Category Archives: Facial Oils

Amazing Organic Skincare Ingredients That You May Not Know About

January 27, 2012

Raw, Healing, & Organic

 

I’m always seeking out the most amazing and potent plants, herbs, and fruits both for internal healing and skin rejuvenation. My skincare line is abundantly full of these magical ingredients, perfect for creating the most beautiful skin ever. Each of these treasures deserves it’s own book, but here’s a quick taste of just how amazing some of these ingredients are.

 

 

Raw and Edible Ingredients

 

Supernatural Facial Serum is designed to be applied as skin food, prior to moisturizing with Bee Beauty. It helps to firm skin, improve skin texture and tone, and stimulate collagen renewal. It also helps create an even skin tone, restoring your skin’s natural pigment, as well as, repair and protecting against UV damage, and even aiding DNA repair.  It is also nice for soothing eczema and other skin conditions.

What makes my skin love it so much?

First of all, Supernatural is a completely raw, vegan, and organic skincare product. But what really sets it apart is a divine mixture of several highly potent ingredients, including: goji berry, rhodiola root, amla berry, mucuna pruriens, camu camu berry, noni, chaga mushroom, and mangosteen.

How do they work?

  • Goji berries have very high levels of antioxidants as they contain a whole host of healthy vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, and phytochemicals. Applying all of this to your skin will support its revitalization, evening out its texture and leaving it feeling taut and smooth.
  • Rhodiola is not only another excellent source of antioxidants, but it increases collagen synthesis and skin cell proliferation by increasing hydroxyproline and hexosamine levels. It has UV-protection, regenerative, anti-stress, and anti-fatigue properties.
  • Amla has cooling astringent properties and is used in ayurvedic medicine as a treatment all sorts of skin disorders. Deeply cleansing, it helps clear acne and tones the skin.
  • Mucuna pruriens leaves and seeds have long been used in ayurvedic medicine. As an organic skincare ingredient, it burns fat from the fat cells, decreases cellulite and wrinkles, and can even improve cholesterol levels and strengthen the immune system.
  • Camu camu is the one of most potent antioxidant Vitamin C fruits in the world with six times more antioxidant capacity than acai berries. This makes it a potent anti-aging superfruit and an excellent ingredient to assist in collagen production.
  • Noni contains high amounts of powerful antioxidants and aids the body in the production of xeronine by providing the necessary building blocks for it. Xeronine is very effective at repairing damaged cells, making noni a powerful source of anti-aging properties.
  • Chaga is very rich in melanin, which nourishes your skin cells, restores their natural pigment, and even aids in DNA repair. In some select clinical trials in the medical community, treatment with chaga extract has been shown to greatly reduce psoriasis.
  • Mangosteen is being found more and more to be an effective treatment for acne, eczema, psoriasis, and a number of other skin disorders. Thanks to the presence of tannic acid in the rind of the mangosteen fruit (technically called a “pericarp”), it acts as an excellent natural astringent. In the right amounts, it gently cleanses and exfoliates while clearing away harmful bacteria. Mangosteen fruit also contains organic compounds called xanthonoids, which are currently being examined for their potential disease ameliorating effects.

 

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The Definitive Guide to Men’s Organic Skincare & Haircare

November 2, 2011

Men love organic skincare products too. I frequently get emails from men wondering what they can use on their face, hair, and body – often they want to know which of our products have a neutral or a masculine-oriented scent.

Here’s a comprehensive list of the products I recommend. And of course, they are all raw, vegan, and organic. Not only that, but my husband Jed uses and loves these!

 

Organic Soap for Men

Black Pepper Clementine Organic Soap with Activated Bamboo Charcoal

First, we have a whole host of organic bar soaps on the site, which you can find here.

All of the soaps we carry are gently scented and appealing to men’s senses. Choose your favorite. The special Detox bar with activated charcoal is particularly great for men. It has a very light scent, with subtle wafts of black pepper and clementine. The activated charcoal in the bar helps eliminate toxins, clear pores, and remove impurities. It has been used in Asia for centuries and it works great on acne and oily skin.

The soap itself is made with Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Certified Organic Coconut Oil, and Certified Organic Shea Butter. The soap is creamy and will leave your skin feeling soft.

 

Body Wash

Coconut Cream Shower Gele

Next up is our Coconut Cream Shower Gel from ISUN.

This is a creamy, soothing, moisturizing blend of coconut oil and aloe vera gel with a masculine alpine scent. Not only that, it’s perfectly pH balanced for skin, which encourages and maintains your skin’s natural hydration and promotes a bacteria-free state.

 

Shampoo


Seabuckthorn Shampoo & Body Wash

What you’ll probably notice first about this shampoo and body wash, aside from the gentle herbal and citrus scent, is that it isn’t diluted like most other shampoos and that a little bit will go a long way. The all organic ingredients list includes herbal infusions in jojoba of seabuckthorn, calendula, red clover, oats, coltsfoot, horsetail, comfrey, nettles, chamomile, seaweed; yucca and coco-protein to saponify; orange wax; supercritical extracts of sea buckthorn & rosemary; and finally, essential oils of grapefruit, peppermint vetiver & lime.

A nickel-sized amount applied to a body sponge will be enough for your whole body. About the same amount should take care of your hair.

 

Conditioner

Shine On Hair Conditioner

After the invigorating experience of using seabuckthorn shampoo, the next best step to take is apply some Shine On Hair Conditioner. I recommend combing it through your hair when it’s wet, followed by rinsing. You can also apply a small amount to the tips of your hair when dry to give it some extra character. Those with curly hair should apply it between washings. This conditioner contains all natural and organic rosewater, jojoba herbal infusions of chickweed, marshmallow root, slippery elm, alfalfa, seaweed, aloe vera, tamanu oil, apple cider vinegar, rose wax, rosemary and sage antioxidant extracts, essential oils of lime & lavender.

 

Organic Treatments for Hair Loss

 

 

Morrocco Method Hair Care

Morrocco Method Raw and Vegan Hair Care products will help you have thick, healthy, luxurious hair and a clear, nourished scalp. These are simply the most Pure, Natural, Organic, Raw, Vegan, Green, Fair Trade Hair Products for all hair types. The Morrocco Method line includes Conditioners, Shampoos, Natural Color, and Hair Treatments that Address Hair Thinning and Hair Loss, Dandruff, Dry Hair and Scalp, Hair Regrowth and Itchy and Inflamed Scalp. If you’d like wonderful hair and a healthier scalp, give these revolutionary products a try! They have an earthy, neutral scent and are suited for the whole family, even pets.

Face Cleanser

Best Skin Ever – Seabuckthorn

After showering, meet your skin’s best friend. Best Skin Ever cleanses, exfoliates, moistens, and tones the skin from head to toe. This one in particular is best for cleansing the face. Simply, moisten a cloth with warm water, add a few squirts or the Best Skin Ever and gently massage cloth over face, this removes the dirt of the day and exfoliates. Now add one drop of Best Skin Ever, or Face Serum to the tips of fingers and massage in to face. It has a wonderful scent that is neutral enough for the whole family.

 

Shaving Cream


Zen Shave

This soothing peppermint cream will soften your skin for shaving and completely eliminate any razor burn.

 

Healthy Toothpaste

Oralive Dental Regenrative Elixir

Not enough can be said about this oral supplement. It eliminates bad breath; alleviates gum pain and gum bleeding; inhibits plaque, gingivitis, and cavity causing bacteria; and many of our customers notice that they have whiter teeth starting after just a short period of using it.

The mixture of natural high energy mineral earths, activated herbal extracts, oxygen and marine phytoplankton make the elixir a healthy, charcoal earth tone. It is sweet and minty – quite delicious.

This raw organic elixir is meant to be swallowed after you absorb the initial nutrients through your gum mucosa. We consider this a natural supplement that helps your body heal and stay healthy. It’s packed full of powerful herbal essential oils and tissue regeneration factors not generally found in any product. The benefits of super green botanicals and marine phytoplankton alone are enough to use this as a dietary supplement.

 

Body Lotion

Seabuckthorn Tamanu All Over Lotion

This is a soothing lotion that is restorative and nourishing. It sinks into your skin and it’s meant to be used all over your face and body. It contains spring water, jojoba, tamanu, organic herbal infusions of seabuckthorn berries, marsh mallow root, slippery elm, chamomile, chickweed, rose hips; seaweed extract; aloe vera; acacia; essential oils of lavender, vetiver grapefruit, palmarosa; supercritical antioxidants of sage and rosemary.

 

Unscented Deodorant

Crystal Ally Unscented Body and Foot Spray Deodorant

For an unscented deodorant, this product cannot be beat. Not only is it extremely effective in killing odor causing bacteria, it’s completely aluminum free, comes in an easy to use spray, and even contains essential oils that are specific to the lymphatic system.

 

Scented Deodorant


Poetic Pits Classic: Tree Majesty

If you’d prefer a maculine scent that is shockingly effective and comes in a convenient little roll-on bottle, this one is sure to please. Men will Love Palo Santo, Classic: Tree Majesty, Maverick, Vetiver, or Radiant Earth. Find these amazing deodorants, here.

 

ISUN Shaving and Skin Products for Men

Refresh for Men Facial Cleanser and Shaving Gele’

Our last recommendations are a suite of male skincare products from ISUN. First up is Refresh, a fantastic facial cleanser and shaving gele’ that includes special age-repair and restoring products and, like all products in this suite, is pH balanced to optimize skin health.

 

Replenish for Men Hydrating & Calming After-Shave

Replenish After-Shave is a high-performance, replenishing after shave skin tonic that hydrates, calms and energizes skin cells for rapid renewal, and exclusively includes superconductive Ormus elements. Ormus high-spin atoms accelerate cellular communication and enhance the activity of other nutrients present, giving increased regeneration and therapeutic benefits. All of this is topped off with a pleasant masculine scent.

 

Repair for Men Age Repair Peptide & Antioxidant Serum

Repair for Men is similar to Phyto-Infusion I and Phyto-Infusion II for women, but is specially formulated to be thinner and thus more able to penetrate male skin, as well as containing a slightly different formulation of ingredients. It contains Ormus gold, a dynamic super conductor of light energy and cell communication. It may accelerate cell repair and signs of youth. The presence of ormus may also enhance the activity of the youthrestoring herbs, phytoplankton, plant-derived peptides, antioxidants and enzymes combined with stabilized vitamin C to create a truly advanced, all natural and organic skin-restoration and age preventative serum. While active regenerating and collagen-stabilizing peptides and powerful antioxidants work in harmony to reduce and prevent signs of aging, your skin is naturally protected from harmful effects from UV radiation. Lightactivated photolyase enzymes from a blue algae phytoplankton has been scientifically and clinically proven to protect cellular DNA from UV radiation as well as restore DNA damaged by UV. It also significantly revitalizes the skin’s natural immune system. Together, these actions help prevent skin cancers and aging in skin. The natural UV protection is greatly increased with high levels of antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), CoQ10 and stabilized vitamin C ester.

 

Restore for Men Light Facial Oil Moisturizer

Maturing male skin that wants to stay younger looking and maximize age prevention needs an active antioxidant facial oil moisturizer that is light and easily absorbed to efficiently carry protective and regenerating nutrients deep into the skin where it makes a difference. Restore is loaded with high levels of alive, active plant antioxidants, regenerating and anti-inflammatory herbs, antioxidant enzymes and other vital skin nutrients. These are in a light, tiny molecular structure fractionated coconut oil base that is rapidly assimilated into the skin
leaving no oily or greasy feeling. The fractionated coconut oil base will not clog pores and allows the skin to breathe. Restore provides natural UV protection, is soothing and leaves your skin feeling smooth and wonderful to look at and touch. The pure essential oil aroma is a unique masculine scent that women love with a sandalwood and green citrus base.

 

Renew for Men

Vital deep penetrating and lasting hydration for surrounding eye tissue with pure plant-source sodium hyaluronate and glycoaminoglycans is the base of this renewing eye gel. Infused with a concentrated organic herb complex, redness is calmed and skin is firmed. Organic cucumber & rose distillates are added to soothe and cool eye tissues. An Amazonian tree bark extract and plant-derived peptides help reduce puffy eyes and dark circles by stimulating lymphatic drainage and blood flow in eye tissues. This action helps to eliminate water retention that causes puffy eyes, and congestion that can cause stagnation of blood appearing as dark circles. The extracts also activate lipolysis to promote elimination of fat cells that can cause eye bags. No fillers, gelling agents or oils are used in this 100% active ingredient product.

 

Revitalize for Men Energizing Body Moisturizer and Massage Oil

This specially formulated ultra-light body oil moisturizer for men is teeming with a range of antioxidant and soothing herbs that rapidly penetrate skin in a fractionated coconut oil base. Fractionated coconut oil is ideal to add health, youth and vigor to a man’s skin and will not stain clothing. The subtle, yet inviting blend of essential oils included in Revitalize is both purifying and energizing for skin.

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Oils: The Secret to that Dewy, Luminous Glow?

February 2, 2010

Photo Credit: 96dpi

Photo Credit: 96dpi

I have found that one of the most beautiful ways to love myself is to care for my body with great reverence. I consider my body a divine temple – that’s why I eat healthy, exercise, and care for my skin. One of my favorite luxurious skin care rituals is to literally bathe myself in oils – cleansing and moisturizing my face and body.

Oils for Travel

Jed and I have been on the road traveling frequently lately, sometimes having to take off at the drop of a hat. I am always seeking to simplify my travel needs and lighten my packing as much as possible. That is why I am so grateful to have discovered the use of oils as ‘all-in-one’ skin care. I use a more extensive skin care regimen at home, but whenever I travel, all I do is pack my bottle of Best Skin Ever. (I love all the scents, but my current companion is Vanilla.) I am able to cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize with this glorious blend of oils all in one bottle. Joy! (See below for instructions)

Why Use Oils on the Face?

It may seem mysterious or even unnerving to use oils on the face. It certainly felt this way to me when I first learned about this method. I had oily skin and breakouts for so long that it seemed counter-intuitive to put more oil on my face! Yet, the truth is that oil dissolves oil. Your skin naturally lubricates itself with oil, and produces excess when dried out. If using oil weren’t the appropriate care for our skin, our bodies would not produce it at all. There is nothing to fear in applying oils to your face!

Pure Cold-Pressed Plant Oils will not clog pores or cause blemishes. Blemishes of all kinds can be caused by a plethora of things including diet, toxicity, hormones, bacteria, candida overgrowth, liver congestion, etc. Your skin naturally produces oil because it it ensures it proper functioning. Your natural oils protect, lubricate, heals, and moisturizes your skin. Skin that is functioning as it was designed to will be clear and glow with radiance.

Using oils to moisturize is the perfect way to achieve absolute purity. A pure oil is not blended with any water-based substance, no preservative is needed, and no solubilizers or stabilizers are necessary. Pure Cold-Pressed Plant Oils contain the highest level of active, alive nutrients for skin. They are very efficiently assimilated through skin because they are naturally absorbed and can penetrate deeper the lotions, creams, etc due to the natural composition of the skin. Oils also do not require heat to blend. The Cold-Pressing process ensures that all of the nutrients naturally present in the plant  ingredients make it into the oil. Like cooking food, temperatures  exceeding around 110º F destroy enzymes, vitamins and alter or deactivate many other beneficial nutrients in the product ingredients. A facial oil leaves skin with a renewed look of health and dewy, youthful beauty.

Our Facial Oils: Ultra Restore, Ultra Sapphire, Best Skin Ever

Daily Cleansing with Oils

Simply moisten a wash cloth with warm water, add a few squirts of our Best Skin Ever and gently massage cloth over face. This removes the dirt of the day and exfoliates. Finish with a spray of Rosewater. Add another squirt of Best Skin Ever for more moisture or use your favorite moisturizer.

Deep Cleansing with Oils

(The following information comes from Stephanie Strauss of The Beauty Bottle, LLC)

The basic concept of this skin care and cleansing method is that the oil used to massage your skin will dissolve the oil that has hardened with impurities and found itself stuck in your pores. The steam will open your pores, allowing the oil to be easily removed. Should you need it, the smallest drop of the same oil formula patted over damp skin will provide the necessary lubrication to keep your skin from over-compensating in oil production.

First and foremost, this is typically done in the evening, prior to bed. There should be no need for deep cleansing in the morning if you’re waking up with skin cleansed the night before. In the morning, a quick wipe with a warm washcloth should suffice. We don’t want to over-cleanse our skin as this will serve only to irritate and cause more oil production. The objective of using this method is to deep clean while balancing our skins oil production at the same time.

Instructions

1) You’ll need a soft washcloth, your oil blend, and hot, running water.
2) Pour a generous amount of Best Skin Ever into the palm of your hand. Roughly, the size of a quarter, but more is acceptable. Rub your
hands together to warm the oil and smooth over your face.
3) Begin massaging the oil into your face. This will remove makeup, dirt, and other impurities, so there is no need to use a makeup remover or wash your face prior to the massage.
4) Using slow, firm motions across the skin, massage the oil deeply into your pores. Take your time and focus on your problem areas. You
want the oil to work into your pores so that blackheads and the like can be dissolved and steamed away.
5) As you’re massaging, let your mind drift off to something calming and breathe deeply. Take this time to relax and release some of the stress that your body is harboring. Sit down, breathe deeply, and take your time. Give the oil enough time to work on dissolving the impurities in your pores and give yourself enough time to unwind.
6) Once you’re satisfied that your pores are saturated and you’re feeling calm, pick up your washcloth and soak it in clean, steamy water. We want the water to be warm enough to open your pores and remove the oil. Cool water will not open your pores, nor will it remove the oil efficiently. We’re not scalding our skin, we’re steaming to coax our pores to release the oil carrying the impurities. We’re essentially steaming our skin as an esthetician would, but without a steam machine.
7) Hold the washcloth to cover your face. Allow it to stay until it cools. You will feel your pores releasing the impurities. Wipe the oil
gently away and rinse the washcloth well in hot, running water. Hold the washcloth to your face again, allowing it to cool. Wipe gently, rinse well, and repeat two or three more times. Avoid any temptation to scrub, as you’ll find it’s completely unnecessary and your skin will be soft, smooth, and free of flakes without the additional manual exfoliation and irritation that will result. Impurities, dead skin cells, and bacteria will be gently swept away.
8) If your skin feels tight, take a tiny drop of Best Skin Ever, rub it between your clean, damp palms and pat it onto your damp skin. Gently massage any oil residue into your skin so there is no film of oil left sitting on the surface. Your skin should now glow!

This deep cleansing method should be done regularly, but not too frequently. You’ll know if you’re deep cleansing too frequently by the dryness that your skin will exhibit. Don’t be surprised if you find you’ve unblocked an oil flow for the first few days. Once you remove the plugs from your pores, they will begin functioning properly again. Perfect skin won’t happen overnight and while it may take a few massages to achieve your goal, you should notice a huge difference in your skin after the first deep cleansing massage. Give your skin a few days to adjust and adapt to being clean and clear of blockages; understand that the new oil coming from your skin is actually a good sign and will balance out very shortly. You’ll find redness and irritation subsiding. You’ll find your skin losing that “congested,” and thick feeling.

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