Posts Tagged ‘organic lavender’

Posted on August 26, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

Breathe, Be and Believe: Empower Yourself with Essential Oils

Essential oils positively purify three critical areas of your physical well-being: lungs, body and mind.

The Aromatherapy Bible, by Gill Farrer-Halls, cites the following benefits in his info-packed, go-to guide for all things aromatherapeutic:

• Lungs: The cleansing breaths you take at your favorite spa put you instantly at ease: that’s essential oils at work. Essential oils replace waste products like carbon dioxide with oxygen and essential oil particles, truly clarifying every breath you take.

• Body:  Once soaked into skin, essential oil circulates around the bloodstream, traveling to different organs and body systems. Extra bonus: different essential oils have a therapeutic affinity for certain organs. Rose essential oil, for example, is known to have a regulating effect on the uterus.  Lavender, when taken internally as a tea, has been known to help upset stomach, gallbladder and liver problems

• Mind: Essential oils have powerful mental, emotional and psychological effects. Lavender alleviates anxiety, depression and nervousness – no chemicals, nothing synthetic. Try this holistic approach and watch your mood lift and your frazzled nerves unwind.

Put the power of essential oils to work for you – whether it’s organic lavender (as always, our vote!) or something else and add a true scent-sation to your personal care routine!

Posted on August 24, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

Rough patch? The ‘Why’ Behind Dry

Your skin is more complicated than it looks. The average square inch of your skin holds:

• 650 sweat glands
• 20 blood vessels
• 60,000 melanocytes (pigment skin cells)
• 1,000+ nerve endings

All three main layers (epidermis, stratum corneum and dermis) work in harmony with one another. If any of the following are a part of your daily life, dry skin may disrupt your natural ability to moisturize:

• Exposure to excessive sun
• Excessive bathing
• Use of conventional, detergent-based soaps
• Low humidity
• Central air and heating

It’s time to get rid of pesky dry patches one and for all!

Moisturizing Madness to the Rescue!

Napa Valley Bath’s Moisturizing Madness gift set includes 3 steps to moister, smoother skin:

1. 8oz. Lavender Lotion – Certified organic herbal extracts, the highest-quality natural food-grade safflower vegetable oil, nourishing seaweed (algae) and healing aloe vera blend with four lavenders selected from around the world. Decadent, delightful…and mortal enemy of dry skin.
2. 4 oz. Body Butter - Combines the highest quality shea butter from Uganda, healing herbs, health-food-grade fresh vegetable oils, natural vegetable waxes, and soothing aromatic lavender water from the Aromatic Plant Project. A must-have for cracked, callused and parched skin.
3. Hoof Cream – This tin of rich balm revitalizes your hands and feet with a blend of olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax, tocoperol, orange essential oil, lavender essential oil and peppermint essential oil

…given the prices of typical department store brands (which are chock full of synthetic ingredients, toxic fragrance and may even be tested on animals) the Napa Valley Bath Moisturizing Madness package is a steal at $58 – order yours here!

Posted on August 12, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

Get Your Green ZZZs!

As we’ve discussed, lavender is an all-natural sleep aid. Organic lavender? That much sweeter the dreams.

In part 2 on our series of organic lifestyle love (clothing, bedding cleaning), let’s delve a little deeper into sustainable slumber!

To the Mattresses!

Pesticides, polyurethane, petroleum-based polyester, and chemical flame retardants…sounds more like a nightmare than care-free reverie. Yet these are typical ingredients found in your standard, ‘conventional’ mattress.

Green mattresses, on the other hand, are mostly chemical-free and naturally hypoallergenic. Look for:

• All natural latex, which is made from rubber tree sap: note that Dunlop and Talalay are processes by which natural latex is produced and both are of equally high quality.
• Organic cotton, organic wool components: chemicals and synthetics used in conventional bedding – inhaled or absorbed through your skin while you sleep – can cause allergies or chemical sensitivities in some people.
• Biodegradability: about 40 million used mattresses fill landfills every year; invest in a biodegradable one and rest easy knowing that at the end of its life you won’t be contributing to the mattress morgue!
• One-of-a-kind…most organic mattresses are ‘custom ordered’ – yes, they are more expensive, but my research has shown when it comes to organic mattresses, a commitment to your comfort and satisfaction is a major perk.

Read more on my Planet Green post, including recaps on green brand names like Essentia, Lifekind, Savvy Rest and others.

An Organic Snooze? You Simply Can’t Lose!

Make an organic lavender sleep pillow for yourself or a loved one. It’s super easy – and totally dreamy!

Posted on August 5, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

Michael Pollan Says Invest in Organic!

“Don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.”

Simple, smart advice like this is why I’m a fan of Michael Pollan, a writer who covers the politics and pleasures of eating with a passion.  Several generations ago, no one would recognize the foods commonly found in today’s vending machines…or pretty much anything pre-packaged for that matter.

Pollan was interviewed recently in what looks like the Greenmarket Farmers Market in Union Square, NYC. At Napa Valley Bath, our focus is on personal care products, but I thought I’d do a ‘tip of the hat’ to our sister site, St. Helena’s Olive Oil Co. and share some of Pollan’s top sound bites (pun intended!):

• “Food is too important to economize on.”

• Organic is always a better choice for the environment:  buying organic helps contribute to keeping pesticides out of land and water supply.

• If economizing, buy organic when it comes to delicate skin foods – peaches, apples, grapes. They tend to have more residues than thicker skin fruits and veggies (oranges, bananas, pineapples).

• Organic food is harder to grow – hence why it’s more expensive.  More weeds means more work (vs. labor-saving chemicals/pesticides).

• One way to economize with organic meat is to buy in bulk and freeze what you don’t use.

• Organic junk food is still junk food – don’t fall for it.

• When it comes to organic milk, make sure it comes from grass-fed dairy cows. Ditto for buying beef.

What are some of the healthy food choices you live by? Share them with other readers here!

Check out Michael Pollan’s interview in its entirety at NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.

Posted on July 17, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

Make Your Own Lavender Sleep Pillow

Tossing and turning? Here’s a do-it-yourself, all-natural way to catch some zzzs – and float away on sweet-smelling dreams!

This mini-pillow should be placed between pillow and pillowcase, and laid on with your head to release the therapeutic aromas.

What you need:

1 cup dried hops

1 cup dried lavender buds

¼ cup dried thyme leaves

3 Tbsp. cellulose chips (cellulose chips are fixatives used to absorb essential and fragrance oils and then slowly release them)

10 drops lavender essential oil

10 drops bergamot essential oil

Two fabric pillows 6 inches square, each with one end open – why not make it organic cotton?

How to:

In a glass bowl or measuring cup, mix the essential oils into the cellulose chips. Cover and set aside overnight. The next day, mix in the dried herbs. Place half of the mixture into each fabric pillow and sew or fasten the open end closed with lace, ribbons or a simple sewing thread.

From: Natural Beauty Basics, by Dorie Byers, R.N.

Note that these essential oils are also known for their relaxing aromas – feel free to swap one or more into your pillow based on  your personal preferences:

• Clary sage
• German chamomile
• Patchouli
• Rose
• Basil
• Neroli
• Sandalwood
• Tangerine
• Myrrh
• Orange
• Frankincense
• Cedarwood

What all-natural sleep remedies lull you to sweet slumber? Let us know here!

Posted on July 15, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

De-Stress with a Self Massage

We’d all love to dash over to the nearest deluxe spa for massage treatments a couple of times a week.

But who has the time – not to mention the cash flow – to do it as frequently as our levels of stress demand?

Hands On Control

Wiggle these treatments into your daily schedule – after you get home for work, or maybe on your lunch break in your office or cubicle.

Not only will these self-massages refresh and relax you, they’ll give you a jump start for what’s next.

Face It!

We think of stress as building up in shoulders, neck and back…but your face holds it own tension. Follow these steps to a simple facial massage:

1. Sweep your hands over your face and lightly tap your fingers against your skin.

2. Place an index finger on each side of the sinus cavity (the bridge of your nose) and gently sweep downward.

3. Take your index finger and middle finger on each hand and place them on your temples, gently rubbing them in small circles.

Optional: Use a droplet of Napa Valley Bath’s Organic Lavender Massage oil and tap into lavender’s calming effect.

Back Up

Don’t let the stress that builds up in your back lead to serious back injury down the road. Work it out now for a healthier back later.

1. Take a medium-sized ball and place it between your shoulders and a wall.

2. Bend your knees and slowly roll the ball up and down your back.

3. Feel the tension in your back dissipate.

Nectar for Your Neck

Anxiety and stress can cause muscle tension in your neck. Rolling your neck in a circle from time to time during the day is a simple and effective stretch. Try this quick neck massage too:

1. Use both of your thumbs and find the indentation where your neck meets your shoulders.

2. Gently press your thumbs into the indentation and rub slowly.

If time and location allow, light a soy burning candle and set the mood. Soy burns cleaner than traditional paraffin candles. We recommend our Organic Lavender Soy Massage candle for its glowing aromatherapy (and you can use the melted soy as a massage oil!).

Do you have a quick fix for stress relief? Let us know your favorite ways to de-stress right here!

Posted on July 13, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

Explore the New Safe Chemicals Act

“Chemical safety reform is not a Democratic or Republican issue, it is a common-sense issue and I look forward to building bipartisan support for this measure.”

–Senator Frank Lautenberg, one of the initiators of the Safe Chemicals Act, April 15, 2010

It’s been over 30 years of same old, same old when it comes to the safety of chemicals used in consumer products.

While red tape and over-regulation in D.C. can seem a bit much at times, chemical regulation is something that we do need – for the sake of our health and the health of our loved ones.

Enough to Throw a Toxic Tantrum!

Consider the facts about the current and outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA):

• The main federal law designed to ensure the safety of chemicals used in consumer products in the United States hasn’t changed in 34 years.

• The original Toxic Substances Control Act requires testing on only about 200 out of 82,000 chemicals entering the market since 1976

• Under this outdated law, the EPA has only partially restricted five out of 80,000 chemicals on the market

• The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) – which considers the toxic topic “high risk area of government,” says that the original TSCA ‘places significant burdens on those most likely to be affected by these chemicals, requiring them to research products for themselves to determine risks, identify, and test the safety of alternatives.’

Those who manufacture safe, natural products — like Napa Valley Bath and others — are already keeping toxins out of personal care products like soap, lotions, bath products and more. But sadly, they don’t make up the broader product stream indulged in by the majority of the public.

Out with the Old, In with the New!

The new law would correct existing flaws in consumer regulation and would require safety testing of all industrial chemicals.

This testing would rightly put the burden on industry to prove that chemicals are safe in order to stay on the market. Highlights include:

• Provides EPA with sufficient information to judge a chemical’s safety.
• Requires manufacturers to develop and submit a minimum data set for each chemical they produce, while also preventing duplicative or unnecessary testing.
• Gives EPA full authority to request additional information needed to determine the safety of a chemical.
• Prioritizes chemicals based on risk.
• Calls on the EPA to categorize chemicals based on risk
• Focuses resources on evaluating those most likely to cause harm.
• Ensures safety threshold is met for all chemicals on the market.
• Places the burden of proof on chemical manufacturers to prove the safety of their chemicals.
• Ensures all uses are identified and determined as safe for the chemical to enter the market or continue to be used.
• Requires EPA to take fast action to reduce risk from chemicals that have already been proven dangerous.
• Empowers EPA Administrators to act quickly if any chemical poses an imminent hazard.
• Creates open access to reliable chemical information.
• Establishes a public database to catalog the information submitted by chemical manufacturers and the EPA’s safety determinations.
• Empowers the EPA to impose requirements to ensure the information collected is reliable.
• Promotes innovation and development of green chemistry.
• Establishes grant programs and research centers to foster the development of safe chemical alternatives, and brings some new chemicals onto the market using an expedited review process.

2 Things You Can Do Now

• Vote with your dollars – First and foremost, you can opt out of buying products made with harmful chemicals. Chose organic products that include natural ingredients like lavender, honey, aloe and check ingredient lists for bad chemical components.

• Write to Congress – Those who really know their stuff (like the folks at Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families) say that while the legislation is one huge step in the right direction, it could be improved upon. Check out their letter to congress and if you agree, send it to your senator. Tell other concerned friends and family too.

We’ll be keeping an eye on this legislation and report back as we know more. Until then, keep reading your ingredient lists and be an informed, intelligent, and chemical-free consumer!

Posted on June 24, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

J. No: Secret Chemicals & a DIY Summer Scent!

Floral. Exotic. Musky.

Britney. Halle. Even Hannah Montana!

Such is the language and star-power of the perfume industry.

In an explosive new study, the Environmental Working Group found that beyond the sex-appeal of many of these fragrances lives a dark, unhealthy truth: a cloud of toxicity is living in tandem with popular scents.

The study found an average of 14 chemicals in each of the 17 fragrance products assessed in total.

The Environmental Working Group dubs a majority of the chemicals ‘secret’ since they are undisclosed and not listed on the label. These chemicals have been associated with:

• Hormone disruption
• Allergic reactions
• Reproductive toxicity
• The propensity to bio-accumulate in humans, from fat tissue to breast milk

When it comes to fragrance, there is a surprising lack of red tape: a review of government records shows that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not assessed the vast majority of fragrance ingredients in personal care products for safety.

Worry-Free Fragrance

Fragrance is one of the top 8 ingredients you should avoid as seen in my Skin Detox 101 post. But what’s a girl or guy to do when a spritz of scent is a standard part of your daily personal care routine?

When shopping for that ‘just-right’ scent, look for ones that are made from organic essential oils, botanical essences and natural spices. Summer Rayne Oakes, a noted environmentalist and eco chic model, recommends  Tsi La fragrances, Aftelier, any scent by aromatherapist Valerie Bennis, and Patyka in her green personal care guide Style, Naturally. And if you’re a fan of a super light mist of scent, don’t forget versatile hydrosol!

Check out two DIY perfumes we’ve already posted.  In the spirit of summer, here’s a lovely scent that redefines fresh!

Summer Garden Splash

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh tomato leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh geranium leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 cup vodka or witch hazel
• 1 teaspoon glycerin (you can find this colorless liquid in small quantities in your pharmacy, or buy it buy the gallon online if you plan on making your own scents, soaps and more)

How to:

1. Place the leaves and the grated lemon rind in a glass jar with a lid.

2. Pour the vodka and glycerin over the leaves and rind.

3. Cover and let mixture sit in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks.

4. train the liquid through a coffee filter to remove the debris. Pour into a spray bottle.

Source: The Green Beauty Guide, Julie Gabriel

Posted on June 22, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

Get Misty with Rose & Lavender

We’ve waxed poetic about organic lavender. We’ve hailed lavender hydrosol for its healing properties. And we’ve even extolled the virtues of lavender in food, both sweet and savory.

But once and a while, we recognize that other worthy floral blooms offer their own contribution to our bath and body routine.

A Rose By Any Other Name…

Like lavender, rose water – or rose hydrosol – soothes irritated skin. It is considered a mild, natural sedative that can act as an anti-depressant. And rose is used in treatments to ease everything from nervous tension to peptic ulcers to heart disease.

This Lavender-Rose Sweet Water Mist is a multi-tasker extraordinaire.  Mix up this DIY recipe and use it to…

• Repel moths and other insects before winter storage
• Promote rest and relaxation before bedtime when spritzed on your pillowcase
• Give your clothes a lovely lift when used as a mist before ironing (see you later spray starch!)
• Use your favorite lavender essential oil from Napa Valley Bath!

So without further ado, here is a great DIY recipe for yourself, or to make as a gift for a friend or loved one…

Lavender-Rose Sweet Water Mist

Ingredients:

- 4 ounces rose hydrosol (available at natural-foods stores)
- 1 ounce distilled water
- 1 tablespoon 150- to 190-proof alcohol, such as brandy, unflavored vodka, or grain alcohol
- 10 drops vegetable glycerin
- 45 drops lavender essential oil

How To:

In a small spray mister, combine rose hydrosol, water, alcohol, vegetable glycerin, and lavender essential oil. Cover and shake well to blend.

While you’re at it, try making Lavender Liquid Body Wash and Lavender Dishwashing Liquid, both of which call for organic lavender essential oil.

source:   WholeLiving.com

Posted on June 19, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

Top 10 Green Beauty Twitteristas!

Whether you’re a tweeting machine or an on-occasion tweeter – like me (follow me @lbillera!), it’s always fun to get a snippet of good information that will help keep your personal care routine clean, green and toxin-free!

First and foremost, follow Napa Valley Bath @NapaValleyBath (shameless plug!) for all the news about organic lavender and it’s healthy, wholesome beauty power. Then pick and choose from the rest of these brainy beauty gurus for good green news in 140 characters or less!

#1

@safecosmetics: Hear directly from Stacey Malkan, one of the founders of Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and author of the green beauty bible Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Business.

#2

@theEcoDiva: Elena Lipson is on a mission of ethical luxury to educate and empower you to make better beauty choices for your health. Check out the special coupons and give-aways on her site and save a little too!

#3

@MyBeautyBunny: Jen Matthews’ mission says it all: cruelty-free and animal-friendly beauty, hair, skincare and makeup reviews for stylish ladies and gents. While the focus is on the serious issue of tested-on-animals products, her vibe remains fun and upbeat.

#4

@PureNaturalDiva: She calls her approach ‘GLAM Wholeliving’ – which basically means making healthier choices without feeling deprived. In addition to green beauty, her website covers eco fashion, food & nutrition, house & garden and more!

#5

@DawnMellowship: Author of the soon-to-be-published Toxic Beauty, How Hidden Chemicals in Cosmetics Harm You, Dawn Mellowship is a super smart Brit who also specializes in self-help and Reiki.

#6

@BrittaAragon

Truly inspiring: Britta Aragon, a cancer survivor herself, has created a line of products and services that ‘focuses on enhancing the way we live with cancer and ultimately, survive it.’

#7

@christycoleman

Renowned fashion and celebrity makeup artist. Christy Coleman shares lessons learned practicing her natural and green beauty techniques. Be a green beauty with celebrity style!

#8

@EcoGlam

This one is a treasure trove of quick links to ‘the news your body needs to know’ according to this self-described Beauty Activist. With over 25,000 followers (the most on this list), she must be doing something right!

#9

@jasminchua

A Managing Editor for eco fashion hub ecouterre, Jasmin Malik Chua is a bit more eco fashion than eco beauty, but her M.S. in biomedical journalism from NYU speaks to a certain savvy when it comes to toxic truths.

#10

@glamology

Charmaine Leah believes that glam and eco-friendly go hand in well-manicured hand. An esthetician, Charmaine offers tons of DIY green beauty recipes and fantastic tips. She’s also the resource for this list of green tweeting beauty bloggers, so a special shout out to her!

Did we miss your favorite Tweeter? Share your recommendations with Napa Valley Bath friends and family, right here!