Aromatherapy?

I've been asked a few times when I will start selling Aromatherapy solutions in my shop.

That's a tricky question.  Here in Italia an Aromatherapist is a recognized medical practitioner.  My license specifically states that I am not allowed to dispense medical treatment without an examination.  I obviously cannot do that online!

So I am exploring options and what I am legally allowed to do!

GGA Weekend Update

--I'm feeling a bit better.  It's been slow going, but keeping busy has been helping.  I do find myself running down much easier, though, which makes keeping busy counter productive...

--The men's launch went well!  I'm available to answer any questions you have about ingredients, scents (there are none), etc!

--My first round of custom formulated creams are on their way out.  I had a blast talking to A and D to get their formulas exactly right.  It was a challenge to research oils and botanicals!

--This weekend I'm finishing up my liquid soap.  It's a hot process liquid soap formula with the same ingredients as my solid soap base, lots of follicle loving avocado!  They'll be available in 8 ounce bottles on the 1st.

--Also this weekend I'm starting my first batch of cream soap.  It's a lot like making a liquid soap, but the end result is a luscious cream.  I'm hoping to make a couple cream versions of some of my solid best sellers!

Coconut: Why don't I use more?

Someone came to me recently with an issue, she had some dry skin around her mouth that after some detective work we decided was caused by a lip balm.  I had suspected the culprit was castor oil, although a great addition to soap an hair care, it's drying to the skin.

The same goes for coconut oil, which was the main ingredient in the balm!

So why do so many people use it for a moisturizer?

I have no idea.  It's full of a lot of great things, it is good for the skin.  But it's not the best moisturizer.  For hair it had some amazing applications, but hair has a vastly different structure and method of use than our skin.  In general, it's a very light moisturizer that sit on your skin and cannot penetrate many levels down.  It's also full of things that treat wounds, etc.  But it's very comodogenic, meaning it clogs pores.

coconut oil is considered to be fairly comedogenicco

coconut oil is considered to be fairly comedogenic

coconut oil is considered to be fairly comedogenic

For example: dab it on a pimple and it will disinfect it and heal it up. So imagine what it's doing to the rest of your skin!

I suspect people use it a lot because it's inexpensive and it seems like it's doing the job, but after prolonged use of the product, dryness and irritation are very likely to occur!  So you use more.  And the dryness gets worse.

The main cleansing agent in any soap is coconut oil.  A lot of natural ecocert surfactants are made from coconut oil.

If your balms or moisturizers are drying you out or breaking you out and you can't figure out why, check to see how much coconut is in it!

If you're getting small clogged pores or pimples around your mouth, along the lip line, check your balm, I bet there is coconut in it!