2010 Tour of New Products

This year our market visit invited an international array of gentle, natural bath and body products to fit the quality conscious customer of Botanical Indulgence.

Our global tour began in the lavender fields of France where a quad-milled soap had its origins.   We have been looking for a quality, essential oil based triple milled soap because of the long lasting quality it offers.  Triple milling means that the soap is hardened and re-milled three times resulting in a dense, concentrated soap with a lasting scent to the very end.

The new French soap we found is actually quad-milled, shea butter enriched, scented with pure essential oils and is free of parabens, ethyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol and DEA.  Try this lovely soap in both French lavender and a gentle milk formulation.

Also from France comes a 100% shea butter with organic certification.  Shea butter comes from the Karite tree in Central Africa.  It is sometimes called the “tree of life” for the many benefits it yields from the natural fat found in the nut.  Shea butter is rich, yet gentle, providing deep healing, moisturizing and protection for the skin, hair, cuticles and lips.  We will be offering it in a convenient tube for easy application and transportation.

Our newest shampoo also is based in France and is formulated with a calming rice milk formula.  The shampoo and conditioner, as well as the body wash and lotion, are all free of SLS, parabens, synthetic color, mineral oils, petroleum, PEG, animal by products, ethyl alcohol, cocoamide DEA, phenoxyethanol, BHT and of course, never tested on animals.  When it comes to gentle cleaning, France has a history of understanding plant based soap making.

Moving on to Italy, we found a lovely line of therapeutic scrubs, soaps and body butters.  This artfully crafted line has received the ECONAT certification meeting the strict standards of this organization.  This translates into refreshed skin, toned body and relaxed mind naturally.  Can we all say ahhh!  Add the new “Tranquility” DVD containing a guided meditation for relaxation and you have your own at home spa treatment.

Our next stop on our Market Tour was Germany where we found an organic line of bath and body oils.  They all contain a blend of natural fragrances, essential oils from organically grown plants, active herbal agents for healing and pure plant oils.  This line combines caring for the earth with caring for those inhabit it.  A true organic experience.

Let’s move down to the Dead Sea, in Israel, to review an amazing skin treatment line.  You may not be aware, but the Dead Sea, in Israel, is the lowest place on the planet and the biggest spa on the face of the earth.  The Dead Sea is globally famous for its unique ability to heal many illnesses and solve many health-related problems such as dermatological diseases, muscle problems, rheumatism, circulation deficiencies, and more.  The Dead Sea is on the world’s richest sources of salt and medicinal mud due to its high concentration of mineral in its water including magnesium, potassium, sodium and many more.  The concentration of minerals in the Dead Sea is about 30% (weight per volume) compared with about 2% in the water of the oceans.

There are about 27 minerals in Dead Sea salt.  These minerals are not sensitive to oxidation as some plant oils are; therefore, the therapeutic properties are conserved.  This is important considering some of minerals are lipophilic and are capable of penetrating the epidermis of the skin for deep healing.

We are offering a line of bath and skin care using the Dead Sea salts and other ancient beauty secrets such as pearl powder and sea algae.  This line is designed with the knowledge that over the years the skin becomes thin and fragile and, therefore, has difficulty retaining its moisture level.  It dries out quickly and wrinkles form.  How do the ingredients mentioned help prevent this?

            Protein and pearl dust powder:  They are rich in organic matrix of calcium carbonate and contain water.  Immediately the skin imparts radiance and luster.

            Sea Algae:  This ingredient is rich in protein and water that aids in strengthening the skin as well as it tones renewing fatigued and mature skin.  It helps to impart suppleness and moisture.

            Dead Sea Minerals:  They are known for their medicinal virtues for thousands of years being rich in anti-oxidants to improve the skins moisture level and imparts a healthy vibrant look.

Additional beneficial ingredients include Hamamelis (witch hazel) for soothing and moisture retention, Orange for firmness and suppleness, cucumber a natural cleanser with a soothing effect, Borage seed oil to nourish and restore due to the high concentration of Omega 6 essential fatty acids, Calendula oil for calming and soothing, Aloe vera for healing, Lavender as an anti bacterial, anti-inflammatory and cell regeneration, Patchouli for skin cell regeneration, tomato as an anti oxidant, green tea which is anti bacterial and antifungal, sage to nourish and moisturize and avocado oil to restore using high vitamin and essential fatty acid content.  This line if full of nature’s remedies and ancient knowledge for beautiful skin.

An anti-aging regimen that is clean and natural is what we sought and found.  Watch for these products to be used in our facials very soon.  You can then experience the effects before purchasing the line. 

A final note on the therapeutic Dead Sea salts – only five companies in the world are licensed to harvest the Dead Sea Salts and Dead Sea Mud and we are working with one of the five companies to bring you this new line.  Try a Dead Sea Salt bath to revitalize tired aching muscles and restore balance to a fatigued body.  Compliment this treatment with a relaxing CD and let the day’s worries leave you.  Remember the old Chinese proverb – “Tension is who you think you should be.  Relaxation is who you are.”

As we leave the mystery of the Dead Sea, we travel to the majestic Himalayan Mountains to find traditional herbal body care, hand made in free trade practices.  Five unique Tibetan soaps were chosen for their different healing benefits.  These soaps are hand made in Nepal from select alpine plants, essential oils, pure yak milk and other natural ingredients.  The fresh, rich scent and creamy texture are your special gifts from the Himalayans.

The first soap chosen is a Yak milk soap, which is unlike any other soap in our natural inventory of bath products.  The Himalayan Yak is a stocky, shaggy-haired wild ox living in the cool temperatures of the Tibetan highlands.  Because of the climate, the animal has a high fat content for warmth.  This high fat content is seen in the animal’s milk and translates into a very emollient soap.  Combined with red clay, this soap deep cleans your skin leaving it silky smooth.  A fresh lavender aroma will relax your mind during the bathing process.

Himalayan wild rose and honey are combined in soap that gently cleans and balances with a light scent.  Red clay is combined with traditional Tibetan medicinal herbs to create this healing soap.  It is a great soap to calm and balance the female body and soul.

The new Himalayan Nettle Spearmint soap is a traditional favorite for men to shave with, according to our new friend in Tibet.  The invigorating spearmint joins with the fragrant Himalayan nettles, which are naturally rich in anti-oxidants and vitamins.  Let us know what you think guys and ladies, it is not exclusively for men.  So, if you are slow moving in the morning, try a burst of Himilayan Nettle Spearmint soap in the shower for a refreshing wake up call.

The freshness of citrus essential oils combined with the gentleness of Safflower oil and petals to create an energizing yet gentle bath bar in Tibetan soap making tradition. 

The final soap from Tibet uses the Tibetan herb Spikenard. This herb has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal benefits and grows into the depths of the Himalayan forests.  Spikenard has been used for its skin rejuvenating properties and is said to help smooth away wrinkles.  This soap is used by Tibetan women as an anti-aging soap and our Tibetan rep looked like she was 21 when she was actually 48!

The Tibetan’s also use the Nettle grass to make what they call scrub towels.  These are used to naturally exfoliate dead skin cells to refresh and renew the skin on your body.  The Himalayan nettle plant is high in natural anti oxidants and is weaved into a yarn to make the scrub towels.  They are 100% natural and handmade in Nepal with the fair trade philosophy.

Finally, what would a look at the bathing secrets of the Himalayans be without touching on the pink bath salts.  The pink salts of the Himalayan Mountains are very old and they actually mine the salts verses harvesting them as is done with sea salts.  The blend of naturally occurring rock salt, pure essential oils and gemstone infusions has been combined to take you to a truly relaxed state of being.  It is said that like the oceans, Himalayan rock salt releases negative ions to balance our bodies energies.  We are bombarded by positive ions daily from using computers to microwave ovens; so at the end of the day, take the time to get back in balance with a Himalayan salt bath.  Two lovely scents are available.

The Himalayan salt is not only used for bathing.  In fact, recently, I have had a few requests from customers for the Himalayan salts for cooking purposes (thank you to whoever requested this) and lo and behold during our product search we found a French company dedicated to natural, healthy cooking products.  The representative of this company holds a masters degree in nutrition and explained why people are switching from Morton table salt to the Himalayan salt for their food.  She stated that the traditional table salt is sodium chloride and interferes with calcium absorption and for some of us in later years this is a very bad thing.  The Himalayan salts are high in minerals that can help restore electrolytes and actually supplement verse strip the body from needed minerals.  We will be offering it to our customers on a trial basis and we will let you be the judge.

Time to move on to Paraguay; here we were introduced to a young, energetic, eco friendly company specializing in all natural, handmade therapeutic soaps.  What sets these soaps apart from most is they come from a tropical plant by the name of Guarani, which is considered one the Amazons rare jewels.  It is also called the “Monster Fruit” and is found botanically in the Araceas family.

They have combined essential oils, rainforest plants, fruits and other natural therapeutic ingredients to create this unique line of triple milled natural soaps.  One of the soaps is made with black clay to exfoliate, detox and deep clean the skin.  Another made with Avocodo is a must in dry climates like our Wisconsin winters.  This soap combines avocado, avocado oil and cashew leaves in a recipe to remove dead skin cells and leave the skin soft and emollient.

One that I am looking forward to trying is the Green Blue River bar.  This is great for tired feet.  This exfoliating bar is made of moisturizing butters and white sand from the Parana River along with a blend of essential oils for tired feet.  Yes!

These are only a few of the examples of the unique therapeutic blends this young company creates.  They have infused the healing energy of the Amazon into your every day bathing experience.  You must try one of these magically, special soaps.

As we move from the Amazonian jungles, we head home to the states.  We found the only tea to be grown in the United States by the Charleston Tea Plantation.  This is very unique because the tea plant, camellia sinensis, is generally a tropical plant and North America is not exactly tropical.  This tea garden has been around for many years and was a testing facility at one time for Lipton teas.  We are offering four of the teas from the Charleston Tea Plantation.  Stop by and ask for a free sample and watch the video of how this domestic tea plantation operates.

Finally, one of our most exciting meetings this year was with a young company with many of the same product standards as we have at Botanical Indulgence when it comes to ingredients.  This company will be working with us to private label a bath line exclusively for Botanical Indulgence customers.  This will be a process and we expect it to take a month or two but the wait will be worth it.  Stay tuned for more information and the launch of Body by Botanical Indulgence.

There will be many other unique, fun gift and accessory items arriving in the next few months to keep things interesting and fun.  Let us know what products you like and what ones you would like us to research to bring in for you.  As always, we are dedicated to educating our customers on the benefits of natural essential oils based alternative products and will continue to search for lines that fit this criteria and our customer’s desires.

PS marahlago Larimar charm bracelets have arrived!