Perfume Info & Rose Water Perfume recipe

“The world's oldest known perfumes have been found on the island reputed to be the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, lust, and beauty, Italian archaeologists announced last week.”

John Roach
for National Geographic News

March 29, 2007

The article goes on to say that these perfumes, stored in clay jugs, contained extracts of anise, pine, coriander, bergamot, almond, and parsley are among the ingredients the ancient perfume-makers preferred.  The herbs were ground up and mixed with olive oil.  Also mentioned is the fact that we have lost the real world of natural fragrances, as most perfumes today are made with chemical / synthetic reproductions of natural fragrances and scents.

Fundamentally perfumes are made with specially blended essential oils of top notes, middle notes and base notes, to give an over all scent that is appealing – each perfume different from the next.

Top notes are the scents you smell immediately upon application.  Top notes tend to be earthy, floral, fresh and fruity.

Middle notes begin to appear just as the top notes are fading. Middle notes tend to be rich, heady, green in character, musty.

Base notes bring depth to the perfume and are the scents that last the longest.  Base notes tend to be spicy, warm, woody, sweet.

For example Dolce & Gabbana perfume has the following scents:

Top: Petitgrain, tangerine, basil, ivy, freesia, aldehydes.

Middle: rose, orange flower, jasmine, carnation, lily of the valley, marigold, cilantro.

Base: sandalwood, vanilla, tonka, musk.

* * Some truths about perfume: some fragrances contain animal hormones and many perfumes contain musk from anal glands of deers, and synthetic hormone-like ingredients called phthalates, and parabens, as well as a long list of other 'secret' ingredients. In fact, perfumes and fragrances are top secret and ingredients don’t need to be disclosed. Who really knows what we are applying to our skin? * *

There are also floral water perfumes such as rose water.  My son likes to make perfumes by soaking scented rose petals or daisies in water – a budding little alchemist.

If you’re wanting to make some natural perfumes yourself, perfumes that don’t contain chemicals or synthetically derived ingredients (including parabens) try these recipes:

Floral Water Perfume

·         1 tablespoon fresh rose petals

·         1 tablespoon fresh lavender flowers

·         zest of lemon

·         ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary

·         1/s tablespoon fresh peppermint

·         2 cups water

·         1 cup vodka (to preserve and draw out the fragrance of herbs)

Place water in a pan.  Add rose, lavender, lemon zest, rosemary and peppermint to water.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Do not bring to boil.  Allow to cool completely before adding the vodka.  Pour contents into an airtight jar and stand jar in a cool dry place for 2 weeks.  After 2 weeks strain the liquid into a spray bottle, discarding all solids, ready for use as a perfume or room deodoriser.

Rosewater Perfume

·         50ml glass bottle

·         10ml vodka

·         40ml rosewater (or plain water if you don’t have rosewater)

·         8 drops bergamot EO

·         4 drops geranium EO

·         2 drops patchouli EO

Place all ingredients in a 50ml glass jar and leave to sit up opened for two weeks.  Shaking contents daily.  After two weeks, pour perfume into another container, rinse your 50ml glass jar and allow to dry.  Then filter the liquid back into the glass jar with a coffee filter.

The alcohol acts as a preservative and has the ability to stabilise ingredients and enhance fragrance and scent.  It can be omitted if you prefer, though this may affect the shelf life and scent of your home made perfume.

  

Herbal Shampoo Bar

Regular shampoos and conditioners leave product in your hair, coating your hair, and this product can build up over time.  You may have been to the hairdressers to get your hair coloured or permed and may have been asked if you use particular brands of shampoo.  This is because hairdressers know that certain brands leave product in your hair that can affect colouring and styling.

JOLI Herbal Shampoo Bar

Herbal Shampoo Bar is a natural alternative to mainstream shampoo and in most cases does not require conditioning afterward.  If you should require conditioner see below Leave-in Hair Detangler recipe.

The benefits to using Herbal Shampoo Bars instead of mainstream shampoos and conditioners, is that you get to alleviate all the product build up in your hair, in fact the shampoo bar helps break down current product build up on your hair leaving your hair and scalp free of build up.

After years of using mainstream shampoos, your scalp and hair may require from 3 to 7 days or more before adjusting to he natural formulation of  Herbal Shampoo Bars. If your hair should appear greasier, flatter or feel heavier after the first few washes this is normal. This is a good indication the shampoo bar is dissolving the build up left in your hair from use of mainstream shampoos. These symptoms will gradually disappear until your hair appears more voluminous and free of build up.
You will notice this does NOT occur with children who do not have the same amount of product build up in their hair.


[vegan] - scented with essential oils

DIY Recipe

Leave in Hair Detangler

·         50ml spritz bottle.

·         ½ - 1 teaspoon Rich Cream Moisturiser

·         water.

Place moisturiser in the spritz bottle and fill with water (leaving room to shake contents).  Shake contents thoroughly daily until cream amalgamates completely with water.  Spritz onto tangles and comb knots out.  Shake well before use.

  

Sugar Babe + Pomegranate Body Scrub recipe

How good is sugar for you?  I’d love to say sugar is the cure all for all that ails you.  Though the truth is more likely sugar is the cause of all that ails you.

Once upon a time manufacturers realized if they added sugar to a product (bread, pizza, cereal, sauces, fruit and soft drinks, milk, take away food, etc.) they sold more product and made more profit.  Hey presto!  Over night sensation.  And they all lived sadly ever after.

Sugar is one of the most damaging things we consume and the level at which we consume sugar has risen by 400% since the 1800s.

Our livers cannot process the amount of sugar we are consuming in any one sitting.  This creates psoriasis of the liver - scar tissue that reduces the ability of the liver to work properly.  And of course causes us to gain weight since our bodies cannot process all that sugar.  Not to mention what sugar is doing to our and our children’s teeth.  Studies have shown that eating sugar also causes us to want to eat more.

 

However this is a beauty blog  and you’re probably wondering what has sugar got to do with beauty?

Well… now that you ask ...

That mumbo jumbo guru term we all hear but don't really understand... Free radicals.  When cells get energy from mixing glucose with oxygen (oxidation) this creates atoms called free radicals. Free radicals damage our DNA and skin cells.  Your body then tries to replace these damaged skin cells with healthy skin cells.  The more sugar in your diet the more your skin cells are damaged and the harder your body has to work at replacing them.  Our bodies can only work so hard to replace these damaged skin cells.  After a while you start to notice premature ageing as these free radicals continue to attack your skin cells.

An example of oxidation is watching an apple, a banana, an avocado or potato change colour when exposed to the air. Oxidation is defined as the loss of at least one electron when two or more substances interact.  Emphasis on the word “loss”.

Picturing the fruit changing colour… imagine what sugar in your blood stream is doing to your body and your skin.

Look younger by eating less sugar or try to go sugar free as much as you can.

In fact the best thing you can do with your sugar is make some Orange Coffee Body Scrub or Pomegranate Scrub for your body.  You can use this scrub on cellulite and dry skin to exfoliate and promote blood flow to specific areas of your body.

An interesting note: your body cannot turn fat into fat without sugar.

 

Pomegranate Body Scrub

·         1 table spoon fresh whole pomegranate seeds

·         1 table spoon raw sugar

·         ¼ teaspoon olive oil

·         2 drops vanilla essence or extract

Mix all ingredients in a small dish until ingredients are coated thoroughly in olive oil.  You will notice straight away how yummy the scrub smells.  Makes enough for one immediate application to thighs, buttocks, tummy and legs in shower or bath.  If you would like to make more double or triple the quantities and store in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 month.

  

Bubble Baths and Urinary Tract Infections

When I was in my late teens I loved having decadent bubble baths every other day.  I would pour the bubble bath lotion in creating loads of fluffy white bubbles, add a dash of baby oil (made with mineral oil) or one of those little round scented balls where the skin would melt away and the scented oil would ooze out into the water, moisturising my skin and making me smell nice while I soaked.  (Or so I thought.)

I would soak in my bath while listening to my Taylor Dayne album, singing my guts out.  When the album was finished I dragged myself out of my enjoyable bath, all pruned and relaxed and smelling good.

I kept getting urinary tract infections one after the other after the other.  Finishing my course of antibiotics only to get yet another bout of UTI.  Again!  After so many infections and loads of pain and discomfort later when I next visited the doctor I asked him why I was getting reoccurring infections.  He asked me if I was having baths or showers.  Baths.  Was I using any products in the bath?  Yes, I tell him, and proudly list my vast collection of bath goodies.  He told me to stop using the bubble bath and lotions and potions in the bath.  I didn’t stop altogether, though I did start having baths less often.

So what did this doctor know that I didn’t know?

Turns out that many experts are all too aware that the ingredients and chemicals used in bubble baths and other bath products are known to cause urinary tract infections.  Manufacturers are even starting to put warning labels on some bubble and bath products stating: “avoid prolonged exposure, may cause urinary tract infection”.
Horrifying isn’t it!  Even more horrifying when you consider we use these products on our babies and children.

JOLI Bubble Bath Crumble Bar

Does this mean never enjoying another bubble bath as long as I live?

No, not quite, so don't despair.

  

* Use your bubble bath lotions and potions sparingly and don’t remain in the bath for too long – particularly with children and babies (i.e. more than 10mins)

* Instead of adding bubbles to your bath opt for some natural bath melts, milks or bath salts, bath bombs or even a dash of natural massage oil to perfume the water and your body.

* Use a bubble bath that is SLES, propylene glycol and paraben free.  This may not bubble as profusely as its SLES cousin, however, it cuts down on the amount of potentially UTI causing chemicals you and your children are exposed to.

* Avoid bath products made with mineral oils.

* Add a sachet of rose and/or lavender petals to the warm bath water.

* Wash your children using natural soaps and nothing else.  If they must have some bath time fun invest in natural skin care to look after their gentle skin.

  

Getting use to Skin Care without Chemicals

The modern day skin care on offer today brings us a number of “you-beaut-and-wonderful” properties we consumers have grown very accustomed to.  We weren’t aware that we were becoming accustomed to certain types of results and we weren’t aware that these types of results were at the expense of new chemicals (quietly) being added to our skin care.

For example:

·         Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) suddenly appear in our cleansing products unbeknown to us: our bubble bath, soaps, facial cleansers, dish liquid and washing detergents suddenly have super amazing bubble power. Wow!

·         Mineral oil / petroleum appear in our cosmetic and beauty products and leave us feeling like our skin is being protected from the elements – while in reality it is coating our skin with an impenetrable layer of oil, clogging pores and interfering with skin’s ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and eczema and resulting in premature ageing.

·         Triclosan is now in hand cleansers to kill off  99.9% of germs before they kill us.

When we are first given an all natural product to use that does not contain these chemicals we are so used to loads and loads of bubbles, mineral oil coated skin and death to ALL germs that we think the ‘natural’ alternative doesn’t work as well because it doesn’t offer the same properties.

Use a natural soap bar without SLES / SLS and we’re left thinking “This isn’t bubbling up enough”.  Use a natural moisturiser that doesn’t contain mineral oil and we’re left thinking “It’s not coating the surface of my skin protecting me from the elements and it doesn’t last me 20 years”.

The truth is a soap free from SLES that doesn’t bubble up wildly still works equally as well as its chemical counterpart and is all the better for you because SLES is a known skin irritant that contributes to eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.  Your skin still comes out squeaky clean when using a natural soap regardless of the amount of bubbles produced.

Shaving cream that doesn’t contain chemical propellants and foaming agents may not be as frothy or expanding, however a traditional shaving cream made with traditional ingredients is considerably better for your skin.  It doesn’t clog pores or contain chemicals that irritate the skin and when you wash it down the drain it won’t wreck and ravage the environment.

Moisturisers that contain natural oils instead of mineral oil are far better for your skin as they’re less likely to clog pores.  Also the natural oils they contain seep into your skin hydrating your skin from within.  Moisturisers that don’t contain chemical preservatives may not sit on your bathroom bench for the next 10 to 20 years – and nor should they.  Keep in mind that numerous moisturisers are made with mineral oil and mineral oil takes a very, very long time to break down, which is why the moisturiser can last for a very long time.  Mineral oil draws moisturiser out of your skin leaving your skin looking older.

Moisturisers are made to be used regularly, daily, and ideally should be used within 12months - and disgarded if not being used regularly.   

There are some wonderful natural preservatives, which JOLI uses, (certain essential oils have great preservative properties) to preserve your skin care for the duration it was intended to be used without causing toxins to build up within your body.

Next time you use natural skin care and wonder about how it compares to mainstream skin care, just remember skin care without all the chemicals works equally well, if not better, than skin care containing chemical additives.  After a while you and your skin will become accustomed to the new feel of natural skin care, your skin will look and feel better and you will wonder why you ever thought over-the-counter skin care was good.  Once accustomed to natural skin care it will be hard to go back.

ONE of the main benefits to using JOLI Natural Skin Care with its lack of chemical additives, is it is especially beneficial for Sensitive Skin.

  

Chemicals in Skin Care

The very reason we do what we do at JOLI. 

When we talk about chemical free skin care there are often others out there who comment: “Chemical free skin care is impossible because everything is a chemical”.  So let us clarify, yes water is a chemical H2O, as is Olive oil - composed of mixed triglyceride esters of oleic acid and palmitic acid and of other fatty acids, along with traces of squalene (up to 0.7%) and sterols (about 0.2% phytosterol and tocosterols).  These are not the type of chemicals we are referring to.

When we say “chemicals in skin care” we are referring to the 1000+ synthetic, man made, hazardous, know skin irritant, toxic and even lethal chemicals used in modern day skin care.  And many more are being introduced every year.  (I should point out that only about 10 of these 1000+ chemicals are used in European skin care because the laws are more strict in European countries.  Must of the skin care we are using in Australia today is banned in Europe due to all the additional chemical additives.)  Chemicals such as the following (also known as the Dirty Dozen):

1. Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol

2. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)

3. DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolaniine) and TEA (triethanolamine)

4. Sodium Hydroxide

5. Triclosan

6. DMDM & Urea (Imidazolidinyl)

7. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG), PEG-100 Stearate

8. Liutane or Propane: Alcohol

9. Isopropyl (SD-40)

10. Mineral Oil

11. FD&C Color Pigments

12. Fragrances

But it doesn’t stop there.  There are so many more chemicals you need to keep an eye out for.  Here is a more comprehensive list.  Now I know people don’t enjoy the idea of reading through all their skin care products looking for these long winded words that appear on the labels.  None the less it is a very worth while thing to be doing – particularly for your baby’s and children’s personal skin care products.

1. AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) the skin is exfoliated chemically (via acid) instead of mechanically via abrasion, dries and increases skin aging.

2. Acetamide MEA

3. Acetone

4. Alkyl-phenol-ethoxylades

5. Ammonium laureth sulphate

6. Aluminum, i.e. Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate

7. Alcohol

8. a-Pinene

9. a-Terpineol

10. Bentonite

11. Benzaldehyde

12. Benzene

13. Benzyl acetate

14. Benzyl alcohol

15. Benzyl violet

16. Camphor

16a. Coal Tar derivatives many kinds of shampoo designed to treat dandruff and flaky scalp contain it. Disguised with names such as FD, FDC or DF&C colour.

17. Cocamide DEA

18. Cocomidopropyl Betaine

19. Carboner 9ds34, 940, 941, 960, 961C

20. DEA (Diethanolamine)

21. Dibutyl phthalate

22. Dimethylamine

23. Dioform many toothpastes and other tooth whiteners contain it, damages your teeth enamel and weakening their protective shell.

24. Dioxane also called 1,4 Dioxane.

25. Disodium EDTA

26. Hydantoin DMDM causes dermatitis.

27. Elastin supposed stop improve the elasticity of the skin when applied topically, but there is no proof it's true.

28. Ethanol On EPA hazardous waste list.

29. Ethyl acetate

30. Ethylacrylate

31. FDC-n (FD&C)

32. Fluoride

33. Formaldehyde sometimes hidden under the name DMDM hydantoin or MDM hydantoin, trade name is formalin. Released by diazolidinyl urea.

34. g-Terpinene

35. Imidazolidinyl Urea

36. Lauramide DEA

37. Lead Acetate

38. Limonene

39. Linalool

40. Mercury

41. Methylene chloride

42. Mineral oil petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging up pores, interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne, eczema, resulting in premature aging, can be absorbed through skin contact.

43. Mono sodium glutamate (MSG)

44. Nitrosamine

45. Parabens trade names are benzyl, butyl, ethyl, isopropyl, methyl, propyl (alkyl-p-hydroxybenzoates).

46. Para-phenylenediamine (also tetrathydro-6-nitroquinoxaline).

47. PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid) mainly used in commercial sunscreens.

48. Phenylphenol banned in Europe.

49. Phenoxyethanol

50. Phosphoric acid

51. Phthalates

52. Petroleum distillates

53. Polysorbate-n (20-85) can cause contact sensitivity and skin irritation

54. Polyquaternium

55. Potassium dichromate

56. Propylene glycol one of the most widely used chemicals used in cosmetics and personal care products. 

57. Selenium Sulfide

58. Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS)

59. Sodium laureth sulphate (SLES)

60. Sodium PCA (na-pca) PCA = pyrrolidone carboxylic acid.

61. Sodium Cyanide also known as sodium slat of hydrodyamic and cyanogran.

62. Sodium oleth sulphate

63. Styrene monomer

64. Talc

65. Toluene

66. Triethanolamine (TEA)

67. Triclosan an antimicrobial

These are just a few of the 1000+ chemicals in use today - the mind boggles.

Chemical List sourced from "here"