Supernatural Botanicals

It’s Here! Our New Mama Collection

It’s finally here!  Our much-anticipated Supernatural Botanicals Mama Collection skincare line for expectant mommies (and anyone else who likes to pamper their skin.) 

Check it out here.

Sneak Peek at our new Mama Collection

Here’s a sneak peek at one of our two new skincare lines, the Mama Collection, for expectant mommies.  The collection contains bath salts & foot soak, body and belly butter, body and belly oil, face and body spritzer, and all natural powder.  The packaging is gorgeous.  And it’s even great for non-expectant mommies, too!  This collection will be available at www.SupernaturalBotanicals.comin the next day.  Stay tuned for our Supernatural Baby Collection next….it’s adorable. 

Join Us Today on Blog Talk Radio

Join us today on Blog Talk Radio with Girlfriendology at 2:00 EST to listen in to our girlfriend chat.  Debba Haupert, founder of Girlfriendology.com, will be hosting.  You can call in and chat with us.  Follow the link below.  Talk to you soon!

Girlfriendology BlogTalkRadio show – http://blogtalkradio.com/girlfriendology

or call in (347) 426-3761.

Five Natural Facial Remedies for Your Beauty Regime

Today’s blog post is courtesy of our friends across the pond in London at the Natural Curtain Company.  They, like us, believe in living a sustainable, Green lifestyle.  We love that we can connect globally, entire countries apart, yet for the same cause…treading lightly on the planet and treating the environment with loving care. 

Guest post contributed by natural product enthusiasts, the Natural Curtain Company.

Although cosmetic companies are very busy convincing you that their products are the key to maintaining healthy, bright skin, you might be surprised to learn that there are many simple natural remedies that you can use out of items in your kitchen or garden to maintain a glowing complexion.

1.  Tea Bags

(Credit: Adermark)

Black tea has diuretic tendencies, which means when drunk they tend to “squeeze-out” liquid from cell membranes so that can flush out toxins and eliminate them from the body when you urinate.  The same principle can be used to combat “bags under the eyes” by simply applying a damp tea bag on both the eyes while laying quietly with your eyes closed.  The tea bags will draw out the excess water build-up that causes the delicate issues around the eyes to appear swollen and dark.

2.  Oatmeal

(Credit: Wallis)

For beautifully refreshing and exfoliating facial cleanser, cook up a batch of a regular, unflavored oatmeal and allow it to cool.  While standing over the sink, use a handful of the oatmeal to scrub your face, particularly and the oily patches around your nose and forehead.  Be gentle when scrubbing the eyes, this delicate skin is easily damaged, but the rest of the face can benefit from a vigorous scrub.

3.  Witch Hazel

(Credit: Crossthwaite)

Although the actual name comes from the old English word “wice,” which means pliant or bendable, it became associated with witches is because the branches of this plant were often used for divining rods.  The bark and leaves from this plant make an excellent astringent that gently removes oil and helps to shrink and contract the blood vessels back to their normal size.  It is ideal for combating — and preventing — pimples and blackheads. Witch Hazel astringent is available for very low cost at most health food stores and pharmacies, and to boost its healing properties you can chill the Witch Hazel before applying.

4.  Aloe Vera

(Credit: Geist)

This succulent plant contains a thick, gooey substance inside its broad leaves that has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes.  In its natural form that promotes healing and has antibacterial and antifungal properties, which make it ideal for treating minor skin infections.  It is also excellent for sunburns because of its moisturizing tenancies.  Regular use of aloe vera keeps a skin supple and helps prevent the build-up of bacteria that can cause skin infections. 

5.  Baking Soda, Vinegar and Salt

(Credit: Mullen)

This powerful combination of simple ingredients can be made into a paste to scrub your face and remove impurities, exfoliate skin cells and remove oil.  Combine the three into a simple paste and use it as a daily scrub or you can use each one separately.  Baking soda alone makes a wonderful tooth-whitener, vinegar is an excellent a stringent — especially when you have been sweating profusely — and salt can be added to a basin full of water and splashed on the face to stimulate healthy circulation, but be sure to keep your eyes closed tight.

Are You Recycling Yet?

Did you know that 84% of all household waste can be recycled?  Recycling is one of the easiest ways to go Green, yet makes a monumental impact to the environment.  At a bare minimum, everyone should be recycling.  Take care of the waste you create.  Be eco-responsible.

Why Phthalates Should Be Avoided

Phthalates are used to enhance fragrance or make it last longer. They are commonly found in perfumes, fragrance, hair products, deodorants, body lotions and nail polish. Unfortunately they are NOT required to be listed on labels as they are classified as proprietary. This is a cause for concern as consumers have no real way of knowing which products contain them. In order to be a savvy consumer avoid products that claim an ingredient as ‘fragrance’ or ‘perfume’. They are believed to cause cancer, disrupt DNA and have been linked to birth defects.  Always read your labels and use products that are phthalate-free.

Plastic Bags Are Not Biodegradable

Plastic bags are not biodegradable. Even if they say they are, they do not decompose fully. Also the ink is made up of cadmium, and is highly toxic when it is released. Whereas paper bags are reusable and biodegradable. If your purchase is small don’t take any bag, this alone could save hundreds of millions of bags. Bring a cloth bag when you shop, or use string bags.

Cincy Chic Features Supernatural Botanicals

She makes healthy beauty products for a living, and for fun, she discusses “all things girly” on her blog. Read all about it and see how you can join in on the fun.

Two years ago, Robin Feltner launched both her blog and her all-natural bath and body company, Supernatural Botanicals. The blog was intended to be an extension of the business, but in many ways, her business is now an extension of the blog.  

“I started the blog to keep women, primarily, informed and up to date on the latest trends and information in beauty [and] health,” Feltner says. “But soon thereafter, [it] took on a life of its own.”

Since its launch, the blog has opened doors to new customers, business opportunities and higher search engine rankings. More recently, it’s given Feltner the chance to meet several big stars like Diane Keaton, Valerie Bertinelli, Patricia Heaton, Ann Compton, Helen Hunt and Tony Bourdain.

The blog initially served as an open forum for people to share their insights on her products, ideas and the emerging eco-friendly industry. The blog helps Feltner gain candid insight from customers and readers that she didn’t have access to otherwise, she says. “Anonymous comments can be brutally harsh at times, but it’s exactly what I was looking for,” she says. “I wanted an open dialog where they could express and/or request anything they wanted.”

The blog’s tag-line is “Discussions on All Things Girly,” which offers Feltner — and her readers — a wondrously wide range of topics from which to choose. Typically, you’ll find blog posts with beauty, fitness and eco-living topics, but occasionally you’ll find something else that strikes Feltner’s fancy.

“I’m passionate about being ‘green,’ so that crosses over into my writing quite a bit,” she says. “Beauty and fitness is a given on a girly blog, but interior design and events in Cincinnati have certainly had their share of time in the spotlight on my blog as well.”

Some of her favorite blog posts include: 

• “Thoughts on Business Casual”
• “For the Love of Vintage”
• “Diane Keaton in Cincinnati”

These popular topics drew a crowd, and even attracted the attention of the Smart Talk series organizers. They contacted Feltner two seasons ago to represent Cincinnati as their ambassador for their Connected Conversations series. “It’s been amazing,” she says. “And I have met some of the most incredible people in the process” — Keaton, Bertinelli, Heaton, Compton and Hunt, just to name a few.

 But the star power didn’t stop there. Another group found Feltner’s blog and asked her to represent Cincinnati bloggers at the recent Tony Bourdain speaking engagement.

But the big question: Has the blog beefed up her bottom line? The answer is yes, Feltner says. “The blog has helped me reach a greater customer base,” she says. “If you are doing a random search on eco bath and body in Cincinnati, you’ll most certainly find my blog amongst the top Google searches.” A successful, updated blog is a powerful PR tool and her blog is a big reason why Google goes ga-ga for her business, she says.

The blog also helps to add value to her current customers because it invites readers into her life. “I have found that readers enjoy the experience of stepping into my workshop or kitchen to see what I’m doing via pictures I post on my blog,” she says. “I find blogging a unique way to get personal with my customers and readers. It’s important for me to interact with the readers so I can be specific about giving them exactly what they want.”

She doesn’t just interact on her own blog, though. Feltner is a self-proclaimed advocate for reading others’ blogs, too. “Being ultra-connected to each other is an advantage that we’ve never had in the past, and is especially beneficial for business owners,” she says. “Although my personal interests span from green global issues to lipsticks, I do tend to visit particular blogs regularly.”

She says she adores SavortheSuccess.com, a Web site for women entrepreneurs that offers insight into what’s working (and not working) for other women in business. Another favorite of hers is Pink Magazine, which provides inspiration and tools for women in business. She also gives props to her friend Julia’s blog, Hooked On Houses, which covers her love of houses and interiors.

In addition, Feltner belongs to a local group called Cincinnati Women Bloggers. “We are a successful group of women bloggers in the Cincinnati area, and that Web site is an incredible resource to find blogs on all things local, as blog topics vary vastly,” she says.

Last but not least (at least we don’t think so), Feltner shows some chic love. “When I want to know what’s going on in the city, Cincy Chic is positively my first stop,” she says. “I have always found that if it’s worth being known, Cincy Chic knows about it and I’ve attended many local events after learning about them on Cincy Chic.”

Visit Cincy Chic  for the article. 

PHOTO CREDITS
Photographer: Neysa Ruhl
Model: Robin Feltner
Location: Lofts@4120

Organic Baby

Punky Brewster, aka, Soleil Moon Frye had a baby and then became obsessed with giving that baby the very best in the very purest form.  You know the story…if you have a child, you can relate.  But Soleil did something about it.  Soleil, along with Paige Goldberg-Tolmach, created The Little Seed. 

The Little Seed is a children’s specialty boutique carrying eco-friendly and organic products and is located in the hip, urban enclave of Larchmont Village in Los Angeles. 

The store stocks sustainable versions of everything baby needs, from clothing and body care to toys and gifts, and now the products will be available to moms who live outside L.A. through a partnership between the store owners and Target.  The brightly colored clothes, booties, hats, and blankets, which are made of 100% organic cotton, will be introduced in stores this Sunday.

Aphrodisiac Aroma

A study from the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago found that the scent of orange based fragrances increases male arousal by 20 percent. 

Try Supernatural Botanicals Organic Orange Spa Soap.  The fresh-fruit smell is absolutely amazing in the shower and as a facial wash…and now latest research shows that you’ll arouse 20 percent more men when you use it.  Bonus!  What’s not to love about that?