Tag: Health

Small Business Saturday

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In honor of Small Business Saturday, we at The Loving Essence are offering 10% OFF your ENTIRE order today! The offer will automatically be applied at checkout.

We are so grateful for all the support that we have received this year and we are grateful for the growth we’ve had the support we’ve received from our community. As a small business, it means so much to us and we look forward to continuing to be of service!

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The Loving Essence Loving Lavender Soap

And of course, because of our love of handmade soap and the amazing responses we’ve gotten from our customers, family and friends, be on the look out for a few of our Handmade Soaps coming soon! They will be ready in about 2 weeks and are expected to ship in time for the holidays

In the meantime, we have some really amazing products available for sale including our Soothing Chamomile Infused Lip Balms, body creams made with aloe vera juice and shea butter, body butters and our much loved seasonal item: lotion bars!

Hope to see you all at The Loving Essence and I look forward to continuing to be of service.

 

Visit The Loving Essence for all your skin and hair care needs!

 

Chamomile Infused Lip Balms
Chamomile Infused Lip Balms
Aloe Shea Body Cream
Aloe Shea Body Cream
Ylang Ylang Body Butter
Ylang Ylang Body Butter

 

 

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Aloe Shea Body Cream

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Aloe Shea Body Cream at The Loving Essence

Over at The Loving Essence, we are currently offering this incredibly creamy, peach scented body cream for daily use. The primary butter used in this particular recipe was East African Shea Butter which is a slightly softer texture to the West African Shea Butter that I have come to know and love. I also included some colloidal oatmeal to soothe sensitive skin. Sodium Lactate and Panthenol (B5) is also present in this formula to help draw moisture to the skin as well as to improve hydration and reduce inflammation to the skin. Aloe shea Body Cream Inside

If you’re someone who enjoys body butters (as I do), I recommend giving this product a try as well. It absorbs quickly into the skin leaving it hydrated with out any extra residue.  Now because this product does contain I high percentage of water soluble ingredients, paraben and formaldehyde-free preservatives were added at a minuscule amount for safety. All lotions require this to keep any icky bugs out of our beloved products.

What I love most about this body cream in particular is the strong presence of aloe vera
juice. My aim was to create a product that would not trigger skin sensitivities. Aloe Vera Juice is hydrating and helps to seal moisture into the skin. Aloe Vera can also assist in reduce inflammation, itchiness, and irritation to the skin.

There is very little fragrance in this product. I try to use fragrances at a low percentage so as to reduce the chances of anyone developing sensitivities from our products. However, because many of the other ingredients are practically odorless, the fragrance comes through with a light and pleasant peachy aroma. I absolutely love it. All of our fragrances are phthalate free.

Body Cream

Get our Aloe Shea Body Cream and more over at The Loving Essence.

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Self-Care Matters: Quality Time

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From @nadera.poetry 

Quality time is my love language. I enjoy the moments when I can sit in quiet with another person and have a genuine heart to heart. Quality time, those moments when you give someone your undivided attention with the intent of getting to truly know them, is an uplifting, soul reviving experience. It deepens the relationship and strengthens the bond between those involved because you are truly getting to know them. This very process can also be done with ourselves.

I confess that I have not been doing this as much lately. I’ve been busy. I had other things on my mind and decided that quality time with myself was another thing to add to my to-do list. At least that’s what I told myself. But it’s not another thing to add to my “to do” list. Quality time is process of checking in with myself. It’s a process of honoring myself. It’s the time I take to stop and ask myself, “How are you?” and it communicates a message to myself that I matter.

With the holiday season on us, I know many of us are focused on getting gifts for everyone else and making sure that everyone else’s needs and wants are met. I know many of us are or have picked up shifts at work. Some of us have even put in overtime to make some more money to either go on vacation or provide more for our families. I just want to encourage you all to still take a moment to be with yourself and ask yourself, “How are you?” And to really listen to and acknowledge the response. It is for you after all. Take the time to honor yourself and your needs because you matter too.

 

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Benefits of Lotion Bars

TLE PhotoI LOVE lotion bars! While they’re not exactly a lotion (a moisturizer that contains water or a “water phase”), it is a solid moisturizer, hence the term lotion bar. They basically look like little bars of soap (or chocolate, depending on color & design) that you can apply when you exit the shower for added moisture. Our lotion bars are made with an abundance of all natural oils and butters to create a solid moisturizer for the drier areas of your skin.

Ease of Use

Many people have asked me  how to use a lotion bar. One of the great things about lotion bars is that they are easy to use. They are solid at room temperature but they melt on contact with the skin. Simply remove from packaging and apply to skin. Hold it to your skin for 15 seconds to allow the oils and butters to melt. Massage into skin.

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While lotions are water-based, lotion bars are made with oils and butters. This makes them a wonderful addition to those looking to invest in emollient therapy (read more on emollient therapy here). If you have sensitive skin or often experience dry skin, lotion bars would be a good idea to include in your skin care routine.

Longer Lasting

White chocolate lotion bars.jpgLotion bars are much longer lasting than that of liquid lotions. Not only that but they are less greasy. Our lotion bars are formulated to allow for quick absorption into the skin leaving a healthy radiant glow upon application.

Travel Friendly

Because lotion bars are solid at room temperature, there is little concern that your moisturizer will be confiscated by TSA! In addition, our lotion bars are well packaged and compact, allowing you to store them in your purse or pocket with ease. You can pull them out at any time to moisturize those drier areas.

It is best to store your lotion bars in a cool dry place to prevent melting. However, if your lotion bar does melt, this does not affect the moisturizing properties of the bar. Simply place in the fridge for 10 minutes to allow it to harden again.

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To try this and other products, visit The Loving Essence!

 

 

 

 

 

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Emollient Therapy

One of the ways to improve your skin is with the use of emollient therapy. It is a safe, effective way to soothe dry skin as well as promote moisture and lubrication, particularly for those with sensitive skin.

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Ylang Ylang Body Butter

 

Emollient therapy consists of two factors: water and lipids. If you are prone to dry, itchy, sensitive skin like eczema, skin-care practices that promote hydration and moisture are of the utmost importance. Lotions, moisturizers that are high in water but relatively low in lipids, can encourage further evaporation of moisture from your skin; thus, worsening its dryness. Products that are high in lipids (eg: products comprising mostly of body butters, body balms, petroleum jelly, thick creams, etc) and low in water are your best bet in improving the quality of your skin and preventing dry, irritated skin. Apply these to your skin at least two times a day, and reapply immediately after washing hands or bathing.

Body Cream and washThere are other ingredients that have been found to be effective in soothing and improving dry skin. While there has not been a lot of high quality studies demonstrating the benefit, in this area, colloidal oatmeal is widely used on children and adults and are even included and recommended for use in Europe in treating eczema. Aveeno is one product that uses colloidal oatmeal in their products. Colloidal oatmeal helps to improve dryness, reduce itchiness and irritation, and reduce inflammation of the skin.

Bathing Practices

I know many of us love, love, love the soapy, sudsy effect of soap and body wash. I know, I love it too! But in the interest of promoting healthy skin and self-care, I’m going to have to tell the truth: It’s not the best for dry skin. Most commercially prepared soaps and body washes are not the best in promoting skin hydration. The bottom line is we really don’t need soap in order to get clean. Soap alternatives and those with gentle lathers and full of lipids are a better option for those looking to improve the quality of their skin and promote hydration. They don’t produce large copious bubbles and lather but are more like a smooth cream and are just as effective in getting the skin clean without stripping it of moisture. Another option is to apply a bath oil to the skin while in the shower. There are many available and it’s a matter of choosing the best option for you.

Body Wash pics

Visit The Loving Essence to try products that promote adequate skin hydration and moisture.

 

 

 

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25 Days Until Christmas!

 

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The Loving Essence

I have been really in the holiday spirit this year. Everything from gift giving, cheesy (and I mean Cheesy) holiday movies, Eggnog, and even the ugly Christmas sweater has been on my radar of typical holiday indulgence. This is a huge shift for me this year as I have come to accept that the spirit of the holidays is something to cultivate, embody, and make my own!

This year, in support of enhanced self-care, holiday cheer, & gratitude, The Loving Essence has several Holiday Gift Sets for the season of gift-giving. Just a loving reminder that all of our products are phthalate and mineral oil free which is fantastic considering the new articles that have come out which highlight the unfortunate information that many of the hair products marketed to black women may contain high levels of toxins that can impact the reproductive system (post here).

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Holiday Decadence Gift Set

One of my favorite gift sets (and our featured collection) is the Holiday Decadence Gift Set. It includes Cinnamon and Myrrh Body Butter, White Chocolate Lotion Bar, and a Cocoa Lip Balm. Together they make for a perfect combination of moisturized skin and lips, radiant glow, with a warm and welcoming fragrance that’s almost good enough to eat! You can also purchase each item individually.

Festive Pack
Festive Feet Gift Set Combo

For those looking for a way to pamper their feet, we offer our Festive Feet combo.This includes our Peppermint Foot Cream as well as our all new Peppermint Foot Scrub! This gift set is a definite feet treat because not only does it leave your skin feeling smooth, it also provides the added skin benefit of moisturizing and restoring dry cracked feet. It’s just one of the things that can happen when you combine a tried & true essential oil with natural oils, butters, & exfoliants to provide spa day quality and lasting results!

Visit The Loving Essence to get our holiday gift sets. Want to stay up to date on our collections and other ventures? Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see more features, collections, & reviews.

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