Quick Facial Sauna

Steaming is absolutely a part of your regular skincare regimen.  Professional estheticians and frequent spa goers understand its benefits of a steam facial.  I love to save money so I skip the bill, and do your own 10 minute at home three times a month.  The steam draws toxins out of pores, and softens the skin.

How it works!  The steam gently heats up the delicate facial skin causing you to sweat, the pores to open up,  and the impurities are flushed out through the open pores.

Are you looking for a quick and easy steam facial?  Here it is a easy herbal tea facial sauna recipe to try at home.

DIY Quick Facial Sauna

Pour four cups of boiling water over one tea bag each of chamomile and peppermint in a large heatproof bowl.  Let is steep uncovered for about two minutes, then make a towel tent over your head and the bowl.  Stay under the towel for 10 minutes capture all of the wonderful steam.

Steaming works for all skin types but if you suffer from severe acne or Rosacea, do NOT steam. The heat exposure will irritate your skin.

GO ahead and pampering yourself with a steam facial, sure you have the time.

{ Follow Me on Pinterest } Paula Parrish

Honey, Honey, Honey

Everything you might not know about honey . . . and more!

Honey is one of nature’s purest ingredients, the sticky goodness is the result of hard many working honeybees.

Honey changes it’s texture and appearance over time, and is sensitive to its environment.  Amazingly some batches of honey appear to be thousands of years old and do not go bad.

Bees have been producing honey for at least 150 million years.

Did you know that honey bees must visit approximately two million flowers to make one pound of honey.  They are extremely hard working bees.

Honey has antiseptic powers, and assists in creating a protective barrier on burns or cuts.  It helps in the skin’s natural processes of healing itself and fighting off infection.  

Our Honey Bee & Oatmeal Soap has super softening powers thanks the honey, which is blended into each fresh batch of soap.  Our Almond Body Scrub Cubes contains honey, adding to its effective scrubbing powers.  We at Natural Garden Soaps add honey to many of our natural skin care products.  Honey is a wonderful ingredient because it is a great moisturizer, and adds a rich texture to our products.

Depending on the source of the nectar, the honey produced can range in color, texture, scent and taste. Every batch of honey is different, thanks to differences in weather and flowers used for production from season to season.

Honeybees are only dangerous when they are defending their colony, when they are buzzing about in the garden they are perfectly harmless.

Once bees settle into a new spot, it can take only 72 hours for them to begin producing honey. They are the ultimate team workers!

Have allergies? Take a teaspoon a day of a honey made from the region where you live, and it will aid in developing resistance to pollen.  Therefore reducing your seasonal allergies.

I love to contribute to community efforts, and I purchase honey harvested locally.

I appreciate all of the hard working honey bees producing honey out there in the world.  Honey is one of nature’s finest gifts, and a remarkable, sticky and truly amazing God given substance.

{ Follow Me on Pinterest } Paula Parrish

Chocolate Rose Soap

I have revamped my Chocolate Rose Soap recipe,

and added rich Cocoa.

Cocoa is wonderful for your skin. It is high in antioxidants,

which are know to improve and repair skin cells.

It also greatly increases circulation and blood flow.  Love That!

My chocolate rose soap has always been a great seller,

with a wonderful scent of roses and chocolate.

This soap bar also contains cocoa butter which is a ultimate moisturizer

with a slight smell of chocolate.

I sprinkled into each batch a hand full of my own garden

dried rose petals for exfoliation.

The wonderful rose smell gives anyone's shower added

aromatherapy benefits of increasing feelings of vitality,

and creating a sense of well-being.

Perfect for a gentle start to the day when you simply want a

enjoyable, yummy smelling, and comfortable clean.

Natural Soap Ingredients Include:

Oil of olive, coconut oil, palm oil, pure distilled water, pure rose essential oil,

garden dried rose petals, organic cocoa butter, cocoa, and lots of love.

My Chocolate Rose Soap bar is available for purchase

in my Etsy Shop.

{ Follow Me On Pinterest  } Paula Parrish

How to Go Green with Personal Care

In my personal quest to measure my impact on the earth, there are small things that I do daily to have a positive impact.  From the time that I wake up in the morning I avoid products with chemicals and harmful compounds.  Many common store bought health and beauty products are loaded with tons of chemicals that are potentially harmful to your body and the environment. It is truly disappointing that most commercial manufacturers do not have consumers health in mind as a top priority when designing or manufacturing their products for the mass market.  Therefore, I believe that it is up to me as a consumer, to take a closer look at these products for the safety of my family and the God given planet.  Taking a closer look at these personal care products has lead me to some better, healthier choices for my family, my self, and God’s planet.  The good news is that I have found many companies that have a high standard of care when manufacturing their products.  A few companies that I recommend by personal experience are Natural Garden Soaps ;o), Dr. Bronner’s, and Avalon Organics.

Here is a list of ingredients that I recommend to AVOID.
Parabens. Used as a preservative in many personal cleansing and moisturizing products such as shampoos, lotions, and shaving products.  Parabens are often loaded with yucky methyl, ethyl, and propyl.  Many studies have linked parabens to breast cancer, dermatitis, and allergic skin reactions.
Phthalates.  They are often found in commercially made perfumes, nail polishes, and deodorants. Phthalates are linked to infertility, low sperm counts, and other hormone related problems.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.  Countless bath and beauty products contain sulfates. In fact some commercial soaps contain up to 30%, eek.  Sulfates are considered to be highly irritating and dangerous.  Shampoos that include this nasty ingredient are associated with eye irritation, scalp irritation, tangled hair,and frizzy hair. Perhaps of most concern is the link to hormone issues, PMS, oestrogen levels, and cancers.
Top Green Personal Care TIPS.
Make your own beauty treatments at home.  I have numerous natural recipes listed on my sister blog at paulaparrish@blogspot.com.
Look at the label.  Buy products with natural, organic, earth loving ingredients.  Stick with natural ingredients that benefit your health like; olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, organic herbs, organic vegetables, essential oils and plant derived ingredients grown without fertilizers.
Only use products that you need.  Kick out cosmetics, nail polishes, and unnecessary hair products. Which may contribute to air pollution, carbon emissions, and millions of pounds of waste.  It has been freeing to simplify my life, and have less clutter.
Toss out aluminum based deodorants.  For better health and environment replace your deodorants with natural product.  I believe that spending a few extra dollars is worth it to keep myself and my family away from aluminum and other toxins.
Don’t use cheap shaving cream. Instead of that nasty store-bought aerosol can with the funky smell, use 100% aloe vera gel to shave instead. Works great and is awesome for your skin.
I hope that you found this information to be informative
and helpful for your lifestyle.
Thanks for stopping by and visiting my blog.

Smiles, Paula

{ Follow Me On Pinterest  } Paula Parrish

Honey Bee & Oatmeal Facial

{Thursday's By Tara} - A Thursday ritual. A featured post written by Tara; simple, special, extraordinary moments in soaping and life.

Honey Bee & Oatmeal Facial Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of Honey
2 Tablespoons of Organic Oatmeal or Whole Oat Crushed
1 to 2 Tablespoons of Milk

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl (adjust the amout of milk depending on how thin or thick you prefer it).  Smooth over face and throat.  Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

Regularly applied this homemade facial mixture of honey and milk to your face to keep your skin looking young, radiant, and smooth.

Honey is awesome to bring back a smooth glow to your skin.

Oatmeal is with its course texture makes it an excellent exfoliate. Exfoliation sloughs away dry, dead skin cells to make way for fresh, healthy ones. Oatmeal has skin-soothing properties and it is hypoallergenic.

Milk which contains lactic acid soothes and softens your skin. Milk will help moisturize, while at the same time tightening wrinkles and refining pores.

I made this with my 7 year old, he helped me measure, pour, and mix the ingredients!

{shea butter body lotion}

Our Shea Butter Body Lotion has been a big hit.  Since we started selling it Tara and I keep whipping up new batches and filling more bottles.  We have received questions regarding the ingredients in the lotion; therefore I writing this post to inform you about the ingredients.  Why we have includes each item and what the benefits are to your skin.

Shea Butter Body Lotion

83% Organic ~ 99% Natural

Our Shea Butter Body Lotion is a rich, creamy, moisturizing powerhouse!
This product also contains skin-smoothing organic nourshing ingredients.
This formula smooths on your skin and provides a moisturizing barrier
of Shea Butter - without leaving you feeling greasy.

This body lotion is enriched with Organic Shea Butter, Organic Aloe Juice, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Soybean Oil and Vitamin E.
This lotion is available in the wonderful scent of lavender to help promotion relaxation and peace.  Or in Fragrance Free which does not contain any added fragrances or scent.
This lotion is sure to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and healthy, naturally.

This Shea Butter Body Lotion ~ Not Greasy; Moisturizes Well; Goes On Smoothly; Long Lasting; Softens Skin.

No artificial colors, parabens, synthetic fragrances, or petroleum by products.

Here is a complete detailed list of all the ingredients in our lotion.

Organic Shea Butter is chocked full of naturally occurring Vitamin A, E, and F.  Shea butter is a particularly effective moisturizer because contains so many fatty acids, which are needed to retain skin moisture and elasticity.  It may also help diminish wrinkles by moisturizing the skin, promoting cell renewal, and increasing circulation. Shea butter also contains acid, a substance that helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays. 

Organic Aloe Juice has a well-deserved reputation for soothing and healing sunburns, and its packed nutrients that help strengthen and nourish your skin.  Aloe Vera Juice acts as a natural barrier and shields our skin from dangerous toxins.

Vegetable Glycerin is a compound that comes from vegetable oil, usually palm or coconut. It has strong humectant properties, meaning it is able to retain moisture.  There are many anti-aging benefits when using vegetable glycerin. Its excellent moisturizing properties aid in keeping skin looking young and healthy. Retaining moisture is vital for keeping skin in its best condition. It also draws oxygen into the skin, which is beneficial for anti-aging as well. There are many factors that cause dry skin and accelerate aging, and vegetable glycerin is an effective agent against these elements. 

Organic Soybean Oil helps in restoring the luster and impart glow to the skin. It helps in healing the damage that is done to the skin by pollution or sun exposure.  Soybean oil contains specific antioxidants which helps in maintaining the skin health and gives the skin special glow.  Antioxidant such as vitamin E and Vitamin B complex prevents the development of appearance of wrinkles.

Vitamin E is known as the "skin vitamin." Vitamin E reduces the appearance of age spots. For prevention and treatment, take as a supplement and also apply directly to skin.  Vitamin E is a filter that prevents UV rays from damaging skin. It also can be put on sunburns to heal skin quickly without permanent damage. Vitamin E is an anti-aging moisturizer. Apply to skin daily to reduce and prevent wrinkle.

Phenoxyethanol is an organic chemical compound, a glycol ether often used in dermatological products such as skin creams and sunscreen.  Phenoxyethanol is non-paraben, non-formaldehyde preservative that we believe to be the gentlest effective preservative available today.

Caprylyl Glycol is a mixture of glycerin, caprylic acid, and capric acid. An emollient ester derived from coconut oil with good lubricating and spreading properties. Helps products to glide on the skin.

Stearic Acid is a naturally derived from soybeans, this waxy solid substance acts an emulsifier and thickener for the lotion.

Emulsifying Wax NF is a plant based emulsifier used to create a bond between oil and water, forming an emulsion.  Vegetable-based and without any petroleum products, this emulsifying wax allows the lotion to stay smooth and creamy in texture without separating. This particular emulsifying wax is NF approved and is the global choice for emulsifying compounds.

Ingredients: 100% Organic Shea Butter, Organic Aloe Juice, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Soybean Oil, Vitamin E, Emulsifying Wax (plant based emulsifier), Phenoxyethanol (organic preservative), Stearic Acid (thickener) and Caprylyl (anti-bacterial preservative).

For a limited time with each order from Natural Garden Soaps you will receive a FREE sample of our Shea Butter Body Lotion.
Give our Shea Butter Body Lotion a try on your skin.

Shop online at

www.naturalgardensoaps.com

or on our Etsy store at

www.etsy.com/shop/paulaparrish
Have you used our Shea Butter Body Lotion?

Natural Living on a Budget

{Thursday's By Tara} - A Thursday ritual. A featured post written by Tara; simple, special, extraordinary moments in soaping and life.

Shopping Organic and Green while still keeping some green in your wallet!
If you’re like me you’re constantly looking for ways to go green and have a more organic home, yet have to be budget conscious.  I recently came across an article in Kiwi magazine about how to do just that.  If you haven’t seen Kiwi yet, you definitely need to pick up a copy.  It’s all about how to raise your family in a natural and organic way.  I’d like to share a few tips with you about how to Go Green and Save money in your home!
Grocery
-While it may seem hard to locate quality organic items in a grocery store, most are catching up with the trend and some even feature an entire aisle of organic choices, as well as a section in the produce.  Most offer a store brand of organic as well, which will save you tons!  As long as the item has the USDA Organic seal, then it must meet the same standards as the name brand version.  
-Another idea is to switch over slowly.  Each week add 1 or 2 organic items to your list.   It will make the switch easier on your wallet and if you even notice, easier on the refined taste palates of your family members.
Coupons
-Most stores offer a frequent shopper program, that send out coupons and sales based on your shopping habits.  
-Go directly to the manufacturer of your favorite organic foods and request coupons from the source.
-Visit an online coupon site that specializes in organic coupons
-organicfoodcoupons.com
-healthesavers.com
-organicdeals.com
-Ebay -believe it or not ebay has a “Food & Wine” subcategory under Home & Garden that houses coupon.  Just search for organic.  Even  though there is a small cost associated with these coupons, the savings far outweigh it.

Farmers Market
This seems like a no-brainier for fruits and veggies, but most farmers markets also offer tons of local items such as baked good, eggs, milk, cheese, etc.  You also get to talk directly to the people growing the items so you can find out their specific practices.

Clothing, Toys, Books, Household Items
Do not underestimate the treasures waiting to be found at your local thrift store, consignment shop, or even garage sale.  I have found everything from clothes with tags still on them, expensive handbags and backpacks, and even the occasional collectible that I would never pay full price for.  A great way to live green is to re-use clothing, books, and toys instead of buying new.
Skin Care
There are lots of options for natural skin care.  You can even make your owns masks, hair treatments, and nail care items.  Using organic products for this, make it a great choice. At  Natural Garden Soaps we offer a full line natural soaps, skin, and body care items.    All items are handmade and contain natural and organic ingredients.
I hope you are able to take a few of these tips and start on your journey of Going Green, or if you are already making changes, maybe you can pick up a new idea.

Natural Sun Burn Mask Recipe

{Thursday's By Tara} - A Thursday ritual. A featured post written by Tara; simple, special, extraordinary moments in soaping and life.

Sunshine and Summertime!

These two words bring to mind running through sprinklers in the yard, flying down a wet slip-n-slide, lazy days at the beach, and picnics with family and friends on The 4th of July.  My fondest memories growing up a Florida kid is of spending the long summer days in the yard with my cousins and because of the intense heat Florida provides, it ALWAYS involved water play.  It seems like more times than not I ended up with a pink nose and shoulders after spending too much time in the sun.  Sunscreen would have probably been a good idea, but I have learned from my time as a mom of 4 little boys, that it was probably nearly impossible for my mom to get me to slow down for 5 minutes to apply another coat.

So, I wanted to share with you a quick and easy mask you can whip up to soothe those sunburns and a few photos of my boys.

After spending time in the sun, and if your skin gets a little sunburned, a quick, no-cost and easy to make face pack will calm, soothe and help to improve appearance. You will look and feel softer and more even toned. This recipe is also great for acne prone skin.

Sunburned Mask:

Ingredients:

1 small potato, about 2-3 teaspoon of flour, a few drops of water as needed.

How to prepare:

Just take a grated peeled white potato and mix with enough white flour to make a consistency similar to pancake batter. Spread all over your face and wherever that needs a little soothing. Leave on for about 20-30 minutes and rinse off in cool water.

How to use:

Spread all over your face and wherever that needs a little soothing. Leave on for about 20-30 minutes and rinse off in cool water.

Results:

I use this often when my skin gets dry, dull or has been in the sun. My skin gets very soft and even toned.

I hope you enjoy your time spent outside in the beautiful sunshine this summer!

Whipped Body Crème

I am super excited about our wonderful new Whipped Body Crème.  It is very rich and luscious with shea butter, organic sunflower oil and vitamin E.  Tara and I whipped up a bunch of four ounce jars last week.   If some of one don’t know Tara; she works with me part time two days a week.  Her help is invaluable to me and she also is a wonderful sounding board for my random thoughts about soaping and life (poor girl, just kidding).

If your skin feels dry, then you need some indulgences to make it happy.  Our Whipped Body Crème is thick moisturizing cream for heavy duty pampering.  The shea butter melts on contact with your body, soaking in instantly.  It is not greasy, just a wonderful smoothness and softness that lasts.  The scent of Sweet Kisses is simply incredible; fruity and sweet, not at all overpowering.  Smells so yummy and is the perfect scent for summertime.  Plus the whipped shea butter body creme has properties to treat sunburns after soaking up rays from the beach.

If you must have jar shop online at this link:  My Etsy Shop

{ Follow Me On Pinterest  } Paula Parrish