Home / Past Newsletters / June 2014
June 2014
The shortest day has passed - but we all know that's just a signal for the weather to turn truly wintry! So find a cozy spot and read about ways of keeping your skin warm and glowing.
In this issue:
Organic argan oil has arrived direct from Morocco. This is a high-quality oil with a slight nutty aroma - and we haven't had to put the price up!
Talking of price – wandering the web the other day, I came across a site in the USA selling pure argan oil for 10 times Go Native’s price – and the (mostly) rave reviews suggested it’s a miracle worker for 90% of the people using it!
Organic hemp seed oil arrived a few weeks ago, and has been quickly going out the door. It's intensely green, with quite a strong grassy aroma. Containing a huge range of skin nutrients, organic hemp seed oil is easily absorbed by the skin, balancing skin moisture levels and soothing inflammation. You can bring its benefits into your favourite recipes by including it as part of the oils - as little as 2% (2ml out of each 100ml) can be effective. See here for more info.
Extra special price: Organic grape seed oil
We have a great special on organic virgin cold pressed grape seed oil - eg 250ml for $10.
Rich in linoleic acid, grape seed oil spreads easily and penetrates quickly, leaving no oily residue. It’s a perfect example of how feeding the skin can help it find its own balance and regain glowing health – and this is particularly true for oily skin.
Applying grape seed oil regularly can make a real difference to acne-prone skin, which is likely to be deficient in linoleic acid. And something I'm trying at the moment: It's claimed that dark circles under the eyes become less pronounced with regular treatment - but I imagine I'll also need to drink plenty of water, eat well, avoid alcohol, and get enough sleep!
Sensitive skin benefits from its anti-inflammatory properties, and grape seed oil can stimulate skin regeneration, making it a great choice for older skin.
You can also use it as a toner, taking advantage of its astringent qualities.
Keeping it simple:
Oils to use alone
How do you tell when your skincare regime is working?
Here are a few ideas:
- the skin is in balance, soft and supple, with an inner glow… and that’s before makeup!
- imperfections have healed or faded
- dry patches have lost their harshness; oily spots are less oily
Behind some high-end skincare brands, there’s an intriguing concept – that by supporting and stimulating all the natural functions of the skin, we can bring it to a state of health and beauty. Some beauty regimes are quite rigorous - it's easy to think in terms of battling oily skin, fighting acne, or beating dry skin. An alternative image is of support and healing from within, and using pure oils directly on the skin fits well with this approach.
Here's an example of support rather than winning a fight: The skin has its own microorganisms that help maintain protective barriers and other aspects of skin health. Sometimes they can get out of balance, causing problems - but mostly they do their work in the background. It’s highly likely that there is still much to learn about the flora and fauna that naturally reside in and on the skin – but meanwhile, we can support them by using gentle plant-based skincare based on pure oils.
Most people have “combination” skin, with some areas producing lots of sebum while others don’t make enough – so our usual reaction is to feed the dry parts while we try to eliminate the oiliness. But another approach is to create abundance – to feed the oily parts as well, so that skin begins to recognise that it doesn’t have to work so hard, and the overworking sebum-producing glands heave a sigh of relief and cut back on production. A truly healthy skin will
regulate its own oil production, maintaining suppleness and glow.
Oils that haven’t been heavily refined contain a wide range of substances that support skin health. Many organic oils are rich in antioxidants, and contain the essential fatty acids that enhance skin health and elasticity.
What could be simpler than taking one high-quality ingredient and using it in its pure state, with no additions? If you go wandering on the web, you can find many of these oils in tiny pots or bottles for vast amounts of money, with wonderful write-ups. We know many of you are already using single oils, and all of us at Go Native have our favourites.
Choose one and have a try! Our list gives just a few possibilities (we'd love to hear what works for you).
Each list begins with the least expensive option, but most are around $10 to $12 for 100ml.
Click for more info on an oil.
For the face:
Cleanser –
Large-pored skin – Sensitive skin –
Dry skin –
Lip treatment –
Body oil – Nails –
Treatment oil – Everyday oil –
Substitution:
Bulgarian lavender body oil
This top-of-the-line body oil from Tammy Fender is blended from carrier oils (some organic) and lavender essential oils.
Here are the ingredients:
*Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower Seed) Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil, *Apricot Kernel Oil, *Jojoba Oil, *Rosa Mosqueta (Rose Hip Seed) Oil, Essential Oils of Lavandula Angustifloria (Lavender and Bulgarian Lavender), Rosemary Oleoresin.
*Certified Organic
And here is our recipe (all the carrier oils are organic):
Go Native
Luxurious Body Oil
Makes 250ml
120ml organic sunflower oil
30ml organic soybean oil
30ml organic apricot kernel oil
30ml organic jojoba oil
20ml organic grape seed oil
19ml organic natural rosehip oil
0.5ml lavender essential oil**
0.5ml rosemary antioxidant
Method:
Combine the ingredients and stir well.
Pour into a bottle - brown glass is ideal.
Apply to body morning and evening or directly after a shower or bath to a slightly dampened skin.
Notes:
"Tammy Fender’s Bulgarian Lavender Body Oil restores an overall sense of wellbeing to both skin and senses. Otherworldly in its gorgeousness, this is the ultimate skin soothing and softening treat; maintaining elasticity, reducing signs of scarring and minimising the appearance of fine lines and blemishes.
The aromatherapy equivalent of Prozac, this organic Lavender Body Oil will ease your stresses from first inhalation. Lauded as a skin hero, the healing benefits of this deliciously high quality Bulgarian Lavender are boundless; rejuvenating, calming and soothing, this sumptuous oil is food for both skin and soul. Pure essential oil of Lavender is blended with Sunflower Seed, Soybean, antioxidant Grapeseed, Apricot Kernel, Jojoba and Rose Hip Seed oils that seep deep into the dermis, where they set to work repairing, rebuilding and strengthening skin so it radiates health from top to toe."
How about that??
Recipe:
Winter Shea Whip
Soothes and protects winter skin
(Makes 400g)
300g shea butter
100g rosehip oil
2g essential oil/fragrance oil
Coughs and colds:
Use essential oils for comfortable sleep
Small children can suffer dreadfully at night, struggling to breathe easily. Here is a recipe from Trish, who for many years has made up a mixture of essential oils and camphor to use in a vaporiser.
No vaporiser? Trish says hot water with a few drops of oil in a slow cooker can work well.
(The steam isn't visible in the photo, but it's steaming gently..)
Combine the following, and keep in a small bottle ready for use.
What's wrong with my oil? It's winter!
As winter gets us in its grip, oils that come from hot parts of the world start to feel the cold.
The coconut oils turned solid some weeks ago, so you will receive them in pails rather than jerrycans until next summer. It's difficult to get the balance right because of the variation in temperatures throughout the country - but pails leak, so we use jerrycans when oils may become liquid. (Save the empty pails so you can transfer jerrycan contents.)
The photo shows tamanu oil - liquid in summer, but almost solid once the temperature drops. Neem oil is solid now.
A month ago, jojoba oil in Dunedin (far from its desert origins) was developing tiny solid flakes. Jojoba oil is technically a wax rather than an oil, so these flakes are soluble waxes losing their liquid state. Baobab oil can do the same.
Tropical plants have evolved without having to take account of winter, so oils from tropical climes tend have components that start to solidify in colder conditions. And lightly processed oils often contain a wider range of these components than refined oils.
Gentle warming will restore your oil to its liquid state. If you are using a tropical oil in an oil blend, combining it with oils from colder climes will generally prevent flakes developing - but it's a good idea to check that the tropical oil is fully liquid before you use it.
Does edible body butter appeal to you?
Enter the draw!
We have two jars of delicious Edible Body Butter to give away.
To enter, email your favourite oil blend recipe and how you use it (along with your name and postal address) to jacqui@gonative.co.nz
Entries close at midnight on Sunday 29 June, and the winners will be drawn on Monday 30 June. If you are a winner, we will email you and send your body butter... but if you miss out, the recipe is on our website!
The small print: By entering, you are agreeing that Go Native may make your recipe available on its website.
What does it mean?
Virgin oils
Superb olive oil has been produced in Europe for centuries, and in that part of the world the terms used for classifying olive oil have precise meanings enshrined in regulations that cover the extraction, appearance and taste of various categories of olive oil. But the rest of the world doesn’t share this passion for precision, so outside Europe terms such as “virgin” generally have no legal definitions.
Most of our New Zealand producers describe their oils as virgin, because they are produced using the same methods as virgin and extra virgin olive oil: “oil extracted from the olives solely by mechanical, or other physical means, which cause no alteration to the oil, and which has not been subjected to any other treatment than washing, decantation, centrifugation and filtration.”
Photo gallery - the plants are preparing for spring
I dashed out between the showers to see what some of the plants that provide us with cosmetic oils are doing in the middle of winter.
Borage is growing quickly now, and starting to come into flower...
Some camellias have their last few flowers - but most are growing buds...
This member of the prunus family, which gives us beautiful skin oils such as almond, apricot kernel and peach kernel, is one of the last deciduous trees to start losing its leaves...
Many of you are making the most of being stuck inside to create wonderful skincare products. We love hearing about what you are doing, and helping with problems where we can.
Kind regards
Elinor, Chelsea, & Jacqui
In this issue:
- New stock: Organic argan oil, organic hemp seed oil
- Special price: organic grape seed oil
- Keeping it simple: oils to use alone
- Substitution: Bulgarian lavender body oil
- New recipe: Winter shea whip
- Winter coughs and colds - help little ones breathe at night
- What's wrong with my oil? Well... it's winter!
- Win Edible Body Butter
- What does it mean? Virgin...
- Photos: Oil-producing plants preparing for spring
Organic argan oil has arrived direct from Morocco. This is a high-quality oil with a slight nutty aroma - and we haven't had to put the price up!
Talking of price – wandering the web the other day, I came across a site in the USA selling pure argan oil for 10 times Go Native’s price – and the (mostly) rave reviews suggested it’s a miracle worker for 90% of the people using it!
Organic hemp seed oil arrived a few weeks ago, and has been quickly going out the door. It's intensely green, with quite a strong grassy aroma. Containing a huge range of skin nutrients, organic hemp seed oil is easily absorbed by the skin, balancing skin moisture levels and soothing inflammation. You can bring its benefits into your favourite recipes by including it as part of the oils - as little as 2% (2ml out of each 100ml) can be effective. See here for more info.
Extra special price: Organic grape seed oil
We have a great special on organic virgin cold pressed grape seed oil - eg 250ml for $10.
Rich in linoleic acid, grape seed oil spreads easily and penetrates quickly, leaving no oily residue. It’s a perfect example of how feeding the skin can help it find its own balance and regain glowing health – and this is particularly true for oily skin.
Applying grape seed oil regularly can make a real difference to acne-prone skin, which is likely to be deficient in linoleic acid. And something I'm trying at the moment: It's claimed that dark circles under the eyes become less pronounced with regular treatment - but I imagine I'll also need to drink plenty of water, eat well, avoid alcohol, and get enough sleep!Sensitive skin benefits from its anti-inflammatory properties, and grape seed oil can stimulate skin regeneration, making it a great choice for older skin.
You can also use it as a toner, taking advantage of its astringent qualities.
Keeping it simple:
Oils to use alone
How do you tell when your skincare regime is working?
Here are a few ideas:
- the skin is in balance, soft and supple, with an inner glow… and that’s before makeup!
- imperfections have healed or faded
- dry patches have lost their harshness; oily spots are less oily
Behind some high-end skincare brands, there’s an intriguing concept – that by supporting and stimulating all the natural functions of the skin, we can bring it to a state of health and beauty. Some beauty regimes are quite rigorous - it's easy to think in terms of battling oily skin, fighting acne, or beating dry skin. An alternative image is of support and healing from within, and using pure oils directly on the skin fits well with this approach.
Here's an example of support rather than winning a fight: The skin has its own microorganisms that help maintain protective barriers and other aspects of skin health. Sometimes they can get out of balance, causing problems - but mostly they do their work in the background. It’s highly likely that there is still much to learn about the flora and fauna that naturally reside in and on the skin – but meanwhile, we can support them by using gentle plant-based skincare based on pure oils.
Most people have “combination” skin, with some areas producing lots of sebum while others don’t make enough – so our usual reaction is to feed the dry parts while we try to eliminate the oiliness. But another approach is to create abundance – to feed the oily parts as well, so that skin begins to recognise that it doesn’t have to work so hard, and the overworking sebum-producing glands heave a sigh of relief and cut back on production. A truly healthy skin will
regulate its own oil production, maintaining suppleness and glow.Oils that haven’t been heavily refined contain a wide range of substances that support skin health. Many organic oils are rich in antioxidants, and contain the essential fatty acids that enhance skin health and elasticity.
What could be simpler than taking one high-quality ingredient and using it in its pure state, with no additions? If you go wandering on the web, you can find many of these oils in tiny pots or bottles for vast amounts of money, with wonderful write-ups. We know many of you are already using single oils, and all of us at Go Native have our favourites.
Choose one and have a try! Our list gives just a few possibilities (we'd love to hear what works for you).
Each list begins with the least expensive option, but most are around $10 to $12 for 100ml.
Click for more info on an oil.
For the face:
Cleanser –
- organic virgin coconut oil
- organic castor oil
- organic almond oil
- organic jojoba oil
- organic rosehip oil
- – or a blend of two or more of these.
Large-pored skin – Sensitive skin –
Dry skin –
Lip treatment –
- organic shea butter
- organic hemp seed oil (no, your lips don’t go green, but cracks and dryness are soothed away).
Body oil – Nails –
- organic sesame oil smoothed on cuticles enhances healthy nail growth.
Treatment oil – Everyday oil –
- organic grape seed oil
- organic almond oil
- organic apricot kernel oil
- organic argan oil
- calendula infused oil
Substitution:
Bulgarian lavender body oil
This top-of-the-line body oil from Tammy Fender is blended from carrier oils (some organic) and lavender essential oils.Here are the ingredients:
*Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower Seed) Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil, *Apricot Kernel Oil, *Jojoba Oil, *Rosa Mosqueta (Rose Hip Seed) Oil, Essential Oils of Lavandula Angustifloria (Lavender and Bulgarian Lavender), Rosemary Oleoresin.
*Certified Organic
And here is our recipe (all the carrier oils are organic):
Go Native
Luxurious Body Oil
Makes 250ml
120ml organic sunflower oil
30ml organic soybean oil
30ml organic apricot kernel oil
30ml organic jojoba oil
20ml organic grape seed oil
19ml organic natural rosehip oil
0.5ml lavender essential oil**
0.5ml rosemary antioxidant
Method:
Combine the ingredients and stir well.
Pour into a bottle - brown glass is ideal.
Apply to body morning and evening or directly after a shower or bath to a slightly dampened skin.
Notes:
- You could use any of our pure lavender essential oils. If you want to reproduce the original blend, use 0.25ml of Bulgarian lavender and 0.25ml of NZ lavender. Go Native’s NZ lavender oil is particularly rich in healing compounds.
- Organic sunflower oil is a winter favourite of Kolbjorn Borseth, of the British skincare company Aromantic. He says it brings with it the qualities of the sun - and we need those at the moment!
"Tammy Fender’s Bulgarian Lavender Body Oil restores an overall sense of wellbeing to both skin and senses. Otherworldly in its gorgeousness, this is the ultimate skin soothing and softening treat; maintaining elasticity, reducing signs of scarring and minimising the appearance of fine lines and blemishes.
The aromatherapy equivalent of Prozac, this organic Lavender Body Oil will ease your stresses from first inhalation. Lauded as a skin hero, the healing benefits of this deliciously high quality Bulgarian Lavender are boundless; rejuvenating, calming and soothing, this sumptuous oil is food for both skin and soul. Pure essential oil of Lavender is blended with Sunflower Seed, Soybean, antioxidant Grapeseed, Apricot Kernel, Jojoba and Rose Hip Seed oils that seep deep into the dermis, where they set to work repairing, rebuilding and strengthening skin so it radiates health from top to toe."
How about that??
Recipe:
Winter Shea Whip
Soothes and protects winter skin
(Makes 400g)
300g shea butter
100g rosehip oil
2g essential oil/fragrance oil
- Melt shea butter until it is slightly soft only, not completely melted.
- Add rosehip oil.
- Whip with an electric whisker as you would for whipping cream (not a stick blender) until it has doubled in volume.
- If the mixture is too soft, pop it in the fridge until it hardens up a little then continue to whip.
- Spoon into jars.
Coughs and colds:
Use essential oils for comfortable sleep
Small children can suffer dreadfully at night, struggling to breathe easily. Here is a recipe from Trish, who for many years has made up a mixture of essential oils and camphor to use in a vaporiser.
No vaporiser? Trish says hot water with a few drops of oil in a slow cooker can work well.
(The steam isn't visible in the photo, but it's steaming gently..)Combine the following, and keep in a small bottle ready for use.
- 3ml Go Native camphor essential oil (it's an appropriate strength)
- 3ml lavender essential oil (India) or NZ lavender
- 3ml eucalyptus radiata essential oil
- 10ml peppermint essential oil
What's wrong with my oil? It's winter!
As winter gets us in its grip, oils that come from hot parts of the world start to feel the cold.
The coconut oils turned solid some weeks ago, so you will receive them in pails rather than jerrycans until next summer. It's difficult to get the balance right because of the variation in temperatures throughout the country - but pails leak, so we use jerrycans when oils may become liquid. (Save the empty pails so you can transfer jerrycan contents.)
The photo shows tamanu oil - liquid in summer, but almost solid once the temperature drops. Neem oil is solid now.
A month ago, jojoba oil in Dunedin (far from its desert origins) was developing tiny solid flakes. Jojoba oil is technically a wax rather than an oil, so these flakes are soluble waxes losing their liquid state. Baobab oil can do the same.
Tropical plants have evolved without having to take account of winter, so oils from tropical climes tend have components that start to solidify in colder conditions. And lightly processed oils often contain a wider range of these components than refined oils.
Gentle warming will restore your oil to its liquid state. If you are using a tropical oil in an oil blend, combining it with oils from colder climes will generally prevent flakes developing - but it's a good idea to check that the tropical oil is fully liquid before you use it.
Does edible body butter appeal to you?
Enter the draw!
We have two jars of delicious Edible Body Butter to give away.
To enter, email your favourite oil blend recipe and how you use it (along with your name and postal address) to jacqui@gonative.co.nz
Entries close at midnight on Sunday 29 June, and the winners will be drawn on Monday 30 June. If you are a winner, we will email you and send your body butter... but if you miss out, the recipe is on our website!
The small print: By entering, you are agreeing that Go Native may make your recipe available on its website.
What does it mean?
Virgin oils
Superb olive oil has been produced in Europe for centuries, and in that part of the world the terms used for classifying olive oil have precise meanings enshrined in regulations that cover the extraction, appearance and taste of various categories of olive oil. But the rest of the world doesn’t share this passion for precision, so outside Europe terms such as “virgin” generally have no legal definitions.
Most of our New Zealand producers describe their oils as virgin, because they are produced using the same methods as virgin and extra virgin olive oil: “oil extracted from the olives solely by mechanical, or other physical means, which cause no alteration to the oil, and which has not been subjected to any other treatment than washing, decantation, centrifugation and filtration.”
Photo gallery - the plants are preparing for spring
I dashed out between the showers to see what some of the plants that provide us with cosmetic oils are doing in the middle of winter.
Borage is growing quickly now, and starting to come into flower...
Some camellias have their last few flowers - but most are growing buds...
This member of the prunus family, which gives us beautiful skin oils such as almond, apricot kernel and peach kernel, is one of the last deciduous trees to start losing its leaves...
Many of you are making the most of being stuck inside to create wonderful skincare products. We love hearing about what you are doing, and helping with problems where we can.
Kind regards
Elinor, Chelsea, & Jacqui