Parting the Mists

I was reading the blog Tiny Choices this morning and I was reading the following:

Instead of buying another plastic bottle of liquid hand soap, switch to bar soap instead. You’ll get much more bang for your buck: more actual soap and less liquefying ingredients; lower carbon footprint; far less packaging to toss away/recycle.

I had not thought about this myself. What a wonderful idea. I have been proud that the majority of my bar soaps are made with certified organic ingredients. I am also proud to say that the majority of the Mists of Calencir product line come in either refilable containers or made from recycled plastics and paper products. Yes, it costs me a bit more and it does eat in to my profits, but I make these products because I love making them and it is worth the sacrifice to me.

My newest additions – Strawberry Pop and Mocha Cream

Strawberry Pop. A fabulous soap with a nice rich lather and the entoxicating scent of strawberry. The pattern reminds me of the old diners where I was growing up in Ohio where my favorite drink was Strawberry Soda Pop.

Mocha Cream Soap Slice. A nice, generous 5 oz bar that boasts of a rich creamy lather and the intoxicating scent of chocolate, coffee and rich vanilla cream. This is one of my personal favorites.

My co-worker was complaining about not really getting enough sleep and the sleep she did get wasn’t really the best quality. Furthermore, since she isn’t getting proper rest, she is starting to suffer from some other health issues. I am quick to whip out the essential oils, and these have been proven very highly effective over the centuries, however, we cannot force old world remedies to function like modern day western medications.

I am one of the first to admit that you have to be in the right mind-set for any health remedy to work. You can’t just pop a pill and expect a miracle.

I know when I have difficulty settling down, I turn to meditation. Meditation is a strong portion of my spiritual practice and ritual, yet I wanted to find something that would be simple for her to employ without over stressing her on technique. I found a wonderful article at Health.com entitled Better Sleep Through Medication. To read this article in its entirety please click here.

The techniques posted work best when done right before bed, in a quiet, calming environment, but they can also be done throughout the day. “If you can keep your stress levels under control during the day, you’ll sleep better at night,” says Walsleben, PhD, associate professor at New York University School of Medicine. “You can even do them at your desk or on the train.”

Abdominal breathing
Breathing from the abdomen and putting your attention on those breaths can help you relax both during the day and in bed at night.

Guided imagery
Some people imagine a calm scene to help them wind down at the end of the day. There are no rules about what you should imagine, so long as it’s calming.

Mindful meditation
Focusing on different aspects of your life before bed can help you earn your rest, if you’re able to let those thoughts go.

Counting down
While lying in bed, start by gazing upward. “A little eye strain relaxes you,” says Dr. says Kathy Doner, MD, who has a full-time hypnotherapy practice in Sebastian, Fla. Take an abdominal breath and hold it, and on the out breath, let everything relax. Repeat one or two times.

You can also weave a number of these techniques together, Dr. Doner says.

Read entire article here.

There is also a fabulous article at Gaiam Life.. They have two fantastic articles that I highly recommend. The first is Meditation 101: Techniques, Benefits & Beginner’s How-to (Click here to read article). This article gives a fabulous definition of meditation as well as discussions of various techniques and the benefits of meditation. This is followed up with a very simple beginners technique.

But my absolute FAVORITE is the Meditation “Room”. You can click on your choice of room and calm your senses and melt away your stress. You can choose from the Space Room, the Winter Room, the Floral Room, the Forest Room, the Water Room, and the Zen Room. I close my office door at lunch time and run through one of these for about 5 to 10 muntes and I kid you not, they really take the edge off. I cannot recommend these any higher.

To see the rooms, click here.

Namaste!

The winter months are rushing in, and if you are anything like me, you have to have major issues with dry sky. I actually thought something was wrong with me, because my hands looked like I have a terrible rash on account of my continuous scratching!

My problem has been that I want a soothing lotion – but I don’t want an overpowering “perfumy” scent. I just want something I can toss in my bag and whip out when I need it.

The following recipe is really very easy to make and as a bonus, I have included my very own Mists of Calencir “Banish the Winter Blues” aromotherapy blend which you can use to scent this wonderful lotion.

Ingredients

1/4 cup emulsifying wax
1/4 cup olive oil
25 drops of the essential oil of your choice (you can add more or less depending on your own personal preference – just note if you add to much, the lotion will not blend properly – a little goes a long, long way!)
1-1/4 cup hot water

In a pyrex bowl or measuring cup, melt the wax and olive oil together in the microwave in 30 second bursts until it is all melted. Add the essential oil to the wax/olive oil mixture. Add the hot water. The oil mixture will start to turn a creamy white color (this also depends on your essential oil because some do cause a slight color variation). Pour the lotion in to a jelly jar with a lid and let it cool overnight. If you are going to put the lotion in some sort of travel lotion bottle, it is better to pour it in now, while you can still pour it. Trust me, I made that mistake once and it is messy to wait. By morning you’ll have a wonderful lotion to start lathering all over.

If you want to play with the recipe a little, you can substitute about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the water with glycerine to made a more hydrating lotion. You can also play around with the oil blend. Olive oil is great, but you can also try coconut or almond oil.

This lotion should have a shelf life of about 2 to 3 months.

Always check for sensitivity when working with essential oils!

Mists of Calencir’s Banish the Winter Blues Aromoatherapy blend

15 drops Bergamot
5 drops Neroli
5 drops Jasmine Absolute

This is the base, you can multiply the blend to make as much as you want. Store the blend in dark glass jars and keep them out of direct sunlight which can cause your essential oils to lose potency.

Bergamot: may assist in reducing anxiety and depression. As an ingredient in lotions and massage oils it can help reduce tension and inflammation.

Neroli: Also known as Orange Flower essence has been historically use to treat mature and sensitive skin, nervous depression, nervous dyspepsia, nervous skin rashes, nervous tension, oily and dry skin, and oooh my favorite PMS.

Jasmine: has been used to treat depression, eczema, headache, hoarseness, labor pains, memory stimulation, menstrual problems, prostate problems, and skin irritation.

As you have probably noticed, I have no desire to corner the market on blogs. In fact, when I feel there is a really cool blog out there, I like to share it with my audience. The blog I want to share is Soap Queen. You can find a link to this blog and so other fabulous sites at Brambleberry.

Recently she was featured on the Martha Stewart Sirius Radio Show where she was talking about natural hand sanitizers. There has been a lot of chatter about the over-use of these little bottles germ fighting protection. If you have small kids, you find them to be life savers. The concern also revolves around the chemicals used in them. I can see the point – why expose yourself to one bad thing while attempting to reduce your exposure to another. Does seem a little silly.

So of course I was very excited, when the Soap Queen included some natural hand sanitizers that could be mixed up and carried around like the drug store kind. I thank the Soap Queen for this article and please, please check out her informative blog – Soap and the Finer Things in Life. She is totally awesome!

“Thieves Oil”
3 tablespoons water
4 ml Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil
4 ml Lemon Essential Oil
4 ml Eucalyptus Essential Oil

*Directions: Mix all of the ingredients together. Shake and use.

This type of recipe is dated back to the 15th century. Thieves covered themselves in something similar to this oil so they could steal from plague victims and dead bodies without catching the disease. Studies about ‘Thieves Oil’ have also tested essential oils like Oregano & Thyme and shown they are effective against a host of bacteria (Journal of Essential Oil Research [J. Essent. Oil Res.]. Vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 517-523. Sept-Oct 1998.). With this recipe, you’ll need to shake the bottle each and every time you use it because essential oils and water don’t naturally mix. Cinnamon Bark and Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil can be irritating to skin. If any irritation occurs, double the water (use 6 Tablespoons) to decrease irritation. If irritation continues, switch out the Cinnamon Leaf EO with Tea Tree Essential Oil.

I can’t claim this one, but I sure intend to duplicate it to offer at my upcoming craft fair. However, if you cannot make it to New York during the chilly season, feel free to order it on line. But if you are feeling more adventurous, you can try it at home.

This recipe is from Mountain Rose Herbs. They are one of my top suppliers for organic ingredients in my products.

Ingredients:
2 oz. Rose Flower Water (Hydrosol)
1 oz. Witch Hazel Extract
1 TBSP Aloe Vera Gel
1/2 tsp Vegetable Glycerin
7 drops Lavender Essential Oil
4 drops Chamomile Extract

Place all ingredients into a 4 oz. bottle, top with a fingertip mister, shake, and enjoy! Shake well before each use. After rinsing your face in the morning or evening, spritz with this toner and allow to dry naturally or pat dry with a soft washcloth. Then, apply your moisturizer as normal.

If this recipe feels a little “sticky” to you, then decrease the amount of vegetable glycerin. If it feels a little dry, then increase the vegetable glycerin or add a dash of oil (Jojoba, Rosehip Seed, Olive, Kukui Nut, Meadowfoam or Avocado are all great choices). This recipe should last for at least 6 months without refrigeration.

Recipe written by Irene Wolansky. Irene is the Marketing Director at Mountain Rose Herbs, and when not at work, she is often found in her kitchen creating cosmetic concoctions.

All content Copyright Mountain Rose Herbs

One of my favorite supplies is Mountain Rose Herbs. They have a fantastic selection of organic ingredients for my products as well as a wide selection of teas and other delights from nature. In this month’s newletter they included a fabulous video for Elder Berry Syrup. With the coming winter chill it is perfect for having on hand when colds, flus, sore throats, fevers, and other ailments aboud.

Enjoy!

I subscribe to Gaiam Life which is an absolutely AMAZING site that devotes areas to Mind-Body Fitness, Health & Wellness, Green Living (my passion!), and Personal Growth. I have always liked Gaiam (though they can be pricey sometimes, when they have a sale – they have a sale!!). They have a nice selection of products that are aesthetically pleasing as well as environmentally sustainable. I am in LOVE with a rattan mediatation chair that they have!

But the main reason that I write now is about their meditation rooms. Both my co-worker and I have been a little stressed as of late and with all in life that is revolving around us there just isn’t time to relax. I am glad I have discovered their Meditation Rooms. You have 6 rooms to choose from: Space, Winter Room, Floral Room, Forest Room, Water Room, and Zen Room. You can even turn the sound off if you have to snatch your time with your boss lurking about.

Being an earth sign and just a true lover of everything green, my favorite is the Forest Room, but I have to confess that the Floral Room is incredibly lovely.

What’s best of all? It’s completely free. Go ahead and take five minutes and breathe baby!

Chocolate has always been a source of inspiration for me. I am currently working on my Chocolate Martini scent for my Cocktail line of scrubs, bath bombs and body lotions. Chocolate has gotten me through several break-ups, job losses (downsize you say?) and lusty moments.

But now I have seen it all. Today as I was running through the news I came across the following article from the Associate Press – Scientists Unveil Chocolate-Powered Racecar. See article here.

What a great idea!!! The car runs on a biofuel derived from vegetable oils and chocolate waste. Additionally, the steering wheel is made out of plant-based fibers derived from carrots and other root vegetables, and the seat is built of flax fibre and soybean oil foam. The body is also made of plant fibers.

A concept after my own heart – chocolate, fast cars and green-thinking. And yes those things can go together. Now at this time the claims have not been verified, but to me, it is a major step that someone is even making the attempt.

I am particularly proud of our Mists of Calencir Phases line of products. All my life, I suffered with extremely oily skin. My breakouts were so horrendous; you could not tell the difference between my face and a relief map. Every product I tried either over dried my skin or left me with terrible rashes, so I suffered, and suffered. I piled on makeup and burned through concealer sticks.

However, once I passed 40 in years (of course I am STILL 29 in real life – ha ha!) my skin made a dramatic flip. Now I was not only plagued with the occasional breakout, but now I had dry, flaky patches as well. This is when I started researching my Phases line. Now I am not a dermatologist, I simply went back to our grandmother’s time and learned what they used to deal with skin issues and I created Phases. Many Phases products can be used on all skin type, but I have also created two specific formulas.

Clarity – often incorporates German Chamomile, White Willow Bark (a cousin to the popular salicylic acid) and Tea Tree essential oil to gently cleanse and nourish normal to acne prone skin without over stripping. I have a beautiful teenage daughter who seems to have inherited my skin type and I don’t want her to go through what I went through in my teens, twenties, and thirties so I made this formula for her.

Emergence – incorporates Ayurvedic herbal formulations used for thousands of years to slow down the aging process and stem off premature aging. Additionally, we use Burdock Root to help tone the skin and reduce irritation. Emergence is meant for normal to dry to maturing skin.

Our latest Phases formula is our Rose Milk Body Spray. Moroccan Rose is said to help balance the body, mind and spirit not to mention the legendary aphrodisiac properties. We have blended organic rose water with Bee’s Milk, a natural dispersion of beeswax with the same emollient and humectant properties. Blended with sesame oil, rich in essential fatty acids to help maintain integrity of skin tissue while moisturizing the skin, our formulation is sure to be a treat for the senses.

We have heard it all before, but I truly believe it – beauty comes from within and there is no greater beauty than natural beauty. And obtaining natural beauty without sacrificing a whole lot of money is the most beautiful of all.

Blessings and enjoy!

Calencir

Here’s an old recipe I learned from my family. We have always had a passion for blueberries and I will use them any way I can get away with! This is a wonderful toning mask that is so good – you can eat it!

Nanny’s Blueberry Toning Mask

1/2 cup of blueberries
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Steam and crush the blueberries. Mix all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and light. Apply to face and neck. Sit back and relax for approximately 15 minutes (you can eat the rest of your mask while you are waiting) and then rinse off with warm water. Pat dry and follow with your favorite Mists of Calencir Phases toner and moisturizer.

Blueberries are rich in essential fatty acids, antioxidants and phytonutrients. In fact, it is one of nature’s most potent antioxidants. Research shows significant radical scavanging properties which makes blueberries a benefitial ingredient in skin care products.