Beauty of Coconut Oil for Summer

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Hey Beauties tomorrow, June 21, 2013, is the first official day of summer and that got me to thinking about my number one favorite summer ingredient, coconut oil. The scent alone makes me think all things summer, especially days at the beach! Although its been well documented that if stranded on a desert island with only one beauty product it would my EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil). However, when summer, my favorite season arrives, I like to switch things up a bit and incorporate coconut oil into my beauty regimen. Here’s how.

SKIN: During summer I like to use Extra Virgin Coconut Oil as my moisturizer from head to toe. I especially love the way its natural fragrance incorporates with my body chemistry giving off a refreshingly sweet aroma. Not only does this amazing oil have the ability to absorb deep into skins surface. It also has the ability to naturally prevent burning from the sun. So using it as a moisturizer before applying sunscreen will actually give your skin extra protection against sun burn.

HAIR: Coconut oil has the ability to provide hair with moisture and shine. Not to mention it’s the number one ingredient most naturalistas and curlistas incorporate into their hair care regimen. I love to use it on my hair during summer for the fragrance. Of course it provides my hair with shine and moisture, however, I like to use a blend of EVCO (Extra Virgin Coconut Oil) and grape seed or almond oil to moisturize my scalp and ends.

How do you incorporate EVCO into your beauty regimen?

Tumblr Tuesday

 

Hey Beauties it's Tumblr Tuesday stop by our Tumblr page and check out what's going on this week!

My Favorite Summer Fragrance

I recently declared Ginjuzu, one of our newest fragrances, my favorite fragrance for summer. I recently noticed I've been using it non stop for the past month! I frequently find myself giving it a dab every time I wash my hands, when I go for mani/pedi's & after every shower. The fragrance is just uplifting to me. I keep one on my desk, my bag and until recently I kept one in my car. I don't recommend storing your body butter in your car during summer months. In temperetures of 75 degrees or greater it's sure to melt.

Sensual Signature Candle

our new signature soy candles waiting to be capped & labeled (yes I took this pic so please don't cringe at the poor photo quality :-))

Hey Beauties! Once again I couldn't resist taking a picture and posting about another new product you will see on our revamped website in a few weeks. I don't know about you, but, I absolutely L.O.V.E candles. They are all over my apartment. OK maybe not everywhere, I do have limited space these days, but, I keep them in my bathroom and living room. I especially love them for their ambiance. To me there's nothing more relaxing than soft flickering candlelight. So when we were updating our product menu I had to include the candle that I've been making for my friends & family as personal gifts. I like to think of it as our signature candle and fragrance.

One of my friends actually thinks I should name the fragrance Sexy because she says it's such a sensual fragrance. But, I guess you all will have to stay tuned for the official relaunch to find out which name we went with!

What's your favorite candle fragrance?

Babassu Butter Remix

OK, we haven't remixed it or changed the formaulation, we just made a minor change....LOL

Breaking News, breaking news our multifunctional Babassu Butter is now fragrance free. I know some of you may want to know why we've decided to make it fragrance free, while others are probably breathing a sigh of relief asking "what took so long". The truth is Babassu Butter has a naturally light fragrance of its own. And, over the years our beauties have totally remixed this body butter by making it a multifunctional product that has been used to moisturize bellies, condition & moisturize dry hair, for prepoo treatments, and even as a bronzer. Yes, some do believe that our babassu butter gives them a beautifully bronzed glow when out in the sun.

Also, due to the fact that so many mama's to be are now using our babassu butter as a belly butter and even using it to moisturize their babies bottoms we decided it was best to let the fragrance go. As we know a woman's sense of smell is heightened during pregnancy and the most pleasant aroma can make some women gag...putting it nicely.

In honor of this special announcement it will be available for $10 all day!! So if you beauties out there want to give it a try at today's special price remember to do so before midnight.

My Eczema Trials & Tribulations

Well I got some really bad news from my dermatologist a few weeks ago. Here’s how it all started.

Back in early November I came down with a minor outbreak of my good ole eczema. Now, ever since my early teens every few years I will get what I call an eczema patch. Usually in the bend of my arm, back of my knees or somewhere on my thigh. When this happens I would normally cut out all the acid and dairy in my diet for about two weeks. For me that means no citrus juices, tomato sauces, ketchup, milk (Cow milk) and eggs. In the past if I stuck to this diet and applied my ointment concoction to the affected area I would be OK in no time. But, you got it, this time it was different. Instead of breaking out in one area I developed three patches that seemed to be getting worse instead of better. The affected areas became slightly inflamed and the itching intensified. So this when I broke down and decided to schedule an appointment with my dermatologist.

On the day of the appointment I got dressed and reluctantly headed out to the appointment. Don’t get me wrong I love my dermatologist. I visit her once a year for my annual skin cancer screening. But, I was convinced all she would do is pull out that prescription pad and start prescribing all kinds of topical steroids. But as I sat there in her office and explained the details of my most recent breakout, she of course opens my chart, jots down her notes, takes another look at my arm and looks back at me to say “ Nicole, it’s like I’ve told you before it’s the fragrances they are irritating your skin”.

Call me melodramatic or a drama mama, but, tears started to well up in my eyes. So of course I sat there quietly listening to her babble on. But in my mind I was fuming. I kept thinking to myself “what does she mean no more fragrances? Is she really serious? Does she not realize I am a scent-o-holic?” Everything I apply to my body (except for my face) has a fragrance. Wait a minute, let me re-phrase that everything in my life has a fragrance attached to it and that means everything from body creams right down to the air in my home. At this very moment the air in my home smells like a tropical fruit basket. As you walk from room to room your senses are greeted with aromas of mango, guava and papaya that pleasantly blend together.

But, getting back to my Doc. She knew that I would be reluctant to give up fragrances forever so she did recommend that I go the “fragrance free” route on my body creams, soaps and laundry detergents for at least a month. And she did prescribe a topical gel that is hydrocortisone in a base of aloe vera gel. I was extremely happy about that. Especially since the patches seemed to disappear within two days of using the gel. She also made it clear to me that when I experience these breakouts I must not only watch what I eat, but, stay away from all allergens or irritants to the skin.

I have to admit I am the worst patient when it comes to medication. I never filled the prescription for the medication. I only used the samples she gave me and miraculously I had enough to heal the irritated patches. I also tried going fragrance free with my body creams and soaps for about a week. However, since I make all of my body care products I just replaced the fragrance oils with citrus essential oils. In case your wondering why citrus? It’s because my skin is sensitive to floral and some herbal based essential oils. Most of my products contain a blend of fragrance and essential oils. As for the laundry situation. I’ve been sticking to the fragrance free detergents, but, tonight I will perform my own little experiment on what I call “B Class” laundry (old Cathedral H.S. sweats, tees, pajamas….you get the picture) by adding my own blend of fragrance oils. I will let you know how it goes.!!!!

I hope my little episode has been helpful to anyone with eczema. What’s your story? In case you didn’t notice I had to shout out my High School, Catherdral in NYC. I saw one of my BF’s from high school over the weekend in DC!!!! All Catherdralites feel free to post your comments….LOL.