Thursday, March 29, 2007

Is Jojoba Oil That Good for Your Skin?


In a word...YES.

In aromatherapy, massage and even perfumery, certain carrier oils are favored for their healing properties. Jojoba Oil, also known as Simmondsia chinensis, is one such oil.

It is usually added to a massage oil base at about 10 percent of the whole mixture of oils used. For example, a nice massage oil blend might include ten percent jojoba oil and 90 percent apricot kernel oil.

Used in aromatic perfume or aromatherapy blends, jojoba oil is used full strength as the base oil in which one dilutes the essential oils.

An anti-oxidant, jojoba oil contains high amounts of vitamin E and can extend the shelf life of other oils. This is a unique product because this "oil" is not composed of fat but liquid wax.

According to its Wikipedia entry, Jojoba is grown for the liquid wax in its seeds. Its oil is rare in that it is an extremely long (C36-C46) straight-chain wax ester and not a triglyceride, making jojoba more similar to sebum and whale oil than to traditional vegetable oils.

This makes Jojoba oil ideal for use in cosmetics due to its molecular stability and its natural moisturizing and healing properties. With an indefinite shelf life, and no rancidity level, jojoba is suitable for all skin types. Because it is anti-oxidant , it can extend the shelf life of other oils and is very good as a superfatting agent in soapmaking since it resists rancidity.

It can be very beneficial in the treatment of dry scalps and skin because It is highly penetrating and closely resembles our skin's sebum. Used as a facial moisturizer it gives delightful results. It also contains myristic acid, which is anti-inflammatory, making it a good oil for arthritis and rheumatism.

Additionally, some folks find it helps to use this oil applied externally to skin in the treatment of dry eczema or psoriasis.

Used as a base for essential oil blends in aromatherapy and as a base oil for natural perfumes.

Looking for jojoba oil? You can order jojoba oil here:

Jojoba Oil

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Spring Equinox


Happy Spring!

Even for those of you expecting snow and ice over the next few days.

Quite frankly, I did not believe the ground hog's supposed prediction of an early Spring. So I have not been surprised by the Winter storms that have hit recently, including in Pennsylvania (bet that ground hog is buried!).

However, yesterday, I did get out, dig in the dirt and plant some herbs and vegetables....Dill, Sweet Peas, Coriander (cilantro), radishes and spinach. All plants that do not thrive in the heat.

Here's to all the seeds we plant for joy, growth and development in the next year, whether they be plant seeds, or the seeds of inspiration.

Do You Know About the Pet Foods Recall?

Pet owners have been faced with concerns that their cats and dogs might die from contaminated foods.

Specifically, it seems to be "wet" foods that come in pouches or cans. Dry foods seem to be okay.

For more information, you can go to ABC News where they have links and lists of all the types of food affected, from Iams and Eukanuba to Food Lion and Hannaford. Yep, we're talking more than 40 foods are in question.

Read more at

Pet Food Deaths Remain a Mystery