Powder and Organic Red Raspberry Seed Oil as a totally organic option for cosmetic formulations.

Natural Autumn Crafts

Autumn is a great time to be a crafter.  In New England, inspiration lurks around every corner as the colors of the leaves change the landscape from cheerful green hills to sunset colored forests.  Falling leaves, dusty acorns, and ruddy orange pumpkins paint a beautiful palette for the crafty artist to work with.  After a little web surfing I found a great selection of naturally inspired Autumn Crafts that the whole family can enjoy.

Acorn Crafts on MarthaStewart.com
Featuring two tasteful, but whimsical ways to work with acorns. Adorn a mirror with acorns of many sizes, or create adorable napkin rings for Thanksgiving or an Autumn dinner party.  I can foresee the napkin ring project taking on many other uses. These bendable pieces of artwork would look adorable wrapped around a candle base or a bar of soap.

Jeffrey Rudell Creates Breathtaking Thank You Cards on CraftyStylish.com
Jeffrey Rudell shows the step by step process of his incredible paper cutting technique.  The end result is a beautiful silhouette of Autumn wild flowers.  This project requires an awful lot of care and patience, but the effort will certainly be noticed by the lucky recipient of your beautiful note.

Jenny Shares Her Special Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipe on ZestyEneterprise.com
What do you do with the massive pile of pumpkin seeds leftover from gutting your October Jack-O-Lanterns?  Many folks wind up discarding the seeds from their Jack-O-Lanterns, not realizing the tasty treat they were passing up.  My father never failed to snatch these little treasures up and toast them in the oven with a little oil and salt.  Jenny from Zesty Enterprise has taken the Roasted Pumpkin Seed one step further by incorporating her special blend of seasonings.

How to Dry Gourds & How to Build a Gourd Birdhouse on eHow.com
Pick up a gourd or two on your next trip to the pumpkin patch or apple orchard.  You may be surprised by the number of objects you can create using a dried gourd.  In the first article, eHow.com shows you how to dry and prep your gourd for your favorite gourd project.  Next, eHow.com takes you through the step by step process of turning your dried gourd into a beautiful birdhouse.  These make great gifts for friends and loved ones or for your neighborhood birds.

Acorn Photo by J.G.

Organic Grape Seed Powder

Our finely ground, Organic Grape Seed Powder makes an excellent exfoliant, and is gentle enough for use in facial scrubs.  Mix the dry powder with Fresh Plain Yogurt to create a simple exfoliating scrub that can help to soften and enhance dull, dry skin.  Organic Grape Seed Powder can also be combined with other nourishing wetting agents such as Hydrosol, Herbal Infusions, or Carrier Oils.  Organic Grape Seed Powder has a dark, brownish plum color.  It can be added to soaps and other formulations to infuse a touch of this color into the final product.

New Fragrance Oil Samplers

FromNatureWithLove.com is pleased to announce the addition of an all new line of Fragrance Oil Samplers!  We've put together twenty five new Samplers featuring carefully selected varieties of our high quality Fragrance Oils in convenient, 1/4 ounce sized bottles.  Use these exciting new sample packs to try out a variety of Fragrance Oils at once, make multiple small projects, or share your favorite Fragrance Oils with friends!

New Fragrance Oil Samplers

• Berries and Cherries
• Best Sellers #1
• Best Sellers #2
• Chocolate Lover's
• Citrus
• Coffee & Tea
• Designer Types #1
• Designer Types #2
• Designer Types #3
• Exotic Floral
• Floral #1
• Floral #2
• Fruit Stand
• Holiday Feast
• Holiday Forest
• Holiday Home
• Holiday Spice
• Kid's
• Men's Designer Types #1
• Men's Designer Types #2
• New Arrivals
• Rose
• Tropical Fruit
• Vanilla Lover's
• Wedding

FromNatureWithLove.com Fragrance Oils are synthetic ingredients that have been created especially for use in skin care products such as soaps, lotions, and bath items.  For natural scenting options, check out our line of Essential Oils, Absolutes, Attars, and CO2 Extracts.

The Etsy Green & Clean Guild

The Etsy Green and Clean Guild is a small group of Etsy Sellers who are passionate about creating handmade soap and skin care products using high quality, and often green and natural ingredients.  These small business owners have banded together as a team to help promote one another with an inspiring sense of community and enthusiasm.  Together, the team features a regularly updated blog, a Flickr Group, and  a Team Shop!  Though the number of team members is demure, numbering twenty total, the team looks forward to accepting new members soon.  If you sell handmade soaps or other skin care products on Etsy check out the Etsy Green and Clean Guild's Blog to learn how you can join the team.

On Sale Today: The Etsy Green and Clean Guild's Swag Bags!
An ingenious promotional and fund raising tool, the Team's Swag Bags contain sample products from 19 members of the Etsy Green and Clean Guild.  The Swag Bag comes with a great variety of products, including Scrubs, Soaps, Perfumes, and even Mini Pedicure Kits!  To make this package even more special, the goodies come packed inside a handy, reusable tote bag.  The Etsy Green and Clean Guild's Swag Bags are a great way to try out many wonderful handmade skin care shops at once.  The small product sizes also make perfect small gifts and stocking stuffers!  The bags go on sale today on The Etsy Green and Clean Guild's Team Shop and are available in very small quantities, so hurry and snatch them up while you can! 

To get a sneak peak of the products that you may find in your swag bag, check out the Morgan Street Blog.  Sharon, one of the sweetest soapers I have had the good fortune to know personally, has been receiving the loot in order to organize the Swag Bags.  She shared some lovely pictures and descriptions of the goodies in this blog post.

Organic Rosehip Seed Powder

Organic Rosehip Seed Powder makes an excellent exfoliant for facial and gentle body scrubs.  This finely milled seed powder is rich in Vitamin A, or Retinol, a popular vitamin for use in anti-aging formulations due to its ability to rejuvenate the skin and increase collagen production.  Organic Rosehip Seed Powder also contains a wealth of essential fatty acids, including Omega 3 and Omega 6.  This nutrient rich powder can be combined with other Organic Ingredients to create totally organic facials, body scrubs, exfoliation treatments, and more.

Organic Honey Powder

Another fabulous addition to our growing line of USDA Certified Organic Ingredients, Organic Honey Powder can be used to enhance a wide range of natural skin care treatments and formulas.  Honey possesses natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which make it great for use in senstive, combination, and acne prone skin types.  Organic Honey Powder is water soluble and can be added to the water phase of lotions and soaps, as well as fresh facials and masks.  Organic Honey makes a great main ingredient for fresh cleansers as well.  Try creating a completely Organic Facial Cleanser by combining Organic Honey Powder, Organic Rosehip Seed Powder, Organic Whole Milk Powder, and Organic Carrot Seed and Chamomile Hydrosols.  Add just enough Hydrosol to form a smooth paste and massage it gently onto the skin.  Rinse, and follow with an Organic Toner and Moisturizer.  This fresh cleanser can be stored in the refrigerator between uses and should be made freshly every 4 - 5 days.

*Photo by Zsuzsanna Kilián

Jasmine & Acai Berry Pomade

This all natural hair pomade can be used to add texture and moisture to hair.  Jasmine Floral Wax and Absolute adds a subtle fragrance, while nourishing Acai Berry Oil helps to moisturize and protect the hair.  This recipe can be used to add texture to all hair types.  For those with especially dry or coarse hair, Jasmine & Acai Berry pomade can be used as an intense conditioner.

Jasmine & Acai Berry Pomade
Makes about 3 ounces

Ingredients
1/2 ounce Acai Oil
2 ounces Shealoe Butter
1/4 ounce Beeswax
0.05 ounce Jasmine Floral Wax
1/4 ounce Fractionated Coconut Oil
5 drops Jasmine Absolute

Directions
In a double boiler, combine the Beeswax, Floral Wax, and Fractionated Coconut Oil.  Heat these ingredients until they are fully melted.  Next, add the Shealoe Butter and stir until it is just melted.  Quickly remove the mixture from the heat.  Add the Acai Oil and begin to whip the mixture until it cools slightly.  Add 5 drops of Jasmine Absolute and continue to mix the pomade.  After several minutes the mixture should begin to cool and thicken.  After the mixture had thickened up you can transfer it to a jar, and allow it to cool and set completely.

Usage and Packaging
This pomade can be packaged in glass or plastic jars.  Our White Flat Jars make a great choice for this recipe.  The pomade can be applied directly to the hair to add texture, style, and conditioning.  The pomade can also be applied to the ends of hair as a deep conditioning treatment.

Acai Berries Photo by Ronaldo Salame
Jasmine Photo by David Stern