Friday, December 30, 2011

Healthy Skin Tips-Top 10 List

The folks over at Murad Skin Care have come up with a top 10 list of healthy skin tips.  Although we've mentioned some of these tips in our list before, it's always good to have a refresher course.

Two of our favorite tips from Murad's list:

Check Ingredients on Skin Care Products: Don’t just buy skin care products based on packaging or brand name. Research the ingredients to make sure your skin care products have what it takes to solve your skin concerns. You may even want to study some online skin care product reviews as well. Make educated decisions about what’s in the products that go on your skin.


This is exactly why we've created our What's In It? series.  You need to know what is in our products and why.


Water, Water, Water: Hydration is the key to healthy skin no matter what your skin type or skin concern. The body is almost sixty percent water, and the skin is the body’s largest organ. If you’re not staying hydrated through drinking water, applying topical moisturizers and “eating your water,” then your skin can’t possibly be healthy. From anti-aging concerns to acne concerns, you need to create a base for building healthy skin. Healthy skin is hydrated skin.


Now how do you expect our wholesome products to work their best, without hydrated skin?  Our products are your cherry-on-top to your already beautiful skin.  Drink Up!




For more of Murad's suggested tips, head on over.






Do you do any of these tips already?  Which one(s) work best for you?








To your skin health,








Ci-CLo-METH-e-CONE :: What's In It? Series

Cyclomethicone is a silicon-based oil that is a "carrier" for fragrance and essential oils.  Its purpose is to  carry scented oils and natural oils in bath and body products.  It is a clear, odorless silicone that delivers a non-greasy, silky, smooth feeling to the skin.  How does that work?  The chemistry of Cyclomethicone allows it to evaporate quickly off of the skin.

Cyclomethicone is known as an unmodified silicon: Unmodified silicones stay on or near the surface of the skin. Not only are the molecules too big to physically enter past the upper living cells, they associate with the upper layer of drying skin but they also cannot penetrate cell membranes due to their large size. 3dchem.com




Why we love this "dry-oil" silicone:
  1. Decreases "slip" in products that are abundant in oil, that are used in the tub/shower.
  2. Adds a luxurious feel (glide) to after-bath and massage oils.  
  3. Leaves no oily feeling.
  4. Incredibly versatile (can be used in many formulations).
  5. A little goes a looooong way.



How much do we use in our products?   The percentage of Cyclomethicone used in our products is anywhere from .5% to 1%.  See #5.  I still scratch my head when I see a product label with Cyclomethicone as the first ingredient.  That's over 50% of the product!  Cyclomethicone is listed as the last ingredient on our label.  Such a small amount that if a customer did not want to experience points 1, 2, or 3, they can request to have it omitted. 


Cyclomethicone can be found in Lush Body Butter; Mojito, Matcha, Tantouchthis spreads; Pure Body Balm, Marinade;King Moisture Spray;Alaea Sea Salt Polish;Mojito Sugar Smoother;Sweet Raw Sugar Honey Polish; Rub Down;DECADENCE Layered Sugar Scrubs;Patriarch oil.










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.








To your skin health!


Monday, December 26, 2011

Calling All Herbivores :: What's In It? Series

Hailing from the Kingdom of Castile (b.k.a Spain), for herbivores and environmentally conscious folks....Castile Soap!


"This soap is said to be named for the Kingdom of Castile, a region in what is now known as Spain. Evidence seems to suggest thatcastile soap actually originated in Northern Italy, and spread outwards from there, although this soap is so ancient that it is a bit difficult to pin down the precise details of its history. In Castile, the soap was made with olive oil only, and some people differentiate between capitalized Castile soap, made with olive oil, and lower case castile soap, made with other vegetable oils." wisegeek.com









Why we love this wholesome commodity:

  1. Makes our hair oh-so soft when used as a shampoo.  You can even skip the conditioner!
  2. Chemical free!
  3. Family friendly--the entire family!
  4. Fights cell degeneration (antioxidant)!
  5. Beneficial for sensitive, mature, and normal to dry skin!
  6. Sudsy!


Characteristics of liquid Castile soap:


By the fat being vegetable and not from the four-legged persuasion, liquid Castile soap is "loose".  But it delivers a great amount of lather.  Using the proper bath tool, such as a bath puff or natural fiber sponge, makes a small amount increase its suds power. 


Liquid Castile soap can be found in our wholesome Organic Love Body Wash & Organic Love Body Wash for him.  




Thursday, December 15, 2011

have you made IT? :: i'll never let them do IT to me again!

Have you made IT?  I'm not speaking about the ching-ching-bling-bling IT.  I'm coming from the stand point of: self evolving-responding vs reacting-taking responsibility of direct behavior towards you IT.  ????

presenting (instead of being present):
'If I was (insert name of well known company here) people would buy from me more.' 'Man, people only buy from you if you had a celebrity biggin' up your stuff (grrrr).' 'Oh, see, at first they were buying from me, saying how my product was all-that, now they acting funny, not buying from me anymore (suck teeth).'

STOP IT


reacting (instead of responding):
'Why people always trying to get a hook-up?  If I was (insert name of well known company here), they wouldn't be treating me this way.' 'Why do I keep seeing people stealing pictures of my work?  I post my work, then I see it on someone else's website or social page!  Why do they keep doing this?!'

STOP IT

(The above have been read on my timeline and news feed on social networks.)








personal testimonial:
Years ago I met a couple--I was invited into their home.  The wife mentioned to the husband about me having a business.  'You got any samples with you?'  Yes!  That was the first thing that came out of his mouth.  He said it like he was the bourgeois and I was the hoi polloi .  LOL.  Yes, I can laugh about that now.  Actually, I chuckled (inside) back then.  I could've broke the hustle down to him.  But what would be the use (Don't get me wrong, there are times when people need correcting.  You got to know when that time is--that wasn't the time.  Wisdom.)  That moment wasn't about him, it was about me.  What was it about me, that he felt he had the audacity to ask that question, before getting to know more about the business?  Yes, me.  It may not have been me, but it was important to my growth and business growth that I figure it out.  Responding vs Reacting.

Responding isn't always about responding to an individual.  It's about responding to yourself: asking the right questions, accepting the hardcore truth about self, acknowledging your responsibility in what you attract/other's behavior.

my response:
On my drive home that day, I told myself that would never happen again.  I needed to establish myself and my business in a way that "hand-out & hook-up" wasn't written on me.  I'm not against sending complimentary items for another entrepreneur's event.  No qualms here. I started to be present in all that I did for my business--to help others to see that I meant business;I directed all those seeking free products to my Samples category online;I made my list: Women Entrepreneurs That I Will Give To.  That list consist of women entrepreneurs that I would not think twice about sending them a complimentary item for an event, because they have genuinely established a relationship with me.  Today, I receive orders for gift bag items (Funny thing is some of those orders come from women on my list.  I would do it for them anyway, but they don't take advantage.  Respect.)!  I made IT! And if you're wondering about that couple.... they became great customers, even without the husband getting the samples. *Wink* Not immediately, but over time, after observing me and the growth of my business.

When you willing evolve, when you check yourself to see if another's behavior is due to how you are operating, when you make the neccessary corrections in your work-life (a term I love from Execumama.com)... you made IT, and no one can do IT to you again.  No one can do what you won't allow them to do.  You don't have to be anyone else to get more business sent your way.  You don't need to "cry" over what others are doing to "mess" your business up--handle the business and implement or make the changes.  More success comes when you become the success.

<3



My desire is to inspire women in business, to aspire to be the best that they can, in all aspects of their lives.