Ok, ok, we know it’s really Thursday, but we’re positive you’ll love this giveaway even though it’s a little late. What better time of year than tax season to take a little time for yourself and just relax? We’ve put together a few of our products to help you do just that. One lucky winner will receive:

Lavender Massage Oil: Great for a therapeutic massage. You can also add a few drops to your bath for a penetrating and aromatic soak.

Lavender Soy Votive: This candle has a low burn point so when the candle melts it does not burn to the touch. You can massage the melted wax into your cuticles and your skin. It will also fill your room with the peaceful scent of Lavender.

“Being Peace” by Thich Nhat Hanh: “If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
Need we say more?

You can enter the giveaway by answering the question below in the comment section of this post. Double your chances by commenting on our FB page too! Our giveaway will be live through Sunday. Monday morning we will pick a winner at random and announce it here on our blog and on our FB page.

Question: When life is hectic what do you do to center yourself and restore your inner peace?

Q: When is ‘skin deep’ not deep enough?
A: When technology worms its way into your personal care products!

Nanoparticles are a hot new technology and all the rage in the beauty industry. But beyond the hype, the picture isn’t so pretty.

One of our skin’s key jobs is to keep harmful substances out;  but it has met its match with nanoparticles.  These ultra fine particles act as ‘penetration enhancers’ that deliver ingredients past the skin to a deep, cellular level – with unintended health consequences.

Nanoparticles enter the bloodstream almost immediately, carrying chemicals to organs. According to the Environmental Working Group, nanoparticles slide up the optic nerve to the brain or burrow inside red blood cells.

Nano No No

Although nanoparticles are found in more than one-third of all products, from sunscreen to moisturizers to foundation – they aren’t easy to spot on ingredient lists!

The following is a list of known nanoparticles to look for on labels – and avoid:

• Nano Zinc Oxide
• Fullersomes
• Nanosomes
• Fullerene (C60 Hydroxide)
• Microspheres
• Ingredients containing the words ‘nano’ or ‘micronized’

Peruse this list of 256 products with nano-scale ingredients from the Environmental Working Group, and read their full report to the FDA on the topic for a more in-depth look.

Natural Know-How

Take control of your beauty and bath routine. Remember…

• Less is More: the more natural the product, the fewer ingredients it’s likely to have
• Herbal Essence: Look for products high in herbal content like lavender and aloe vera
• Plant It: Natural, plant-based options – like pure essential oils – are your best option, especially since we absorb 60% of anything we put on our skin.

Stick to the all-natural basics, and feed your body all the nourishment it needs – and leave the nanoparticles for NASA.

Pick up a copy of iconic Vogue magazine, turn to page 228, and join us in a congratulatory cheer for Peggy O’Kelly! Peggy, Napa Valley Bath and St. Helena Olive Oil Co. are all featured in the issue under a piece aptly entitled “Fields of Dreams.”

Highlights of the piece include:

• A recap of Peggy’s story, from San Francisco CPA to Napa Valley entrepreneur including her two successful retail stores in Napa and St. Helena.
• A shout-out to local organic-lavender farmers Bob and Sharon Kahn Peggy’s partners
• A mention of Lavender Sea Salt Soak, which Vogue nicely describes as a ‘mineral-rich blend spiked with a dash of Organic lemon good enough to eat….’
• Photos of lavender from the Kahn ranch, NVB’s amazing Pink Himalayan Bath Salts, and NVB’s hand-crafted soy candle

Kudos to Peggy, her hard-working, devoted staff, and all the farmers who make her products so quintessentially wonderful. As the Vogue piece says, Peggy ‘follows her heart’ — and the proof is in every one of her products!

Are you hands in fighting form?

The term mano-a-mano  – translated in Spanish as “hand to hand” – originated with bullfighting and refers to a knock-down, drag-out direct confrontation.

Hopefully, your mitts don’t need to be on that level of fighting condition…but they do need some TLC from time to time.  In these DIY recipes, organic lavender partners with other non-toxic ingredients to keep your fingers frisky and fresh.

Before you get creative, don’t forget one of the easiest, chemical-way to clean fingernails – a toothbrush and good old-fashioned baking soda dipped in water! This is a quick way to refresh your digits, kind of like mouthwash for your hands!

Give a Hand for Lavender Love

Hand Rescue Cream: yields 5 oz.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 ounce beeswax (we recommend Mountain Rose Herbs)
• Juice of one freshly squeezed lemon
• 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
• 5 drops lemon essential oil
• 2 drops lavender essential oil

How to: Melt beeswax in a pan. Add the lemon juice and oils and stir with a wooden spoon until blended. Transfer to a jar. Shake occasionally until the cream is cooled and uniform. Use as an all-natural hand cream every day.

Manicure in a Jar: yields 4 oz.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup organic brown sugar (or treat yourself to Napa Valley Bath’s Lavender Sugar Scrub)
• 1/2 cup grape seed oil
• 5 drops vanilla extract
• 2 drops lavender essential oil
• 1 drop sandalwood essential oil

How to: Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and transfer to a wide-necked jar so you can easily gain access with your fingertips. One by one, dip your fingertips into the jar, massaging the sugary mixture gently into cuticles and knuckles. Julie Gabriel, the creator of this yummy recipe, recommends waving your hands gently to please your senses. Then, briskly immerse your hands in warm water to remove excess oil. Dry your hands and apply Hand Rescue Cream.

Recipe Source: the green beauty guide, by Julie Gabriel

If you opt for a professional manicure, consider how your salon measures up on the green front.

Your body feels supple and smooth. Your skin is glowing. Your busy brain is at rest.

The Zen-tastic feeling you get when you leave the spa is like nothing else. If you’re like me, you feel rested, relaxed – and ready to take on the world in a calm, self-assured way.

Home is Where the Spa Is

On the the reality front, frequent visits to your favorite spa can be pricey and time-consuming. As fall approaches – along with harsher climates that may dry out your skin – now is the perfect time to commit to an at-home program of sumptuous bath and beauty that delivers benefits beyond great skin.

• Add it to the Agenda: It may seem silly to add ‘take bath’ or ‘give self massage’ to your calender…but if you don’t, will it get done? Prioritize yourself the way you prioritize so many other things. You deserve it.

• Gifts from the Heart: Check out Napa Valley Bath’s gift packages and gift one to the CEO of Your Life: YOU.  The Ultimate Body Care package is a great value and includes Lavender Lotion, Lavender Sugar Scrub, Lavender Salt Scrub, and Organic Lavender with Flowers Soap. This is the starter kit you need to combine the therapeutic affects of aromatherapy with the all-natural skin care (from sloughing to soaking) your body craves.

• Light My Fire: There is a reason fabulous upscale spas are alight with flickering candles. Napa Valley Bath sells a unique Organic Lavender Soy Massage Candle that serves double duty as both massage oil (soy has a lower burn point so the oil is warm to the touch…not boiling hot like synthetic candle wax). A friend of Peggy’s swears by the soy wax as a cuticle softener!

• Lost and Sound: While silence is golden, you probably need at least some kind of soundtrack to drown out the noise of your home or the world beyond it’s doors (urban dwellers, I’m talking to you). Visit iTunes, search for “Spa Music” and download a couple of tracks for under five bucks.

• Sip to Sanity: A cup of tea (ideally rich with antioxidants) can transport you. Add a spoonful of artisinal honey and all the sweeter!

• Daily ‘Do-Nothing‘ Time: Call it meditation, checking out, me-time…whatever nomenclature you use, put 15-20 minutes aside – every day – to shut your eyes, breathe deeply and clear your mind. After all, a high end spa experience delivers solitude and peace in addition to rubs and scrubs.

Q. How many cherries does it take to make Cherry Jell-O?

A. Zero.

Frankly, if I had given thought to this, I may have guessed the answer. But that’s the point: I didn’t think about it. And neither do millions of mothers and fathers who allow their children to ingest enormous amounts of food additives every day. That’s when high value not-for-profits like The Feingold Association come into play.

Just 7 minutes after watching The Feingold Association’s home page video – featuring a very non-preachy and articulate host named Jane Hersey who is the Association’s Director – I was both extremely enlightened and deeply disturbed.  Highlights of the hard truth about food additives, which contribute to behavior, learning and health problems – depending on the individual – include:

• Food dyes are made from petroleum, some of which may include lead, arsenic and mercury

• Food additives are cheaper than food, hence their popularity with large food manufacturers  (the original Jell-O contained a combination of gelatin and fruit; now, the manufacturers save big by including artificial flavors vs. real fruit)

• Food dyes are everywhere: toothpaste, medicine, candy, cake mixes, vitamins, beverages, mouthwash, cereal, and many, many more

• Food dyes are made from petroleum, some of which may include lead, arsenic and mercury

• Food additives are more of a problem now because of the frequency with which they are consumed

Jane also introduced me to a term I hadn’t heard before: foodless food. What an interesting concept. She cites today’s modern school lunches as excellent examples of ‘foodless food’ – processed food with very little whole ingredients and lots of petroleum-based food additives and synthetic flavorings. (See Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution for the prime time version of the battle for school food).

Yuck.

And Now, A Note From Our Fearless Leader

Peggy O’Kelly, founder of both St. Helena Olive Oil Co. and Napa Valley Bath dove into The Feingold Association’s deep resource pool when she found her own daughter was allergic to food dyes and preservatives many years ago. In fact, it was this discovery – and the lifestyle changes it brought to her family – that eventually led to her interest in organic, whole foods and pure personal care.

“The information I got from The Feingold Association helped change my daughter’s life – and that of my family – for the better. They were able to help us find food we enjoyed, but in more natural versions…and more importantly, helped my daughter feel better.  The premise is simple: eat nutritious, chemical-free food, and get back to basics.  We have to fuel our body and mind with what’s real – not synthetic.”

Combine your love of culinary arts with your concern for toxin-free personal care and you’ve got The Green Beauty Recipe Book.

Julie Gabriel – green beauty aficionado and resource for many DIY recipes we’ve posted using organic lavender – is at it again. Her newest tome is a hands-on how-to devoted to homemade bath and beauty that will help you keep both gorgeous and green.

A Cookbook with a Catch

If you’re ready to craft all-natural and organic lotions and potions from your very own kitchen, this is the book for you. The catch? Less ka-ching at the beauty counter – more pure goodness at your finger tips (and on your face, neck, arms, etc.).

With The Green Beauty Recipe book at your side, you will:

• Get guidance on formulating your own cosmetic products to minimize the risk of irritation and achieve maximum benefits for your skin condition
• Learn the (dirty) secrets of the cosmetic industry
• Create your own beauty products without chemicals using only natural ingredients
• Discover which vegetable oils, herbs, floral waters, essential oils, plant-based emulsifiers, and natural preservatives to use
• Push the envelope by packing and labeling your very own beauty products
• Get tips for safe storage
• Choose from over 250 recipes based on your own personal beauty desires and dilemmas – and learn how to combine all natural ingredients for best results
• Purge phthalates, parabens, and other toxic chemicals from your bath and beauty routine forever
• Learn about active botanicals, vitamins, minerals, and other formerly mysterious ingredients that are perfect for your homemade beauty products.

Whether you’re a curious first-time DIY-er, or an experienced beauty practitioner, Julie’s new book (available from her website)  has something in it for you.

If ingredients linked to allergies, cancer and other ailments deserve a one-two punch in grown-up products, they deserve an extra whammy when it comes to kids’ lotions and potions. After all, the wee ones count on us to make smart, grown-up decisions (even if they do scream over washing their hair or a smart slathering of sunscreen).

Here are some highlights of what to avoid when it comes to chemical-free kiddie care…

Shampoo & Conditioner:

Avoid these ingredients…

• DMDM Hydantoin: This allergen and irritant can form cancer-causing contaminants
• Fragrance:  As we’ve pointed out before, ‘fragrance’ is code for all kinds of funky allergens that may contain neurotoxic or hormone-disrupting chemicals
• Ceteareth & PEG Compounds: These harmful petrochemicals that may contain cancer-causing impurities are far from kid-friendly.

Body Wash & Liquid Soap

Avoid these ingredients…

• Triclosan: Like we said, try, try, try for no triclosan! It’s a potential hormone disruptor which can effect the endocrine system which regulates growth and development.
• DMDM Hydantoin: See above, and keep in mind that in Japan, DMDM Hydantoin is prohibited for use in some types of cosmetics!
• Fragrance: See above and always opt for ‘fragrance-free’

Play Make-up

Kids love to play dress-up. But when it comes to trying on mom’s make-up, keep in mind that…

• Your lipstick may contain harmful impurities that your child might swallow in trace amounts
• Most nail polish contains dibutyl phthalate and toluene, both of which are linked to hormone disruption and cancer
• Cosmetics in powder form might damage lungs when inhaled

Buy organic, keep toxins at bay for your tot, print the guide to learn more and don’t forget the ultimate in full-disclosure personal care for you and the kids – Do It Yourself (DIY!).

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!

“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.