These soothing lotions from Acure Organics will nourish your skin and leave you feeling smooth and hydrated all summer long. They are free of parabens and sulfates, cruelty-free, and contain no synthetic fragrances. Each of these lotions contains Acure’s Certified Organic Curoxidant Juice Blend as a base. It’s packed with organic Acai, organic Pomegranate, organic Blackberry, organic Rosehips, and organic Rooibos to create one of the most potent antioxidant blends available for your skin.

There are two lovely lotions to choose from:

The Firming Lotion has a slight lemongrass aroma and is made with firming organic argan oil. This lotion will leave your skin feeling nourished and stimulated.

The Ultra-Hydrating Lotion is made with organic cocoa butter. It is fragrance free and will leave your skin feeling smooth and satisfied.

Visit our Body Care page to see a full list of all the nourishing skincare goodies and accessories we have to offer!

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Our handcrafted Rose and Lemon Facial Washes are now Certified by Oregon Tilth, and have a gorgeous new look! These wonderfully gentle cleansers are certified as made with organic aloe vera and organic extracts, and the castille soap that we use is certified as made with organic oils.

These all natural botanical facial washes are mild enough for any skin type and lightly aromatic for a refreshingly clean experience. They make a wonderful body wash too! Our facial wash contains no synthetic ingredients, perfume oils, preservatives, or harmful chemicals, and we make them in small batches to ensure the highest quality for bathing bliss.

Visit our website for a complete list of ingredients!

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Here are some more body care goodies from our friends at Fawn Lily Botanica! Handcrafted in the Pacific Northwest, these artisan lip balms and bar soaps are made with luxurious organic oils and butters in small batches.

Extremely rich, creamy, conditioning and smooth, these botanical lip balms are a treat for the lips! Choose from 5 luscious botanical combinations in a 0.15oz tube…

3mint + cocoa
hibiscus + ginger + rosehip
spiced chai + coconut
nourishing herbal
lavender + meadowsweet

These artisan cold processed soaps are cleansing, yet gentle, soothing, nourishing, and moisturizing. They have a smooth and creamy lather which leaves skin feeling silky smooth and clean without being stripped, dry, itchy, or irritated. Choose from 5 botanical combinations in a 5oz bar…

lemongrass + matcha green tea
chai spice
ginger honey
woodland
soothing herbal

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Sandalwood essential oil is truly exotic. This pale yellow oil has soft, woody notes that are extremely tenacious and somewhat balsamic. It has a long history in religious ceremonies and rituals, and is prized worldwide for an intoxicating aroma found in the heartwood of the tree.

There are many sandalwood oils on the market, so which one should you use?

Indian Sandalwood, Santalum album, is traditionally the most widely used sandalwood oil. The popularity of this striking scent has sadly caused over-harvesting of the trees which are now a threatened species. Each tree needs to mature for at least 10 years before they start producing oil and then the whole tree is harvested for production, making it a very resource intensive product.

Australian Sandalwood, Santalum spicatum, is widely used by aromatherapists and perfumers as an ecologically responsible alternative to traditional Indian Sandalwood. It is very similar to Indian Sandalwood in aroma and constituents, and makes a wonderful substitute for any recipe that specifies Indian Sandalwood.

The Australian Sandalwood essential oil offered by Mountain Rose Herbs is Certified Organic, and is produced with sustainability in mind. For every tree that is harvested for production, 12 seeds are planted, and for every tonne of deadwood that is collected, 400 seeds are planted. The oil is also created using renewable energy and water recycling!

Click here to learn more about our wonderful Australian Sandalwood oil.

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The newest addition to our pet care line is here!

This Flea and Tick Treatment for Cats is a natural and botanical way to keep your feline friends tick and flea free and their skin and fur healthy. No harmful chemicals, no essential oils, and no water needed! Sprinkle a small amount of powder on your cat (or into your hands), gently massage into the fur and skin for deep penetration, then brush or rub with a dry cloth to remove any excess powder. It’s that simple!

Each resealable 8oz bag contains: Baking Soda/organic Corn Starch mix (food grade), Diatomaceous Earth (food grade), organic Oats, organic ground Flax seed, organic Catnip, organic Wheatgrass, organic Neem powder, organic Horsetail, and organic herbs mix.

Visit our website to see our full line of pet care products!

That’s one happy meow!

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We are excited to debut our new hydrosol packaging!

We now offer 3oz and 8oz hydrosols in amber glass bottles with mister tops. Our 16oz and 1 gallon bulk sizes are still available in plastic bottles with this newly designed label. They make wonderful body mists or toners, and can be used in your homemade skincare and cleaning recipes.

Hydrosols are also known as hydroflorates or distillates, and are produced by steam distilling plant material. They contain similar properties to their essential oil counterparts, but are less concentrated. In fact, hydrosols have less than 5% essential oil content.

The aroma of a hydrosol is mild and subtle, with some smelling more like the whole plant verses the flower used in distillation. This happens because hydrosols also contain the water soluble constituents of the plant material that are not found in essential oils.

Visit our website to see our full line of Certified Organic Hydrosols crafted by devoted distillers in small batches, or Click Here to learn more about hydrosols.

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Oooh! We have a new addition to our line of organic loose-leaf black teas that is truly intoxicating…

Our new organic Vanilla Black Tea is expertly handcrafted with our organic fair trade Assam tea from India, organic chrysanthemum flowers, gorgeous chunks of organic fair trade vanilla beans, and just a touch of organic vanilla flavoring. The crisp aroma and deeply floral flavor of this caffeinated tea is pure vanilla bliss. We’re so excited to debut it!

Visit our website to see our full line of loose-leaf black teas as well as many wonderful tools for your tea brewing needs.

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Let’s face it, essential oils are not cheap! They require a lot of plant material to produce a small amount of oil, and you want to get the most out of your little bottles of aromatic goodness. When stored correctly essential oils can last an extremely long time. Conservatively, you can keep properly stored oils for at least 1 year. I have oils in my collection that I have had around for over 5 years, and they still have a long life ahead of them.

Factors that will affect your essential oil:

Heat and Light:
Essential oils are flammable. Each oil has a unique flashpoint, or the temperature at which it will ignite. These flash points are quite high. A comfortable room temperature storage place will suffice, but I would not store oils above a range or wood stove.
Direct contact with sunlight can affect the color of an oil and consequently the constituents. Storage in a window sill is also not recommended.

Oxygen and Moisture:
Oxidation occurs when an essential oil is exposed to oxygen. Consistent contact with air will deteriorate the oil and increase evaporation. All is not lost if this occurs. The oils can still be used for cleaning product recipes and even some diffusion, but should be avoided for therapeutic reasons and all skin contact.

Moisture is also detrimental to a bottle of pure essential oil, and can enter the oil if the lid is left off for too long. If water does get into an oil, it may become cloudy or the water may bead up at the bottom of the container.

Simple storage tips for your oils:

To avoid heat and light it is recommended that you keep essential oils in a cool dry place. Kitchen and bathroom cupboards can work well. I store mine on a bookshelf that does not get direct sunlight.

Amber or cobalt glass bottles are recommended over a clear glass bottle. Most essential oils already come in a colored glass bottle when you purchase them. Never store essential oils in plastic, since they are corrosive and will eat away at the container.

To avoid oxidation and moisture, keep the lid on the bottles when you are not using them. It’s also a good idea to transfer oils from a larger container that is almost empty to a smaller one. Let’s say you use a lot of lemon essential oil and purchase it in 4oz quantities. When your bottle is half full or less you may want to transfer the oil into a 1oz or 2oz bottle.  The less empty space in a bottle the better!

Reducer caps and droppers:

Most 1/2oz and 1oz essential oils that you purchase will come with a drop-by-drop reducer cap on them (see photo above). These are really helpful and can be kept on the bottle. They allow you to dispense the oil one drop at a time. They are made of thick plastic and don’t usually come into direct contact with the oil when they are not being used.

Some oils are just too thick for these handy reducer caps or don’t come with one. In this case, glass droppers come in handy for utilizing your oils. It is important that you do not use the dropper as a lid for your bottle. The bulbs of a dropper are made from a very pliable rubber and will break down quickly if used as a lid. Always use the screw cap lid that was provided with the bottle for storage. You can either clean out your glass droppers with alcohol for storage and future use or designate and label a dropper for a certain oil.

That’s it! Following these easy guidelines will ensure that your essential oils will last as long as you need them. Visit our website to see our full line of essential oils, storage containers, and glass droppers.

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We are thrilled to bring you this line of artisan facial care products from Fawn Lily Botanica, handcrafted right here in the Pacific Northwest! Each carefully crafted recipe is a synergy of luxurious botanicals created to cleanse, tone, and hydrate your skin. You will find the perfect combination of facial care products for any skin type within this line. Choose from:

Botanical Face Wash: Tea Tree and Juniper, Unscented Herbal, or Vanilla and Elder Flower

Facial Serum: Geranium Argan or Tea Tree Juniper

Facial Toner: Lavender Willow and Calendula or Sage Mint and Yarrow

Click Here to see a complete list of our Facial Care products.

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We are so excited to add this chopped Fall Gold Ginkgo Leaf to our line of organic herbs and spices!

Our Fall Gold Ginkgo has the wonderful distinction of being grown and harvested here in the United States. In contrast to our regular green ginkgo leaf, Fall Gold Ginkgo is harvested during the peak of the autumn season, after the leaves have achieved their delightful golden color. Some herbal traditions recommend the use of leaves that are harvested at this later point in the season when the medicinal properties of the plant are believed to be at their strongest.

Click here to learn more about this beautiful new herb we’re carrying!

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The days are getting longer, but the nights are still a bit chilly. What better way to spend the evening than enjoying a pot of your favorite loose-leaf tea. You can now keep your tea the perfect temperature with our new Glass Tea Pot Warmer.

This tea pot warmer is not only functional and sturdy, but stylish as well! Suitable for glass and porcelain teapots, and perfect for those of us who enjoy leisurely sipping our tea. Made in Taiwan, it features a glass tea light candle holder, and metal teapot platform. The lit candle will keep tea heated for hours, while simultaneously providing a perfect ambiance of relaxation and warmth.

Visit our website for a complete list of our black, green, red, and herbal loose-leaf teas and glass and porcelain teapots!

Keep warm!

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Citrus essential oils, such as Lemon, Lime, Orange, and Mandarin, are the perfect oils for this time of year. Winter is coming to an end, and the bright uplifting aroma of citrus can help remind you that spring is just around the corner. With this season change also comes spring cleaning! Citrus oils are a classic ingredient in homemade cleaning products.

Most essential oils are distilled with a combination of water and steam, but oils from citrus peels are cold expressed to preserve all of the aromatic botanical goodness that they posses. This process involves puncturing the skins of either the whole fruit or just the fruit peel and pressing the essential oil out. With this process, a little bit of juice is also extracted, which is then separated from the essential oil.

For therapeutic uses, you want to buy a citrus oil that is cold expressed, however you can find distilled citrus oils on the market as well. These oils are mostly used in the fragrance industry and have different characteristics then an expressed citrus oil. Pictured below is an expressed lime essential oil (left) and a distilled lime essential oil (right). The expressed oil has a rich green-golden color and has that characteristic tart lime aroma. The distilled oil is clear and has an almost sweet aroma more associated with a lemon-lime flavor.

The aromas of citrus oils are not always as sour as they may seem. Orange or Tangerine oils have a sweet citrus aroma, where Lime and Grapefruit have a more sour note. I consider Lemon to be the middle, and Bergamot has a slightly spicy note to it. All citrus oils are considered top notes, and will evaporate quickly, so it is a good idea to add some grounding base and middle notes while blending, like with Clary Sage or Nutmeg.

Citrusy Cleaning Recipes!

Citrus Shine Aroma Spritz

3 drops organic Orange essential oil
3 drops organic Lemon essential oil
3 drops organic Lime essential oil
2 drops organic Lavender or organic Clary Sage essential oil
1 drop organic Nutmeg essential oil
2 oz organic Witch Hazel Extract

Mix all ingredients in a 2 oz glass bottle with mister top. Shake well before use and spray as needed. This blend makes a wonderful spritz for offices or bathrooms. It may also be used as a dusting spray while cleaning.

Multipurpose Cleaner

2 cups vinegar and 2 cups water
15 drops citrus essential oil of choice

Mix all ingredients together. This blend may be used on most hard surfaces as a general surface cleaner in a spray bottle, or as a floor cleaner (when cleaning hard wood floors always clean a small test patch to ensure the blend does not react with the finish on the floor)

Want more cleaning recipes using natural essential oils?

Check out The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier!

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