Our Journal

Looking for the perfect fall fragrance?  We have a few new one’s to tell you about!

Cinnamon Glazed Baklava: This smells so much like cinnamon glazed baklava! Definite top notes of cinnamon and then you can really pick up the baked phyllo dough, top it off with some vanilla icing, and you’ve got a fantastic, realistic fragrance. If you like cinnamon rolls type scents, you’ll love this one!

Mulled Apple Cider Tea: After hours of seeping fresh juicy apples with cinnamon, anise and clove this heart warming fragrance comes to life! A year round best seller! With after notes of warm tea, you won’t want to stop burning this one!

Pecan Sundae: A Nutty Treat! Pecan, Praline & Vanilla. Just a perfect Sweet & Vibrant Blend.

Red Tea & Cypress: A floral & fruity blend of red tea, fresh oranges, zesty lemons, raspberries, apples, leafy greens & lime.  Definite strong, leafy green base notes!

Blue Lagoon: Crisp and fruity top notes of tropical berries, and pears with mid-notes of some very light leafy greens. Heavy mid-notes of orchids and birds of paradise make this an exotic treasure! (okay, so maybe this isn’t a very fall-like scent but I had to include it because it’s just phenomenol!)

After many requests, we brought back our Carmen Jars.. Now double wicked for a better burn, these elegane spa-type candles are sure to impress! They’re on sale right now, so go get your’s today!

Fun Facts you can’t live without:

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won’t have to pick  the little ’stringy things’ off of it. That’s how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home  from the store.
If  you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil.
It will stay fresh much longer and not  mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are  sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are  firmer and better for cooking.

Frying ground beef - add a teaspoon of water.
It will help pull the grease away from  the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or  omelets rich add a couple of
spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese,  or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints
in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper.     Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the  chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!!  Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcake with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and for-get about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can’t see easily.

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn’t hurt the plant and the squirrels won’t come near it.

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the frid ge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and … ta da! … static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don’t dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car . When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope
If  you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It’s cheaper than shaving cream  and leaves your legs really smooth. It’s also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn’t like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To  get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2′ with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Recently, the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) announced that it was considering legislation to strengthen food, drug and cosmetic safety (see the Draft Discussion here). While I sincerely believe that the FDA and all that testified on behalf of the legislation have the consumers’ best interests at heart, I am deeply concerned about the unintended consequences of this action.

I am so concerned I am heading up the letter writing campaign here in Washington state, where which we will send letters to our congressional representatives voicing our opposition to this legislation. I will have copies of the letters available next week for you to download, print and send, to make it easier for you. August is a great month to pursue your representative as congress is out of session, and the members are usually at home, in their home state.

The FDA Globalization Act of 2008, is designed to impose stringent monitoring, manufacturing and reporting requirements on all products under FDA purview. The “Cosmetics” portion of the bill is actually very small (1/64th of the entire bill) in relation to the “Food” portion. None the less, the implications for small, home based crafters and cosmetic manufacturers, is concerning.

This legislation is coming at a time when cosmetics and personal care consumers have never had more choice, nor have the products they have to choose from ever been more safe. Just look at these quotes from experts:

Pamela Bailey, President of the Personal Care Products Councill (formerly CFTA), stated in her April 12th testimony to the Energy & Commerce Committee, “Cosmetics and Personal Care Products are the safest category regulated by the FDA.”

Additionally, Stephen F. Sundolff of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition stated, “The FDA’s oversight has ensured that the Nation’s cosmetics are among the safest in the world.”

The experts quoted above believe the system is already working!

Consumer safety is important to me. I am a strong advocate of proper ingredients labeling, best manufacturing practices and education.

This new proposed legislation will do nothing to strengthen the cosmetics industry safety. Rather it will just be a bigger burden which could force MOST small producers out of the market.

The areas in the current discussion framework which I find particularly disturbing are:

• Requirements that you register all of your formulations with the FDA – This rule would add another unnecessary burdensome reporting requirement onto small businesses. Who exactly of the 18 people currently employed by the FDA to oversee Cosmetics is going to look at the formulations? If there were 100,000 (this is a small estimate!) large and small manufacturers, each with 25 formulations … well, that’s a lot of paperwork to go through! Not to mention, the stifling effect such a reporting requirement will have on new product innovation, or even minor improvements made to old products.

• Requirements that you report all “Potential Adverse Reactions” to the FDA – Again, through self-regulation (GRAS list, The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) and Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary) there is a comprehensive list of approved (and not approved) ingredients to use. Who is to say what a “potential adverse reaction” might be? I might have an adverse reaction to the soap I just made … if I put it directly in my eye! No one can legislate or know what consumers do with our end products. Why would the government want us to even try? According to the Personal Care Council, every year, out of 11 BILLION personal care products sold, there are less than 150 adverse reactions. That’s a safety factor of .00000000136%. There is no evidence that the current laws and regulations are not working. In fact, the excellent safety record of the Cosmetics Industry proves the contrary.

• Fees, fees and more fees will jeopardize businesses all over America. In uncertain economic times, it is imperative that Americans have choices about how they earn their money. At the minimum, this act would require a registration fee of between $2000 up to $12,000 per year, no exceptions. 95% of small and micro businesses would not be able to bear this burden and have to close their doors immediately.

Just think of how these three points might affect YOUR choices. The time to act is now. This law has many unintended consequences. Rather than strengthening the cosmetics industry, it will force thousands of small producers out of the market. Many of these producers use the income from their small cosmetics business to substitute income from their full time job, and it makes the difference between having a home, or being on the street. And, where there is less choice, there is always a higher price in the end.

If you haven’t yet signed the petition, there is still time. Head to Indie Beauty Network’s site here. Be sure to sign your name, business name if applicable, city and state.

I also urge you to write to your congress representative and tell them you oppose this legislation. Together, we can make a difference!

References:

Kayla Fioravanti from EssentialU’s blog post on her trip to DC 

The Organic Beauty Expert

Environmental Working Group

Are you using internet explorer to view this page? You shouldn’t be!

Internet explorer is the least secure browser out there. It is fraught with loop-holes and leaks that can allow malicious hackers, or malware loaded websites to attack your computer swiftly and with ease! Even with the “latest security patch update”! I have completely hidden all icons for IE on my computer it’s that bad!

Firefox is a progressive browser, integrated with all kinds of innovative add-ons. What are add-ons? Essentially, add-ons are like software for your browser that will let you do cool stuff all while browsing the web. Like blogrovr, it surfs the web and “fetches” interesting articles you might like to read based on your browsing habits. You can also tell it what you want it to look for and have the information delivered in one place. Nice and time-saving! Plus, Our website is built to be best viewed by Mozilla (firefox).

There are other browsers that are better than IE, like opera, but I really suggest Firefox.

Anyhow, if you haven’t already download firefox, or check out these resources for more information.

Have you noticed there were fewer chips in your last bag of doritos?

Your mind is not playing tricks on you.

Slammed by the skyrocketing costs of agricultural goods and energy, many companies are quietly shortchanging their customers by putting a little less into bags, jars and boxes, while keeping the packaging the same.

“We are tightening our belts,” PepsiCo chief Indra Nooyi said in a company conference call last week. PepsiCo recently reduced the amount of Tropicana orange juice you get in a large container by 7%, from 96 ounces to 89 ounces. Bags of Doritos, also made by PepsiCo, have been trimmed by as much as 2 ounces.

Kelloggs, proctor & gamble, unilever & wrigleys have all recently jumped on this bandwagon.  Is it legal–? Yes, but it’s sneaky.

You as a consumer need to check the  weights and measures on the packages of things you purchase.  Or you can check out Mouse Print, a Web site dedicated to tracking what the fine print on consumer products “taketh away.”

You can easily grow sage and use it’s benefits within your own home everyday. Some of the most common sage varieties are:

Purple Hybrid Sage (Salvia xsuperba): one of the best member of the genus thrives as a hardy perennial (up to Zone 4) and actually performs better in cooler climates. Has an abundant of colorful flowers, a compact growth habit and a reasonable adaptability to varying growing conditions.

Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans): Its leaves smell exactly like pineapple when gently rubbed with the fingers. In its native habitat of central Mexico, pineapple sage grows at altitudes of 6,000 to 9,000 feet, but you don’t need to line on a mountaintop to grow it easily in your own garden or flowerbed.

Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha): Is a standout in any garden. Every part of the plant seems designed for maximum beauty. The velvety, intensely purple flower spikes; the white, softly hairy stems; and the dark grayish-green leaves with white undersides.

Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea): A tall, impressive plant that grows its violet, blue and pinkish-white flowers on large, multi-branched stems. In early summer, when clary sage blooms, it is the dominant plant in any garden or flower bed.

Sages essential oil is more popular among body products is used in a lot of every day products we all commonly use everyday. Clary Sage has antidepressant, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, astringent, deodorant, digestive, and euphoric properties.

Make these body products today and take advantage of the great benefit of sage:
• Clary Sage Sea Salt Body Scrub:

½ cup Sea Salt (found at your local natural store, such as Trader Joe’s)
4 Tbsp Grape seed Oil or EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
¼ cup Baking Soda
5-6 drops of Clary Sage Essential Oil

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, and pour into a seal-able container.
Standing in bath tub, wet hands and apply mixture, (using small circular motion) starting with feet and work upwards towards the neck.
Rinse and continue your showering routine.

• Clary Sage Body Salve:

4 tbs. carrier oil Jojoba, Apricot, or even Shea butter
3 to 4 tsp. of dried Sage leaves
1 tbsp Beeswax pellets, Apricot Wax or Soy Wax
1 tsp Vitamin E oil
20 drops of Clary Sage Essential Oil

Gently heat oil on low heat until warm. Stirring constantly, do not allow to boil, Remove from heat and add herbs to oil, and stir with a wire whisk very quickly. Cover and allow to cool completely. Strain oil from herbs. Add the essential oil now and stir quickly again with the wire whisk.

Combine infused oils and beeswax together in a *double boiler until wax melts. Remove from heat when melted. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Pour into containers, allow to cool completely before use.

Imagine you have very sensitive skin, and no commercial product would suit your needs. Imagine you’re very creative and thoughtful, and crafted a super-product to perfectly meet your needs. Imagine you decided to sell that product to friends, co-workers, online or at local farmers markets. Great, or so you thought. The FDA has other intentions.

Dear Members,

I write to you with an update on a regulatory concern that threatens the Indie Beauty industry, and the action I would like to take.

First a bit of background.

Before 2000, the year I founded the Indie Beauty Network, I worked as an attorney for many years, mostly as an advocate for various companies before federal and state regulatory bodies. When I started making cosmetics of my own, and later selling them, I often pondered and appreciated the regulatory freedoms that participants in the cosmetics industry enjoyed.

Unlike other industries, cosmetics industry participants do not have to register their businesses or their manufacturing facilities with the federal government. Registration is voluntary, and estimates are that less than 1/3 of the operating cosmetics facilities in the US are registered under the FDA’s voluntary registration program. While a few states require facility registration, the vast majority do not. In addition, companies do not have to obtain state or federal pre-approval before selling cosmetics.

One of the reasons I started IBN is because I have a passion for cosmetics and beauty products. I also have a passion for you — the Indie beauty business owners — who make and sell them. I have always felt strongly that, as the industry grew and flourished, increased regulatory oversight would follow.

Today, Congress is poised to give the Food & Drug Administration the ability to implement what I consider to be burdensome and costly regulations that go far beyond what is required for the agency to effectively perform its legislative mandate.

I formed IBN in part so that, when the time came, IBN members would have an advocate in the event this type of unfair regulation became a possibility.

It seems as though that time has come.

Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008

The draft of the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008 was announced late last month. The legislation is aimed at giving the FDA authority to promulgate new regulations that are supposed to protect consumers and also provide the funding the agency needs to enforce existing laws in a global market.

Since its announcement, several industry participants have testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health about the draft, including Stephen F. Sundlof, DVM, PhD, Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the Food and Drug Administration, and a representative of the Personal Care Products Council, formerly known as the Cosmetic, Toiletries & Fragrances Association. (See: http://www.personalcarecouncil.org/Template.cfm?Section=News_Room&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=5976)

You can read the full text of the draft legislation here: http://energycommerce.house.gov/FDAGlobalAct-08/Dingel_60AXML.pdf. As you can see, the proposed legislation would, among other things:

1. Require all cosmetics companies serving American consumers to register annually with the FDA, and pay a registration fee of $2,000 per facility per year, and to list in its registration the cosmetics is manufactures, processes, packs or holds, and also, for manufacturers, to list all ingredients in each product contained in the registration listing.

2. Require all cosmetics companies to report to the FDA “serious adverse events” resulting from the use of the products.

3. Require all cosmetics companies to comply with the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practices.

4. Require all cosmetics that import cosmetics to register annually with the FDA, and pay another registration fee to do so.

5. Give the FDA authority to levy substantial fines for violations of the new requirements.

The implications of passage of this draft legislation are obvious and far reaching, and should it become law, it will have a definitive and immediate effect. While I feel we must acknowledge the critical role of the FDA in protecting consumers from unsafe or misbranded cosmetics products, we also must ensure that they appreciate that imposition of registration fees, registration requirements and burdensome reporting requirements on small businesses will snuff out an entire segment of the cosmetics industry. It will also have the devastating effect of hampering the creativity and robust competition that consumers have come to expect and appreciate. What I’d Like To Do On Your Behalf

I would like to prepare a position paper on behalf of the 700+ members of the Indie Beauty Network to will address the draft legislation and share IBN members’ perspective. Of course, I first need to know what your perspective is, so I have set up a forum for you to post your opinions: http://www.indiebusinessforum.com/showthread.php?p=695#post695

Please share your suggestions, opinions and questions there.

Please post your comments as soon as possible. Once they are reviewed, I will call a member-wide teleconference meeting to address our options so we can collectively decide what steps to take next.

I will also post this email message there, along with other updates from time to time. Please note that the forum is open to the public at this time, but any draft letters sent to any authority on this topic will be vetted only among IBN members in a private forum. Members of the public will not be able to see our draft letters, or the edits we make to them.

Please feel free to post this email to your blogs, discussion groups, newsletters, etc. I know it’s kind of long, but if you post it, please do so without making any changes.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and questions, and to working with you on these important matters.

Thank you,

Donna Maria Coles Johnson

Founder & President

The Indie Beauty Network

Selected Resources & Links:

Committee on Energy & Commerce Website: http://energycommerce.house.gov/FDAGlobalAct-08/index.shtml

Discussion Draft Legislation: http://energycommerce.house.gov/FDAGlobalAct-08/Dingel_60AXML.pdf

Testimony of Janet Woodcock, M.D., Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research http://www.fda.gov/ola/2008/fdaglobalact050108.html

Testimony of Center for Science in the Public Interest: http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/fdaglobalizationact.pdf

I ask you to do your part and contact your local representative and urge them to veto this amendment. We need choice and this bill is NOT small-business friendly.

Thank you from this Indie!

xoxo
Jen

We’re sending candles down to LA for another green with music event! They are doing a wrap party for “Battleground Earth” BG is a reality TV show starring Tommy Lee and Ludacris, they had to compete to see who would have the least amount of carbon foot print by end of show. Basically they are promoting environmental awareness - you can be green and a “rock star”.

Though I personally don’t care for their tunes, I do appreciate the message. You can see the lovely little gifts we crafted for their gift bags in the pic - aren’t they cute?

Also, if you happen to watch the finale, our candles are supposed to be all over the set so drop us a line and tell me what you thought cheers!