Your new must have for fall winter 2015

Your new must have for fall winter 2015

 

Today is a post by Caron (the other bloom of Two Blooms)

The essential oil of lemon is going to be your new ‘must have’ for winter 2015 and at the end of this teeny, tiny blog post you’ll be wanting to send me presents.

First of all, ALWAYS ask the origin of your essential oils and are they steam distilled (you never want chemically distilled oils). Secondly, Do. Not. Ingest. essential oils.  These are for topical use only and never use them neat (straight out of the bottle onto your skin).  ALWAYS use a carrier oil to blend them with.

Now on to the star of the show…Miss Lemon Essential Oil 2015!!!

 Lemon Essential Oil

Feeling a little stuffed up?  Congested?  Put a few drops of our lemon essential oil in your diffuser and if you don’t have one, put a few drops in a pot of water and put on the stove to simmer.  Try and stay in the same room and inhale (do not inhale the burning hot steam coming off the pot, just a reminder).

Works as a wonderful room freshener and can help increase alertness and concentration.  Add a few drops to a spray bottle and spray frequently, astringent properties mean you can use it as a face toner for oily skin and as a hand cleaner, even use it in the kitchen to wipe down all your surfaces.  Your kitchen/bathroom/living room will smell so fresh and pure. 

Don’t have a spray bottle?  Dip tiny cotton balls in our lemon essential oil and put them in a bottle cap and place on bookshelves or behind lamps (out of the way).  This way the air will be permeated with the scent of fresh lemons and you’ll reap the benefits including calming and distressing.

Lemon is a powerhouse for its cleansing properties but it also has calming effect.  We only sell steam distilled lemon essential oil and yes, its ‘therapeutic grade’.  We use this term to state our essential oils are the highest quality that we have personally sourced and are not diluted.  Also it’s a widely used term that customers look for when purchasing essential oils.

Here’s to a winter of less colds/flu’s and seasonal stresses, all thanks to the lemon!!

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Caron is one of the blooms of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is the dreamer, production manager and the social media wannabe. Caron is married to the word adventure and she will never stop dreaming.

How to prevent headaches

How to prevent headaches

   

We all know that water is important for good health but how many of us struggle with it? I know I find it difficult. Sure I can drink hot teas and coffee and those do count some what towards hydration but plain water is key.  We've all heard that drinking 8 glasses of water is the ideal but recently it was considered a guideline and not a fact based on science.  That doesn’t mean we should give up drinking water.

Your body is made up of 60% water and we lose a lot of water every day through breathing, skin evaporation and so on .  Water allows the body to function ie. digestion, providing nutrients, maintaining body temperature etc.

Here is why drinking water is key:

• It can reduce your risk of colon, bladder and possibly breast cancer. 
• Keeps you from getting dehydrated and irritated
• Prevents headaches. Side note when I feel a headache coming on I start chugging a lot of water and I grab my Tension Tamer Aromatherapy roll on 

and rub it under my nose, along the back of my neck and along my temples. Both of these tips have prevented me from getting migraines. As I mentioned earlier I struggle with getting enough water and I’m prone to migraines.

• It’s needed for normal cell function.
• Could help you lose weight
• Gives you glowing skin. For an extra perk in that area try our Organic Azulene Face Elixir

 or our Rose Face Cream.

• Provides a brain boost.  This study how drinking water can boost your grades.

How do you know when you’ve had enough water?

Your urine should be clear.

Here are a few recipes you can try:

Minty Cucumber Lime

1/2 cucumber, sliced
1/2 lime, sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Strawberry-Lemon with Basil

1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 lemon, sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

My favourite recipes involve water with lemon or lime. Or I adda few slices of cucumber. The other day all I had was frozen blueberries so I plopped them into the water and then ate the blueberries when I was finished.

What is your favourite water recipe?

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Hi, I’m Michelle the founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. I’m in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

Are you finding clarity in your life?

Photo Credit:  google images

Are you finding clarity in your life?

 

   

Let’s say that once upon a time there may have been a few episodes where “Menopausal Milly” appeared amongst the Two Blooms.  And in order to calm MM, one of the sisters (we won’t name names of course) came up with a brilliant clary sage combination that managed to calm, relax and subdue MM.

In fact, this same Bloom now keeps a bottle of ‘Calm Coast’ within reach at all times of her because of its soothing effects.  Which is why clary sage is used in so many products including our Organic Calm Coast Lotion,

Our Calm Coast Aromatherapy Spray

and even our Organic Anchor and Sea Salt soap.

Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) is a steam distilled essential oil from the flowering plant.  With a floral, herby scent it supports hormonal fluctuations and can help with stress, mood swings and even soothing skin.  Adding it to a steam diffuser adds almost immediate calming effects (just saying, not that I would know from experience :)

Some go as far as to say that the oil gives clarity, helping you to see possibilities and can dispel confusion.  Which is a whole lot of pressure to put on a single essential oil.  But what I do know is that it works for me.  And so many of our clients almost swoon when they see our selection of clary sage products.  Most women say they spray their pillow with it before going to sleep.  Some keep it at their desk at work and spray themselves liberally throughout stressful work days.  And others offer the Calm Coast lotion to friends and colleagues who need to ‘slow down and breathe’.

It’s a simple solution isn’t it?  Instead of reaching for the caffeine or the chocolate (again, not naming names), why not try reaching for one of our expertly blended Clary Sage products and see for yourself how calming life can be and with no extra calories.

Have you enjoyed this post? See our posts as soon as we publish them.

About Caron:  Caron is one of the blooms of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is the dreamer, production manager and the social media wannabe. Caron is married to the word adventure and she will never stop dreaming.

Are you living the dream?

So in my haste yesterday I forgot to include the  link to the rest of the post from the flax seed crackers. I've added the rest of the steps and you can find the full recipe here.

Are you living the dream?

   

“There’s always tomorrow for dreams to come true” just came swimming into my head.  Thought for sure it was a Disney movie with a lovely princess but actually its from “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” – Christmas anyone??

Been pondering dreams a lot lately, not the sleepy time kind, but dreams we hold in our heart.  Things we’ve held on to for a long time (hello size 6 jeans hanging in my closet) and things we’ve haven’t let go of yet.

My sister and I have been toiling for the past 13 years on our dream.  To be fair, it was off the side of our desk for the first 9 years, we attended weekly farmers markets and kept our full time jobs.  It was fun, it was exciting but it wasn’t our full time job.

 

 

Four years ago, we decided to sink or swim, jump right in and make it happen.  We left our lovely jobs and started working full time on Two Blooms.  We didn’t really have a plan, we knew we had a good product but we didn’t have a business background.

So we relied on our brilliant sense of humour (“oh, you wanted a receipt?  Oh, sorry I’ll email it to you when I get back”.)  And we continued with our amazing customer service.  We bent over backwards for everyone making customer scents and products for customers, rushing orders to get them on time (or early) and never really charged enough money. 

Now we’re smarter (I hope), we’ve found some good people to align ourselves with and most importantly, we’ve started believing our dreams.  Its not just hard work because we both work non-stop, one of us is on social media all day, sprucing up photos and text, plus photographs and on it goes.  Its more like a marathon to get to your dream.  You will hit walls and you will cry and want to give up, but the next day you’ll fall in love all over again and decide to make a new product or dream a new dream.

So if I could amend Burl Ive’s song I would. Its not just tomorrow for dreams to come true, its getting a solid group of people to walk through your dreams with you.  Who will love you enough to tell you when to either stop or find another way.  So yes, there are always tomorrows for dreams to come true, but its more like there are always tomorrows for more 24/7 work weeks.  Dreams don’t always come true, but you just never know when its going to happen and chances are, it may be better than what you could have ever dreamed.

P.S. We are checking our comments. We noticed some comments from posts back and tried to respond to all of them.

See our posts as soon as they are published.

No Junk Food Here

No Junk Food Here

   

You eat the best so why not wear the best? Today’s spotlight ingredient is Avocado Oil. Did you know that the oil comes from the flesh of the fruit and not the seed?  There are many benefits to this oil besides using it for cooking.  For this article I’ve focused on skin benefits but there are so many benefits to consuming the oil as well.

• It contains Vitamins A, E & D (It is one of the top five foods highest in Vitamin E)

• It has anti-aging properties.

• Applying it will keep your skin supple

• Applying it helps reduce wrinkles

• Great for relieving an itchy scalp

• Use it to help improve hair growth

• Using avocado oil as a moisturizer gives your skin a boost, helps replenish and makes stronger cells within the body. The Vitamin E, lecithin and potassium are readily absorbed into the skin.

• It’s a thicker oil and won’t absorb as quickly as other oils so if you suffer from eczema or extreme dryness, try a thin layer on your skin as it will help prevent itchiness.

• Can be used on burns, cuts or scrapes.  Your skin will heal faster and it may prevent scarring. 

  • Can be used on burns, cuts or scrapes.  Your skin will heal faster and it may prevent scarring.

  • Based on a study done in 2013 in the journal issue of “Dermatology” Avocado Oil combined with B12 may help treat psoriasis.

  • Works great as a makeup remover

  According to Elle Magazine published on September 17, 2014 Avocodo Oil maybe the new Coconut Oil.
  
  Here is a simple recipe you can try:  Try mixing a few drops of avocado oil with a bit of warm water or toner (we have one here) and massaging it into your face and neck.
  
  At Two Blooms we love using this amazing oil in our products. It is in 95 percent of our organic Soaps, Nerola Skin Nourish, Deodorant, lip balms and lotions.
                                                                                                                                             Research by:  Avocado Oil Benefits, Natural Living Ideas, Live Strong, Pretty in Primal
  

 

 

  Hi, I’m Michelle the founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. I’m in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

What happened to the lost art of penmanship?

What happened to the lost art of penmanship?

The other day I had to hand write a thank you card and it was agony. It’s not that I never jot down notes during the day but I print quickly and get on with the next task. What happened to the art of handwriting?  The reason writing was such agony? I had to slow down, concentrate on forming letters and write as neatly as possible.  The card stock was beautiful and naturally I made mistakes but covered them up with my hand drawn loops and hoped the recipient didn't notice.  The whole process made me sad. What had happened to me?

Years ago I remember getting letters in the mail and writing all the time. In fact I love fountain pens and started collecting them years ago. To this day I love the feel of the nib on malleable paper. There is something majestic about the whole process. In this fast paced world of constant technology and trying to do things quicker we’ve lost something in the process. Even typing on a computer loses that connection to the paper and to the art of penmanship. 

Writing that card made me realize I have to more of it and often. It forces me to think, to connect, to slow down and use concentrate. I simply can’t zone out.  It takes me back to my childhood and to a deep appreciation of the past. Using a fountain pen makes me feel I’m in a different century where life is meant to be savoured and not rushed?

When is the last time you hand wrote a letter? Why not give it a try.

Like what you've read? Check out our main blog page. 

Hi, I’m Michelle the founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. I’m in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

Is Titanium Dioxide really harmful to your health?

Is Titanium Dioxide Really Harmful to your health?

   

So you’ve heard titanium dioxide is a scary ingredient and maybe to you it is based on some research, so let’s shed more light on this white substance.

Let’s start by talking about the definition of titanium dioxide. It’s a white, fine powder that is a pigment often used in food, sunscreen and cosmetics. When used in food or cosmetics it provides a whitish colour, in sunscreen it protects against UV rays. To get more technical let’s look at the Wikipedia's definition:  Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium(IV) oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium, chemical formula TiO2. When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white,Pigment White 6 (PW6), or CI 77891. Generally it is sourced from ilmenite, rutile and anatase. It has a wide range of applications, from paint to sunscreen to food colouring. When used as a food colouring, it has E number E171.

Even though titanium dioxide has become controversial in recent years, its been around for a long time  and is one of the top 50 chemicals made.  If you look at some research it’s linked to cancer but when you read further it states that it has low skin penetration and it’s a concern if you inhale it.  It is naturally occurring but is chemically manufactured to remove impurities leaving behind a pure white pigment. It has no odour (which is probably why it’s used in so many products), and is absorbent. According to the FDA it is listed as a safe pigment with no adverse affects in cosmetics when it’s pure.  What you should be concerned about is ultrafine or nano particles. 

Did you know that Dunkin’ Donuts removed titanium dioxide from it’s donuts because of pressure from the advocacy group As You Sow.  The reason is due to nano particles which is the controversial subject out there.  Researchers know that the smaller the particles are, the more toxic they become. The type used in food has a particle size of about 200 nanometers in diameter which is one five hundredth the width of a human hair. If you were to inhale large quantities of this it would begin to affect you.

A customer once asked me why soaps contain titanium dioxide? The simple answer is that they are used for cosmetic (colouring) purposes. So unless you are taking large amounts of nano titanium dioxide and dumping it in your hand and sniffing it, its harmless.   We use a non nano form of titanium dioxide in our organic soaps and nail polish.  To cater to those who prefer soap without titanium dioxide we offer a vast range of soaps without it.  Here is one example.

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 Hi, I'm Michelle the artist, visionary, creator and designer of Two Blooms Design Studio. I moved from a big city to Vancouver Island and fell in love with the west coast. My world is surrounded by beautiful scents, on trend design and endless possibilities.

"How Do I Order That?"

Some customers aren't sure how to order from our website. I decided to do a video to explain the process.  By practising the ordering steps it showed me a few mistakes I needed to fix.

 I pretended as if I had never been to this site and tried to view it from a customer's point of view.

A tutorial on ordering from Two Blooms Design Studio.

Some quick tips:

• Don't be hard on yourself. I find I often get impatient with my mouse and wanted it to be quicker as you'll notice in a few spots in the video where I impatiently push the button repeatedly. My mouse batteries are running a bit low which is why it wasn't it's usually snappy self. If you make a mistake, just contact us in the contact form and let us know. We are happy to help.
• There is always an option to change the quantity either through a little up or down arrow to the right of the quantity box or you may just see a number that you can change. 
• If you get to the end of the order and are ready to check out and see something you didn't want you can always click the x next to the item to delete it. I forgot to show that option in the video.

My hope is you find this video helpful. If you have suggestions or questions just let us know.

Don't forget to check out our blog home.

About Michelle

Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

What is the Fuss with Bamboo Charcoal Soap?

Photo Credit:  Google Images

What is the Fuss with Bamboo Charcoal Soap?

“I need some of that black soap, you know, with the burnt stuff in it”.  I stared sweetly at my customer at the market wondering how long I’d let her struggle.  She started laughing and I pointed to our Bamboo Charcoal Soap, which she clutched to her heart and kept saying “yes, that’s it, thank you SOOO much”.  The customer beside her watched in fascination and when the transaction was complete, asked me what the deal was with the bamboo stuff soap.

Here’s what I told her and since I am an expert on all things apothecary, you should believe every word I tell you.  Bamboo is a grass (not a tree) and as the garden centre once told me, is the fastest growing wood plant in the world and the great thing, it regrows when you cut down the stalks.  Thus, this is an extremely environmentally friendly plant.

Now what about bamboo charcoal soap? What’s the good in that?  Well here’s the thing, it is very absorbent and cleans the skin amazingly.  It absorbs minerals, toxins, impurities from your skin leaving it clean and clear.

Troubled skin?  This soap can help eczema, psoriasis and dry cracked skin. The friendly bamboo kills bacteria and cleans the skin thoroughly and allows the body’s natural moisturizers to work effectively.  In fact these tiny particles of bamboo are not only antibacterial but also anti-viral, anti-fungal and antimicrobial – any bacteria based skin problems don’t stand a chance.

Yes, it may leave some colour on a brand new white wash cloth but it does wash off, use a dark coloured wash cloth and you won’t have a problem.  We recommend our Organic Bamboo Charocoal Soap.

Any questions or any other topics you’d like me to discuss, just leave us a comment (we love comments :)

See our blog posts when they are published.

About Caron:  Caron is one of the blooms of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is the dreamer, production manager and the social media wannabe. Caron is married to the word adventure and she will never stop dreaming.

What is the Dealeo with Colourants?

    Various Colourants

What is the Dealeo with Colourants?

 

All Photos Shown are via Google Images

Another topic with so many views out there. So I’ll explain briefly the various colourants and what we use in our products.

There are FD & C colourants usually indicated on the label by D&C Red 7 or sometimes just Red 7 etc.  These are cosmetic dyes that are synthetic and there is much controversy surrounding these.  In the USA these are certified by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that controls the specifications and use for all food, drug, and cosmetic colors.  In Canada this falls under Health Canada. Most makers use the approved varieties of these colours.  The most controversial of these colours is the Red Dye 40. Remember a lot of these dyes are found in the foods we eat.

FD&C Dye Colourants

The next group of colourants are the Oxides and Ultramarines. These are commonly used in makeup and mineral makeup.  They are bright colours.  The majority of sellers use cosmetic grade. This type is skin safe.  They can be found in raw form but they are not safe due to lead and heavy metals.  In order for them to be skin safe  these colours are synthetic and created in labs.  These are usually labelled oxides, ultramarines or CI77289

 Oxides and Ultramarines

Micas are commonly used in soaps and beauty products. These exist in raw form as well but again contain harmful metals. They are produced in a lab as well in order for them to be skin safe.  Most of these contain FD&C dyes and these are not considered natural but there are exceptions out there that only contain tin oxide and titanium dioxide and these are considered natural along with labeling of just mica.

 Mica Colourants

The last group of colourants are those that many classify as natural. Natural is a very difficult term because it can mean so many things. The FDA looks at colourants as those that need certification and those that don’t.  These colourants are usually Clays, Seaweed Extract, Indigo, Charcoal, Annatto, Paprika, Alkanet Root, Rattanjot and the list goes on.  These are usually labelled like they sound except for Kaolin which is a clay and a few others.

 Natural Colourants

The only place we use these colourants is in our soaps and nail polish. Half of our soaps fall into the last group of colourants that are considered natural and half  fall into the mica oxides and ultramarines category. Why you ask? We love the natural colourants but they tend to be more muted and can fade over time. We love colour so half of our soaps are made with more vibrant stable colours that don’t fade.  Keep in mind colourants usually make up about 1% of a soap recipe and sometimes less,  and soap is a wash off product.

There isn’t a right or wrong here but you have to decide which type of colour you prefer or if it even matters at all.

Are colourants important to you? Let us know.

See all your bloom worthy news here.

About Michelle
Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.

Travel Tuesday - The Philippines

Memories of my Philippines Trip Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers Top to Bottom 1st Row:  Jeepneys driving by, a cooking pot, the beautiful women we met 2nd Row:  The Olongapo City Market, Beach part of the navy base in Olongapo, (Thelma, Amy and I), 3rd Row: White Rock, Rizal Park in Manilla, Manilla Youth Centre

I had originally planned to post about places I have travelled and then inspiration struck and I penned something completely different. Then the worst happened, I lost it all and now I'm hoping my hosting platform can somehow help me retrieve. Alas I'm back to my original plan.

Years ago I had the lifestyle experience to travel to the Philippines. A group of us were working with a humanitarian organization and we all were volunteering to serve people in the Philippines in whatever way we could depending on their needs. I was a teenager and I was nervous but knew I had to go. I was there for 3 months and we were based in Olongapo City.  I remember clearly in one of our briefing meetings that we had to let go of our own culture and adapt to theirs ie. not being rude, not saying no to food we weren't used to eating. Maybe because I was young it was easier for me to adapt but literally the moment I got off the plane I pretended I was on another planet and wiped my hometown from my mind. It's not that I never thought of it but I really adapted and became part of the culture around me. I never said no to any food no matter what I thought of it.

I could talk at length about this experience but I will pick a few highlights from my trip. The people I met were gracious and kind and they didn't have much but what they had they were grateful for.

   The dump in Olongapo Philippines Photo Credit:  Michelle Somers

I remember one day we visited a dump and got to meet the people living there. We brought treats for the families like snacks you would get at a grocery store and everyone was so overcome with gratefulness. It was like we were giving them a million dollars. I remember seeing children playing among the trash and laughing and I couldn't understand why they were laughing with so little but they didn't know anything else. We hugged the families and spoke with the children we met. I remember crying as we boarded our bus realizing that I could be born here. Through tears I remember feeling so grateful for all the things I take for granted.

   Jeepneys in the Philippines Photo Credit:  flickr.com

The culture there is very different, people ride Jeepneys and to walk you need to have a cotton hankie over your mouth because the air is so thick with pollution. Coca-cola was served in clear baggies with a straw which I found so novel.  I tried Balut one day after hearing a man go by our street almost daily yelling "Baaaaalut".  It's a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell and my friends dared me to try it. It tastes similar to a salty egg.

Where have you travelled? I'd love to know in the comments below. #IBN30

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About Michelle

Michelle is one of the blooms and founder of Two Blooms Design Studio Est. 2002. She is in charge of production, designing all of our labels in house, photography, customer service, alchemist behind all of our scent blends, designer, creator and pretty much whatever else needs to be done.