Belli Pregnancy is concerned about the products women put on their skin while pregnant.

Most pregnant women know that what they put - or don’t put - in their bodies is important to the health of their baby…Most of us slather on layers of lotions and creams every day, but we don’t think about what might be being absorbed into our bodies through our skin. With a growing baby in your belly, this is a necessary concern.  There are many considerations one should take into account for pregnancy skin care products…Some products may contain ingredients that can potentially cause birth defects or fetal abnormalities…Belli is the only company in the world to perform teratology screening of our ingredients to help guard against birth defects.

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I have always loved the idea of aromatherapy and at times (headache, extreme stress…) have tried it.  But the idea of having to 1) research which essential oils are appropriate for which need, and 2) buy and combine said oils without coming up with something obnoxious, sounded like more than I wanted to take on.  And even though essential oils can be very beneficial they are also very potent and care needs to be taken when using them.

Not long ago Stancie Wilson reported on Nuworld Botanicals Aromatherapy Personals on her blog Fig+Sage, and I just had to try them.  They are little rollerball vials that combine aromatherapy and acupressure, along with health benefits of antioxidants, vitamins and 100% certified organic essential oils.  Nuworld Botanicals uses a base of 100% certified organic Jojoba oil to dilute the essential oils for safe use.

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What makes Hankettes so great?  There isn’t a single aspect of “green” production that they’ve missed. All their products are hand-sewn.  The cloth is all organically-grown cotton.  Coloured fabrics are either colour-grown or hand-dyed with fiber reactive dyes.  Production is all local, along the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada.  It’s still at heart a small family business.  Their practices are transparent.  Their website links to “green” information, resources, and even competitors.  And the family itself is a homesteading, homeschooling, compost toileting role model, that truly walks the walk.  They are proof positive that sustainable and ethical business practices can be successful.

Our business truly reflects our lives and enhances the lives of our environmentally conscious customers around the world who purchase our natural based products.

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Liz Thompson recently introduced us to Further Soap, a biodegradable soap crafted from glycerin left behind in the bio-fuel making process.  She shares the fascinating story of a husband and wife team who find a way to transform grease from Los Angeles restaurants into automobile bio-diesel and eventually into Bergamot-scented hand soap.

If you thought this “perfect sustainable circle” couldn’t possible get any better…it just did.  For each bottle of Further Soap you purchase on Wednesday April 22, you will receive one bottle free. And you don’t even have to pay for shipping!

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Marshall Dostal has driven a bio-diesel fueled automobile for years which runs on biofuel he makes himself in his own garage from waste oil he gets from some of L.A.’s finest restaurants.  Once drums of glycerin (a byproduct of the biofuel distillation process) began to build up, Marshall’s wife, Megan, came up with the idea of making soap from the glycerin.  And Further Soap was born.

Add to this their signature fragrance, essential oils of Bergamot, Olive, and exotic grasses, and you have one spectacular hand soap.  It is super cleansing and the scent is very fresh and unique.

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Slumdog Millionaire is a great movie. Uplifting and heartwarming, without being cheesy. But let’s be honest for about 45 seconds, shall we? Freida Pinto is a total babe. I’m a straight woman and I’m halfway in love with her. Want to know her beauty secrets, other than unfair genes? Here are five, for starters.

1.  Aromatherapy

Most of us know the benefits of aromatherapy, but it’s useful to know the individual benefits of the plants, herbs and fruits used in this wonderful form of alternative medicine. Basil, for example, helps with digestion, while cinnamon acts as a stimulant and lemongrass helps reduce cellulite. Florapathics has an extensive selection of aromatherapy products with prices as refreshing as their ingredients.

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With green living, homeopathy and natural alternatives growing in popularity, soap makers are springing up around the world, concocting magical creations of coconut and lime in gleaming, glycerin-infused goodness that cleanse the body, mind and soul. 

Oh, and your hands too!

Growing up in my house, ‘handmade’ soap consisted of my mother gathering up all the remaining bits of bar soap from the shower and bathtubs, tossing them into a container with some water and shaking it up.  “Voila, hand soap!” she would state proudly.  But her objectives were to save money, not create a luxurious lather to soothe and soften the skin.  And, trust me, an acrid amalgum of Dial and Irish Spring was anything but soothing! 

But today’s handmade soaps are a beneficial blend of nourishing nutrients, rich with essential oils and alleviating aromatherapy that care for the skin and calm the senses.  And because they’re chemical-free, they’re an eco-friendly alternative to their caustic counterparts, making them a great way to indulge yourself and the earth.

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Founded in 1999, In Fiore was created out of a desire to recreate the wisdom and traditions of couture European Apothecaries. The founder currently studies in a new program that will merge homeopathy and energy medicine into the blooming In Fiore lines.

Right now, I am longing to try is this VITALE Toning Floral Essence:

In Fiore Vitale is “an aloe-based toning essence with fourteen herbal infusions including chamomile flowers and nettles, and essential oils of cypress, rose, and myrrh that revitalize and

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Founder Tanja Bochnig’s expertise is creating exclusive, all-natural scents and customized intuitive perfumes. Her skills are amplified from experiences, — such as witnessing harvesting and distillation by her essential oil suppliers. And it doesn’t hurt that she seems to have an incredible born-gifted nose that is winning her much-deserved admiration.

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I’m happy to report I’ve found a new oil that helps soothe and heal my dry and irritated skin: organic neem oil. Of course, it’s not new to everyone in India, where it’s been used in the Ayurvedic tradition for thousands of years. All parts of the neem tree (seeds, leaves, flowers, and bark) are used for preparing many different medical preparations, including anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and sedative.

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Arcona is a genius natural skin healing line created by a chemist and pioneer in holistic skin care “long before it became trendy, she developed skin care products and treatments that would provide Hollywood celebrities—and women and men everywhere—with an alternative to cosmetic surgery and other harsh treatments to forestall the effects of aging.”

Their products may be found online and at select spas offering facials. None contain petrochemicals, binders or fillers, chemical stabilizers, parabens, sodium lauryl sulphates, perfumes, dyes, or any caustic, toxic ingredients.All Arcona ingredients are enzymatic-based which means they include high concentrations of antioxidants, plant lipids and extracts, sea vegetables, essential oils, vitamins and minerals. Think of live food for your skin in a sense. Since everything we put on our skin is absorbed by our bodies, the richer the nutrients the healthier our skin becomes.

ARCONA has a philosophy of beauty springing from within and truly believe everyone’s skin can and should look beautiful at any age whatever their history.

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To use the Brethe Air Revitalizer, you simply add water and a few drops of “non-toxic and biodegradable botanical solutions”, then plug the appliance into an outlet. Ingredients are not listed on the botanical solution, but I think that you could simply use essential oils when the solution ran out. The Brethe Air Revitalizer traps and eliminates 99% of odor-causing bacteria, but is it worth the electricity it uses?

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To make your own carpet deodorizer, combine one cup of baking soda with 1/2-cup cornstarch. Next, add your favorite herbal scent or essential oils, and sprinkle on your rug. I prefer to sprinkle lavender flowers from the garden into my homemade carpet freshener, but using eucalyptus or citronella oils will get fleas hopping just before vacuuming. This natural, homemade deodorizer works best when left on your carpet for several hours (optimally overnight). If you do have fleas, be sure to empty the vacuum canister or bag immediately, in order that the fleas do not crawl out of the vacuum and return to your home.

Commercially-made carpet fresheners come with many warnings, and suggest that you use them everytime you vacuum. These products can be irritating (so can essential oils), as well as create unhealthy indoor air. In addition, such products come with warnings to keep the product out of the reach of children and pets. Baking soda and cornstarch are safe to use on all carpets, like the hand woven, naturally dyed tribal rugs in my home, and I find I only need to use it once or twice a year. I wouldn’t think of using a commercial, artificial product on my antiques rugs or around my pets and children.

Making your own cleaning products saves money and creates a greener, natural home. Simple recipes, such as this carpet freshener, make greening the good life simple. This tip also works well to freshen the bottom of trashcans!

Got a tip for Jennifer and Amy? Send it to them!