Pacifica Perfume

When you dress to impress, not only do you want to look like a goddess, but smell like one too. But beware, an intoxicating scent may be toxic indeed—an ordinary vial of perfume contains carcinogenic chemicals that can be just as harmful as those found in cigarette smoke. Yet, rest assured on your search for the most scintillating scent—Pacifica Perfume offers an array of natural and sustainable fragrances for you to choose from. They carry natural fragrances & perfumes in florals, herbals, fruits and woods and all in various products- including candles, spray perfumes, soaps, and more!

Here are the products I tried and loved:

Island Vanilla Perfume: is inspired by the lush, floral notes of vanilla from Tahiti.  With subtle floral, fruit, and tea notes, this is a beautifully distinct version on the classic vanilla fragrance note.  That’s how Pacifica describes this perfume.  How would I describe Pacifica Island Vanilla Perfume?  Vanilla, sugar frosting, a hint of a coconutty flavor – and baking – that’s what I think of whenever I get a sniff of this yummy smelling perfume.  Cookie cravings!

Hawaiian Ruby Guava Perfume: this sexy and sultry tropical blend combines sweet, berry-like notes of Guava with a bright, citrusy top note of Pomelo and a warm and subtle Coconut base. Pacifica Roll On Perfume contains pure grain alcohol and Pacifica’s signature perfume blends with essential and natural oils.

Lotus Garden Perfume: this transporting fragrance evokes the inspiring ambiance of a garden full of citrus trees, fresh herbs, and rare plants from all over the world. Lose track of time as layers of lotus blossom, cassis, green violet leaf, and pink pepper take you on a fragrant journey.

Can Rose Essential Oils Save Your Skin? Plus: Aromatherapy 101

By Siobhan O’Connor for NoMoreDirtyLooks.com

Mais oui, according to a new study.

We told you a few weeks ago that thyme has been shown to be more effective than benzoyl peroxide—that skin-destroying ingredient that, in my opinion, totally doesn’t work if you’re over the age of 15. Many of you jumped with joy (which is to say posted comments about how awesome that is), and now we have even more interesting news: Rose essential oils can block the effects of stress on skin when inhaled—not applied topically.

This is the kind of research that gets me excited. As anyone with skin woes can tell you, the impulse to reach for a product to fix the problem is tough to beat. Unfortunately, as we’ve said many times, this doesn’t do much for you in a big-picture way. It’s the old “treating the symptoms, not the condition” thing. When it comes to just about everything, and especially our skin, this kind of spot treating (ha) does not work. Or if it does, it doesn’t work for long.

Rose has been shown—in a human and rat study—to significantly inhibit cortisol, the stress hormone that causes inflammation (which causes zits). It also blunted transepidermal water loss, which happens when your skin’s barrier function is compromised.

There are many ways you can put this into play in your life. Prevention.com has recipes for both thyme and rose skin solutions here.

Or you can seek out a potion that contains rose and huff the stuff when you’re stressed. Here’s some things that are worth knowing about aromatherapy:

1. Not all oils are created equal. The tidy rows of bottles you see lining the counter at health food stores? Not what you’re looking for. To work, essential oils need to be super-concentrated and carefully crafted, and when they are, they are incredibly powerful for your mind, body and your spirit. Many of these plants and flowers have incontrovertible evidence supporting their use to heal us, but you’re not going to get these benefits unless you’re working with high-quality oils. That means organic, wild crafted and, ideally, made in small batches.

2. You can use them anywhere, anytime. I basically always have aromatherapy and flower essences in my handbag, as anyone who’s been to a bar with me can attest. (I like dosing people whether they ask for it or, as with our friend Erika, violently protest.) I also keep some on my desk at work, which many a coworker has gotten in the habit of popping by to borrow. This makes me happy.

Keep reading the rest here…

Natural Cures for Treating Anxiety

It is okay to feel anxious from time to time, but if this state continues for long periods of time, and then you might suffer of an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorder include feeling tense, impatient, irritable, and having poor concentration. Some people might also experience muscle tension, insomnia, chest pain, headaches, and many other symptoms. If left untreated they can have serious consequences on one’s health.

Try Natural Remedies to Cure Anxiety

Anxiety disorders can be treated with the aid of medication, but they can also be treated by using natural remedies. Passionflower is one of the best solutions for treating anxiety problems. A study revealed the fact that passionflower has a similar effect on the body as benzodiazepine drugs have. Unlike the drug, passionflower does not cause drowsiness, and it actually improves the job performance. However, passionflower also has side effects, and some of the most common are vomiting, rapid heartbeat, and nausea. Passionflower should not be taken by people with kidney problems, pregnant women, or children. Also, it shouldn’t be taken together with sedatives.

Valerian is another useful natural remedy for anxiety, as it can cure insomnia. Valerian is usually taken one hour before going to sleep, and it shouldn’t be taken for more than three months. The effects of Valerian can be usually seen after two weeks. Valerian might cause indigestion, dizziness, palpitations, and headaches. Most of the people like to take Valerian in the capsule form, as the tea has a pretty unpleasant smell. Valerian should not be combined with certain medications, such as the antihistamines and sedatives which depress the central nervous system. People with liver problems should not take Valerian. Also, Valerian is not for people who operate machinery, and by the ones who want to drive.

Try Some Relaxation Techniques besides Taking Supplements

Kava is another natural solution for anxiety, but according to the United States Food and Drug Administration, Kava can severely affect the liver. If you want to take it, you should talk to your doctor first. Besides the supplements, there are other solutions for treating anxiety. For example, you can try aromatherapy, in order to relax. You can use various oils such as cypress, jasmine, lavender, and others. Breathing is also very important when dealing with anxiety issues, and you could try some breathing techniques in order to eliminate anxiety. There are lots of options you can choose from, such as tai chi, yoga, meditation, self-hypnosis, and others. You can try each of them, and stick to the one you find the most efficient.

You could also try some bodywork in order to relax your muscles, and then relax your body. If the body is relaxed, then the stress will be relieved, and you will be able to sleep much better. As you can see, there are lots of natural remedies for treating anxiety. Remember to talk to your doctor before using them, as you might have a condition which does not allow you to use these remedies.

Give Scent

After living two years in Italy, and then returning to teach yoga retreats in Sicily, Elena Brower fell in love with the culture, the pace, and especially the scents. In particular, she discovered a Sicilian almond oil blend that inspired her to create a scent of her own. Wherever Elena wore her scent, women and men alike fell in love with the captivating fragrance. In collaboration with Alexandra Lyon Perelman and a boutique US-based fragrance shop, The Fragrance Shop, they recreated the blend, paired it with summery citrus and vanilla to round it out, and GIVE was born.

GIVE is made with pure oils, not tested on animals and a portion of the proceeds benefit Women for Women International, an organization that supports female survivors of war and conflict with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency. GIVE scent really lives up to the name!

There’s something special about Give’s sweet-smelling blend of almond oil, grapefruit, spicy vanilla and leather - a flirty aroma/fragrance with staying power.

Visit their website to purchase the beautiful scent.

Managing Stress: 6 Good (And 5 Bad) Things To Do When You Can’t Sleep

By No More Dirty Looks

When my insomnia hit the other night, I did everything wrong.

I’d managed to work myself up about something before bed, but because I have the stamina of a toddler when I’m upset, I tired myself out quickly and crashed hard around 11:30pm. Then, at 4:30am, my brain went on like a light. There I was, in that strange time when “tonight” becomes “tomorrow” and the last thing in the world you should be doing is witnessing it. (Unless of course you’re doing something really fun—which I wasn’t. I was lying there with looping thoughts, the lights on, a search window open on my laptop, and Twitter fired up on my phone…)

We have written plenty about sleep hygiene here. We polled you once to find out how much you sleep (a lot!); we asked you guys to share your bedtime rituals with us (they were great!); we’ve explored how sleep can help your looks (duh); and we’ve covered ayurvedic principles about sleep before, as well.

But isn’t it funny (dumb) that no matter how much you know about the Right Thing To Do for your wellbeing, it’s often exactly when you need that advice the most that it escapes you?

With that in mind, here’s a primer, filled with things you already know, on the best and worst things to do when you can’t sleep. Obviously this advice is highly subjective. Where appropriate, we’ve mentioned some actual science to back us up. And, as always, we want your tips in the comments.

The Bad

1. Tweeting, emailing, checking your stocks, approving comments on your blog etc. Research shows that light-emitting devices can suppress the production of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin—which means when you wake up to check your cell, or simply have it on blinking at you from the bedside table, you’re sending signals to your brain that it isn’t time to chill out. Turn them off, use airplane mode, or put them on the other side of the room. When you wake up, try your best not to check them.

2. Watching scary TV shows. I can’t watch scary things at night anymore without getting nightmares and waking up a lot. Granted I’m on the sensitive side (cough), but there is good research that shows how disruptive this can be. It can spike stress hormones in the body and put you in an excited state (not the good kind) that doesn’t bode well for rest. Some people can watch anything before bed and fall asleep, but if you wake up in the middle of the night and decide to flip on the tube, maybe don’t try to catch up on a season’s worth of Boardwalk Empire?

Keep reading for more bad and good things to do here…

Sniff away your stress: 5 calming essential oils

By Nina Elias for Prevention.com

Did someone reheat Indian food in the office microwave…two floors down?

Your amped-up smelling ability doesn’t mean you’re turning into a superhero—it could be stress.

According to a new study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, people with anxiety can experience a heightened sense of smell, and are able to sniff out things that calmer folks might miss.

It turns out that when we feel anxious, our body naturally goes into survival mode, heightening our ability to identify threats—and the nose often takes the lead. As anxiety levels rise, so does our ability to correctly sniff out a strong or unusual stench. In other words, if you think you smell smoke coming from the kitchen or are convinced Patches the poodle left an accident somewhere in the house, it could be a sign you’re more stressed than usual.

The upside? You can use this anxiety-heightened sniffing ability to tackle the annoying side effects of stress, such as indigestion and insomnia. How? With aromatherapy, the practice of using essential oils—concentrated from flowers, leaves, fruit, bark, and roots—to ease stress.

Here are five simple ways to sniff your way out of stressful situations with essential oils, from Hope Gillerman, aromatic healer and creator of H. Gillerman Organics:

1. For constant worrying
Essential oil:  Sandalwood
How to chill: Dab a few drops on your chest, and then practice a simple mindfulness exercise: Close your eyes, sit up straight, and rest your hands on your lap. Breathe slowly and count your inhales: Inhale one, inhale two, inhale three, inhale four, etc. When you lose count, start back at one and keep counting until you feel your tension ease.

Keep reading…

Tammy Fender

In addition to loving the products itself, I am crazy about Tammy Fender’s business philosophy:

With her stance on beauty and wellness rooted in the ancient traditions of holistic medicine, it is Tammy Fender’s belief that the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of life are closely interconnected and equally important to bringing one’s system into balance, health and beauty. She recognizes the vital role of our natural energy– the life force that permeates and connects all things allowing this “chi” energy to flow through our body and skin. Tammy embraces these beliefs in the creation of her skin care products as she uses pure, high vibrational and energetically balanced ingredients, harnessing Pure Living Energy® in every product.

I also appreciate the fact that the company never formulates with parabens, mineral oils, petrochemicals, synthetic emulsifiers, toxic preservatives, artificial color or fragrance, it’s 100% organic.

I just love all of her products… They’re all so delicious!  Her products are organic, natural, feel so great on your skin, and come in beautiful little bottles.  Tammy has a holistic approach to beauty and wellness, and creates skincare products that nourish your body physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Checkout her lovely website for more info on her products here.

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.

~Kahlil Gibran

NuboNau – The Natural & Organic Skincare Boutique

NuboNau (pronounced new-bo-now) means “Cloud Nine” in Esperanto, the world’s most widely spoken, constructed international language. If you live in Encinitas, California then your lucky to visit Nubonau’s Shop. Highly trained and expert associates offer you a professional and prescriptive service, set within uniquely serene and peaceful shopping environments.

If you can’t visit them no problem, NuboNau also has an amazing online boutique offering some of the best brands in natural & organic skincare and beauty. Arcona, Clarisonic, Madara, Mai Couture, Ren, Vapour Organic, Strange Invisible Perfumes… just to name a few. You will find skincare, cosmetics, bath, body, perfumes, candles, aromatherapy and much more for men, women & babies. Not only are the brands the best of the best, but NuboNau has incredible benefits when you make a free account.

Their exclusive “Cloud Nine Club” is a generous loyalty program (visit site for full details/terms/conditions) offering the following:

• Earn points for every purchase
  
• Spend points on any product
• No Expiration on points earned
• Get $10.00 worth of points when a referred friend starts shopping with them

They offer great specials and deals, plus they are adding new products all the time.

Visit Nubonau now to experience the magic.

No More Dirty Looks

A Book Every Girl Should Own
Every girl likes to look her best. That is why she should read No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products, and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics. Siobhan O’Connor and Alexandra Spunt have delivered an easy-to-read, understandable source that answers the questions. It’s a treasure trove of useful information, suggested brands for hair, face, make-up, body, and nails, and even some DIY alternatives.

The book is eye-opening, interesting, informative, and yes, funny, too. It begins with the background information on how the beauty industry works in the U.S., and how it – well, doesn’t. For those who don’t care to know the history or details of it all, there is a short summary, and then you can jump to the next section, which details the top 20 scary ingredients that you want to avoid in health and beauty products.

Once the foundation is laid, O’Connor and Spunt then dive into each category one at a time: hair, face, make-up, body, and nails. They detail the concerns in each, describing the most typical offenders that you’ll find in mainstream products, and offering suggested clean and non-toxic brands, as well as home recipes and other alternatives, such as aloe vera for your curly hair gel. (note to self: buy some aloe vera)

I carry it in my bag every time I go for shopping

This book may be available in stores and other online sites. Buy it here.

Aftelier Perfumes

Aftelier is a collection of natural, artisan scents created by Mandy Aftel. She creates them by hand in small batches, the perfumes smell divine—deeper and more complex than most commercial scents, which are derived from synthetic ingredients and use alcohol as a carrier. She also makes solid perfumes and candles.

My favorites are:

Secret Garden: is all about rich sensual pleasure–rather defies olfactive family categorization, as there are many facets to its rich body. Let us perhaps call it a “fruity floriental with delicious near-gourmand hints and sensuous animalic qualities.

Poplar Buds Absolute: is fruity, floral and animalic in nature. When smelled neat it can be slightly off-putting due to the initial aroma of overripe stone fruits. If given time to breathe Poplar Buds Absolute reveals a rich olfactory impression and is an ingredient worthy of the perfumer’s palette.

Honeysuckle Absolute: offers an aromatic impression that is less complex than Poplar Bud Absolute, but it engages the senses by telling the kaleidoscopic story of all narcotic florals (Tuberose, Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Magnolia, etc.) The character it reveals is one of a white floral vintage which evaporates in fits and starts before reaching a honeyed dry down that echoes the enigmatic scent of autumn outdoors.

Fig: A mix of fir absolute, jasmine sambac, and yuzu, duplicating the aroma of this sweet fruit to a tee. Speaking of “tea,” she makes that, too — of the perfumed variety, of course.

Cocao: A blend of jasmine, blood orange, and cocao from a Costa Rican plantation. Psst — Aftel distills the cocao herself.

Checkout their other products and scents here.