If I was forced to choose only one product in my skin care arsenal for the rest of my life, it would be emu oil.  First world countries are spoiled. We have too many cosmetics choices. Some amazingly good. Others not so. Emu oil is one of the good ones.   Our main interest in emu oil is its skin nutrition. If plowing through medical journals is not your idea of a good read, you might prefer a précised synopsis of the article I found on red, itchy, scaly skin. Seborrheic dermatitis (aka as eczema and psoriasis).  The Clinical Trial Comparing the efficacy of Emu oil with clotrimazole and…

Every day we feed our skin. Creams, lotions, shampoos, soaps, body washes, gels, makeup. Most people follow the trends, shop at the cosmetic counters and pharmacies. Many and perhaps most purchases, I would classify as ‘fast skin care’. Like fast food, lacking in quality and nutrition, but hard to resist.  Products full of hidden toxins that smell and feel good.   Then there is the fairly new term ‘slow food’. Derived in 1989, the ‘slow food movement’ is one that provides ‘good food prepared and cooked carefully’.  If we corelate the two terms, Slow Food and Slow Skin Care, feeding the body ‘…

If you own an iron, you may know of ‘linen water’.  It’s that little spritz of freshness that make clothes smell fresh or the bed linens welcoming. The subtleness of the scent is inviting, relaxing and if you choose the right linen water, nourishing on the skin. But there is linen water and there is linen water.  It would be presumptuous to think they are all equal and comparable, especially to the original lavender linen water that originated in 17th century southern France, made with pure lavender oil harvested from their extensive purple fields. Imagine the scent. It is not uncommon for…

“Nothing seems to work. I have been to three dermatologists, tried various creams and salves. Sometimes my acne clears up, but it always comes back. Once my face reacted so badly I missed two days of school! My dermatologist is recommending Pro-Active but I have heard it can be dangerous. I am so discouraged.” Such was the despair of a young lady who entered our booth at one of the pre-Covid shows. A very typical dilemma one faces with acne or related skin conditions. Our Skin Management Program offers a chance to feed your skin good natural nutrients without the chemicals found in most…

If the fashion promotes black teeth, ask the geishas. If pearly whites are the rage, and this is the case today, we just need to ask our dentist. Going back in history, black teeth have been fashionable. Called ohaguro, it was a custom popular in Asia, Japan, Vietnam. To blacken the teeth: “Mix a little acetate from iron fillings, soak in tea or apple tannin and vinegar, or sake.  Teeth blackening has had both a fashionable and a meaningful purpose.  It can look attractive against pale white skin (again, ask the geishas). Black jewels have always been considered beautiful. Black teeth, like…

Toting a beer into the shower may not be on everyone’s agenda, but perhaps it should be.  Not to drink necessarily, but to cleanse and nourish the skin.  We love our Guinness soap, called Irish Stout Oatmeal Soap. Not only is it great as a body and face soap, but it also serves well as a shampoo for the hair.  Beer and especially Guinness, contains natural anti-oxidants*, making the hair softer and more voluminous.  When we make our beer soap, it is necessary to allow the beer to become flat before mixing.  Same idea, if you wish to rinse your hair with the pure Guinness, it should sit for an…

A most disturbing experience occurred about eight years ago at the CNN exhibition in Toronto. We presented our Earth to Body Skin Care booth in the Arts, Crafts and Hobbies building, excited for the 18-day adventure. This indoor setting included vendors, like us, who hand make their own products. We have sold there for close to 17 years, until, sadly, Covid closed us down.  A mother came by with her young teenage son, who reluctantly plunked himself down in our customer chair, looking totally like he wished to be anywhere but where he was. His mother barely said hello before she proceeded to…

"Having no intention of following the cohort inside, she generously held open the entrance door and said, “Please, go ahead. You first.”   One job of disodium EDTA is to open doors. It does it well. While entry for others is encouraged, following is not necessarily on its agenda. Disodium EDTA is used in skin care (and food*) and while it is not easily absorbed into the skin, it’s the door opener. If the entry is a toxin, this enabler is encouraging a destruction.   Disodium EDTA does not discriminate as to what it lets in. The good, the bad and the ugly. Our concern is not the good healthy…