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Here are some of my skin and body care hints, as well as some background on why I choose the ingredients I use. |
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The Wild Sage garden fountain, a favorite hangout of song birds Here are links to all of my hints:
Getting started with natural skin careWhen switching to authentically natural skin care products, it's very important to be patient with the results. If you've been using soap or other harsh cleansers that upset your skin's natural oil balance, it will take a few days for your oil production to become balanced. If you've been using skin care products with chemical ingredients such as emulsifiers, which interfere with your skin's capacity to breathe, it can take a while—up to several weeks—for your skin to recover. Please be aware that many skin care product manufacturers include ingredients in their products that make them look nice, are very cheap, and never go bad. Unfortunately, many of these cheap ingredients are not nourishing for your skin, and some might actually be harmful. Even some products that use the word "natural" on their label include chemical ingredients—you have to read the list of ingredients to know for sure. So as you begin healing and rebalancing your skin with truly natural products, please be patient and give your skin time to adjust. Also, if you are unfamiliar with natural skin care, I suggest that you start slowly, with one or two products. Use them for a few weeks so that you can make sure they are right for you. And then, if you find you and your skin love them, begin adding more products one at a time, if you wish. Finally, take the time to read my other hints on this page. You'll find hints that explain how natural skin care products work, why natural ingredients are so important, and other factors that can contribute to the health of your skin, such as eating well and reducing stress.
My favorite way to use Lavender Orange Body and Bath OilMy favorite way to take a bath with Lavender Orange Body and Bath Oil is to massage it all over my body, expecially dry areas, and then get into the tub. It feels like it soaks into my skin deeply and leaves less oil in the tub to slip on!
Face packs and masks are one of the best thingsFace packs and masks are one of the best things you can do for your skin. They help your face to be soft and smooth, give your face a radiant glow, and can even help plump up aging skin. Together with daily cleansing, toning, and moisturizing, a face pack once or twice a week will help you achieve the most wondrously beautiful skin possible. Can't find the time? Once you apply a mask, you can return to your day's activities for 15 or 20 minutes. Try a mask while cooking, folding laundry, or while in the bath. I even put one on while handing out Halloween candy this year! Kids love the Honey Papaya Mask; for a really special treat, you can have a group mask at a little girl's birthday party. Here in Lyons, we have facial nights for women when we all do a mask together and give each other a foot massage. If you've never tried a face pack or mask, I can promise you it is well worth the time and effort. It feels simply wonderful. If you have the time, it's incredible to lay down and rest with a mask on.
Cookbooks for beautiful skinHere are a few of my favorite cookbooks to find recipes that can help you have the most beautiful skin you possibly can:
A bath, a candle, and a whole body treatAre you having a hard time finding the time for a weekly facial? How about during your bath? Light a candle, slather Honey Papaya Mask (softening and nourishing for all skin types) or Almond Oat Face Pack (deep cleansing for all skin types) onto your face, massage Rosemary Jojoba Hair Oil into your hair, and sink into a hot tub with Lavender Orange Body & Bath Oil. Your body will thank you wholeheartedly!
Reducing stress and acne
To reduce excess oiliness on your skin, it is important to cleanse without eliminating all oil so that you don't stimulate your skin to even higher levels of oil production. You can use a gentle cleanser like my Almond Face Cleanser 2 to 4 times a day. Avoid using harsh soaps and medicated cleansers, which tend to strip all oils away. Don't scrub your face roughly or angrily, which is like "sanding off" the epidermal layer of your face, and also results in increased oil production. See my "What to Use" page for help in choosing the facial products that are best for your skin.
Saying goodbye to cracked hands and feetBefore going to bed, soak your cracked hands and feet in a bowl of filtered or spring water for 5 to 10 minutes. Gently pat them dry. Then apply Healing Hand Cream or Healing Foot Cream. You may be surprised in the morning by how soft they have become and how quickly the cracks heal.
Beautiful skin foodsSome of my favorite beautiful skin foods are spirulina, bee pollen, brewer's yeast, and flax oil. Spirulina is a fresh water blue-green algae that is an excellent concentrated source of usable protein (60 - 70% protein), B vitamins including B12, beta carotene, essential fatty acids, and chlorophyll, all excellent for radiant skin. Spirulina helps stabilize blood sugar levels, which decreases the need for those emergency candy bars and french fries which so often lead to problem skin. It is also wonderful for nervous tension, herpes, psoriasis, stress, and circulation problems. Bee pollen is actually flower pollen collected by the bees and then gathered by beekeepers. It is a potent concentration of nearly all known nutrients--all 22 amino acids, including high concentrations of the 8 essential ones, 27 different minerals and enzymes, the vitamin B complex, and vitamins A and E. Bee pollen helps feed your skin and over all energy from the inside out. Brewer's yeast is an excellent source of protein, and contains all of the amino acids. It is one of the best known sources of the B complex (except B12) and many minerals which are required for healthy skin. Skin is predominantly protein, and a deficiency will show as slack, loose skin. Brewer's yeast helps prevent and smooth out wrinkles, especially as we age. Flax oil is an excellent source of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, as well as carotene and vitamin E, nutrients which feed healthy skin. Cellular membranes are mainly composed of essential fats, and the quality of fats eaten shows directly on the skin's surface. Flax oil keeps the skin soft and elastic. The Cherokee Indians made fresh flax oil and used it to treat people with skin diseases. Along with a good diet, flax oil helps prevent stretch marks in women after giving birth. It also reduces the pain, swelling, and inflammation of arthritis. And a major cause of skin cancer is consuming refined hydrogenated fats while being deficient in omega-3 fats. From The Facts about Fats by John Finnegan.
How to successfully moisturize dry or oily skinMany people with oily skin avoid moisturizers, using soap to wash away excess oils. The skin constantly overcompensates for the resulting dryness by producing even more oil. On the other hand, those with dry skin tend to use moisturizers day and night. Their skin compensates by stopping its natural production of oils. To achieve a natural balance, use one of my cleansers, a toner, and a moisturizer in the morning. Then, at night, leave your skin breathing freely after cleansing and toning. I don't recommend heavy night creams as they can clog pores and cause puffiness.
The secret to properly cleansing your skinThe secret to cleansing your skin is to remove dead cells, dirt, and pollutants without stripping away all your skin's natural oil. Soap lather produces that famous "squeaky clean" feeling, which unfortunately means that the skin's pH is alkaline, leaving it open and more vulnerable to irritation and infection. It takes hours for the natural oils to be replenished and the pH to return to slightly acid, thereby protecting the skin from infection. Instead of soaps, try my Almond Face Cleanser for normal to oily skin or my Creamy Rose Cleanser for dry skin.
The gift of pure, natural ingredientsMy Wild Sage natural products contain wonderfully fragrant real ingredients.
Here is more information about some of the ingredients I use: Organic cocoa butter Our Wild Sage cocoa butter comes from Glory Bee Foods, a distributor of fine herbs, tinctures, and oils. Did you know that chocolate flowers grow right out of the trunk of the chocolate tree? After pollination by flies, large yellow or orange football-shaped fruits form. Inside these tropical fruits are 20 to 40 seeds surrounded by a white, sweet pulp. The seeds are fermented for a week, to develop their wonderful taste and aroma, and then roasted. The contents of the beans are scooped out of the seed shells, and this brown, oily paste is called chocolate liquor. It consists of cocoa powder and cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is white and creamy, and is incredibly moisturizing and softening for the skin. Organically grown cocoa products help the eco-sustainability of the rain forest. The honey I use in my Wild Sage skin care products comes from Clark's Honey Farm in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Clark's honey is raw, unrefined, and unfiltered, and is incredibly nutritious for our skin. He and his family have nearly one thousand hives. His bees visit unsprayed fields of clover, alfalfa, and wildflowers throughout the summer. The first flower in the spring is dandelion. Clark doesn't harvest the dandelion honey; he says the bees need that for their food. Then there's hay and wildflowers, which vary each year with the weather. Clark harvests honey from mid-July through August. After that, the hives get stripped down, and by the end of October, the bees and their hives are ready for winter. In January, Clark prepares the hives for their winter vacation in California! They are loaded onto trucks, 400 colonies per truck, and taken to almond orchards in California for six full weeks of pollination. This helps them to get through our Rocky Mountain winters. When they come home, Clark checks each queen, to see if she's fit for the season. If not, she is replaced. He says a queen lives for about 2 seasons. Then the hives get dispersed throughout the area. Some years, certain flower nectars cause the honey to crystallize faster than other years. All honey will crystallize eventually, but it's still perfectly good. And Clark's Honey is the best honey I've ever had! Organic jojoba oil Jojoba oil (pronounced ho-ho-bah) is extracted from the seed of a bush native to Arizona and Mexico. Native Americans used jojoba oil to condition their skin and soften leather. We use organic HobaCare Jojoba oil from The Jojoba Company. Jojoba oil, which is actually a liquid wax, is expeller-pressed from the seeds without the use of solvents or refining. This beautiful golden amber oil is nearly identical to human sebum, so it penetrates our skin and hair easily, and does not remain on the surface. Jojoba oil not only softens and conditions our hair and skin, but also soothes and restores elasticity to dry skin. It contains anti-oxidants, is non-allergenic, and does not stain clothing. Jojoba oil is neither oily nor greasy, and will not go rancid like other oils. You can use much less than other oils or creams to moisturize your skin or hair. This is truly a wonderful oil. Organic, cold-pressed Rose Hips Seed Oil Organic cold-pressed Rose Hips Seed Oil comes from Santiago, Chile. The oil is pressed from the seed of a rose that grows wild in the south of Chile, known as Rosa Mosqueta. The rose hips are a bright orange-red, and are formed after the rose flowers are pollinated. Rose Hips Seed Oil is high in essential fatty acids, plus carotenoids and vitamins A and C. It is remarkable for reducing wrinkles and signs of premature aging. In Chile, it is recommended in the treatment of scars, burns, and eczema. The finest essential oils from around the world I buy essential oils from Simpler's Botanicals Co. in California. They provide genuine and authentic high quality essential oils, mostly certified organic or ethically wild-crafted, with some biodynamically grown. Essential oils are the fragrant parts of plants, and most are obtained by distillation or CO2 extraction. The oils come from all over the world. Lavender oil comes from France, orange and lemon oils come from Italy, rosemary oil comes from Morocco, German chamomile oil comes from Germany, pine oil is from Finland, Tea tree oil comes from Australia, and spearmint oil is American. Simpler's Botanicals only sells oils which are from ethically grown plants, and I know I can depend on them to refrain from purchasing essential oils from plants that are endangered, such as sandalwood. Organic coconut butter I use organic, raw, unrefined extra-virgin conconut oil from Nutiva. It is fresher and richer than other coconut oils because it comes from fresh, rather than dried, coconuts. Coconut butter is very nourishing for our skin, and has significant anti-microbial properties, including anti-fungal. Unrefined, organic sunflower oil The organic sunflower oil I use comes from Napa Valley Naturals, a family-owned business dedicated to providing the highest-quality all-natural and organic foods. Building on his experience in the natural products industry, their founder, Kendall Cook, started the Napa Valley Trading Company with a dream of combining the gratifying experiences of tasting great food and doing great things. His vision: to provide delicious organic foods while supporting environmental preservation, sustainable agriculture, and entrepreneurial farmers devoted to these principles. Organic Nilotica unrefined shea butter Nilotica shea butter comes from The Shea Project in Uganda. The shea fruit trees grow wild in the savannas of Uganda and Sudan. The shea tree is considered sacred by all the cultures who live with it. Of the several varieties of shea, this unrefined nilotica is the richest and smoothest, with a pale yellow or greenish-yellow color. The shea butter is produced by women's farming co-operatives. All the work is done by women. The shea nuts are gathered in an area where no fertilizers or agricultural chemicals are used, and no solvents are used in extraction. The work of manual extraction and water-based clarification is also done by the women. Proceeds from the sale of the butter go towards conservation of savanna woodland biodiversity, and to the women who produce it. Shea butter is wonderful for moisturizing dry skin. It has been used for the pain of arthritis or swelling, for muscle stiffness due to stress, for dark spots, for softening wrinkles and scars, and to protect from sunburn. It leaves your skin soft and silky!
Using moisturizers with make-up or sunscreenDo you wear make-up or sunscreen? Simply apply a light layer of your choice of face moisturizer, body cream, or body butter. Wait a minute or two for it to soak in, then apply your make-up or sunscreen as usual.
Why I don't use chemicals and synthetic emulsifiersThe chemicals and synthetic emulsifiers that are used in so many cosmetics found on the market today hold water and oil together, but they don't penetrate the skin. Unabsorbed substances leave a film on the surface of the skin which clogs pores, affects the skin's ability to absorb or eliminate, attracts dirt, and requires harsh soaps to remove. Sodium lauryl sulfate, a chemical detergent, can cause dermatitis, and can damage your skin, hair, and eyes. Propylene glycol is a petroleum product which is used in antifreeze and hydraulic brake fluid. It can cause allergic reactions. Many chemical ingredients used in commercial cosmetic products are on the FDA’s list of suspected carcinogens (mineral oil, propyl alcohol, TEA, PEG-8, polysorbate 80, to name a few).
Why natural ingredients are so importantWild Sage Botanicals skin and body care products are made of natural, edible ingredients. Since skin absorbs everything you put on it, I don't use any ingredients that would be unsafe to eat. These natural ingredients help your skin to heal, stimulate circulation for new cell growth, provide antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to nourish all the layers of your skin, and won't clog pores or burn when used on minor cuts. Some products contain extra vitamins, but I choose to use unrefined, cold pressed oils and butters, and whole herbs. They contain a more natural balance of nutrients, which are easily utilized by the skin. They leave your skin rosy, smooth, young, and radiant!
Read more about natural skin careIf you would like to learn more about natural skin care, here are a few of my favorite books:
Shake your products!Because my creams and oils are composed of all natural ingredients and do not contain any synthetic emulsifiers or preservatives, separation or sediment may occur over time. This is normal and does not affect the quality of the products. Simply give them a good shake to restore them to their original consistency.
What is an emollient?Emollients are used externally to soften and soothe the skin. An excellent natural emollient is shea butter. Avoid chemical emollients because they prevent the skin from breathing normally. Also avoid lanolin, which is made from a fatty substance obtained from sheep wool; it is very heavy and can cause whiteheads and blackheads. What is an exfoliant?Exfoliants remove dead skin cells from the epidermis, the skin's outermost layer. Done gently, exfoliation brings fresh skin cells to the surface, stimulates cell growth deeper down, and reduces a buildup of cells that makes wrinkles and creases more noticeable and can leave the skin feeling leathery. By using gentle scrubs such as jojoba meal, almond meal, and cornmeal, you can remove dead cells and expose your fresh, radiant skin. "Scrubbing" should always be very gentle, especially on sensitive skin, and never to the point of irritation.
RecyclingAll my products come in glass bottles or jars. If you live near a recycling center, all these containers may be recycled. The blue glass should be recycled with green glass. I try to use and reuse clean recycled packing materials whenever possible. My printed catalogs are done on a beautiful recycled paper. Thank you for joining me in recycling.
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© 1999 - 2010, Wild Sage Botanicals |
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