I have added three new Lip Balms to my line this year. All three are based on my Tea Tree Lip Balm. I have created one without any essential oils, one with Peppermint and Rosemary and a limited supply of a Coffee Lip Balm. If the Coffee Lip Balm is well recieved I will make a full production run of it. See me at one of my shows to try them for your self. I have a tester with toothpicks so you can try them before you buy them. I will be posting them to my Etsy shop soon.

Bug Me No More

When I first started testing this formula I did not think it was working. The mosquitoes were still landing on me, but then I realized they were flying off without biting. I have tested this formula on my friends and family and everyone was amazed at the reduction in bites. I have this formula in spray and oil form.

Itch Be Gone

This formula relives the itch associated with bug bites and Poison Ivy.  I have this formula in spray and oil form.

TNT Oil

Around the world people have natural products to treat minor cuts, scrapes, burns and other skin ailments. In the South Pacific they use Tamanu Oil, in India they use Neem Oil in Australia they use Tea Tree Oil, and in France they use Lavender Oil. I have combined these four oils in a base of Jojoba Oil.

Scented Mango Butter Bam

I have added essential oils to my Mango Butter Balm and I am packaging the new scented lotions in 1 oz and 2 oz bottles. I have a Lavender and Coffee blend so far and will be adding more.

Mango Balm Lotion Stick

I now offer my Mango Butter Balm in a stick form. This is great for applying my lotion to your feet and elbows.

Here are a few questions I keep getting asked at my Craft Shows

How much of the Hand & Body Balm should I use?
A drop the size of a small pea or chocolate chip will cover your hands. Start will a small amount and use more if you need it.

How long will the 2 ounce Hand & Body Balm last?
It depends on how often you use it and if you use it on more than just your hands, but you can put a drop the size of a chocolate chip on your hands every day for 6 months.

Can I put the Hand & Body Balm on my face?
I use it on my face, but if you are prone to acne or are seeing a dermatologist you should check with them before you put any thing on your face.

Do you make special orders?
Yes, If you have a butter or oil that you would like used in one of my creations, just ask and I will give you a quote on a special order.

When I start to apply the Hand & Body Balm what are the flakes in it?
Those are flakes of pure Mango Butter, they will massage your skin as you rub the balm in, then they quickly melt into your skin.

Do you make a scented Hand & Body Balm?
No, since manufactures are not required to list the ingredients in fragrances and since most fragrances contain synthetic and or petroleum based ingredients I cannot use them and still list my Creations as All Natural.

Do you make flavored Lip Balms?
I have plans to make more Lip Balms using Essential Oils. Due to my commitment to only use All Natural ingredients I am limited on the flavorings I will use. If you are looking for a specific flavor or Essential Oil let me know and I will see what I can find.

While I take care in the ingredients I use in my Creations, I have no control over the manufacturing or processing of them. I do not have the facilities to crush the grape seeds to make the Grape Seed oil or to process the Mangos into Mango Butter. I had resigned myself to having chose the best ingredients and having to trust my suppliers. That changed when I decided to develop a Honey Lip Balm and use local honey and beeswax. My mother has been purchasing honey from Red Clover Apiary and she got me some beeswax. He told her that it would still need to be filtered before it would be usable and it was one sticky block of wax. However after several hours tolling over the stove and filtering the melted honey twice through several layers of cheese wax I was rewarded with the smoothest cream colored beeswax I had ever used. I had only planned on using this wax for my Honey Lip Balm, but this is going to be my primary beeswax from now on. Well I guess I can mold my other beeswax into blocks to sell to quilters to keep their thread from fraying.

With the Fourth of July Holiday approaching I thought I would post on my all natural preservative free sunburn relief remedy

Ben Franklin said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, and in the case of sunburns his words still ring true. Of course in his time, there was no sunscreen like we have today. Still with the large selection of sunscreens available to us today we still get sunburned. Whether we forget to put it on in the first place, it gives no protection when it is still in the container in our bag, or forget to reapply it after being in the water we have all felt the burn. Now I am talking about simple sunburn here, if you are blistered or are feeling the effects of heat stroke you need to seek medical attention immediately.
There are plenty of remedies you can buy in the stores, but most of them contain preservatives and drugs that might cause unwanted side effects. You should always read the label on every product you use. One of the popular sunburn relief spray & creams has Lidocane as an active ingredient. Lidocane is a powerful topical , applied to the skin, pain reliever. Now sunburn products normally only contain 0.5 % Lidocan where prescription doses are about 5%, but depending on how much and how often you apply it you can get a higher than recommended dose. These products will stop the pain, but may not help heal the skin.
A remedy I have used with great success is simply Aloe Vera gel and Lavender essential oil. You can usually find a store brand bottle of Aloe Vera gel at any grocery or drug store and Lavender Essential Oil can be found in herb shops or organic grocery stores with a supplement section. Start by finding a small glass jar, the size depends on how much you want to make. You need a glass jar because while Lavender is one of the very few essential oils that is safe to apply to your skin without dilution, it will still eat through a plastic container. For every 2 oz of Aloe Vera gel add 1 teaspoon of Lavender Essential Oil, there is 3 teaspoons in ½ ounce of the oil so if you have a 6 oz of Aloe Vera gel you can use a ½ ounce bottle of Lavender Essential Oil. Mix the Lavender into the Aloe Vera gel and if you are making this up ahead of time, place it in the refrigerator or cooler. Spread the cool or room temperature mixture over the sunburn and gently massage it into the skin. The Aloe Vera gel will restore moisture and help soothe the skin and the Lavender Essential Oil has been found to be beneficial in relieving pain and treating burns including sunburn.

Lavender Essential Oil should not be used in the first trimester of pregnancy and should be avoided if your blood pressure is extremely low.