Posts Tagged ‘lavender’

Posted on March 3, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

3 Easy Tips to Try Aromatherapy At Home

We’ve touched on what aromatherapy can do for your body.  So let’s look at what amazing aromatherapy can do for your home.

Aromatherapy is the use of pure essential oils to enhance our physical and mental well-being. Essential oils are highly concentrated distilled essences of plants that smell truly delightful. They are diluted either by water or with a ‘carrier oil,’ depending on the intended use of the essential oil.

Organic lavender essential oil – our personal fave – has the ability to evoke and increase the release of serotonin, thus producing a calming effect.¹

Try these simple at-home tips and bring the soothing power of aromatherapy to your abode!

1. Create a Simmering Scent

To freshen air inside your home, drip some of our favorite scent into a pot of water and simmer mixture on the stove top for several hours.

2. Try Tug-Worthy Toilet Paper

To ensure there’s always a fresh scent in the bathroom, add a few drops of essential oil onto the cardboard roll that holds the toilet paper. The fragrance will release with each pull. Remember to repeat with each new roll you hang.

3. Reinvent the Room Deodorizer

Conventional so-called room deodorizers are just chemical-filled band-aids used to mask odors. Make your own with ease: add 25 drops of your favorite essential oil to 16 ounces of water, put in a spray bottle, and voila – fresh, pure, natural smelling indoor air!

And don’t forget about hydrosol - it’s less concentrated than essential oil, but equally aromatherapeutic!

Our sense of smell impacts our daily perceptions and our reactions to what’s going on around us – physically, emotionally and mentally. Infusing your home with healing scents is a great way to boost your mood and keep you centered.  Now take one big beautiful breath, and enjoy!

1Perscription for or Nutritional Healing, Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

Posted on February 18, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

Groom Your NVI (Napa Valley Intelligentsia)

Napa Valley conjures fields of lavender, sweeping vineyards and abundant olive trees.  But how much do you really know about Napa?

It’s time to ramp up on your Napa Valley dinner party parlance…

• Napa Valley is 30 miles long; its regions include American Canyon, Napa, Lake Berryessa, Yountville, Oakville/Rutherford, St. Helena, and Calistoga.

• In addition to its famous grapes, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables thrive in Napa including oranges, prunes, apples, olives and more.

• The Napa Valley is a name derived from the language of the area’s native Wappo Indians and has come to mean “land of plenty.”

• The Wappo Indians had no written language. They shared their ideas, stories, and feelings by speaking only. Stories and customs were passes down by parents to their children.

• 1823 marks the first written description of Napa. Word spread of the region’s abundance, and by the late 1840s, quicksilver mines and lumber mills had set up shop.

• Steamships ferried people from San Francisco, and the railroad carried tourists seeking the healing waters of Calistoga.

• Tough times did darken Napa’s sunny days:  Napa’s famous Silverado mine dried up in 1875, a grapevine disease in 1893 killed off most of the vines, and prohibition shut down most wineries altogether in 1920.

• In 1968, California’s first Agricultural Preserve was created. This zoning ordinance established agriculture and open space as the “best use” for the land within Napa County. Known as the “Ag Preserve,” it’s an agricultural model followed by many others today.

Now uncork one of Napa Valley’s hundreds of wines, start simmering the sauce, and over artisan bread dipped in the local extra virgin olive oil, enjoy a northern California-style dinner peppered with Napa Valley love and lore.

Posted on November 13, 2009 - by Leslie Billera

Discover the Duality of Lavender Essential Oil!

Our amazing lavender suppliers, The Kahns, boast 14,800 lavender plants, 2000 olive trees and 1/1/2 acres of petite syrah grapes on their truly spectacular property.

Their luxurious fields of purple splendor reap certified organic lavenders including English Munstead and Hidcote as well as French Grosso and Provence. This bounty of lavender is capable of producing 6-700 gallons of hydrosol and about 40 quarts of essential oil annually.

Essential oil is the very life essence of a plant, an aromatic pure oil extract that provides a deeply positive impact on both mind and body.  Unlike ‘fragrance,’ which is pretty much a dressed up word for the toxic chemical phthalates, an essential oil is a truly natural scent with myriad, often miraculous uses.

Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils. With its soothing scent, it relaxes and calms. And with its analgesic, antiviral, antiseptic and antibacterial properties, it’s good to go for practical uses like cleaning and wound-care.

Here’s just a whiff of its range:

Lovely Lavender Liquid Body Wash

Materials Needed:

• One bottle of unscented shampoo
• 1 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
• 15 drops of lavender essential oil
• 5 drops of peppermint essential oil
• 5 drops of rosemary essential oil
• 5 drops of tea tree oil

How To:

1. Take a large, glass mixing bowl and pour in one and a half cups of shampoo. It doesn’t need to be expensive, it just needs to be unscented.
2. If you’re someone who likes your body wash to be extra thick, add in a thickening ingredient such as Xanthan gum and mix well.
3. Next, add in all 30 drops of essential oils to the bowl and blend well. Feel free to choose whatever oils you like best. This combination works because the lavender is calming, the tea tree oil works as an antibacterial (and it smells great), and the peppermint and rosemary are invigorating.

Source: Bella Sugar

DIY Lavender Dishwashing Liquid

Materials Needed:

• One recycled 25 oz. plastic dishwashing liquid bottle
• Liquid organic castile soap
• 3 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar
• 15 drops of organic lavender essential oil
• 5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
• 4 drops of lemon essential oil

How To:

Fill plastic dishwashing liquid bottle with castile soap. Add essential oils and vinegar and shake to blend. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid to water and wash dishes as usual. Shake bottle before each use.

Source: Laura Klein’s Green Club

Posted on November 6, 2009 - by Leslie Billera

Let’s Hear It For The Soy!

I’m a candle junkie. When I go away with my husband, I always pack a couple of soy votives to ‘set the mood,’ in addition to a nice bottle of organic wine.

Any candle not made from soy, beewax or another specially-marked blend of wax is most likely paraffin-based. And the bad news about these popular candles is that paraffin fumes include toxic substances like:

• Toluene (recognized by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen)
• Benzene  (recognized by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen)
• Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK)
• Naphthalene

These contaminants are found in paint, lacquer and varnish removers are in stark contrast to the emotions that scented candles promise to evoke!

The American Lung Association backs it all up, advising that we “refrain from burning scented or slow burning candles that have additives.”

Soy to the Rescue: Healthier and Longer-Lasting

Soy candles burn naturally and emit little to no residue into the air.

On the practical side, soy candles last 30 to 50 percent longer then traditional candles. Plus, they clean up with soap and water – no more ruined table clothes or table runners.

Napa Valley Bath takes all the green goodness of the soy candle and transforms it into a sexy treat that does double duty – half candle, half all-natural massage oil.  Now that’s a two-for-one you can’t pass up!

Posted on October 29, 2009 - by Leslie Billera

Learn to Love Lavender Hydrosol

It’s time to infuse your life with organic lavender hydrosol.

You’ve probably heard a lot about essential oils, while hydrosols have tended to take a back seat. No longer. We love lavender hydrosol for its balancing and healing qualities.

Hydrosol is the pure, water-based solutions created when essential oils are steam distilled. They are less concentrated than essential oils – in fact, there’s less than 5% actual oil in hydrosol. This means a more mild and subtle aroma, with no dilution necessary.

Not only does lavender hydrosol smell light and lovely, it’s a reliable work horse. Spray some on to…

• Soothe sunburn
• Cool heat rash
• Heal irritation
• Cleanse cuts and scrapes
• Tone skin: spray on skin after daily cleansing, it balances dryness/oiliness
• Counter itching from insect bites
• Reduce inflammation before and after hair removal
• Prevent ingrown hairs before shaving
• Create extra calm in the bath
• Freshen sheets naturally (say goodbye to chemical-laden fabric sprays)
• Relieve stress when used in a compress for shoulders, neck and forehead…or when simply inhaled from your pillow
• Cure insomnia

And for Baby…

With their super sensitive skin, lavender hydrosol is a wonder for the wee ones. Use Lavender Hydrosol to…

• Calm in bathwater
• Scent homemade baby wipes
• Soothe diaper rash

Rose, peppermint, cucumber, sage…there’s a whole world of hydrosols out there waiting for you to discover. If you want to learn more about hydrosols, Suzanne Catty’s Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy is considered the best go-to guide on the subject.

Posted on October 27, 2009 - by Leslie Billera

Scare Away Scaley Skin!

Halloween means cooler temps lurking around every corner.  Don’t be haunted by dry skin – give it the extra TLC it deserves.

Napa Valley Bath delivers the decadent moisturizing you need this fall and winter with our Lavender Body Butter. Developed specifically to treat cracked, callused and parched skin, it treats your dry dermis to the nutrition and care it craves in cooler temps.

Highlights from this skin-tastic salve include:

• Aloe Vera Leaf Juice:   Used extensively in skin care and in health care to soothe and protect, aloe vera is also used to treat a variety of skin care disorders as well as burns.

• Safflower Seed Oil: This oil boosts the skin’s firmness, makes it smooth, toned and gives it more elasticity.

• Shea butter: Extracted from shea nuts, shea butter is a great moisturizer and emollient  (something that softens and soothes) with anti-inflammatory properties. Ours is from Uganda, where shea trees grow in abundance naturally.

• Lavender Hydrosol: We’re big fans of lavender hydrosol, the lesser-known and less concentrated sibling to lavender essential oil.  It tones, cleans and delights as only lavender floral waters can.

• Beeswax & Propolis Cera: Busy bees supply us with this natural wax rich in moisturizing fatty acid esters and propolis cera, the waxy component of the resinous material found in beehives.

• Orange Peel Wax: Orange is a natural skin refresher rich in vitamins.

• Wheat Germ Oil: Plant-based oils are the green alternative to toxic chemicals; wheat germ oil contains Vitamin E and essential fatty acids such as linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic fatty acids.

• Comfrey Root Extract: Used to repair damaged tissues, comfrey boasts a long list of nutrients including Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin, B complex vitamins, calcium and more.

• Lavender: As you know, we love our lavender. We use both lavandula angustifolia flower oil and Lavandula grosso (lavandin) flower oil for their soothing, healing qualities.

Feed your skin this beauty brew of goodness and keep spooky skin away all year long!

Posted on October 9, 2009 - by Leslie Billera

Discover Royal Fans of Lavender & Craft an Ancient Tonic!

As we’ve mentioned, lavender and its soothing, scented healing power has been around for centuries.

European royal history is filled with stories of lavender use.

• Charles VI of France demanded lavender-filled pillows wherever he went.

• Queen Elizabeth I of England required lavender conserve at the royal table. She also demanded fresh lavender flowers available every day of the year – not easy for the royal gardeners given England’s cool climate.

• Louis XIV loved lavender and bathed in lavender water regularly.

• Queen Victoria used a lavender deodorant

• Both Elizabeth I and II used products from the famous lavender company, Yardley and Co. of London.

In the spirit of royal decadence – and with thanks to Julie Gabriel, author of The Green Beauty Guide – we give you Queen of Hungary Water, circa 1656. This ancient perfume can be used as a facial splash or as a rubbing alcohol and hand wash.

Queen of Hungary Water

2 cups organic grain vodka or grappa

¼ cup dried rosemary

¼ cup dried lavender flowers

Peel of one unwaxed lemon

Peel of one unwaxed orange

1 tablespoon dried peppermint

4 drops bergamot essential oil

How To:

1. Mix the ingredients well in a glass jar (a mason jar is ideal), stir thoroughly and allow to blend together in a warm, dark place for up to three days

2. Strain mixture through a coffee filter and store in a sealed or airtight bottle in a cool, dark place. To use, dilute one part of the mixture with four parts distilled water.

Enjoy this scented tonic and revel in the royal treatment!

Next time: learn why organic soap isn’t just a luxury – it’s the best choice for your health.

Posted on January 20, 2009 - by napavalleybath

The Inspiration for Napa Valley Bath Co.

Lavender is the inspiration of our entire bath line. Many years ago, I was traveling and came upon a small boutique in the South of France…it was filled with everything lavender…so beautiful…there were baskets of fresh lavender flowers….small home spun containers of various lavender products….the lingering aroma of lavender was intoxicating!

When I came home I embarked on a study of lavender….determined to create the purest line of products that I could imagine….I fell in love with the plant just as I had done with the olive tree many years before….and now, years later, I am proud to offer the purest line of products….based on lavender….that I could formulate.

Breath deep!