The Natural Beauty Workshop

Karanja Oil

Pressed from the seeds of the Pongam Tree, this cousin of Neem offers an array of similar therapeutic benefits to that of its pungent relative.  Karanja Oil is prized for its insecticidal  and antiseptic properties and is often used in pet care for the treatment of fleas, mange, and scabies.  Its insecticidal properties also make Karanja Oil great for agriculatural use, serving as a natural pest repellent.  In skin care, Karanja Oil can be used to treat eczema, psoriasis, skin ulcers, dandruff, or to promote wound healing.  While its therapeutic properties are similar to Neem Oil, its aroma is quite different.  Karanja Oil has a milder aroma than Neem. It is often referred to as "nutty" and is more versatile than Neem Oil.  Karanja Oil can be incorporated into body oils, salves, lotions, soaps, hair oils, shampoos, or garden sprays.

*Photo by Dinesh Valke

Best of the Boardwalk

With the passing of Memorial Day, it is officially time to begin having fun in the sun.  Trips to the beach, walks on the boardwalk, and summer carnivals are on the way.  The following picks from our Flickr Photo Pool are just right for getting you in the mood!

What trip to the boardwalk would be complete without some freshly popped kettle corn?  Popcorn Soap Kernels from Breath of French Air.

While beach combing, you may find some cute starfish like these little guys by NK9708!

If this lovely soap by South Pacific Body doesn't get you in the mood for the beach, nothing will.

This super cute soap bar by Hint of Eden reminds me of a carnival bog top!

Berry Lemonade is a favorite warm weather treat of mine.  This creamy scrub by Heavenly Scent Soaps is simply mouthwatering!

This platter of inedible junk food by Sexy Geek With Attitude is a pretty good example of what you might nibble on while cruising the boardwalk on a warm night!

I hope you are all enjoying the change of seasons, and here's wishing you plenty of fun summer nights ahead! Thank you to all of our awesome members of The Natural Beauty Workshop's Flickr Photo Pool for continuing to submit so many amazing photos.  If you have photos you would like to share, please visit us on Flickr!

Citrus Ice Cooling Body Spray

Though we haven't even hit June, Summer temperatures have been occurring all over the map.  Take the edge off of summer heat with this cooling body spray.  Menthol Crystals are dissolved into this Body Spray, giving it the power to cool and refresh you during hot weather.  Moisturizing Aloe Gel also makes this recipe great for dry, over exposed skin. This recipe also works very well with Cucumber, Green Tea, Vanilla, or Lemon Honey Floral Water.

Citrus Ice Cooling Body Spray

Ingredients
1 ounce Aloe Vera Gel 1:1
2 ounces Citrus Blend Floral Water
2 teaspoons Menthol Crystals
1 tablespoon Alcohol
1 ounce Distilled Water

Directions
In a small container, combine the Alcohol and Menthol Crystals.  The Crystals will take some time to dissolve.  Allow the mixture to sit for 5 - 10 minutes.  Stirring may help to quicken the process slightly.  When the Menthol Crystals have fully dissolved, pour them into a larger container.  Add 1 ounce Aloe Vera Gel 1:1, 1 ounce Distilled Water, and 2 ounces of Citrus Blend Floral Water.  Stir the mixture well.  The emulsifying agents contained in the Floral Water should allow the mixture to fully combine and soon turn clear.  If the mixture doesn't clear, add a few drops of Polysorbate 20 to help it along.  Carefully pour the mixture into a 4 oz. PET Bottle with Sprayer.

Usage
This Cooling Body Spray is quite potent, but it takes a few moments to feel its full effects.  Spray a very light mist onto your body.  The cooling sensation should last for about an hour.  Please note that this Spray should not be used on babies or small children.

Note: Hydrosol can be used in place of Floral Water, but it must be combined with an Emulsifier, such as Polysorbate 20 to keep the mixture from separating.

Black Cumin Seed Oil

Used since ancient times as a cure-all and restorative, Black Cumin Seed Oil has quite a reputation to live up to.  While the oil cannot be proven as a miracle worker, Black Cumin Seed Oil does contain a wealth of nutrients and actives that may be the reason for its high regard within folk medicine.

Black Cumin Seed Oil has been taken internally to help improve the condition of hair, skin, and nails, and it is also used to treat these areas topically. Black Cumin Seed Oil can be used directly or incorporated into lotions, creams, conditioners, soaps, serums, or balms.  Black Cumin Seed Oil is known to be particularly effective at combatting auto-immune skin disorders, making it a natural choice for psoriasis treatment.  It can also help to soothe acne and various forms of eczema.  Black Cumin Seed Oil may also help relieve pain caused by arthritis or sore muscles and is an excellent choice for massage oil blends.

Containing a rich variety of vitamins including A, B1, B2, B6, C, Niacin and Folacin, Black Cumin Seed Oil is a nutritive addition to skin and hair care formulations.  It also contains an impressive array of minerals including calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, selenium, copper, phosphorus and zinc.  It is light brown in color and possesses an herbaceous aroma that is complemented nicely by citrus or other herbaceous essential oils and fragrances.

*Photos by FootosVanRobin

Fresh Fruit Smoothie Facial

With the return of Spring in our corner of the world comes the return of fresh produce.  Hot house fruits are OK, but nothing compares to spring and summer fruit for flavor and texture.  While you are slicing up fruit salads and drinking smoothies, take some time to treat your skin as well.  The following recipe can be used with almost any fresh fruit, mashed or pureed.  This basic mixture of Honey, Oatmeal, Kaolin, and Almond Flour creates a cleansing, skin soothing base, perfect for a facial.

Facial Smoothie Base
1/8 cup Honey Powder
1/8 cup White Kaolin Clay
1/8 cup Almond Flour
1/4 Cup Coarse Oatmeal

Mix the dry ingredients together and store them in an airtight container.  When you are ready to make a facial, puree about 1 tablespoon of fresh fruit and mix it with 2 tablespoons of the Facial Smoothie Base, and 1 tablespoon of Plain Yogurt.  You may need to add a little more or less of each ingredient to achieve a nice texture, depending on the fruit you choose.  To enhance your Facial, try adding a few drops of a corresponding Fruit or Berry Seed Oil.  You can use the facial as a mask or a fresh scrub.  Choose the fruit for your facial based on your skin type and the desired benefit.  Here is a quick overview of some of my favorite fresh fruits to use in facials.

Banana
Banana is packed with skin loving nutrients including Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, and Vitamins A, B, E, and F.  They can have a nourishing, and revitalizing effect on the skin, and are suitable for most skin types.

Mango
This tropical fruit contains a bounty of goodies for the skin, including a hefty dose of retinol.  Retinol can help to increase skin's elasticity,making it great for anti-aging treatments.  Retinol has a tendency to degrade when added to finished skin care products, making the use of a fresh ingredient, such as mango, a rare opportunity to enjoy the benefit of Retinol.  Mango also includes plenty of Vitamin A, B, and C.  Vitamin C is another nutrient that is great for the skin, and best used when fresh.

Strawberry
The potent alpha hydroxy acid contained in Strawberries make them an excellent cleanser.  These acids help to remove dead skin cells gently, without intense scrubbing or scouring.  Strawberry Facials can leave skin fresh and bright.  They may even help to reduce puffiness and acne.

Peach
Peaches also contain alpha hydroxy acids, as well as a nice portion of Vitamins A and C.  The juice and flesh from these fuzzy gems are great for toning and balancing the skin.  Like Strawberries, they can help with acne, puffiness, and clogged pores.

Guava
An effective astringent, Guava can help to cleanse skin, dissolve sebum, and unclog pores.  Guava contains  Vitamins A, B, and C, as well as a good amount of potassium.  This helps guava to tone, brighten, and enhance the look of the skin, making it a great facial ingredient.

Avocado
Deeply moisturizing and soothing, Avocados are perfect for dry, sensitive skin.  Avocados contain healthy fats that are great for your body as well as your skin.

Going Green & Saving Green

These two things often go hand in hand.  Being less wasteful is inherently thrifty, and almost always the right choice when it comes to our environment.  I'd like to share some of my favorite, simple tips that not only save money, they can save space in landfills, energy, and carbon emissions.

Cold Water Washing

According to TreeHugger.com, about 90% of the energy used while washing a load of laundry goes into heating the water.  In fact, based on averages, TreeHugger.com made the following estimation:

"Washing every load on the hot/warm cycle (in a top loading machine and an electric water heater) for a year is equivalent to burning about 182 gallons of gasoline in a car; in an average (19.8 miles per gallon) car, that'll get you around 3595 miles. So, wash in hot/warm, or drive almost 3600 miles -- same difference." - TreeHugger.com

With the cost of cold water washing averaging at about 90% less, you are bound to net a considerable savings over the coarse of a year.  Cold water washing is not without its challenges, however.  Certain stains and garments may need a little extra help to get their cleanest.   An article from Mrs. MacGyver's Home Journal takes you through the challenges of cold water washing and provides valuable tips for getting your laundry nice and clean, the green way!

Speaking of laundry, it is also recommended to run a full load each time you do a wash.  The same rule applies to your other appliances, such as the dishwasher. 

Be a DIY Diva

If it is broken, fix it.  If you want it, make it.  You may already know that you don't have to spend a fortune to have luxurious bath and body products at home, but there is a whole wide world of DIY to explore.  Crafts have come a long way in the last decade or so, and there are plenty of resources online to help you learn to knit, sew, craft, or embellish chic and fashionable garments, accessories, and home decor! DIY skills can also help you to keep your current belongings looking fresh. Many items can be repaired or updated instead of being replaced.  This cuts down on waste while saving you plenty of green.  Check out the following sites to learn more about the Do-It-Yourself lifestyle.

• BurdaStyle.com features tons of fashionable sewing patterns that can be downloaded and printed at home or at a local copy shop.  The best part? Most patterns on Burda Style are totally free!
• Sewing.Org shares free information on sewing, including a detailed Sewing Guide, a tool for finding local sewing teachers, and selection of free patterns and projects!
• DoItYourself.com offers information and How-To's on a huge range of DIY projects including, Crafts, Home Repairs, Gardening, Home Decorating, and even Automotive Repair!
• If you'd like to update cabinetry or furniture that has gone out of fashion, check out the following articles we found online at DIY Network, Savvy Home Decorating, and BeJane.com.
• Visit LearntoKnit.com and KnittingHelp.com to learn how to cast on and get stitching. Once you've mastered tha basics, check out Knitty.com for hundreds of free patterns that will knock your socks off.
• Save money and plastic by creating your own Upcycled Tote Bags, Re-usable Sandwich Wraps, and Lunch Bags at home. 

Take a Walk
If you are lucky enough to live within walking or biking distance of places that you need to go, take advantage of this fortune.  Leave the car at home, and take a walk or a bike ride instead.  Slowing your pace by walking instead of driving can not only save money and fuel, it can promote well being.  Adding a little excercise and time for quiet contemplation can do a lot of good for the mind and body.  For those who live further away from it all, try hiking as an alternative to more costly passtimes.  Visit Trails.com to find a hike near you.  Most hiking trails are either free to enjoy.  Others require a small donation for use.  Either way, they make a pleasant and thrifty alternative to a trip to the movies, mall, or amusement park.

Carpool
When you do have to drive, share the burden with friends, family, or co-workers.  If you use social netowrks such as Facebook, it can be easy to arrange car pools with people that you know.  By splitting gas and tolls you can save money while reducing the amount of vehicles in use that day.  Besides, carpooling can provide you with extra personal time.  Read a book, take a nap, or enjoy a pleasant conversation with your companions.

Neem

Neem Oil is an ingredient often reserved for the brave.  Its pungent aroma is extremely tenacious, and can be very difficult to mask or compliment.  However, a good portion of Lavender can help to take the edge of of Neem's intensity.  When an Oil possesses such a strong aroma, it has to boast pretty impressive benefits to make using it worthwhile.  Neem Oil lives up to this qualification, and then some.  Its potent aroma is matched by equally potent soothing, healing, and restorative properties.  Neem Oil is extremely effective as an antibacterial, antiseptic, and antifungal ingredient.  It even repels insects.  Neem Oil is also a soothing moisturizer, and can aid in the treatment of a wide range of skin conditions.  It is often used to treat acne, psoriasis and eczema.  Neem can be used in the creation of a wide variety of skin care products, including: facials, healing salves, medicinal balms, soaps, cleansers, and body oils.  It is also helpful in hair care products for scalp conditioning and the treatment of dandruff.

Currently, From Nature With Love offers two varieties of Neem Oil.  Our Cold Expeller Pressed Neem Oil is the most standard, and commonly used of the two.  Our Neem Oil CO2 Extract is another great option.  It posesses a slightly more mild aroma than Cold Pressed Neem Oil, and contains a high level of Tocopherols, making it an effective antioxidant in addition to it having Neem Oil's other standard properties.  The Neem Oil CO2 Extract is also much more potent in its properties than the Cold Pressed Oil.  Both Neem Oils are dark green in color, and possess a strong, charachteristic aroma.

Another way to incorporate the properties of Neem into skin and body care products is by using Neem Powder.  This powder is made of dried and crushed Neem Leaves.  It can be used to create herbal infusions in water or oil, or it can be used directly in scrubs, facial masks, body powders, or soaps.  Neem Powder has a much milder aroma than Neem Oil, making it a little less challenging to use.  However, Neem Powder's beneficial properties will be less potent thanthat of  Neem Oil.

Have you used Neem in any of your own creations?  If so, please share your tips on how to use Neem in the comments below.

New Body Care Craft Kits at From Nature With Love!

In addition to the Spring themed Kits that I mentioned recently, we've now added two more awesome Body Care Craft Kits to our line at From Nature With Love.  These two Kits are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without taking a bite.  The sweet scents and skin loving ingredients in these two Kits make tantalizing body treats!

Our Jelly Bean Lip Balm Kit contains everything you need to create a batch of 2 dozen Lip Balms in fun flavors.  Our Purple, Green, and Pink Mini Lip Balm Pots make the perfect packaging for these sweetly scented Lip Balms.  You can create Apple Candy, Blueberry, and Strawberry Lip Balms, or mix and match the Flavor Oils to create your own special blends.  These Mini Jelly Bean Lip Balms make awesome gifts, party favors, or prizes. 

At the risk of bragging, I would say that The Sugar Cookie Scrub might just be the best scrub ever.  The texture of the scrub is slippery, but not liquid.  The scent is sweet and sugary, and the Ingredients are all top notch!  It is packed with Turbinado Sugar and Almond Flour, then lubricated with a blend of light, moisturizing, Sweet Almond Oil and soothing Oat Oil CO2 Extract.  The Sugar Cookie Scrub Kit is easily one of my very favorites from our line, and I can't wait to hear from customers who have tried it out.

Extraction Methods for Vegetable Oils

There are several methods in which Vegetable Oils are extracted.  These different Extraction Methods can affect the quality, aroma, and appearance of oils, making it important to know the difference between them. 

Expeller Pressing
When an oil is extracted by expeller pressing, the raw plant material is mechanically crushed and pressed to produce oil. There can be a great deal of heat produced during this process, which can diminish certain beneficial components of fragile oils.  Expeller Pressed Oils often have less natural aroma, and are clearer and more stable.

Cold Pressing
Like conventional expeller pressing, cold pressed extraction involves physically pressing plant materials.  However, the temperatures involved in cold pressed extraction are carefully controlled, helping to preserve the fragile components contained in vegetable oils.  Cold Pressed Oils can sometimes have a stronger natural aroma than conventionally expeller pressed oils.  They can also contain a larger proportion of natural esters, creating a cloudier, more viscous oil.

Solvent Extraction
Certain Oils are often extracted using a solvent.  A chemical solvent is added to plant material in order to extract the oil, after which, the solvent is removed.  This process can be very cost effective, but is not favored by purists or aromatherapists as a trace amount of solvent is often left in the finished product.

CO2 Extraction
This exciting new process of extraction provides a way to extract extremely pure oil from even the most fragile of plants and botanicals.  CO2 gas is used to press oil from plant material in a sealed chamber.  After the oil has been extracted, the CO2 gas is vented, leaving a completely pure oil or extract.  Certain CO2 Oils or Extracts are combined with additional ingredients in order to ensure stability.  Check the INCI names of the CO2 Oils and Extracts to see exactly what each one contains.

Infusion or Maceration
During maceration or infusion herbs, plants, or botanicals are incorporated into base oils, often Sesame or Coconut Oil.  While there are any methods of maceration and infusion, the most common methods involve heat or time.  Ayurvedic Oils sometimes incorporate a special infusion method that involves brewing an herbal infusion in water, adding it to a base oil, then carefully evaporating the water from the oil, leaving the extract in the base oil.

Refinement
Many Oils are refined after pressing to remove natural esters or plant materials that can cause cloudiness, increased viscosity, odor, or even instability.  While certain users prefer to use oils that have been refined as little as possible, refined oils are ideal for use in formulas where shelf stability, odor, and appearance are priorities.  Highly refined oils are often included in commercially made products for these reasons.

Bleaching
Since natural color can sometimes be troublesome to formulators, certain oils are "bleached" to reduce their natural color.  Bleaching is often accomplished by filtering with Fuller's Earth Clay. 

Deodorizing
Many natural oils contain potent aromas.  Sesame Oil, for example, can be found in both deodorized and natural varieties.  The difference is striking!  Because formulators often prefer to add their own aroma to skin care products, deodorizing can be a very important step in oil production.  However, deodorization often involves exposing an oil to very high temperatures, which many believe can reduce the beneficial qualities of an oil. 

Organic Oils
Organic Oils are produced by special methods which prohibit the use of chemicals or high temperatures during production.  As a result Organic Oils can very greatly in appearance, texture, and aroma from even cold pressed conventional oils.

Tamanu Oil

Tamanu Oil is made from the nuts of the Tamanu tree, native to both Africa, Madagascar, and islands in the South Pacific.  This deep green colored Oil posesses a strong, nutty aroma, sometimes compared to the aroma of Pistcahio or Butter Pecan Ice Cream.  It is a strong anti-inflammatory, and is often used to soothe rashes, sunburn, and sensitive skin.  Tamanu Oil is intensely moisturizing as well, making it a wonderful ingredient for creams, lotions, balms, and body oils.  This amazing Oil also contain germicidal properties, making it excellent for healing salves and ointments.  Tamanu Oil is quite potent, and can be included in most formulas at a minimum of 5% to add its benefits and properties.  Alternatively, some users prefer to add the Oil directly to treat very dry or irritated skin. 

For a limited time, From Nature With Love is offering 16 oz. bottles of Tamanu Oil at 20% off their regular price.  Visit our Sales & Specials Section to check out this great deal and many more!

Photo by Procsilas via Flickr