Horsetail

Tags

hair care, horsetail

Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) extract is something I use regularly.  Horsetail is a plant with a hollow stem and feathery branches, and can resemble a horse’s tail.

In the past, horsetail has also been used to polish pewter and lightly sand wood.  The reason for this is that silica crystals form on the stem and feathery branches of the plant as it dries.  This gives the plant and light abrasive feel.

It is this same silica that makes horsetail such a valuable herb for medicinal and cosmetic purposes.

Studies are ongoing about all of the various benefits of silica.  Silica helps with the formation of bone and collagen.  It helps strengthen hair and provides volume.  I add it to my clay mix that I use daily to clean my hair.  I have the added benefit of having a friend north of the city who has lots of horsetail growing on her property.  She always has some to spare so I get to make my own extract!

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Rutales!

Tags

botanical families, rutales

Let’s take a look at the botanical order of Rutales. There are two families connected to this order that I deal with a lot.

The first is the Rutaceae family. This is where all of the citrus plants belong! In general, plants of the Rutaceae family are detoxifying. They aid digestion by stimulating the flow of gastric juices. They also tend to be uplifting and calming in nature. With skin care, I use orange EO with my sugar scrub. Lemon EO is incorporated occasionally into my treatments at the clinic. And Bergamot EO is one of the ingredients of my facial compress oil. I also use citrus EOs frequently in my cleaning products around the house.

The second family under the Rutales order is the Burseraceae family. This includes frankincense and myrrh. I use these two EOs very often, both personally and in my treatments for others. General properties include helping soothe dry respiratory issues, wound healing, and again a calming nature. I often use frankincense in my facial treatments. Myrrh I use at home to help heal small cuts and as one ingredient in my mouthwash (a mix of water, baking soda, peppermint EO, and myrrh EO).

A look back at the past year

Tags

Big On Bloor Festival, cosmetics, essential oil, health, Jan Benham, Music Toronto, reflexology

A year ago I was getting ready for my first outdoor street festival! It was a great success and a turning point for me – a chance to step things up with my own business, knowing that I was about to leave my full time job and start a new path with another job but only part time. I’m getting ready to take part in Big On Bloor (http://bigonbloorfestival.com) once again and thought this was a good to look back at what has happened over the past year and what lies ahead!

At the end of last August, we went on a lovely vacation to California. Saw lots of places and would love to go back in the future and see some more! Returning from vacation saw me being back to self employed and very part time employed in a new job. My new job is with Music Toronto, a chamber music presenting company (www.music-toronto.com). Initially the plan was to only be working for them one day a week to start and to increase my time and my role over the next several years. Well that timetable has moved up considerably and as of this month I’m now working for them 4 days a week! It has been a great experience and I’m loving the work I’m doing with them.

I’ve been doing lots of reading and studying and moving more towards the treatment side with essential oils. I’ve been working away at my thesis and hope to finish off all of those related courses by the end of the summer. I took some more classes with my teacher, Jan Benham (www.makeyourowncosmetics.org), last October. I spent 5 days learning how to do facials and haven’t looked back! In November, I started booking some room time at a clinic near me and I’m giving facials on a regular basis now. I’m building my clientele slowly as I don’t have that many hours in a day. I’m loving it and the response has been great! Jan will be back again this October and I’m signed up for a chair massage class and a week long course in reflexology. So looking forward to both of those!

I have continued to launch a few more products this past year, adding in some more makeup items in the past few months. Next weekend I’ll be back at Big On Bloor and I’ll have my usual favourites and some of my new items available for purchase. The festival takes place over 2 days – Saturday and Sunday – so come on by and say hi if you are in Toronto! I’m hoping to be close to the Lansdowne end of the festival. Watch my LCO Facebook feed (https://www.facebook.com/LazyCatOils) for updates as we get closer to the end of the week.

BIG On Bloor Festival – July 19, 2014 – noon to 9pm; July 20, 2014 – noon to 6pm. http://bigonbloorfestival.com

Lots on the plate!

The past couple of weeks have been busy! There never do seem to be enough hours to get everything done that I’d like to do but I’m slowly checking things off my list. Here’s a sample of what’s happening!

Summer festivals are looming in the not too distant future and I’m starting to get ready for those – mixing, bottling, and labelling coming up! I do have one coming up in July (the Big On Bloor festival) but most of my outdoor things will be happening in August and September. The Goderich Celtic festival is at the beginning of August and then I’m helping out Shannah Rose for a couple of dates in the Orangeville Farmers Market!

I’m working on a couple of new lipstick colours and hope to have those ready soon. It is always fun to experiment with the various micas out there and see what colours you can make!

John did a few photo shoots for me for my make up and face care products. As always they look great! And now I need to put everything together so I can add new pages to the website. Here’s a sample of one of the shots!

eye liners and mascara now available

I’m also working on another facial/relaxation treatment based on the class I recently finished. Hoping to add that into my services list in July.

And then there are more classes in October! Looks like it is going to be a busy summer and fall!

Bath Oils!

Keeping things simple has always appealed to me. If it doesn’t have to be complicated, why make it that way. I try to apply the same theory to the products I make and the ingredients I use – simple and easy to use.

LCO’s Bath Oils definitely fall into these categories as they require only two ingredients – fractionated coconut oil and an essential oil. I do enjoy blending EOs but there is something to be said for using them alone as well. I use geranium, lavender, and orange for my bath oils and I find that they have a refreshing, clean, crisp scent by using them in their own in the carrier oil.

I spoke about Fractionated Coconut Oil in one of my blog back in June. https://lazycatoils.wordpress.com/2013/06/08/rough-heel-and-elbow-cream-part-2/

I have looked in a bit more as to what it actually means for the coconut oil to be fractionated. The process involved removes the long-chain fatty acids and leaves behind the medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) from the coconut oil. The final product of FCO is a very light oil that absorbs easily into your skin. It moisturizes well. It is clear and odorless. And it doesn’t stain when it comes in contact with fabric (either your clothes or your sheets). This makes it a great massage oil!

As I mentioned in that previous blog, FCO disperses well in water. It does not leave the same kind of icky ring around the bath tub when it is used as a bath oil.

LCO’s bath oils are $2 off for the month of September. You can check them out here http://www.lazycatoils.com/lazybathoil.html

Designers and Printers!

This past week I had some more labels printed and I realized that I should perhaps talk a bit about some of my wonderful suppliers!

My labels are designed by the fabulous Suzanne Courtney (http://www.tickingtimebomb.ca/) and they are printed by Kemik Labels Ltd. (http://kemiklabels.com/).

Now Suzanne I have known for years and we have worked together on several projects. I love her work and that fact that she seems to be able to read my mind when it comes to the look I want but can’t describe is an amazing bonus! It was a no brainer for me when I knew I needed a designer for the company look.

It was a different story when I decided to look at the possibility of having labels printed. I have dealt with several printers in the past but they deal with bulk copying or poster printing and I knew they were not equipped to print small labels to stick on bottles. I honestly didn’t know if there was anyone who even did that! So I put technology to work and did a google search. A couple of suggestions came up with the first one being Kemik. I went to check out their website and was thrilled not only to find someone who did exactly what I was looking for but was also essentially local since they are located in Scarborough. Now came the big question, how expensive would it be to have custom labels printed? They have a handy feature on their website that allowed me to input what I was looking for and it calculated a price. Yep, it was even affordable! Since I knew I was looking at ordering a pretty large quantity of labels, I decided to phone and speak to someone in person. That was my introduction to Michele who has been an amazing help over the past several months of printing! She immediately sent me samples of their different types of labels and I plunged in head first into printing my labels. I was soon to discover in my many dealings with Kemik that they are a small family run business that delivers the goods with professionalism and heart.

While I was very happy with everything at the point of my first order, I was still a little concerned about applying the labels to the bottles. Was I going to be able to get them straight? Would it take me hours to do? Would I ruin the bottle it I didn’t get it right the first time and had to peel off the label? Well I’m not sure that the labels could be any easier to apply! They go on easily, taking only a moment for me to line up on any of my containers – and I apply them freehand. If I get one a little crooked when I start then I can peel it back and try again. I think I have only thrown out one label in the past several months because I couldn’t get it straight and peeled it off a few times and final got it stuck to itself. Not sure how I did it but it definitely was not the label’s fault!

It is always great when you end up with great people to work with. If you are in the Toronto area, I definitely would recommend Suzanne and Kemik. And if you aren’t in TO, then do some searching and spend the time looking for people and businesses that are the right fit for you. Nothing makes life smoother than having good company along on your journey!

What is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate?

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, commonly known as SLS, is something that most of you have probably heard more and more about over the past few years. Warnings not to use it and labels saying ‘does not contain SLS’ have become more prevalent in the past few years. But what is it really and why should be avoid it?

SLS is actually an organic compound that is derived from coconut and palm oils. Surprised you, didn’t I? It surprised me!

It is a surfactant – a foaming agent. So it helps give us those bubbles in our skin cleaning products that we have come to associate with cleanliness.

SLS is a very effective degreaser. It is used to clean garage floors and greasy engines. So why is it used in cosmetic products? For much the same reason – it can dissolve the oils on your skin and hair and leave them ‘clean’. A few weeks back, I wrote about your skin in one of my blogs. https://lazycatoils.wordpress.com/2013/06/22/your-skin/ SLS will dry out the outer layer of your skin – that protective layer that acts as a barrier against the environment around you. Even if you discount the studies that suggest SLS can penetrate your skin and cause problems to the rest of your body, the fact that it breaks down that protective barrier against other toxins is enough to give me reason to stop and consider why it is being used in general cosmetic products. SLS is also a skin irritant. It is used for that purpose in lab tests – use an SLS agent to irritate the skin and then test formulas for healing to see how they do.

I’ve had a few discussions this past week with friends about not just accepting things because someone told you it was that way. I do believe that you should look at things from every angle and make choices for yourself. For me, there are too many things about SLS that point to its potentially harmful nature and for those reasons I have chosen to avoid it as much as I can in any product I use – either for body care or for cleaning. There are quite a few reports out there about SLS and I would invite you to do some research and judge for yourself. Here are a couple of links to get you started:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/13/sodium-lauryl-sulfate.aspx

http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/sls-JACT-report.html

It never hurts to look at what we are putting on or in our bodies.

A New Direction

Tags

Lazy Cat Oils, Music Toronto, Reiki, Shannah Rose, St. Lawrence Centre

Things are official now! A few weeks ago I decided to leave my full time job and everything is now worked out. So on August 23rd I will finish working at the St. Lawrence Centre and go back to being self employed! The time has come to move on to a new stage in my life.

So what is the plan? Basically it is two fold.

First I’m going to work part time with Music Toronto in Communications. In the short term that will essentially be ramping up their social media with an eye to long term involvement at Music Toronto. For those of you unfamiliar with Music Toronto, it is an organization that presents classical chamber music. I have been involved with them for production over the past few years since they present their concerts at the St. Lawrence Centre. I have really enjoyed working with MTO in my current capacity and am looking forward to this new chapter in my arts career!

Secondly I am going to focus on building my Lazy Cat Oils business. I will continue to make and sell my body care products. I’m already looking at shows in the fall. I will also finally be able to spend some time developing some of the new items that are in my head! On most Wednesday’s I’ll be up at Shannah Rose in Orangeville. http://www.shannahrose.com/ I’ll be helping out at the store in general those days and will be available to talk about my Lazy Cat Oils products to customers up there.

The fall will also allow me to finish off my initial set of courses and start offering treatments. I will be offering Reiki treatments, Aromatherapy consults, and eventually Qi Drop treatments (an essential oil treatment that I will be learning this fall). I have recently starting doing Reiki treatments again and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it. I look forward to being able to have some ‘regular’ office hours for treatment appointments.

And I will continue to study as I follow the holistic health care path. I’m going to have to take that Anatomy class at some point soon!

For all of my theatre friends and connections who are wondering ‘but what will become of your involvement in theatre?’ Never fear I shall still be around. In the short term I may look at the occasional short term stage management gig and I shall always be a faithful audience member. Besides the Arts are good for your health and that is what my future is all about – what is good for a healthy life!

Going BIG!

Tags

Big On Bloor Festival, festivals

Next week I will be working my first outdoor street festival! To be honest it is both exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. While this past week has been busy with theatre going, the weeks leading up to this have been filled with product making. And there is still more to make. Yikes! It will be a busy week to come and that old self doubt pops up occasionally that I won’t be ready. But I’m not listening to it this time. I am moving ahead and doing the best that I can do. That is all anyone can ever do.

I am looking at this as a jumping off point for a new direction in my life. There are lots of big changes ahead for me. There will be more on that later in August. I have more hands on courses to take in September, online studying to finish, another therapy to learn, and treatments to offer. In the meantime, I’m focusing the next few weeks on promoting my products, launching a makeup line (it is coming, really it is!), and starting to do Reiki treatments again.

If you are in Toronto, come and visit my booth next weekend at the BIG On Bloor Festival. I’m not sure yet of my exact location but I’ll be somewhere on Bloor Street between Lansdowne and Bloor. I’ll be posting more info on facebook and twitter as I get it. Not in Toronto? Tell everyone that you know and I’m sure that somewhere along the connections someone will come and visit me that you know.

BIG On Bloor Festival – July 20, 2013 – noon to 9pm; July 21, 2013 – noon to 6pm.

Shows to Sell My Wares

Last year I did a Pop Up Shop in December with Up From The Roots. It was a spur of the moment decision to participate as I had never done this before. It was great fun and, while I only managed to just cover my costs in sales, it was a very worthwhile experience as I met some great people and did learn a lot. If they do another one this year, I hope to go back.

For 2013, I planned to do more shows to help move my business forward. And this past week I signed up for 3 upcoming shows!

The first one is the Big On Bloor show in Toronto. On July 20th and 21st, Bloor St. will be closed down from Dufferin to Lansdowne for a festival! John and I have gone a couple of times in the past to see some of the vendors and wander down the street. Since it takes place so close to us, it would be a shame not to participate. So I have signed up and now have a few weeks to get ready for that show!

The second application is for a juried show in October. Made By Hand is a show that takes place at the International Centre in Mississauga. They showcase and promote Canadian artists, artisans and designers. You do have to submit an application for them to review and then accept (hopefully!). The application is in. The deadline isn’t until August 15th so I have a bit of a wait to find out about that one. But fingers are crossed.

My third hoped for show is the Yuletide Fare in Brockville at the end of November. It looks like my schedule will allow me the time to participate and I plan to book a table as soon as they start booking. This is my hometown and the show is held at my old church. When I was growing up it was called Craft Showcase. I bought many of my parents Christmas presents there! Here’s hoping there are more kids like me there this November looking for gift ideas for their family members.

I love these kind of shows. At least I do as a buyer. It is definitely a different experience as a seller! But hopefully at least most of that experience will be fun. For now it is down to the hard work part – making product so that I’m not in danger of running out of something that someone wants and promoting my participation in the shows so I can get all of you out to be the buyers!