Category: Blog Post

A Gift Guide for Everyone

Posted on by Lydia D

A Gift Guide for Everyone

Most of us have probably utilized gift guides at one point or another to find great gift-giving ideas. After all, wen we are strapped for time, it’s convenient to check out curated lists where the work of researching gifts has already been done for us. The good news is that there is probably a gift guide out there for just about everyone on your list – from weddings to birthdays to holidays and beyond – as well as gifts by category like jewelry, accessories, and personal care.

One category that can sometimes be tough to shop for is males. What to get for the “man who has everything?” More and more e-commerce stores (like Touch of Modern, a favorite) are catering to male shoppers with unusual gift items.

Our body balms were created so that both men and women could benefit from their skin-soothing properties. One of them has been featured in a gift guide created by rebateszone.com. The link to their guide can be found here: http://www.rebateszone.com/men-gift-guide-gifts-under-100. Our “Ache-Away” balm includes extracts of comfrey, arnica, and turmeric, which are known for their anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties. Our thanks to Rebateszone.com for including our balm in this month’s gift guide. We hope to be featured in many more guides to come.

Earth friendly holiday with sustainable packagaing

Ideas for an Earth-friendly Holiday

Posted on by Lydia D

Ideas for an earth-friendly holiday.

The holidays will soon be here again. With them come a flurry of planning, shopping, and cooking. Many of us will be mailing holiday packages to loved ones in other parts of the country.

Fortunately, there are many packaging options today that allow us to use recycled and recyclable materials to minimize our impact on the environment. Here are a few ideas for packing your holiday gifts.

1) Recycled shred – it’s easy to make your own packing material using used paper products that you have around the house. From newspapers to articles to old letters, just run them through an inexpensive shredder that you can get at most office supply stores. For a little fun, you can use different colored construction paper or used gift wrap. You can also use plain brown paper to pack gifts without shredding it.

2) Compostable packing peanuts – Many companies today are using a more sustainable alternative to the usual polystyrene packing peanuts, which utilize petroleum. Packing peanuts that are made from cornstarch are a more earth-friendly alternative. They break down in water and leave no residue. Companies like Uline sell them; or you can save the peanuts from orders that are shipped to you.

3) Air pillows – These air-filled plastic sacks are becoming more common. They are lighter than traditional packaging materials and they can be deflated and taken to local stores for recycling. For recycling drop-off locations, you can visit www.plasticfilmrecycling.org.

4) Kraft paper tape – a nice alternative to plastic tape, it comes pre-glued.

5) Tree-free wrapping paper – In an effort to save trees, we can find beautiful alternatives for wrapping gifts. Lokta paper (made in Nepal) and papers made of stone and even elephant dung are available. These papers are often sturdier than traditional wrapping paper and can be re-used.

This holiday season, why not make a statement for environmental sustainability while getting your gift packages together?

There's nothing like a good cup of coffee

Coffee, coffee everywhere!

Posted on by Lydia D

Coffee, coffee everywhere!

Ah, the aroma of coffee! If you’re like me, you love the wonderful aroma of fresh coffee beans when ground and made into coffee. It greets me in the morning, as my husband always has a pot of hot coffee ready in the kitchen. Many studies have linked moderate consumption of coffee with health benefits, which you can read about in this article on the health benefits of coffee but the skin can benefit, as well. Did you know that coffee is not just for drinking? The caffeine found in coffee has a skin-tightening effect, and the phenolic compounds provide antioxidants to fight free radicals.

Many beauty companies have jumped on the coffee bandwagon; however, coffee has been used for health and wellness for some time. The jury may still be out on whether or not it combats cellulite and other ailments, but there’s no denying coffee’s appeal. High-quality organic and fair trade shade-grown arabica beans are available, and many women recycle used coffee grounds into scrubs and masks. At WEBA Natural Products, we’ve created a moisturizing cocoa butter-enriched bar soap made to help improve circulation and fight free radicals, while imparting the wonderful just-brewed aroma that we’ve come to love.

Why not treat a fellow coffee lover to the wonderful aroma of coffee with a gift bar made with organic, brewed coffee, coffee, cinnamon, and clove oils, and our signature combination of organic oils and butters? The pure essential oils in our coffee bar soap also provide natural antiseptic properties. If you’re looking for a “wake up call”, then give a coffee bar a try. There are few things more rejuvenating than the scent of coffee in the bath.

You can find our coffee bar soap, as well as our other bar soaps, by clicking on our “Revive” coffee bar soap product page

young woman standing on mountain top

How to rest and rejuvenate

Posted on by Lydia D

After a long, hard winter in the Northeast and elsewhere, you may be turning your thoughts to Spring and Summer. No doubt you’ve felt out of sorts.

Not to worry. There are steps you can take to re-charge your batteries in preparation for the long, hot days ahead.

1) Let in the light – As the days grow longer, the sun gets closer to earth, causing temperatures to rise, and that sunlight is good for you. For anyone who has ever suffered from Seasonal Affect Disorder, letting in lots of sunlight after experiencing a number of overcast days can work wonders for one’s mood. So why not keep those artificial lights to a minimum and let in the sun?

2) Get moving – Unless you’re a gym rat or a ski bum, chances are you’ve been living the life of a couch potato for a good part of the winter. Those cold, blustery days can make getting out a little daunting. It’a good time to get out the walking or running choes or the hiking boots. Re-discover the natural world, breathe in some fresh air, and limber up those muscles in preparation for the more active life.

3) Purge, purge, purge – There’s nothing like getting rid of old clothing 0 or old habits – even as the warm weather brings with it the inevitable signs of new life. Pick up a few boxes and pack up those clothes that you haven’t worn in years. It’s a great time to donate them to Good Will. Donate old books to a library or sell them online. Get your winter gear cleaned; patch up those old jeans. Air out closets and add lavender sachets or cedar blocks to dresser drawers. You’ll gain some much-needed space, and you’ll feel good, too!

4) Re-think your cleaning routines – During the colder months, it’s easy to stockpile products that get little use, or that may add toxins to the air. Bleach, drain cleaner, and other household products create fumes (called “volatile organic compounds”) that stay trapped in the home when it’s sealed up against the cold. Think about creating your own products from ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and lemon juice. Products like Murphy’s oil soap are gentle enough to use everywhere. Choose products with multiple uses to avoid piling up plastic bottles. Pine oil adds a fresh scent to bathrooms and kitchenn counters. Lavender oil and vinegar clean windows while leaving a lovely scent behind. Recycle a few plastic spray bottles for homemade products and send the rest to the recycling station.

5) Green your beauty routine – About 70% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies. It’s important to know what’s in your beauty and skincare products. Be an obsessive label reader. Even all-natural and organic brands may contain ingredients that can cause allergic reactions or irritation. Look for easy-to-understand ingredient names, botanical products, and oil-based products that require little or no preservatives. Know what the ingredients do and where they come from. Your skin, and the planet, will be better for it.