{Week 5} There's Always 1 Nut in the Family :: What's In It? Series | Smell Good Spa™

A large percentage of ingredients in bath & body care are transdermal. Overtime, those ingredients will enter into the bloodstream.  What's In It? Series is a 5-week series informing you of the ingredients used in our recipes. Helping women (and their families) to live good, feel good and smell good, wholesomely.

{Week 5} Sweet Almond Oil (INCI: Prunus Amygdalus)

Sweet Almond Oil is extracted from the delicate, white flowers of the almond tree.  A native of the Middle East, this nutty gem is a relative of the peach tree. 

Why We Use It:

• Conditioning Emollient: Rich in oils; omega-9 and omega-6, Sweet Almond Oil is a go-to for conditioning dry, tough skin.  This emollient works double as a humectant, preventing moisture loss. 

Sweet Almond Oil is found to contain more olein than olive oil, making it an excellent remedy for relieving dry, itchy and inflamed skin.

This concludes the 5-week series.  My hope is that you'll welcome our products into your home, and use them with even more confidence.  





Be whole,

{Week 4} Tree of Life :: What's In It? Series | Smell Good Spa™

A large percentage of ingredients in bath & body care are transdermal. Overtime, those ingredients will enter into the bloodstream.  What's In It? Series is a 5-week series informing you of the ingredients used in our recipes. Helping women (and their families) to live good, feel good and smell good, wholesomely.

{Week 4} Shea Oil (INCI: Butyrospermum parkii)

The sebaceous glands are microscopic glands in the skin that secrete an oily substance, called sebum, to lubricate (and waterproof) the skin.  According to the American Shea Butter Institute, the moisturizers in shea butter mirrors the sebaceous glands.  Shea Oil is fractionated Shea Butter, and is semi-liquid at room temperature. 

Why We Use It:

• Wrinkle-Free: Consistently applying Shea Oil to the skin, can actually slow down skin's aging process -  the healing, therapeutic properties present in Shea Oil can remove the appearance of wrinkles.  Additional anti-aging power comes from vitamin E, which protects the skin from harmful effects from the sun.    
• Dry Skin Eliminator:  Shea Oil allows the skin to absorb moisture, and as a result, skin receives around-the-clock softness and it remains hydrated.  Dry skin and dry scalp can both be eliminated by this beneficial emollient. 

For optimal results, when preparing our recipes, Shea Oil is paired with other effective oils.  Those oils penetrate deeply into the skin, allowing the healing properties of Shea Oil to easily pass through the skin. 

In addition, because of the healing properties, the Shea Tree received its name, karite, meaning the tree of life.

Shea Oil can be found in our after-bath oil  Marinade. 


Be Whole,

{Week 3} More Than Just Wine :: What's In It? Series | Smell Good Spa™

A large percentage of ingredients in bath & body care are transdermal. Overtime, those ingredients will enter into the bloodstream.  What's In It? Series is a 5-week series informing you of the ingredients used in our recipes. Helping women (and their families) to live good, feel good and smell good, wholesomely.

{Week 3} Grapeseed Oil (INCI: Vitis Vinifera)

Grapeseed oil is extracted from grape seeds, often from those already used to make wine.  European healers used grapeseed oil to cure several diseases.

Why We Use It:

• No Oily Top-Coat: Grapeseed oil is an emollient that quickly penetrates the skin, therefore it does not leave behind an oily covering.   
• Aging-Fighter:  Touted for being rich in antioxidants, grapeseed oil is found to protect the elastin and collagen in your skin, thus fighting sagging skin, wrinkles and age spots.  

Grapeseed oil is beneficial to dry, damaged, mature and sensitive skin.  A combination of light-weight to heavy-weight oils are infused into our recipes.  The majority of the oils used are light-weight - to work quickly underneath the epidermis; the heavy-weight oil (cold-pressed castor seed oil) works as the epidermis' protective barrier. 





Be Whole,

{Week 2} Panacean Humectant ::What's In It? Series

A large percentage of ingredients in bath & body care are transdermal. Overtime, those ingredients will enter into the bloodstream.  What's In It? Series is a 5-week series informing you of the ingredients used in our recipes. Helping women (and their families) to live good, feel good and smell good, wholesomely.

{Week 2} Castor Seed Oil (INCI: Ricinus Communis)

Native to India, castor oil has superb medicinal benefits, and is best known for treating gastrointestinal problems (used as a laxative).  Castor oil can be used to alleviate skin infections, cleanse the face,  remove skin growths (moles & skin tags), and cure inflammations.  

Why We Use It:

• Power of Attraction: Adding castor oil to many of our recipes gives those products the hydro-factor.  Castor oil is a humectant, and moisture needs to be present to get the best from it.  This moisture can come from the atmosphere or be applied to the skin via water.
• Super Emollient: Having a high viscosity level, castor oil is thick and sticky.  Those attributes allow the oil to hold moisture close to the skin's surface.  Thus, allowing essential nutrients (vitamin E, antioxidants, and minerals) to boost skin health, prevent dryness, and protect the epidermis during the winter.  

Using the correct measurements of castor oil, in our bath and body care, gives you a superior and effective product year-round.  Maintain the beauty of your skin with castor oil.






Additional Reading (you should read these):
-How-to cleanse the face with castor oil
-How-to apply castor oil topically to treat internal ailments


Be whole,

 

{Week 1} Powerhouse Gift from Japan :: What's In It? Series | Smell Good Spa™

A large percentage of ingredients in bath & body care are transdermal. Overtime, those ingredients will enter into the bloodstream.  What's In It? Series is a 5-week series informing you of the ingredients used in our recipes. Helping women (and their family) to live good, feel good and smell good, wholesomely.

Week 1- Rice Bran Oil (INCI: Oryza Sativa)

Originating in the Japanese culture, rice bran oil is suitable for healthy cooking methods.  The American Heart Association recommends rice bran oil, because of its ability to lower LDL cholesterol.

Why We Use It:

• Anti-Oxidants: Rice bran oil beats olive oil in its vitamin E power.  It's packed with tocopherol, oryzanol, and tocotrienol (most potent form of vitamin E).  Those are three anti-oxidants useful in protecting the skin and the body's cells from free radicals, whereas, olive oil only contains tocopherol.   
• Skin Protector: Impedes hyper-pigmentation by protecting the skin from harmful ultraviolet rays.  More beauty brands are turning to rice bran oil as the go-to ingredient for sunscreen products and hair conditioners.
• Skin Softener:  One of the most gentle methods in removing dead skin cells; Rice bran oil  leaves behind a velvety feel. 

Rice bran oil is becoming increasingly popular in the United States.  When incorporated into a healthy lifestyle, the benefits are almost endless.  Rice bran oil is rich in phytosterols--it is found to soothe skin inflammations, e.g., eczema and psoriasis. 

Be Whole,

"Mind Your Own Beeswax!" :: What's In It? Series | Smell Good Spa™

Beeswax is meticulously formed into hexagonal cells (honeycomb), by a colorless liquid secreted from the female worker bees and its purpose is to store honey.  Once the beekeeper extracts the golden liquid, the beeswax is melted down and purified.   According to Wikipedia, the wax of honeycomb is nearly white, but becomes progressively more yellow or brown by incorporation of pollen oils and propolis.    

There are many uses for beeswax: coating for cheese, to protect the food as it ages; surgical bone wax; shoe & furniture polish; musical instruments and candles.  The beneficial effects on the skin is what I appreciate about beeswax.  According to Wikipedia,  a German study found beeswax to be superior to similar "barrier creams" (usually mineral oil based creams, such as petroleum jelly).  

Why We Use It:

• Barrier - Beeswax forms a protective barrier on the surface of the skin, shielding the skin from damaging elements within the atmosphere.  Koster Keunan, a global organic wax supplier, states, "this barrier provides a film of protection against irritants while still allowing the skin to breathe."  In addition to your skin,  the Mayo Clinic recommends using a lip balm that contains beeswax during cold weather to reduce your chances of developing chapped lips.

• Skin Softener -  If dry, rough skin is a problem, beeswax is the solution.   With its humectant and emollient attributes, beeswax attracts moisture from the atmosphere and seals it into the skin.  Furthermore, vitamin A is a component of beeswax, and it is found to be beneficial in softening dry skin.  Skin care products with this rich emollient are great for sealing in moisture after bathing or after shampooing hair (when formulated correctly).  

• Healer - Customers are pleased when they discover that the lip balm or deodorant, purchased from us, works in healing a minor cut or scrape.   All the good substances that come from the  hive - beeswax; honey; royal jelly, all offer anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-viral benefits. 

Fun Fact:

The phrase "mind your own beeswax" is slang for "mind your own business".  Possibly derived from the Irish Gaelic béasmhaireacht, pronounced beeswəraċt, meaning "morality, manners, habits." -Wikipedia

And that's exactly what I want you to do - mind your own skin care habits.  





 Be Whole,

The 1,2 Punch With Palm Oil :: What's In It? Series

According to the American Palm Oil Council, palm oil has been consumed for over 5000 years. Its health benefits are numerous, and additional benefits continue to be discovered. It is now a leading crop, and according to Dr. Betty Kamen, PhD, palm oil is the second most common vegetable oil produced worldwide. Some benefits are particular to the hair and skin, however. Sadie Bell- Livestrong.com

One morning I woke up to a very dark spot on the bridge of my nose.  I didn't even see this thing forming, it just appeared!  I immediately started giving more attention to that spot - giving extra TLC with my Palm Oil Soap.  With two daily applications, I started seeing that dark unwanted-resident-squatter-visitor fade away, and in two weeks*... POOF...gone.

Why we use it:

• With my knowledge of the superb, skin benefits of palm oil,  I knew it would give me fast results.  Palm oil is the most potent form of vitamin E.  Tocopherol, the common form of vitamin E, has been used to treat many skin ailments, for centuries.  It is found in many anti-aging products, and is a strong antioxidant that helps the skin to fight free radicals that damage the skin and cause fine lines and wrinkles.  So how is palm oil more potent than that?  Toctrienols.  Hard to find, but palm oil has them.  Unlike vitamin E, palm oil not only fights, it prevents skin damage from the door.  Toctrienols can gift your skin with healing and protection, by deeply penetrating the skin's layers and working from the bottom up.   
• When saponified in soap, palm oil effectively removes dirt and oil, and it restores the natural oils to the skin. Cleansing agents with palm oil provide deep moisturizing properties, leaving skin soft and supple. 

Many have witnessed the tremendous benefits of our Palm Oil Soap. 

Palm oil is also blended in these recipes Body Spreads, Alaea Sea Salt Polish, Mojito Sugar Smoother, Sweet Raw Sugar Honey Polish, Lush Body Butter, Marinade, and King Moisture Spray. 

*To allow complete fading of the dark spot, I would apply concealer when heading out into the sun. Sun exposure would have continued to fuel the hyper-pigmented area.  

Sub-Tropical Gem : What's In It? Series

Avocado Butter- INCI: Persea Gratissima

So we know that avocados are good to make a dip for chips, but those green gems aren't just for your belly, your skin wants in on the love.

Avocado Butter is obtained from the fruit of the Avocado tree which grows in sub-tropical regions of the world. Our avocado butter is made with pure avocado oil, that is expeller crushed from the fresh flesh of the avocado fruit.  This is truly a superior skin care product.

Why We Use It & Why You Should Be Using It:

• It contains the antioxidant vitamins A, E and D that kill of the free radicals that age your skin. Not only will vitamin E fight free radicals, but it will also fade dark spots/age spots.  
• A great emollient for dry and damaged skin.  Remember an emollient seals in moisture, so use it after showering/bathing, and on wet, clean hair.
• A sunscreen by nature.  Hmmm, seems as though we offer several products with that attribute. Natural sunscreens are definitely needed for those with an increase of melanin in their skin. 

Avocado Butter can be found in our Lush Body Butter and in DECADENCE Chocolate Truffle Layered Sugar Scrub.



What are your thoughts on the What's In It? Series? Helpful?  Informative?  Can live without it?

Panhandle Goodness::What's In It? Series

Orange Butter

This product is obtain by cold pressing the orange peel, extracting the oil and wax.   Both the natural oil and wax possess outstanding, skin benefits.  The natural oil contains Limonene which is very effective in slowing down the aging process.  The peel's wax contains Bioflavonoids.... Not familiar with those?  Bioflavonoids are found to have anti-cellulite and anti-inflammatory properties.  Eczema, Psoriasis, and dandruff are listed as inflammatory skin diseases.  Check out FitDay for 9 foods high in Bioflavonoids.  I faithfully eat all of those foods, except #5.  Blah.  *Covering mouth, shaking head with eyes closed, like a 5-yo*

Why we use it:

• High in vitamin C.  Vitamin C firms and strengthens the skin.  Also, it helps the skin to look youthful by combating dryness, fine lines and wrinkles. #AntioxidantPower  Lastly, it's a protective barrier between the skin and the sun, thus suppressing hyperpigmentation.
• Our Orange Butter contains Palm Oil.  Verrrry effective in treating dark spots due to pregnancy, hormonal changes, aging, and the sun.  Palm Oil is found to be more potent than any form of vitamin E.  It also plays a protective role in cellular aging. 

Limonene + Bioflavonoids + Vitamin C + Palm Oil = One Super Duper Product 

This citrus goodness can be found in our Tantouchthis Spread.

Admittedly, Orange Butter makes my tongue take on a mind of its own.  When I open the container, it takes a good bit of control not to thrust my tongue into it.  The Olfactory and Salivary kick in...... Yes, it smells that scrumptious.  See, more and more I am allowing you to see my silly/quirky side.  I need to stop sharing.....LOL.

It's good to know what's in your stuff, but better yet, why.  Are the ingredients benefiting you or is it just label appeal?!

Clay::What's In It? Series

Dead Sea Clay (Kaolinite Clay)

Why we use it:

• High content of minerals that are easily absorbed by the skin.  These minerals can promote cell renewal, retain moisture in the skin, fight free radicals (they speed up the aging process), soothe damaged skin, extract impurities from the skin, and restore a youthful glow to the skin.
• Purifies and gently cleanses the skin.
• Gently exfoliates, revealing healthy looking skin.
• Protects the skin from harsh environmental elements. 
• Soothes and relaxes tired muscles.  

Can be found in our Mojito Sugar Smoother.

Kaolin Clay (White Kaolinite) "China Clay"

Why we use it:

• Very absorbent.
• Clears the skin of excess oil and dirt.
• Softens the skin. 

Can be found in our Essentials Deodorant  and Essentials Deodorant Powder. 

Goat Milk | Benefits :: What's In It? Series

Not my usual, witty title; I thought about-- The Neahs Have It or Loaded Milk.... Moving on.

I love goat milk!  I love its color, texture, and unique aroma.  Most of all, it is loaded (see, I should've used Loaded Milk) with amazing benefits for the skin.

Did you know:

• Goat milk is abundant in calcium, phosphorous, naturally occurring sodium, potassium, magnesium, Vitamin A,  Vitamins B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-12, Pantothenic Acid (another B Vitamin; B-5), Biotin, Choline (part of the B family), and many other trace elements.  Man!  Forget the medicine, just soak in or drink up some goat milk! 
• When applied topically, goat milk easily absorbs into the epidermis, thus boosting the health benefits of the entire body.  
• Skin problems, such as eczema and psoriasis, benefit from the nutrients that are in goat milk. 

Picture taken by Warrior Princess T.  She was attending an animal show.

Those pointers alone, should convey, why goat milk needs to be in your body & bath regimen.  Eagerly, I want to share my favorite benefits, which are also the reasons goat milk is used in our wholesome products.  

• Natural cleanser, moisturizer, and emollient for thousands of years!  Hello.  You've seen pictures of women, with gorgeous skin, from ancient times.  No Photoshop either.
• Can't have a complete body & bath regimen without an exfoliant, right?  No worries, goat milk will remove those dead, old skin cells--the alpha-hydroxy acids make the skin smoother and softer, with an overall lessening of fine wrinkles and skin discoloration.  Ladies (and gents), goat milk is an anti-aging agent! 

So, with a 4-in-1, natural ingredient like goat milk, you can't go wrong adding it to your body & bath regimen.  

Goat milk can be found in our wholesome Fizzing Goat Milk Bath.  Sample size too!






Have you read about the other ingredients in the What's In It? series?  Are you being informed by this series?  Have you seen an ingredient on any of our product labels and want to know more about it, by having it highlighted on our blog?  Let us know in the comments.

Related articles

• Meet Maebelle, Our Milking Goat! (plowinginpearls.com)

Treat Your Skin to Coffee :: What's In It? Series

Ahhh, yes, isn't it just beautiful to look at?   A creamy, latte color and robust, coffee aroma to match, aren't the only attributes this beauty possess.  

Coffea Arabica Seed oil (and) Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, bka, Coffee Bean Butter promotes excellent moisture retention, protects skin from ultraviolet light, penetrates quickly into the epidermis (fast protection and won't get wiped away before doing some work), and it protects the skin during harsh weather conditions.  This butter is a wholesome hero to damaged, red and dry skin.  For some of these reasons and many more, Coffee Bean Butter is used in many natural anti-aging formulations.  

Why we love this silky butter:

• Instead of hydrogenated vegetable oil, our coffee bean butter contains organic coconut oil and organic olive oil.
• Has major anti-oxidant properties. 
• Has excellent spread ability.
• Smells amazing.
• IT WORKS!

Coffee Bean Butter does not contain caffeine.  

Coffee Bean Butter can be found in our White Chocolate Coffee DECADENCE Layered Sugar Scrub (a mouthful, I know, but it's so good, it deserves a long name).

Have you read about the other ingredients in the What's In It? series?  Are you being informed by this series?  Have you seen an ingredient on any of our product labels and want to know more about it, by having it highlighted on our blog?  Let us know in the comments.