More Good Stuff - Botanicals, Clays, etc.

     As I mentioned in my last post, I've been doing my homework.  I was never the teacher who liked to give homework, but I've always believed in reading and more reading.  As well as the old adage  regarding learning something new every day.  So, read, read, read and read to your children so they can learn something new everyday too!  You'd be amazed at how much information is out there for you to learn and impart.  Here are some new (and old) facts about the benefits of herbs, flowers, fruits, veggies and natural clays that I've been reading and learning about.   

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     Since ancient times, shamans, soothsayers, healers, "witches" and grandmothers have used botanical remedies for healing and health.  We all probably know at least one tried and true home remedy.  Seems that we have gotten away from most of those "home remedies" and replaced them with pharmaceutical products instead due to the fact that they are easy to find and already made.  It's all about convenience.  But we're also finding out the side effects and problems with all those chemicals and man made concoctions.  Granted, we don't always have access to exotic flowers and natural clays found in different parts of the world, but it is definitely to our benefit to try to be as natural and organic as is within our means.  And that is my goal in my "kreations". For example, my Whipped Calendula Cream is made with Calendula flower petals from flowers organically grown in my garden infused in organic oils and whipped in my kitchen.  That's it!  Oh and a little Lavender Essential Oil for calming effect.  
     There are so many healthy alternatives you can whip up in your kitchen as well!  I'll save that for future posts.  Meanwhile, let's get back to the other good stuff.

Light and airy Whipped Calendula Cream

    You've read about the oils I've incorporated and many of the other good things I add to my soaps and body butters, but those were just a few.  Here come a few more and what their long known benefits and values are for your skin.

Hibiscus

Red Hibiscus

Jasmine

Beautiful Botanicals

• Red Hibiscus Flower Powder  - This beautiful flower is considered very feminine and therefore,  it is usually given to or worn by women. In North America especially, it means a perfect wife or woman. In Victorian times, giving a woman a hibiscus flower meant that the giver was acknowledging the receiver's delicate beauty.  The red species is believed to have originated in Asia, but the white species is believed to have originated in Hawaii or Tahiti.  If worn behind the left ear, the woman is married or in a relationship; behind the right ear, she is available.  It was often used in love potions and is the "national flower" of several countries.  When used on the skin, it provides a moisture boost, combats acne, tones and soothes, is anti oxidant and anti-wrinkle. Hibiscus is sometimes called the "Botox plant".
• Jasmine - is a flowering shrub or vine of the olive family and is widely cultivated in temperate, tropical areas for it's lovely scent which is calming, soothing and anti-depressant. It is most popular as an herbal tea and was traditionally used as an antispasmodic during childbirth.  It is also an effective antiseptic, disinfectant as well as hydrating and soothing on the skin.
• Chamomile - is a flowering herb that has been used for centuries dating back to Ancient Egypt and Greece for it's calming antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.  It is moisturizing, healing and soothing to the skin.  You can use cold chamomile tea on inflamed or swollen pimples, chickenpox or eczema.  Soak a cotton-ball and hold for five minutes under eyes to relieve puffiness.
• Dandelion - Yep, those very same flowering "weeds" popping up in your yard every spring.  Dandelion root can be found in health food stores for it's medicinal properties as a blood purifier among other things.  Dandelion is full of Vitamins A, C, E and K as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and manganese which help promote healthy skin.  You can buy dandelion root tea or even make your own.  Boil it in water, cool and apply to skin to help remove impurities.
• Alkanet - is an herb whose roots are most commonly used as a natural dye.  It produces a shades of purple to blue in soap and on natural fibers such as wool can produce reddish purples as well.  It is soothing to irritated or sensitive skin.
• Achiote - also know as Annatto is commonly used in Caribbean cooking to add color to foods such as rice.  But it also naturally produces a lovely range of yellows and oranges in soaps and creams.  It is a shrub or small tree native to the Americas. Traditionally, it was used to by North, Central and South American natives to make red body paint and lipstick and to treat wounds and burns.
• Tapioca Flour - comes from the cassava plant or Yuca.  It is a root vegetable typically found in tropical areas.  The flour is called commonly called tapioca.  Yes, like the pudding or those "bubbles" in Bubble Tea.  Uncooked, the root is poisonous and Taino natives of Puerto Rico used it as a poison paste in which to dip their arrowheads for hunting purposes.  It was discovered that washing, crushing and boiling removed the toxins and it became a staple in their diet and healing. The flour is very fine and has a smooth, silky feeling.  It smoothens, brightens and hydrates skin. When used as a mask, it helps to open pores and reduce scars and spots.  In creams and body butters it provides a silky feel and eliminates that greasy feeling that sometimes accompanies rich oils and butters.
• ​Cinnamon - Cinnamon actually comes from a tree.  These trees are native to Southeast Asia.  We generally know and use it as a common household spice.  It was often used medicinally for stomach ailments and to treat colds, but the essential oil has both antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.  When used in soaps, it also offers a range of tan and brown colors as well as a light scent.
• Beet root powder - Beets are a superfood.  High in nutrients and antioxidants. In soap, it is used for those attributes as well as for natural color. Some say  will add pink to red color to your soaps and creams, others say it is more beige. Let's find out with the Spring collection available in late March!​ 

• Carrot powder - contains Vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, E and K. That's a lot of vitamin power!  Carrots also contain calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.  They are helpful in providing you with healthy, glowing skin.  You can grind a carrot and mix the pulp with a little honey to make a mask which will help clear blemishes and leave skin fresh and radiant.  They are also anti-inflammatory and have been used to treat wounds and skin inflammations. 
• Cocoa powder - from the cacao bean, adds color and scent. Cacao blocks free radicals to protect skin, contains Vitamin C and magnesium which help keep skin healthy and contains Omega 6 fatty acids which help cellular healing.

• ​Citrus Fruits - full of Vitamins C and B6, we all depend on them for energy, to fight colds, destroy free radicals, kill bacteria and much more.  Their fresh scent is an instant pick-me up, isn't it?  Orange peel powder provides Vitamin B, folic acid, beta carotene, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and a little bit of color to soaps and lotions. Grapefruit essential oil has the most delightful smell.  It is antidepressant as well as stimulating to the senses.  It is cleansing, a great disinfectant and has antioxidant properties as well.  Lemons are wonderful for cleansing and purifying and have been used for these purposes for centuries. Did you know that fresh lemon juice helps control dandruff? Limes also help remove dark spots and are good for combating acne. Warm water and lime removes dead skin leaving your skin fresh and glowing. Vitamin C helps destroy free radicals, provides a radiant glow to your skin and naturally bleaches scars or spots on your skin.  Vitamin C is also water soluble, which is essential for collagen formation.  For quick and easy at-home ideas freeze some fresh citrus juice and use the ice cubes to reduce pores and acne or simply to refresh dull, tired skin.  Dry and grind citrus peels and use with a little light oil like grape seed as a body scrub. 

• Oatmeal - is the perfect currative for most skin types, even sensitive skin.  It has anti-inflammatory properties, can remove dead skin, is moisturizing, and can help treat rashes, acne, rosacea and eczema as well as reduce the symptoms of aging on your skin.  Interestingly, oatmeal contains saponins.  Saponification is the process of turning oils and butters into soap.  Saponins are a natural cleansing agent. Some flowers also contain saponins and were used for bathing purposes by  ancient cultures.  Oatmeal, therefore can be used as a mild soap which is why oatmeal baths are highly recommended for alleviating itch from rashes.

Natural Clays
Clays naturally occur in soils worldwide and have been used for centuries for healing and skin care.  They are also used in the cosmetic industry for a variety of purposes.  Clays in my "kreations" are used mostly for face soaps or for a touch of color.

• Activated Charcoal - This seems to be popping up everywhere you look.  Well, that's because it removes toxins from skin.  Carbon (coal) has long been used to remove toxins, odors and dirt from a myriad of things.  Place a crumbled up wad of newspaper in shoes to remove odor, or in plastic bowls that you just "can't get the smell out of".  It's the carbon in the newspaper that helps with this.  Ever wonder why vinegar and a newspaper clean glass so amazingly?  You guessed it - carbon!  So no wonder activated charcoal is suddenly the rage in skin care products.  It is especially good for treating acne and for dry skin because it is so mild.  A little goes a long way.
• Kaolin Clay - Kaolin clay comes in white, pink, yellow and red and is naturally occurring in soils that have been weathered by rocks and moist heat (i.e. in rainforests)  It has been used traditionally to clean and care for skin, especially sensitive skin.  White kaolin clay is the gentlest.  Red is the most absorbent, therefore best suited to oily skin. Yellow is both absorbent and exfoliating.  And pink is actually a mixture of both red and white kaolin clays.
• French Green Clay - originally from France is used for pore tightening and oil absorption. 
• Benonite Clay - comes from volcanic ash that has absorbed nutrients from the soil.  It has been used for sore muscles, as a poultice for wounds and cuts, bruises, tendonitis and as a deep detox because it draws out impurities.  This also makes it good for treating acne.  
• Red Moroccan Clay - Once reserved for royalty only, this clay is used to treat poison ivy, oak, sumac etc., shrinks pores and improves elasticity.
• Titanium Dioxide - occurs in nature in minerals such as Titanium, brookite,  anatase, rutile and ilmenite ore.  It has a wide range of uses including sunscreen and food coloring. It is a mineral oxide or pigment which adds or lightens color. 
• ​Mica - is a shimmery paper thin platelet mineral which is mined and ground to a powder.  It adds beautiful color and shimmer.  Some micas have natural color while others have natural pigments added to them to make them "nature identical".

Pretty, aren't they?

You can see the shimmer they add to the tops of these bridal shower favors I made for a friend's daughter's upcoming shower.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week.  The Spring and Summer collections will surely feature many of these goodies. 

Coming up - Simple, natural DIYs you can do at home.  Be on the look out.