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Issue No. 2
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December, 2011
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Many of my Coyote Cove customers are very knowledgeable about herbal medicine, skin care, and natural living, and know a lot more than I do about the chemicals that are found in commercial products, and the problems associated with these chemicals. If this is you, you will not find this edition of the newsletter to be scintillating reading, because I will be going over the very basics of some of the ingredients I use in my products. I could have named this edition "Natural Skincare 101". Come back next month when I will be extolling the virtues of tea tree (maybe I'll call it "Is it tea? Is it a tree?")
This edition is for those of you who are new to the world of all natural soaps, lotions, and potions, or maybe those who have used my products for years, but are still confused by some of the terminology, or those who just want to know more.
It all goes back to the plants. I frequently tell people that I am descended from a long line of herbalists. Sometimes they look impressed by that, but then I hasten to inform them that they are, too. We all are - our ancestors used the plants around them for food, for medicine, and for skin care. Yes, long before propylene glycol and sodium lauryl sulfate were invented, people kept their skin and hair clean and healthy by using the plants - the herbs - that grew around them. And you can too, without worrying about a toxic buildup in your body caused by years and years of applying chemicals to your skin.
Let's use lavender as an example. In the last newsletter, I listed many ways in which lavender is good for your body, mind, mood, and skin. Now how do you go about using it? Go out to the lavender plant growing beside your front steps (you do have one, don't you?) and run the fragrant leaves through your hands. Then raise your hands to your nose, and inhale. Ah, an aromatherapy session. Don't you feel better already? Suppose you want something longer lasting, or more topical, say for a burn or cut on your skin. Well, you could take the leaves of the plant and steep them in boiling water for a cleansing tea, or gently crush them and add them to an oil for a poultice, or soak them in vodka for a tincture. What about in the winter when your plant has no leaves? You could use the leaves you dried at the end of the season. What about if your plant died, and you've used up all your dried lavender, or (more realistically) you just can't keep up with lavender teas, poultices, tinctures, and dried leaves? That's where lavender essential oil comes in. Essential oil is the plant - it is the essence of the plant. Here's how essential oils are made: Large quantities of the herb are gathered and steam is run through them. The hot steam breaks down the plant material and even the cells of the plant, releasing the essential oil which goes to a cooling chamber. This small, concentrated liquid is very powerful - it is the essence of the plant. A ton of lavender plants yields only about a gallon of essential oil. This explains why essential oils are expensive, but also why they are so powerful.
The word "oil" is misleading - they are a liquid, but not oily. They are all-natural, but not necessarily safe. Only lavender and tea tree essential oils can be used undiluted on skin. All the others are so concentrated that they really must be diluted before use. They are stored in glass bottles because some can even dissolve plastic. Many essential oils are not considered safe for use by pregnant women, or people with epilepsy or uncontrolled hypertension. So you can see that essential oils should be treated with respect and handled carefully in their undiluted state. However, in all the Coyote Cove products, these essential oils are properly and safely diluted out.
What if you buy your soap or lotion from another small soapmaker and the label says "lavender fragrance oil" or "lavender aromatherapy oil" or "pure lavender oil" or even just "lavender oil"? Or, worse yet, the label doesn't list the ingredients? Then, chances are, the product does not contain the real essential oil. Fragrance oils, as they are usually called, are much less expensive than essential oils, but because they are just a chemical manufactured to smell (more or less) like the plant they're named after, they have none of the plant's therapeutic effects. In other words , it may smell like lavender, but it is not anti-bacterial, or healing, or calming, or any of the things that real lavender is. Make sure the products you buy say "essential oil".
Finally, there's the question of scents for which no essential oil exists - lilac, for example. There is no lilac essential oil. The plants themselves produce very little essential oil, and the steam distillation process destroys the scent. I love lilac, cucumber, melon, etc., but since they are available only in fragrance oils, Coyote Cove does not make products in these scents.
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You can feel safe ordering from Coyote Cove. All my products are natural - no artificial scents, preservatives, or colors. Please feel free to email me with any comments, questions, or suggestions that you might have - I love to hear from my customers! Stay safe and warm this winter, and don't forget to hydrate your body, inside and out. See you in 2012!
Sincerely,
Kathy Stephens
Coyote Cove |
Coyote Cove
PO Box 304
South Pittsburg, Tennessee 37380
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