The Natural Beauty Workshop

Book Review (and Giveaway!): Beauty Masks & Scrubs by Elaine Stavert

Another great publication by Elaine Stavert, Beauty Masks & Scrubs makes an indespensible field guide to the world of mixed up bath and body formulations.  The book starts off with a breif history lesson in beauty treatments, than quickly moves on to a breakdown style guide to scrub and mask basics.  Stavert does a great job of explaining the essential elements of these recipes, encouraging the reader to create their own formulas using her expertise as a guide.  The next section of the book features a comprehensive overview of common ingredients used in body scrubs, facial masks, and exfoliating cleansers.  In this section, Stavert provides usage information on basic exfoliants, clays, activators, herbs/botanicals, food ingredients, essential oils, and vegetable oils.  This first half of the book is more than enough reason to add it to your library, but it is complemented by a selection of thirty mask, scrub, and body wrap recipes!  Beauty Masks & Scrubs by Elaine Stavert is a new favorite of mine, and definitely something I would recommend to new formulators of scrubs, masks, and exfoliating cleansers.  Understanding the basic proportions of these recipes, and how different ingredients behave in them sets you free to follow your imagination when creating handmade products.  For me, that is the most enjoyable part!

Book Giveaway!

We've just added this great new book to From Nature With Love's Online Bookstore.  To celebrate the new addition, we're giving away one copy of Beauty Masks & Scrubs by Elaine Stavert for free!  No purchase is necessary to enter, but I'm afraid the contest is only open to U.S. residents.  

 

How to Enter
To enter, just leave a comment on this post.  Be sure to include your name and email when leaving the comment so that we can contact you if you win.  One post per household, please.  The winner will be selected randomly from the list of posts.

Two Ways to Score Additional Entries
Spread the word about our contest for two additional chances to win.  The winner will be selected randomly from the list of comments on this post, so make sure you leave a comment to let us know if you've tweeted or posted on facebook.  Please include your Twitter handle or the name on your Facebook account so that we can verify your entry.

• Post the following message on Twitter: Enter to win a copy of Elaine Stavert's new book, Beauty Masks & Scrubs on the @FNWL #NaturalBeautyWorkshop Blog! http://tinyurl.com/3hccew8
• Like the From Nature With Love Facebook Fan Page, then post the following message as your status: Enter to win a copy of Elaine Stavert's new book, Beauty Masks & Scrubs on the @FromNatureWithLove.com Natural Beauty Workshop Blog! http://tinyurl.com/3hccew8

Results
Comments will be closed and the conest will end on Monday, April 11, at 10:00 AM EST.  I'll select a random winner from the comment list using Random.org.  The winner will be announced on this post by 12:00 Noon EST on Tuesday, April 12.  The winner will have until Friday, April 15 12:00 Noon EST to respond and claim their prize.  If I don't here from the winner by then, I'll select another.

Announcing the Winner!

Congratulations to Danyell, the lucky winner of our little contest.  I'll be contacting Danyell by email to get her shipping information so that I can send her one copy of this great new book, Beauty Masks and Scrubs by Elaine Stavert.  Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway!

Projects from Soapmaking The Natural Way

One of the newest additions to our online Bookstore, Soapmaking the Natural Way by Rebecca Ittner features 45 melt & pour recipes that rely on natural ingredients for color, scent, and character.  Ittner does a great job of showcasing how natural additives can be used to enhance glycerin soaps.  You'll find page after page of colorful, unique soap projects with easy to follow instructions.  Soapmaking The Natural Way would make a great book for first time soapers, or for melt & pour enthusiasts that haven't branched out into using natural additives yet.  It covers a pretty good range of Essential Oil combinations, natural exfoliants, and ingredients used for color and texture.

I tried out two recipe from the book, Milk & Honey, and Himalayan Magic.  Both recipes are from the Exfoliate section of the book, simply because exfoliating soaps are my personal favorite variety of melt & pour.  

You can see the Himalayan Magic soaps on the right, and the Milk & Honey soaps on the left.  Of the two recipe, Milk & Honey was by far my favorite.  It had a nice aroma, even before I added the Vanilla.  I cheated a bit for the sake of thrift, and used Fench Vanilla Fragrance Oil in place of Vanilla Essential Oil, but even with that concession the bars smelled very nice.  Also, since we don't carry a Shea Butter Suspension Base, as called for in the book, I used half Shea Butter Melt & Pour Base and half Suspension Melt & Pour Base.  I think the color and the texture of the soaps turned out very nicely.  They are rich, creamy, and they lather very well.  What more could you ask for in a glycerin soap?

As for the Himalayan Magic, I wasn't as impressed.  I had my concerns about the salt and soap mixing when I looked at the recipe, but decided to suspend disbelief for a moment and give it a shot.  Mixing the Himalayan Salt into the melted Soap Base went about as well as I expected, which was not very well.  The salt clumped and sank, and for the life of me I could not get it to mix, let alone suspend in the soap.  If there is a trick to this recipe, Ittner did not include it.  On the other hand, the soaps smelled wonderful.  The combination of Rose and Geranium was very pleasant, and suited the color of the soap quite well.  I should also note that although the salt did not spread out in the soap, it still looks very pretty suspended in chunks through the middle of the bars.  

I am looking forward to trying out many more of the recipes in this book.  A few that have particularly peaked my interest are: Brown Sugar & Vanilla, Ladies Citrus Shave, Orange Marmalade, and Carved Quartz.  Kristi at Fiber Fool made up her own batch of the Ladies Citrus Shave from this book.  They are gorgeous, so make sure to stop by her blog and check them out!

Have you read this book?  If so, please share your own review in the comments below!

 

The Art of Soap by Debbie Chialtas

Artisan Soap Maker, Debbie Chialtas of SoapyLove, recently published a wonderful book that celebrates the art of soap.  Rather than taking a "how-to" approach, this book focuses on soap as a finished product, featuring gorgeous, glossy photos of artisan made soap, and the unique stories behind them.  

The Art of Soap contains four delightful chapters of handmade soaps.  The first chapter, Philosophy, showcases six artisans whose soapy stories reflect their own personal life philosophies.  Other chapters highlight inspiration, technique, and presentation.  

The Art of Soap is an inspirational treat for both soap makers and soap lovers.  The beautiful imagery and intriguing stories that accompany them make for a very enjoyable read.  This book would make a great gift or coffee table favorite.  Thank you, Debbie, for giving us a sneak peak at your wonderful book!  To purchase a copy of The Art of Soap, visit Debbie's web site at www.ArtofSoap.com.

Have you gotten yourself a copy of The Art of Soap by Debbie Chialtas yet?  If so, let us know what you thought!

The Natural Beauty Workshop is Featured in the New Publication: Business Technology

From Nature With Love and The Natural Beauty Workshop is featured within the new 258-page book, Business Technology: A Guide for Midsize and Small Business by Michael W. Johnson.

We're honored to be selected as the blog highlighted within the "Business Networking & Showcasing Through Blogs" section of the book:

I am still in the midst of reading through this informative book, and am already finding it to be a nice foundation for small businesses that want an introduction and fundamental grasp of the technologies and resources that can help within all areas of their business processes.

Business Technology: A Guide for Midsize and Small Business Author: Michael W. Johnson Publisher: WAIN Technologies LLC Copyright: 2009 ISBN: 0615299210 / 978-0615299211

A special thank you to author Michael W. Johnson for featuring the Natural Beauty Workshop. For more information about Business Technology: A Guide for Midsize and Small Business, please visit the book description on Amazon.com.

Facial Exercises for Natural Beauty

This video may seem a little funny, but Jack LaLanne was really on to something here.  Facial exercises are a great way to combat the signs of aging in an all natural way.  There are many quick, simple exercises that can keep your face, neck, and throat firm and toned.  The addition of aromatherapy, acupressure, and massage can help you create an all natural anti-aging routine.  Check out the following book from our Online Bookstore to learn more about how exercise, massage, aromatherapy, and acupressure can be used to keep your face healthy and youthful.

Facelift At Your Fingertips by Jean-Pierre Cousin

Web Description:

For thousands of years, the healing practices of acupressure and aromatherapy have helped promote healthy, vibrant skin. Now, you too can benefit from their combined effects - Pierre Jean Cousin shows you how. Nourish your skin and add glow to your complexion at little cost with this complete, holistic approach to skin care.

Requiring just a few minutes a day, this easy-to-follow massage sequence combines the benefits of acupressure with aromatherapy to help prevent the onset of aging. Learn how to protect, nourish, hydrate, detoxify, and tone your particular skin type, and in time, even reduce wrinkles. Give yourself a home spa treatment with homemade recipes for facial masks, tonics and creams using essential oils, clay, nuts, fruit and honey.

Pierre Jean Cousin, M.B.Ac.C. is an acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist who specializes in skin and facial problems, which he treats with a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine and aromatherapy. He has pacticed for 20 years.

Bath Bombs by Eleaine Stavert

We've added another sensational book to the Online Bookstore at FromNatureWithLove.com.  Bath Bombs, by Elaine Stavert, is a complete guide to making Bath Bombs in any shape, size, color, or scent.  The beginning of the book includes several chapters that go over important ingredient information and technique, including descriptive photos of the trickiest stages of the Bath Bomb making process.   The book also includes 30 unique Bath Bomb recipes that use a wide variety of ingredients.

While the book includes plenty of info on making Bath Bombs in fun colors and scents using synthetic ingredients, it puts a very special focus on creating all natural Bath Bombs as well.  The book highlights the use of Bath Bombs in aromatherapy and features ingredient profiles on a wide range of Essential Oils and all natural Herbs and Botanicals.

In addition to offering loads of info on Bath Bombs, there is an entire section of the book that discusses blending custom scents.  This well presented crash course in aroma building walks you through using top, middle, and base notes, getting to know your fragrances, and of course, blending!  The author provides a few suggestion blends, then thoughtfully includes blank pages for the user to track their own blends.

Bath Bombs were my very first introduction to handmade bath & body products, so they will always hold a special interest for me.  Perhaps that is why I can't seem to put this book down!  While I'm sure that my personal attachment has a little to do with it, I'm sure the real reason is that Bath Bombs by Elaine Stavert is well put together, full of information, and contains pages and pages of gorgeous photos.

Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles

Stephanie Tourles, author of The Herbal Body Book, A Spa of Your Own, and Naturally Healthy Skin, has graced our shelves with yet another of her wonderful books.  Organic Body Care Recipes features a whopping 175 recipes for all natural skin care.  There is a great variety of recipes including cleansers, toners, serums, body oils, bath recipes, scrubs, and more.  My personal favorites from this book include her Lemony Whip Cleansing Cream, her Crazy for Coconut Balm, and her whimsically named, "Too Sleep Perchance to Dream" Balm.

Organic Body Care Recipes begins with a crash course in basic skin care knowledge, touching on physiology, skin and hair types, and the importance of skin care routines.  The book also includes a thorough introduction to basic ingredients and techniques.  This thoughtful introduction makes the book user friendly even to those who are just beginning to make their own natural products.  Throughout the book, Tourles also makes plenty of references toward important subjects like shelf life, essential oil safety, and sustainable resources.

I found Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles to be a great read, and I'm looking forward to making many more of her all natural skin and body care recipes.  Have you made anything using this book?  Please feel free to comment, and share your story!

Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage

Have you ever wondered what makes an Oil light or heavy, or why one may be considered superior to the next?  Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage by Len Price is a detailed guide to working with a wide range of standard Vegetable and Carrier Oils and can help answer these and many other common questions.  Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage begins with a very interesting chapter called, "The Nature of Fats and Oils".  In this chapter the author carefully explains the basic components and characteristics found in all Fixed/Carrier Oils.  Price also explains the difference between Fixed Oils and other closely related or associated ingredients such as Essential Oils, or liquid waxes.  The chapter then takes a detailed look into some of the most common methods for oil production, explaining in great detail the difference between Cold Pressing, Conventional Refinement, and more.  The author takes time to explain these processes while describing the benefits and drawbacks of each.

In the next chapter, "Chemistry of Fixed Oils", Price gives the reader an education in the components and behavior of Fixed Oils, touching on subjects including Essential Fatty Acids, Saturated and Unsaturated Fats, Hydrogenation, and more.   This detailed look inside Carrier Oils continues in the following chapter, "Fixed Oils and Skin Penetration", concluding the educational preface of the book.

This education into the nature of Carrier Oils is followed by over 40 incredibly detailed Carrier Oil profiles.  Price lists a useful range of the most popular and notable Oils including favorites such as Sweet Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Rosehip Oil, and Jojoba.  Most profiles include information on the plant's origin, the oil's cosmetic, therapeutic, and medicinal uses, as well as an insight into the oil's chemical components.  The Carrier Oil Profiles are followed by a Glossary of Terms, several handy tables and additional profiles, and a detailed index.

Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage is an incredibly educational text which would be helpful to almost any skin care enthusiast or professional.  Formulators, Massage Therapists, Aromatherapists, or Soapmakers  could equally benefit from the information contained in this book.  Though Carrier Oils are essential components in most skin care recipes they are rarely written about with such detail or insight as they are in Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage.  For me, this is an indispensable handbook in the creation of natural skin care recipes.

Secrets of the Spas

Catherine Bardey's book, Secrets of the Spas, is a fantastic resource for the home spa practitioner.  This book includes seventy five bath and body recipes, many of which incorporate fresh ingredients.  Secrets of the Spas is conveniently categorized by the types of treatments offered; body, face, hair, hands and feet.  It even includes a chapter of spa cuisine recipes, making this book a great tool for throwing home spa parties or indulging one's self with  the total spa experience.  If you tire of treating yourself, the author provides a listing of twenty professional spas nationwide.

Throughout Secrets of the Spas, Bardey supplies a wealth of information on the ingredients in her recipes.  There is no shortage of variety of ingredients either.  Recipes feature a generous sampling of specialty oils, as well as herbs, grains, and fresh produce.  Each chapter is complimented by a series of tips, facts, and spa trivia.  This is more than a simple recipe book.  It is a crash coarse in natural skincare!  At the end of the book you will find a detailed glossary, as well as conversion tables, tool and equipment overviews, and brief sections regarding use of essential oils.  The author touches on safety, proper use, and also provides a list of popular essential oils along with their uses in the home spa.  There is a similar section for carrier oils.

I should also mention that this book is filled with gorgeous photography.  While I generally believe that the content of a book is more important than its pictures, there is something to be said for the pleasure that is added by photography to the overall experience of this book.  The images in Secrets of the Spas are nearly as inspirational as the recipes!