Our 6 Favorite Oregon-Sourced Ingredients
Sourcing ingredients is a crucial part of any cosmetics company, and we love that we can source such great local ingredients from here in the Pacific Northwest. One of the reasons we also love living and working here creating cosmetics is the wonderful natural environment. Some of the purest (and tastiest!) water runs through our […]
Filed in: Ingredients, Product Spotlight
Tagged with:Local ingredients, oregon
Start Using Tea in Skin Care – Here’s Why & How
Tea is one of my favorite ingredients in skincare—it combines powerful antioxidants, minerals and other key skin-loving compounds that can make a noticeable difference in how your skin looks and feels. Let’s start with some background and then explore our favorite products using tea for skin care, and how to make them your own. History […]
Filed in: Ingredients, Product Spotlight
Honey in Cosmetics – Ingredient Spotlight
Honey is one of the most interesting ingredients in hair and skincare. The fact that honey is produced by bees, and can survive centuries in Egyptian tombs and still be edible (although I wouldn’t try it) is incredibly amazing, but what really makes honey such an interesting ingredient is how beneficial it is for hair […]
Filed in: Ingredients
Ingredient Spotlight – Myrrh
Myrrh is one of those ingredients that is usually talked about only once a year around Christmas. But long before it was a precious gift offered to the newborn baby Jesus it was used by ancient Egyptians in skincare and embalming rituals, by the Chinese for good health, and even by ancient Greeks on the battlefield. […]
Filed in: Essential Oils, Ingredients, Recipe Wall of Fame
Cosmetic Glitter vs. Craft Glitter
Glitter is one of those ingredients that we love to use to bring a little flash and excitement to cosmetics. It can be used in lotions and cremes to add just a little shimmer, to lip gloss for extra sparkle, or just directly on the skin for dramatic and eye-catching make-up effects. If you shop at craft […]
Filed in: Ingredients
Tagged with:glitter
Hyaluronic Acid in Skincare
Hyaluronic acid (HLA) was first discovered in 1934 by Columbia University scientists Karl Meyer and John Palmer. The substance was isolated from cow’s eye and derived the name hyaluronic acid from hyalos, meaning “glass” in Greek and the uronic sugar found in HLA. Hyaluronic acid is used for many medical procedures and by the 1990s, hyaluronic acid was just […]
Filed in: Ingredients
Farm Bill, CBD and Cosmetics
On December 12th, the US Congress passed The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 as part of this year’s Farm Bill. And the bill is on its way to the White House for signature by the President. This legislation legalizes the agricultural production of Hemp in the United States, and it then regulates that activity. This […]
Filed in: Business Tips, Compliance, Ingredients
Tagged with:CBD, compliance, Hemp
The High Cost of Lavender (and Other Ingredients)
The price of Lavender Essential Oil has gone up again this month – another 12% on average. This huge jump follows similar increases in price each of the last three months. Our suppliers tell us to not expect to see price, or availability, relief until next summer when the new crop is out. This means that […]
Filed in: Business Tips, Essential Oils
Tagged with:lavender
Extracts, Distillates, Hydrosols, and Tinctures – What are they and What’s the Difference?
Extracts, Distillates, Hydrosols, and Tinctures are effective and fun ingredients to use in your skincare. They can add color, scent, and can even replace water to add extra beneficial attributes to your formulations, but you may be asking yourself “What exactly are extracts, hydrosols, distillates and tinctures and what’s the difference between them?” You’re not […]
Food in Skincare – Seasonal & Inspiring Favorites!
Embrace foods not just for holiday meals, but as wonderful ingredients for your skin! This week we’re reviewing some of our favorite foods in skincare from the current season, most of which thrive in the Pacific Northwest as well. Then we’ll jump below the equator and acknowledge some of the other foods in season from […]
Filed in: Ingredients