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!
Wednesday 27 January 2016
Saturday 23 January 2016
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!
--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!
Monday 4 January 2016
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.
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!
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!
Saturday 19 December 2015
Restock Update!
1 January
When the shop reopens in January I will launch my new lines of hair and facial care products. I've been posting pictures of shampoo bars for a while now, but the four formulas available will be Blucalyptus, Cafe Mint, A&A, and Creamy Thai. All four are formulated for slightly different hair types, but great for most!
Also available will be my regular solid conditioning bars as well as my Stellar conditioner bars formulated specifically for colour treated hair. Menhadi will be back in stock as well as an all new 8 ounce bottle of creamy rinse out conditioner.
Several new salt bars will be available in a new 'handier' size for kitchen sink side use!
I'm super proud to launch my facial care line which includes my green tea and rose oil-free lotion for problem skin. It soothes, calms, and reduces redness. Also available will be an oily skin gel cream, and herbal eye serum, a foaming face wash for sensitive and aggravated skin, and a beautiful super emollient skin cream with sunflower oil.
Several soaps will be available and restocked, including Lavender Cream and a much requested SUPER XL tube of Nataraja Healing Heel Balm will be available in limited quantities!
15 January
I will launch my Limited Edition Valentine's Day products on the 15th! My super best selling grab bags will once again be available. I'm switching things up, they'll no longer be just 'samplers' but instead include some limited edition items. The theme of the Valentine's bags are super cute!
There will be a super amazing Valentine's salt bar, my Lovely in Lace bars, and my Whipped Dream bar, and my super amazing Cioccolato Orchidea bar which I must admit is super gorgeous. I'm also releasing an all new Friendship bar. Same beautiful colours and scent, all new formula and size! Also coming will be a mildly exfoliating pineapple bar and a girlie and sweet fruit scented shave bar.
GGA2, my men's inspired line with exclusive manlier packaging will also launch mid January. Available will be a soothing after shave lotion, a carrot face cream, an eye serum, scrub, as well as several new shave bars and a limited round shave bar. They're harder to make and get out of a round mould as the formula is softer at cure!
I'll also be adding to my regular facial line. My White Lychee cream is super emollient and full of antioxidants. I'll have a beautiful new anti-puffiness eye serum in a roller.
Make sure you keep an eye on my Instagram, @glitterandgratitude for sneak peeks and as always, if you have a request, let me know! I love to hear what you're thinking, my goal is to help and heal YOU!
With glitter and gratitude,
Gia
When the shop reopens in January I will launch my new lines of hair and facial care products. I've been posting pictures of shampoo bars for a while now, but the four formulas available will be Blucalyptus, Cafe Mint, A&A, and Creamy Thai. All four are formulated for slightly different hair types, but great for most!
Also available will be my regular solid conditioning bars as well as my Stellar conditioner bars formulated specifically for colour treated hair. Menhadi will be back in stock as well as an all new 8 ounce bottle of creamy rinse out conditioner.
Several new salt bars will be available in a new 'handier' size for kitchen sink side use!
I'm super proud to launch my facial care line which includes my green tea and rose oil-free lotion for problem skin. It soothes, calms, and reduces redness. Also available will be an oily skin gel cream, and herbal eye serum, a foaming face wash for sensitive and aggravated skin, and a beautiful super emollient skin cream with sunflower oil.
Several soaps will be available and restocked, including Lavender Cream and a much requested SUPER XL tube of Nataraja Healing Heel Balm will be available in limited quantities!
15 January
I will launch my Limited Edition Valentine's Day products on the 15th! My super best selling grab bags will once again be available. I'm switching things up, they'll no longer be just 'samplers' but instead include some limited edition items. The theme of the Valentine's bags are super cute!
There will be a super amazing Valentine's salt bar, my Lovely in Lace bars, and my Whipped Dream bar, and my super amazing Cioccolato Orchidea bar which I must admit is super gorgeous. I'm also releasing an all new Friendship bar. Same beautiful colours and scent, all new formula and size! Also coming will be a mildly exfoliating pineapple bar and a girlie and sweet fruit scented shave bar.
GGA2, my men's inspired line with exclusive manlier packaging will also launch mid January. Available will be a soothing after shave lotion, a carrot face cream, an eye serum, scrub, as well as several new shave bars and a limited round shave bar. They're harder to make and get out of a round mould as the formula is softer at cure!
I'll also be adding to my regular facial line. My White Lychee cream is super emollient and full of antioxidants. I'll have a beautiful new anti-puffiness eye serum in a roller.
Make sure you keep an eye on my Instagram, @glitterandgratitude for sneak peeks and as always, if you have a request, let me know! I love to hear what you're thinking, my goal is to help and heal YOU!
With glitter and gratitude,
Gia
Friday 11 December 2015
Why Soy Free?
A lot of people ask me why I don't use soy in my products because apparently everyone thinks that soy is an amazing natural and organic ingredient! I see people boast about using it and I can only sigh.
Soy is the #1 GMO product in the world. That means it is the least natural plant source. It's been chemically and biologically altered to grow better, hardier, and more. Now, some argue that that's what we need to do to ensure that crops are safe and we produce more food for the population. This by no means means that that plant it now organic. It means it's been bread to survive, which means it can withstand certain chemical pesticides other plants can't so when they spray the field with the pesticides, everything else dies, but it lives.
GMO crops can cause new allergies to be develop, create super resistant bugs and weeds that means STRONGER pesticides need to be used and that's not good for the crops or the surrounding environment.
ASIDE from all that, yes. There are some nongmo soy sources, so let's talk about those.
Soy contains phytoestrogens that hinder the body's natural estrogen from attaching to cells.
Soy is also high in isoflavones, a natural type of plant estrogen that can increase estrogen levels in humans.
There are several studies that say soy causes issues with breast cancer and certain ones that say it's perfectly fine. The fact is, soy contains estrogen altering substances.
I have endometriosis. It's painful. It's crippling. I will have a hysterectomy because of it. Soy makes it worse. Soy causes complications. Soy exacerbates the tissue growth.... not just ingesting it, but applying it on the skin. Yes, it's got some great omegas, etc. But I can get those from over a dozen other sources that will not render me immobile with pain.
I didn't make the choice to keep soy out of my products based on fear mongering or random studies. I did so based on my own personal experiences with it knowing it's done me more hard than good. I would never want to risk that for anyone else. Ever.
Here is a great article about the differences between Eastern and Western soy consumption and what should be avoided. Again, use your own judgment.
Here is another good article explaining what to eat and avoid with endo.
Here is a personal account of one person's unbiased experience and research.
Soy is the #1 GMO product in the world. That means it is the least natural plant source. It's been chemically and biologically altered to grow better, hardier, and more. Now, some argue that that's what we need to do to ensure that crops are safe and we produce more food for the population. This by no means means that that plant it now organic. It means it's been bread to survive, which means it can withstand certain chemical pesticides other plants can't so when they spray the field with the pesticides, everything else dies, but it lives.
GMO crops can cause new allergies to be develop, create super resistant bugs and weeds that means STRONGER pesticides need to be used and that's not good for the crops or the surrounding environment.
ASIDE from all that, yes. There are some nongmo soy sources, so let's talk about those.
Soy contains phytoestrogens that hinder the body's natural estrogen from attaching to cells.
Soy is also high in isoflavones, a natural type of plant estrogen that can increase estrogen levels in humans.
There are several studies that say soy causes issues with breast cancer and certain ones that say it's perfectly fine. The fact is, soy contains estrogen altering substances.
I have endometriosis. It's painful. It's crippling. I will have a hysterectomy because of it. Soy makes it worse. Soy causes complications. Soy exacerbates the tissue growth.... not just ingesting it, but applying it on the skin. Yes, it's got some great omegas, etc. But I can get those from over a dozen other sources that will not render me immobile with pain.
I didn't make the choice to keep soy out of my products based on fear mongering or random studies. I did so based on my own personal experiences with it knowing it's done me more hard than good. I would never want to risk that for anyone else. Ever.
Here is a great article about the differences between Eastern and Western soy consumption and what should be avoided. Again, use your own judgment.
Here is another good article explaining what to eat and avoid with endo.
Here is a personal account of one person's unbiased experience and research.
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