Archive for September, 2009

Posted on September 30, 2009 - by Leslie Billera

Remember Your Roots

Researching the roots of what you buy – whether it’s the food you eat, the personal care products you buy, or the clothes you wear – is an important step towards making buying decisions that are healthy for you and the planet.

All too often, we plunk down our money for items with little-known origins. What exactly is a Dorito? Where was that super cheap tee shirt made and shipped from?  And what, for heaven’s sake, are all those chemicals in my shampoo?

At St. Helena Olive Oil and Napa Valley Bath, we’re all about full disclosure. We’ve got nothing to hide and everything to gain from sharing the stories of how what we grow and sell came to be. Case in point…

What Happens at Lavender Harvest

Lavender is harvested as soon as it blooms. And the great news for lavender harvesters like the Kahns – our partners in the glorious production of lavender – is that the more you cut lavender, the thicker it grows. In fact, naturally drought-resistant lavender is actually one super-robust plant…perfect for sunny Napa Valley climates!

During harvest, stalks are cut, bundled and hung to dry in a dark place (to preserve color) inside. For large lavender production, a large fan circulates hot air, crisping the lavender bundles, and preventing mold. Then, in about two weeks, the blossoms are removed by hand by scraping dried stalks against a metal screen.

Stay tuned for more insights about lavender from lavender harvesters the Kahns!

Posted on September 28, 2009 - by napavalleybath

The Great Strength of Water

“If  your opponent strikes with fire, counter with water, becoming completely fluid and free-flowing.  Water, by its nature, never collides with or breaks against anything.  On the contrary, it swallows up any attack harmlessly.”

The Art of Peace  Morihei Ueshiba

Posted on September 26, 2009 - by napavalleybath

Peace of Mind

“Daily training in the Art of Peace allows your inner divinity to shine brighter and brighter.  Do not concern yourself with the right and wrong of others.  Do not be calculating or act unnaturally.  Keep your mind set on the Art of Peace, and do not criticize other teachers or traditions.  The Art of Peace never restrains, restricts, or shackles anything.  It embraces all and purifies everything. ”

The Art of Peace  Moridei Ueshiba

Posted on September 23, 2009 - by napavalleybath

Variety is the Spice of Life…….

Think of lavender, and a delicate purple flower with a sweet scent comes to most people’s minds.

Think again. There are over 200 lavender varieties worldwide. Colors vary from white to pale pink to blue and dark purple. Flowers can be leafy or spiky and stem length and sizes vary. And lavender is actually a member of the mint family!

The varieties that we use…

Angustifolias (Provence): Considered by many as “true” lavender, angustifolia is used for both culinary purposes and aromatherapy – and happen to be the varietal we make our essential oil and other products from. Angustifolia is used as pharmaceutical antiseptic, ointments, burn salves, and as a fragrance for many bath products

Grosso: One of the most popular oil producing plants, its high yielding spikes release an abundant long-lasting fragrance and is considered one of the most fragrant of all lavenders. Dried bundles and buds are often made from Gross because of their ability to retain fragrance for years.

Munstead: En route to conquering the world, the Romans brought lavender to countries like England – far from the sunny climes of lavender’s native mediterranean slopes. Munstead is one of England’s cold-hardy varieties and makes a great hedge thanks to its short size and tight blooms.

Hidcote:  Famous for its dark purple flower, it is not a varietal that would be distilled for oil.  It likes a cooler climate then most lavender and is not as drought or heat tolerant as the Lavandins.

Posted on September 15, 2009 - by napavalleybath

8 Steps to a Relaxing Lavender Oil Massage

Healing lavender helps calm and relax you.

Use a lavender massage oil massage to soothe a stressed friend or treat an overworked loved one.

Follow these steps to creating a mellow, marvelous massage – or print it out and leave it as a “hint hint” in order to get one for yourself!

Step 1

Find a soft yet sturdy surface on which to work your massage magic.

Step 2

Have the person you are massaging lay front-side-down and make sure they are comfy.

Step 3

Rub the massage oil in between your hands to warm it.  Focus on the areas that carry the most tension – and crave the most relief: head, neck, shoulders and back.

Step 4

Using your hands in a circular motion, massage both sides of the head. Apply slight pressure all around the head and behind the ears.

Step 5

Moving to the neck, create an oval-shape motion with your fingers around the sides of the neck. Most headaches begin at the base of the skull, so focus on this hot spot.

Step 6

Slide down to the shoulders, grip both and massage with a bread-kneading motion.

Step 7

Starting with the lower back, apply circular motion pressure and work your way up to the shoulder blades.

Step 8

Repeat the massage on any areas that remain tense.

Posted on September 3, 2009 - by napavalleybath

Meet the Father of Aromatherapy…Plus, Create a DIY Aromatherapeutic Bath!

French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé gave lavender a public relations boost that’s lasted almost a hundred years.

A lab accident in 1910 buoyed Gattefossé’s belief in the healing power of essential oils.  After seriously burning his hands, he rinsed them with lavender essence which stopped his skin tissue from further degrading. Healing began the next day.

In 1928, the chemical engineer coined the word ‘aromatherapy,’ distinguishing the therapeutic use of essential oils from simply perfume applications….with lavender at the forefront.

Gattefossé avidly campaigned for Provence’s lavender growers, working closely with them on cultivation and distillation methods.  We think that Napa Valley Bath shares the same enthusiasm for those that sow our harvest!

A Stress-Relieving Bath for You!

Supercharge your bathing ritual with green bath aromatherapy. Essential oils protect skin from dehydration – and trump detergent-based bath foams every time.  Gattefossé would approve!

Stress Relieving Fruity Bath

1 cup Sevillano extra virgin olive oil

1 drop rose essential oil

1 drop Napa Valley organic lavender essential oil

1 drop vetiver essential oil

2 drops mandarin essential oil

3 organic unwaxed oranges, cut into quarters

How to:

1. Add the essential oils to the olive oil and pour the mixture under running water into the bathtub so that the oils spread evenly without forming greasy puddles.

2. Add the oranges and let them float around. As you bathe, squeeze the oranges lightly and wipe your face with their juices.

Tune in next time for pointers on how to give a relaxing lavender oil massage!

Bath Recipe From The Green Beauty Guide, by Julie Gabriel

Posted on September 2, 2009 - by napavalleybath

Upgrade Your Sinus Care with Lavender

“You look exhausted today!”

If you’ve suffered from sinus headaches, you’ve probably encountered begrudgingly true greetings like this. They’re the icing on the misery cake of a nagging sinus infection that just won’t quit.

It’s time to fight back with the incredible healing power of lavender!

Follow these 5 easy steps, and say sayonara to sinus infections – and snarky comments – once and for all.

1. Boil a pot of water

2. Turn the heat off

3. Put a few drops of cold-pressed lavender oil into the pot

4. Inhale deeply through your nose for two to three minutes

5. Repeat every four hours until the sinus headache disappears, or at minimum – once in the morning and once in the evening.

Next time, find out more about lavender’s healing power by way of René-Maurice Gattefossé, a French chemical engineer and founder of ‘l’aromatherapie.’

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Jargon Alert: Cold Pressed Oil

The best oils are cold pressed.

Heat increases the yield of oil-making, but degrades the quality. Cold pressed oil (produced at around 80 degrees Fahrenheit) guarantees that lavender oil retains its aromatherapeutic healing power.