Massage Candles-My take on them

I get asked a lot about whether I make massage candles. You know, the ones that you can take the melted candle wax and rub it into your skin. After being asked this many times, I wanted to share my take on this product with you and it's safety.

Using soy on your skin:
Soy wax, even the best out there which I currently use, is heavily processed and can be hormonally disruptive. To get the bean from it's original form to an edible or topical-use form is a long process. Hexane is widely used to pull oils out of plant-based materials and that substance, itself, is toxic. Hexane is used in 98% of the soy wax producer's processes. For this reason alone I do not use it on my skin. My soy wax is some of the cleanest you will find and I chose it for that reason. Until soy wax becomes readily available in Organic Certified formats, it will be difficult to find a better one than this. Using it in small doses here and there is ok, but it is not the best for your skin.

Fragrance Oil or Essential Oil concentrations for candles are too high for topical use:
When I create my candles, the Essential Oil blends I use are fairly high. Low enough to respect the oil's flashpoint, but high enough to get a strong-smelling candle. That concentration is far too high to use on the skin. You cannot have a strong-smelling candle and a skin-safe blend at the same time. The concentrations are very different. The use of high concentrations of EO's and FO's on the skin, make it difficult for your liver to handle.

Dipping your finger in freshly melted wax is generally not a good idea:
I have to admit, I have burned myself one too many times pouring my candles, testing them, and spilling a lit one on my hands. While soy wax burns much cooler (which is why it burns so much longer than Paraffin wax), it is still hot wax. I do not recommend dipping your finger in wax that has just melted. It is generally too hot for the skin even if it isn't "burning you". You skin is very resilient, but it responds best to mildly warm temperatures.

What I recommend:
If you want to create a luxurious lotion that is warm to the touch, I recommend this:
There are many great products on the market that are created for this. Generally, balms are the best if you want to heat something up before putting on your skin. Products made from Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa butter, beeswax are best for this. They withstand the higher temperatures well (though not too hot is important to keep in mind). You can create a really healthy massage lotion with a combination of Virgin Coconut Oil and Cocoa Butter. You can then add a few drops of Lavender Essential Oil or Rose to make it more fragrant. There are also high quality fragrance oils you can purchase that would work as well.
Here is a link to my go-to site for making my own beauty products. You will find all sorts of great balm and lotion recipes there.
Recipes for lotions and balms you can make at home

To sum it up, keep the candles for ambience and keeping your home fragrant. You will do your body a favor.

Free Shipping on all Solid Perfume Creams

Have you tried my cream perfume solids? If not, now is a great time! All 5 will ship for free until Sunday 3/21. You get almost a full ounce of natural, creamy goodness. Each perfume is in a base of raw, local beeswax, organic jojoba oil and sweet almond oil. These creams are fantastic to wear alone or to layer with another natural perfume of your choice. So check out my Etsy shop for more info on the sale and other products! You can read a review of my Royal Couple Cream Perfume Solid here on ScentHive's Blog.

Three is a magic number, Yes it is, it's a magic number

Wow, lately there have been so many great giveaways via Facebook and the Blogosphere. I love connecting with my fans via these mediums and, heck, want to give something away too! Well, my fan count is going up every week, little by little and getting ever-closer to 300! So, to celebrate this forthcoming goal, I will give away a $30.00 gift "card" to use on my website or Etsy shop to one lucky Facebook fan. So, tell your friends. Tell your family! Just become a fan of Gabriel's Aunt on Facebook and you are entered.

You like me, you really like my stuff!

OK, with any business, you cannot survive if you have a bad product right? Well, you also cannot survive trying to make something that everyone will like. Your company would go bankrupt at some point and your employees (and you) would become frustrated and lose focus. When you are a small business owner like me and make your products with your own little hands, well, customer satisfaction takes on a whole different meaning. Why? Because we want everyone to love our products to the point of fanaticism or our worlds come crashing down around us. OK, maybe that is just me, but I think you get my point. Artists/Crafters take all the feedback, good and bad, to mean that you don't like us or our stuff or you do. It is very hard to separate and only seasoned business owners realize the difference. There is no way to please everyone. Even if your product is flawless! So, this brings me to my point. How, as a customer or business owner, do you like to obtain or give feedback? Surveys? Asking for feedback after a purchase with an email? Etsy gives you the option with every sale or purchase to leave feedback as well as Ebay. How important is feedback and is it always constructive? Would love to hear your comments.

Meditation 101, Inspiration and Desert

About 6 weeks ago, I agreed to, with my BF, start taking meditation classes at a local Buddhist temple. Being the incredibly restless girl that I am, I knew this would be a challenge for me to just be still and observe life around me. Sitting still, turning the thoughts off that drive me to anxiety at times, and letting things come in and just be....these are thing that do not come naturally. I guess they don't to anyone. Well, last night was our last class (at least for this phase of it) and I left wanting to take this practice to a whole other level. I am inspired to calm my mind and live my life being present. Completely present. Now, this takes daily practice of which I am not certain I will complete, but I am going to try. If I fail, I will try again. This leads me to my feelings of inspiration the past few weeks and finishing a blend that has been in my head for some time. My brain and senses have been working overtime with all the early Spring blooming and the need to create is very strong right now. After coming back to my workshop once class was complete, I had the 2nd wind to put the finishing touches on a Violet/Cedarwood/Cognac blend I mentioned in a previous post. I added some Grapefruit, Sage, Myrrh, Champa and Pink Lotus as well as other oils. Most oils in this blend take me to a place of quiet reflection. I imagine sitting in the Desert taking the sounds of the dry earth in and smelling the bits of dirt, sage bush and blooming desert flowers. So, it made sense for me to call this new GA Essence blend, "Desert". It reflects my new found practice of quiet and being present while taking me to a place where you can do this freely. I will be listing this new perfume in the next week. Look for more new products as well!

Some safer ways to kill harmful bacteria in your home

There is a lot being said lately about the germs, bacteria and viruses that surround us every day. From the Swine Flu, to Influenza to the common cold, we are taught ways to fight and rid our lives of them so we won't become sick. If you are like me, you want to protect yourself and your loved ones, but you don't want to surround yourself with harmful chemicals or fill your body the newest FDA approved vaccination. You want to do things a bit more naturally. I encourage everyone to go into Fall and Winter with a new way of thinking when it comes to protecting yourself. One scientifically proven method and also very enjoyable one is to burn candles scented with Essential Oils. Specifically, ones with oils like Tea Tree, Lavender, all Citrus oils, Clove, Cinnamon, etc. These oils are proven to kill some of the most beastly of germs. You can also create non-toxic anti-bacteria blends that are skin-safe for your whole family. There are great resources at the library and book store for coming up with some creative and natural ways to combat bacteria. Check out this link that gives you some further detail on how naturally scented candles can do more than make your home smell good.

WEB MD Article on Naturally scented candles here

Big thanks for the AMAZING review of my Lemon Bar candle on Smellyblog!

I want to say a big thank you to Ayala Moriel Parfums for writing a wonderful and touching review of my Lemon Bar candle on her blog this past weekend. It is an honor to work with her on her candle collection and to receive kudos from someone I really admire. It is a really fun scent to burn in the Summer and I am so happy people are loving it.

Lemon Bar Candle on Gabriel's Aunt.com

SIX QUICK PICKS: Fruity Fun - PURPLEPINKANDORANGE.COM

Thanks to PurplePinkandOrange for including my Lemon Bar candle in their 6 Quick Picks today!!! Check out the other fruity picks!

SIX QUICK PICKS: Fruity Fun - PURPLEPINKANDORANGE.COM

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Still shipping for Valentine's Day!

I am still taking orders for Valentine's Day!  You can order up until Tuesday and your package will get sent out Priority Mail.

I still have a few of the "Three Little Words" gift sets left and some amazingly sensual candle scents that you and your special one will adore!

Candles are a must for that special night and what better than to have ones made with oils that are sure to spark a mood and not pollute your air!

Check out my Etsy shop for Valentine's Day gift ideas

Are you on Facebook?

If so, please join the Gabriel's Aunt Facebook Group, post a comment about your favorite items and network away!  Members of my Facebook Group will receive coupons that no one else will get and previews of new products.  So, join away!

Join Gabriel's Aunt on Facebook now

Bohem is now ready and listed in my Etsy shop!

I am finally finished with my new Parfum called Bohem.  Bohem was inspired by incense, woods, and other earthy notes.  A few notes in this blend are Tobacco, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Allspice, Cassie and Davana.  This is a really long lasting blend that just seems to get better as the hours go on.  The earthy notes on the skin are so prevalent, but the Cassie and Davana round it out so that it isn't too intense.  I only have a sample listed now, but will have the full size 1/4 oz. roll on listed soon.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.  I also just got some gorgeous Amber resin in and will be working on an Amber based blend over the next few weeks.  Enjoy!!!

Check out Bohem in my Etsy shop

NEW Bath Tea and Drawer Sachets listed on Etsy

Just a quick post to announce that I have the first of my Bath Tea and Drawer Sachets listed on Etsy.  These did very well at my Holiday Craft Shows so I am offering them now on a regular basis. Currently for sale is Royal Couple with Rose and Jasmine.  Each Muslin bag contains .3 ounces of organically grown roses sprinkled with Jasmine Grandiflorum.  You can use the bag as Bath Tea by dropping it in your bath and letting it infuse the water (up to 3 uses if you let the bag completely dry) or throw into your drawer and let it scent your clothing.  Will last for months in your drawer! 

Check it out!

Get the last of these Holiday candles at 25% off!

I have just a couple of my Under The Tree/Holiday candles with Peppermint, Pine and Cedarwood left.  So, to clear these out and make room for my new scents, I am offering 25% off the remaining inventory. They are great to have around for the next Christmas season or to burn when you want to feel warm and fuzzy inside!  So, grab the rest of these candles while they are still around.

Shop at GabrielsAunt.etsy.com

SALE on My Holiday and Seasonal Scents!

I still have some Holiday and Seasonal scents in stock and they are on sale until they run out so go grab them up!  I am offering 15% off these scents and the price is already reduced. Check out all my new products and scents while you are there!

Seasonal and Holiday Scents in my Etsy shop

FIG+SAGE STOCKING STUFFER LIST FOR 2008

Just wanted to say a quick "Thank You" to the folks at Fig+Sage for including my votives in their list of 61 Eco-Friendly and Organic Stocking Stuffers under $6.00 list for 2008!

It is a great list full of items that I would love to get so check out their blog and the 61 items they chose this year!

Check out my votives online at www.gabrielsaunt.com and my Etsy shop at gabrielsaunt.etsy.com

They are great gifts.  Already boxed up and ready to give!

My candles going greener!

I have been thinking for many months on the best way to start cutting back on the amount of packaging I use.  I have always offered a recycling discount and encouraged people to discard of their candle packaging responsibly, but I wanted to make things a little easier.  So, I started with my larger 8oz. candles.  I have completely switched over from the square containers to a lovely round "rocks" holder.  That was a good start. I really liked the new look of the round containers (maybe because I was tired of the other style) and thought "Why should I cover these up with anything?"  I put a label on and liked the look, but I had to come up with some way to cover the candle and protect the oils. I knew it would have to be something made of paper (I didn't want a lid anymore) and what better paper than the kind that has been recycled already, is hand-made AND PLANTABLE!  So, I contacted ClaudiasCreations on Etsy and had her make paper for me to use.  She specializes in this so it was perfect.  She makes gorgeous recycled seed paper and it looked great with my new look.  Well, now I have updated some listings in  my Etsy shop with the new packaging and listed some additional candles. So, it is a perfect time to try them if you haven't already.  If you have, then come on back and see the greener packaging.  I love it and I feel good about making the switch over! 

Go Shop!

NEW Green Tea Bath Milk in my Etsy shop

Well, I have finally gotten around to taking pics of my newest item and listing it in my Etsy shop.  My Bath Milks are finally here and the first is my gorgeous skin-loving blend of Green and White Tea with Organic Honey Powder.  Not only is this full of anti-oxidants, it is then blended with Milk Powder and Honey Powder helping bring moisture and vitamins to your skin. This Bath Milk can be used as a mild scrub or mask as well!

More info on my Green Tea and White Tea Bath Milk

NEW SCRUBS LISTED IN MY ETSY SHOP!

I have finally gotten around to adding back some more scrubs to my Etsy shop and I am currently working on some bath powders and bath teas.  I really love making these items as they are things that I use on a regular basis to create my own "Spa" experience.  I have 2 brand new scrubs listed now that you have to check out.  The first one is my Royal Couple Salt Scrub (inspired by my Solid Perfume of the same name) with Rose Absolute, Ground Organic Roses and Jasmine.  I love this scrub!  It is so lovely.  The second, Vanilla Blossom, with Real Vanilla and Rare Orange Blossom Absolute.  This is a sweet, floral and exotic blend that will make you feel like you are in heaven.  Anyone who mentions this post when purchasing these items in my shop, will receive a 15% discount!  What a deal!  So, go indulge yourself.  The prices are already great!

Purchase My New Scrubs Here

More reasons to love Etsy!

So, a few months ago I was browsing Etsy (as I do pretty much every day of my life it seems) and came across this AMAZING shop selling some of the most gorgeous bags I have seen in a while.  Her shop is called TamamiKoBag.etsy.com and she is based in Toronto. I am IN LOVE with her shop! History has shown that I am not good at picking out bags of any sort for myself, but as I have found shops on Etsy that sell them, I am becoming more and more obsessed and getting that talent down!  Anyway, this shop takes vintage fabric and turns it into pieces that I don't come across in everyday shopping.  So, I gave in and finally bought this piece called "Lyric Pink":

All her bags are stunning and I will be back for more soon I know!  Check out her shop and feel free to post some comments or your favorite bag from her shop here!

TamamiKoBag.etsy.com

Crème has arrived in time for Fall

Finally!  I am sorry for my absence lately.  I am a multi-tasking girl and have been working on a ton of different jobs lately.  So, now that I am back from the madness, I am finally ready to announce that I have listed my brand spankin' new GA Essence blend, called Crème. The name says it all: Creamy, decadent and a true Gourmand, this blend is one of my favorite now. I love the deep and rich scent you smell out of the bottle with the combination of the Veggie Musk, Cocoa and Butter. Then as you put it on your skin you notice the subtle citrus of the Blood Orange and the sweetness of the Jasmine. Crème is a great addition to your fragrance wardrobe and perfect for the Fall and Winter. Check out the samples available as well selling in my Etsy shop now!