Donna Maria's Handmade Beauty Connection
February 7, 2005

1. HBN Update: Welcome New & Renewing HBN Members!!
2. Feature Article: Using Aromatic Oils To Create A Romantic Atmosphere
3. Handmade Beauty Recipe Of The Week: Love Oil
4. Beauty & The Business Trivia Question: win some pure rose oil!
5. Handmade Beauty Product Review: Rose Milk Soap by Susan's Soaps & More
6. Big Beauty Breakdown: Pleasures Body Cream by Bath & Body Works

5-Year Renewing Members!

All this year, HBC will highlight members who are renewing for their 5th straight year of membership! Our 5-Year Renewing Members joined HBN in 2000 and have this week renewed their memberships for a 5th year without interruption. I am eternally grateful to all HBN members, but especially these who put their faith in HBN in the early days when there was no track record and no one was sure it would last. I'm excited to say that HBN has lasted and so have these members! Please visit their websites. Be inspired and buy something new and delicious just for you!

From Nature With Love | Kibby Mitra | Connecticut
* 5-Year Renewing Member; Kibby has been a part of HBN since July 2000 and my how her business (and family) have grown since then! Originally started as a company to make and sell handmade beauty products, Kibby eventually found herself sourcing ingredients of all kinds from all over the world to make her products. Ultimately deciding that she could be of more benefit to the world by supplying ingredients rather than finished products, she and her husband Jay have grown FNWL into one of the largest suppliers in the nation, yet they still maintain a "handmade" touch. They have been loyal and valuable participants in HBN over the years. You can get just about anything from FNWL at their website.

Soap Goddess Handmade Soap Company | Susan Soros | Texas
* 5-Year Renewing Member; Susan has been a member of HBN since October 2000. Her products are earth-friendly and skin loving. Handmade soap is lovingly crafted in small batches using natures finest ingredients such as cold pressed oils, pure essential oils and herbs. She also offers 100% natural sulfate-free shampoo and body wash, aromatherapy conditioners, body butter and aromatic lotions. Each formulation incorporates high quality essential oils, botanical infusions, food grade vegetable oils & exotic nut butters like shea and cocoa. You can learn more about Susan and her products at her website.

Renewing Members!

Paper Paw Soap Company | Jennifer Doughty | Michigan
* handmade soaps and body scrubs -- Brown Sugar Body Scrub and soaps made in small batches

New Members!

Quench Handmade Bath & Body | Shashi Srikantan | New Jersey

Natty Products | Brandy | California
* a fun, fresh and hip line of skin care including cocktail inspired body scrubs made from shea butter, coconut, grapeseed and avocado oil

HBN Members On The Move!

Learn more about our members and their exciting activities by visiting their Web sites through HBN's Online Member Directory, now with 4 ways to search: (1) by state/country; (2) by member business name; (3) by keyword search; or (4) using our new alphabetical listings.

If you are a fan of handmade beauty products, you are probably somewhat acquainted with the ways you can use aromatic oils to fan the romance flame in your life. Perhaps nothing on earth is more pleasurable than giving pleasure to someone you love on what is billed as the romantic day of the year. And one of the many ways that can be done is with the pure, natural "oils of love."

According to Maggie Tisserand in her book "The Essence of Love" (HarperSanFrancisco 1993), the most celebrated perfumes in the world contain oils from animals such as musk and civet, as well as pure plant oils from jasmine and sandalwood. While the use of animal extracts has been outlawed in many places, plant oils still have a special place in the aromatic world, especially when it comes to stimulating romantic response. Says Tisserand, "Without knowing it, people communicate sexual attraction to one another in greater or lesser degree by scent. This fact has been recognized since time immemorial, but waited until thirty years ago for a name. Pheromone -- from the Greek for "transfer" and "excitement" -- describes the substance, usually volatile, produced by one person that evokes a response in another." It is the combination of these pheromones, different in everyone, with aromatic oils that create either attraction or repulsion, again different for everyone, of an individual's personal aroma.

Aromatic oils can be used in a variety of ways to create and encourage romance between two people. In my personal experience, there are at least 5 oils that can be used in a variety of combinations for this purpose. They are: (1) sweet orange; (2) sandalwood; (3) jasmine; (4) rose; and (5) clary sage. Of course there are others but this combination contains oils that are inexpensive as well as pricey so that nearly everyone can purchase at least 2 of them and begin experimenting. One of the first aromatherapy blends I made when I began exploring essential oils was a fundamental blend of 1 drop each of rose, clary sage and sweet orange. I can still remember how pleased I was with myself to have created this blend, which was at once sweet and sexy.

You can use the same blend of rose, clary sage and orange to make a massage oil by putting a drop of each into 1/2 ounce of base oil such as grapeseed oil. (Or you can try my recipe for Love Oil.) Add a tad bit of jasmine and you're in romance heaven for sure! Using this blend to massage someone you love can bring endless pleasure for both giver and receiver. The power of touch is always available, even if you don't have essential oils on hand. In their book, Romantic Antics (Adams Media Corporation, 2003), Kevin and Joy Decker describe how massage even without oils helps them to keep their romance alive -- even with two young children in the mix. They enjoy massage wherever they are, particularly at the end of the day, to connect with each other after a long day.

Even if you can't get together the various suggested oils here by Valentine's Day, you need not despair. Kevin Decker tells me of a great way that one of his friends created a wonderful Valentine's Day for the love in his life on a strict budget. First he told his date to be "not ready" for their date 2 hours early. He went to the local pharmacy and picked up inexpensive bottles of bubble bath, shampoo and some bright red nail polish. When his date let him in the house, he gave her the bubble bath and sent her off to the bathroom to begin. She ran a very hot bath and got in. While she soaked, he went to her closet and selected a favorite short black dress and all the accessories she would need along with it. She summoned him when her bath was complete and he went in to give her a shampoo and rinse. When she emerged, he wrapped in her terry robe, and painted her nails (all 20 of them!!) red. While the polish dried, he massaged her neck and shoulders. Once her spa treatment was complete, they enjoyed a romantic dinner. That sounds like a wonderful evening and there's no reason why the same couldn't be done for a man. Some unscented bubble bath, his favorite shampoo and some nail care accessories for a manicure and pedicure would have him eating out of your hand!

Whatever you decide to do to treat those you love to a memorable Valentine's Day, remember that it's not how much money you spend on them that counts. What makes any moment really special is the purity and sincerity of your heart as you express your desire to know another human being at the very depths of their soul. This is the stuff that life is made of. Make it a very happy and memorable Valentine's Day!

When you visit MakeYourCosmetics.com, it's easy to buy the ingredients you need by clicking on our Selected Supplier links:

Essential Wholesale: pure essential oils, over 200 cosmetic bases, hundreds of carrier/fixed oils such as meadowfoam, cranberry, jojoba and shea butter plus a new Short Run Private Labeling Program!

Bramble Berry, Inc.: over 105 different fragrance and essential oils (including their exclusive "Energy" and "Relaxing"), all soap tested, soap molds and unscented soap bases!

SunRose Aromatics: pure essential oils (many organic), carrier oils and other aromatherapy products, each carefully selected for quality. Check out their new Perfumer's Emporium.

The Scent Shack: fragrance oils and soap supplies. Fragrance oils are pre-tested in cold process, melt & pour soap, and candles, and test results are listed at the Web site. Scents tested by soapers for soapers!

From Nature With Love: over 1,600 ingredients and supplies, including cosmetic ingredients, spa supplies, bath accessories and packaging supplies!

Last Week's Question: What are HBN's 3 missions?

Last Week's Answer: To set the standard of excellence in the handmade beauty products industry; To monitor the industry as a whole from a business, consumer and public relations perspective; To educate the public about the benefits, value and quality of handmade beauty products. For more details, click here.

This Week's Question: A popular line of cosmetics is named for an Indian book which is generally considered to be the world's oldest manual on lovemaking. To win this week, state the name of the cosmetics line and the name of the person who is credited with authoring the manual.

Be the first to correctly answer this week's questions and win some pure rose oil.

Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry. Put "TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWER" in the subject line or your answer will not be considered.

While time does not permit me to respond personally to all entrants, the winner's name will be announced in the next newsletter!

Rose Milk Soap
4 oz. | $8.00

For the lover's holiday, what perfect soap than something with the pure scent of roses in it? Made with pure essential oils of rose geranium, sandalwood, rosewood, bergamot and sandalwood and topped off with a splash of pure rose absolute, Rose Milk Soap is a truly a lover's holiday! Goat's milk is added for a rich lather and the gentle skin benefits. This is one of the soaps in Susan's "exotic" line and you won't be disappointed with it! Rose Milk Soap is made by hand from scratch with Susan's special blend of olive, coconut and soybean oil, with cocoa butter and goat's milk. If you splurge on life's little pleasures every now and then, this is a good choice.

You can get your own Rose Milk Soap plus other goodies made by Susan at her website.

Cool, creamy, clean and crisp. This product smells as good as a freshly picked crop of the fresh fruit and vegetable for which it is named. HBN members can read more about the ingredients and consumer-friendly marketing copy on this label here.

Visit our suite of Web sites serving the handmade toiletries industry:

HandmadeBeauty.com: the leading industry trade organization
MangoButter.com: 450+ suppliers of raw materials and packaging, updated weekly!
MakeYourCosmetics.com: ingredient encyclopedia & original cosmetics recipes
DonnaMaria.com: sound advice for your small business, Create The Life You Love™