Aloe Vera in Organic Beauty Care

Aloe Vera is one of the oldest medicinal plants, going as far back as 3500 years ago in Egypt and Sumatra. It is curiously made of 96% water and 4% compounds that give it its renowned medical, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, healing and immune boosting properties.  Due to unique compositions and high water content Aloe Vera absorbs into skin four times faster than water, which make this little plant great natural bath and beauty product ingredient and carrier medium. Used alone of combined with other ingredients Aloe Vera is known to increase collagen production, rejuvenate skin, combat pimples, heal eczema and slow down skin ageing process.

Fairly easy to handle Aloe Vera can be used in variety of organic bath and beauty applications such as creams, shower gels, lip balms and yes even anti ageing products.

Try this simple Aloe Vera balm receipt to soothe chapped, irritated lips:

2 tablespoons organic or natural Aloe Vera gel

3 drops organic lavender essential oil

½ teaspoon organic almond oil

½ teaspoon organic glycerin

Heat almond oil, lavender essential oil and glycerin until warm and mix well. Add Aloe Vera and mix well until fully blended. Let cool off then transfer into clean glass container. Use ready lip balm on chapped lips as needed. Store remaining mix into fridge for up to four weeks.

For more great recipes, visit Nina Bella Collection weekly.

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Aroma Mist – Healthy Home and Body Scent

You do not have to use industrial air fresheners to keep your home smelling nice. Organic aroma misters are healthy and affordable alternative. Instead of heavy chemicals, aroma misters contain only organic alcohol, water and organic essential oils balanced in a way that is not harmful to your health. Water is a perfect way to make your aroma mist light and pure. What you want to be using is distilled water that does not have heavy minerals. Organic alcohol is necessary to eliminate odor causing germs. Any clear organic alcohol will do. Organic essential oils will add a nice crisp scent that will not irritate respiratory system. Any organic essential oils such as lavender, peppermint, spearmint, rose, tangerine, sweet orange, chamomile will work. You can use them alone or create your own blend to spice things up.

Ingredients:

½ cup distilled water

½ cup clear organic alcohol

20 drops organic essential oil

Mix water and organic alcohol well. Add organic essential oil and mix well. Pour into amber or cobalt blue misting bottle and cap well. Shake well before using. To use spray on the bathroom, in the linen close, in the car, in the living room and wherever you want a nice natural scent. Avoid direct contact with sensitive and colored fabrics as alcohol may fade the colors. Avoid getting any spray in your eyes and this goes without saying – do not spray directly on skin, children or pets. Keep aroma mist in cool dark place between uses.

For more great ideas, check out new Nina Bella Collection organic aroma mists and body sprays upcoming in May 2012.

Why You Need to Avoid Industrial Air Fresheners

We all want a nice smelling house and we all have different strategies to keep it that way. Most common impulse is to reach for common industrial air fresheners. They are a cheap choice– but they are definitely not a healthy choice. Have you ever wondered – what is the price you really pay for using common industrial air-fresher?

Neither the FDA nor the EPA conducts any safety testing for toxic chemicals in air freshener products. Due to lack of FDA regulation 9 out of 10 air- fresheners, including green air fresheners, contain toxic chemicals harmful for health that can cause caner, respiratory diseases, asthma, organ and skin disease. These chemicals are phthalates, fragrance oils, acetaldehydes, acetone, ethanol, benzaldehyde, isopropyl alcohol, alpha-Pinene, Benzyl acetate, ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate (1-butanol- 3-methyl-, acetate), O, M, OR P-cymene, limonene and Linalool.

Phthalates, the most common ingredient found in virtually all air freshener are known to cause reproductive problems and hormone disruptions. Perfume oils, the next favorite are know respiratory, skin an organ irritants. Acetaldehyde and acetone are both cardiovascular/blood toxicants, gastrointestinal/liver/kidney toxicants, neurotoxicants, respiratory toxicants, skin and sensory organ toxicants. Ethanol is carcinogen, cardiovascular/ blood toxicant, developmental toxicant, endocrine toxicant, gastrointestinal/liver toxicant, neurotoxicant, reproductive toxicant, respiratory toxicant and skin/sensory organ toxicant. Benzaldehyde, is gastrointestinal/liver/kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant, respiratory toxicant, skin or sensory organ toxicant. Isopropyl alcohol, common rubbing alcohol, turns mean when vaporized in air freshener and has been classified as cardiovascular/blood toxicant, developmental toxicant, gastrointestinal/liver/kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant, respiratory toxicant and skin/sensory organ toxicant. Alpha-Pinene, a cute name for nasty chemical is suspected neurotoxicant, respiratory toxicant, and skin/sensory organ toxicant. Benzyl acetate is a suspected gastrointestinal/liver/kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant and respiratory toxicant. Ethyl Acetate is a suspected neurotoxicant, respiratory toxicant, skin and sensory organ toxicant. The name will not tell you much but the side –effects will – isoamyl acetate (1-butanol- 3-methyl-, acetate) is suspected neurotoxicant. O, M, OR P-cymene, has an exotic name but will not treat you kindly- it its suspected cardiovascular/blood toxicant, neurotoxicant and respiratory toxicant. Limonene and linalool complete the picture as respiratory and skin toxicant.

So you definitely want to think twice before being exposed to that. Or you can avoid risk at all and go for organic aroma misters instead. Instead of harmful chemicals, aroma misters contain organic alcohol, water and organic essential oils balanced in a way that is not harmful to you. They are organic product manufacturer response to responsible product crafting. For more on organic aroma misters, check back with Nina Bella Collection Blog.

Palm Oil in Organic Skin Care

Palm oil, a popular cooking medium has been working the scene for centuries making slow but sure breakthrough in organic skin care. In equal parts affordable and beneficial, palm oil is more often than not one of the most common organic bath and beauty products ingredients.

Hailing from West Africa, palm oil has been transported to Europe and reminder of the world in 19^th century. As the name indicates, palm oil is derived from the fruits of palm trees. It is a great source of beta carotene which gives it its naturally dark orange to reddish color. Chemically, palm oil is composed of saturated and unsaturated fats in the forms of glyceryl laurate (0.1%, saturated), myristate (1%, saturated), palmitate (44%, saturated), stearate (5%, saturated), oleate (39%, monounsaturated), linoleate (10%, polyunsaturated), and alpha-linolenate (0.3%, polyunsaturated), vitamins and antioxidants. Because of high saturated fat content, palm oil is quite stable, slow to oxidize and semi-solid at room temperature.

This means that palm oil is an ideal ingredient to work with in organic skin care. From soap making, to shampoo crafting, to shower gels and bubble baths, to moisturizing lotions to body butters, palm oil seems to have almost limitless number of applications. Its ability to clarify, remove excess sebrum and dirt from hair and skin mean it is great for organic bath products. Palm oil is very easy saponify and is a great organic soap starter. Its ability to moisturize and nourish, mean making a nice moisturizer, cream of a lotion is as easy as adding good quality palm oil to your formula.

As always in organic skin care you want to make sure you use quality palm oil. So stay away from chemically extracted, perfumed and bleached oil- it has a cheaper price tag but it also has significantly lower quality. When it comes to your skin it is worth it to pay a bit more to get cold pressed hand processed palm oil. Make sure your label backups up the promise. Organic. Pure. Green. Nutritious. Honest. This is what makes organic bath and beauty manufacturing different.

For more on products that use only certified organic ingredient visit Nina Bella Organic Collection.

Organic Oils for Colored Hair

Coloring hair is a quick and great way to change your image and have fun doing it. What you will not have fun with is dryness, split ends and color fading that comes with territory. The natural inclination is to turn to more hair dying, highlights and more chemical treatments in order to cover up instead of solving the problem. Bottom line is once you color your hair you will have to follow a simple rule to keep it healthy and that is: nourish, moisturize and trim. A good trim every four weeks will keep dry and split ends at bay while maintaining your style. Use organic shampoos with gentle foaming agents will clean and hydrate colored hair, and not strip it of moisture like regular shampoos will. And finally take time to nourish your hair using simple but powerful organic ingredients – organic oils. Educated mix of organic oils will nourish the hair follicle and all three layers of your hair shaft- the top layer, called cuticle, the middle layer, called cortex and the innermost layer, called medulla. This will make your hair stronger and more resistant everyday damage.

Here is a starter organic oil nourishing treatment for colored hair:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons organic olive oil
2 tablespoons organic pomegranate seed oil
1 teaspoon organic wheat germ oil

Mix olive oil, pomegranate seed oil and wheat germ oil together. Heat the oils mix in double boiler until warm and mix for 5 minutes. Let cool off. Use general portion of ready mix to hair and let stand one hour. Rinse well, shampoo as needed and follow up with your regular hair care routing. For best results repeat every two weeks. Transfer unused mix in sterilized bottle and cap tightly. Keep refrigerated for up to four weeks.

And visit Nina Bella Collection for your organic shampoo that will help you round off your colored hair treatment. Enjoy!!