The Herbarie

Underground With The Root Children

2012-01-21T03:48:00.000-08:00

I love Winter and joyfully embrace the introspective and quiet solitude that comes with this time of year. This time of year, most plants are dormant and animals are hibernating or resting or have migrated elsewhere. Nature knows to rest and restore energy and I am inclined to follow nature’s lead whenever possible.

It seems counter intuitive to me that our society has made the Winter Solstice the busiest time of year when nature tells us to retreat - to rest – to restore energy - to embrace solitude. But as members of this society we all generally follow along with the masses. The Holidays dictate parties and gatherings and busy “hustle bustle” everywhere. All this makes it difficult to follow the natural order of our world. There’s scarcely any time to rest at all! But I must say that during my holiday break, I greatly enjoyed spending time with my dear family and friends. Also, I was able to find and enjoy some precious solitude and introspective time as well.

So, it’s been a long time since I’ve written here. We’ve come through Fall and the Winter Solstice and Holidays and are now in the New Year – 2012! Happy New Year to everyone!

January is a natural planning time for me and I absolutely love working on projects! I have many, many ideas for creative, fun and useful projects that will keep me and our Stoney Hill Farm team very busy over the next few months!

Right now we are working on several community activities. As most folks know, I am passionate about nature and caring for all creatures. Stoney Hill Farm makes regular donations of time and money to various organizations that help care for pets and wildlife. For a number of years, we have been actively involved in a local spay and neuter program. My goal is to reduce the number of unwanted animals in our county and to try to help educate our community about the importance of spaying and neutering pets. It’s a huge challenge, but I am committed to making it work.

I am also working diligently on the Stoney Hill Farm Inc. website. This has been a work in progress for about 8 years! We currently have a bit of a website up and running, but it’s terribly out of date and needs to be replaced. The new site that I am working on is scheduled to go live no later than March 1 and we will offer a number of interesting products from Stoney Hill Farm and The Herbarie as well as arts and crafts from our community and nearby communities. It’s great fun working on this site and I can’t wait to have it go live very soon!

We have yet another building project scheduled for this year. We are converting one of our existing buildings to a new workshop/lab! I’m out of space in my current lab and simply need more room. I will also (hopefully) be using this space to offer workshops for our Herbarie customers who want to learn how to make emulsions, balms, shampoo, etc. We haven’t worked out the details, but hope to be able to offer our first small group workshop early in 2013!

And of course gardening is always my passion! This time of year SC is perfect for working outside much of the time. We are so fortunate to have daytime temps in the 50-60F which makes mulching and weeding very pleasant. This is also the time of year when we plant our fruit trees and other dormant trees and shrubs. I will be planting my 8th and 9th Asian Persimmon trees in a week or so! I have fallen in love with Asian Persimmons and have purchased our trees from the wonderful folks at Just Fruits and Exotics in Florida. I love both the astringent and non-astringent types. But my most favorite is the non-astringent type that can be eaten just like an apple when they ripen in late Fall, early Winter. The only problem is that our deer also love them so I’ve had to find spots that are protected from those beautiful garden munchers.

In February, I’ll start my tomato, eggplant and pepper seeds in the basement so they will be ready to plant in the spring. My Rose heirloom tomatoes that I grew from seed last year produced until Thanksgiving last year! The Corno di Toro Peppers did the same thing, but I had to cover them a couple of nights with protective fabric. Those two are well worth growing from seed since they cannot be found in garden centers as transplants and they are soooo delicious!

Last night I dreamed about one of my green frogs that live in the waterfall pond. In my dream, he was sitting on top of a rock sunning himself. With the cold weather, the frogs go underwater to hibernate and I miss seeing them this time of year. But I know they are resting, hibernating and will be back in spring with the other creatures that I am so fond of spending time with.

Next month I’ll prune my roses and add another layer of compost/mulch for spring. All are dormant now and straggly haggly, but still look beautiful to me. Many of the roses are like children to me since I rooted from cuttings years ago. In a very few months, they will produce new growth and then gorgeous blossoms in April for all to enjoy!

I’ll end this time with an excerpt from my favorite children’s story – “When the Root Children Wake Up” by Helen Dean Fish.

“All Winter long the trees are bare, the wind is cold and the fields are empty”. “The root children are sleeping soundly in their warm earth home. They will rest and sleep the cold winter through until spring comes, welcomed by Earth Mother. Soon she will come with her candle and her little firefly helpers to tell them they must be up and at work for it will soon be Spring!”

Best Wishes for Restoration, Renewal, Rebirth and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!!

Angie

Swimming Through the Changes

2011-10-16T05:37:00.000-07:00

Fall is a time for transitions and changes. I've never especially liked change so this is a challenge for me and moves me from my comfort zone. Autumn, although beautiful, is not my favorite time of year. I'm always at odds with Autumn. While others happily notice the leaves turning from green to gold and the weather becoming brisk and cool, I tend to notice the zinnias sadly dying and squirrels frantically scurrying and feel that I must hurry too.

For the past few weeks I have been busy, busy, busy with day to day details. I was beginning to feel like those squirrels scurrying back and forth across the road - hurrying and trying to go in several directions at once. This past week I realized that I had not spent time in my garden for over two weeks. I had been outside to quickly harvest botanicals, but I didn't linger. I didn't watch the birds or butterflies and surely didn't stop to smell the roses. I had stopped doing my yoga routine since the mornings were too chilly in the garden and decided that I just didn't have time anyway. Then yesterday I realized that I didn't feel well. I could think of a million things that need to be done to run the business and a million things that need to be done to take care of the other day to day stuff, but couldn't tell you what I had eaten for lunch or even if I had eaten lunch. I was losing touch with myself. Are the squirrels trying to tell me something?? I know what I need to do to be whole and healthy, but usually put myself last because so many other things need to be done - isn't this what we all often do?

I have to remind myself that in order to be able to give my best to others I have to be healthy and well. For me to be well in mind, body and soul, I know I must be in touch with myself and grounded with the earth, the plants and the animals and those who are dear to me. Yes, it's literally about taking time to smell the roses, touch the roses, dig in the earth, nibble on the herbs, water the plants, feed the fish, talk to the frogs - yes talk to the frogs!

Yesterday, I spent the day in the garden pulling up my dear dying zinnias. They are still trying their best to grow tall with brilliant orange and yellow flowers and it's not easy for me to pull them up. But I give honor to the plants as I realize they have lived their season and it's time to go. And now I understand and have faith that their seeds will sprout life for flowers that bloom next summer. As I pull them up, we make way for the beautiful Camellia sasanqua, Pineapple Sage, Mexican Sage and others that are now in bloom.

Next, I cleaned my pond and spent time with Spot and Plain, my two goldfish that have grown from one inch to 6 inches. I sang songs to my frogs and whoever else could tolerate my off key songs. I sat for a while and just enjoyed being alive. It felt good to see the blue sky and notice how my collards are growing so nicely. I remembered to eat lunch.

Again, I am always sad when the ruby throated summer hummers leave and we've not seen them since the end of September. But while I sat in the garden I was surprised to hear the familiar humming sound and I noticed one little hummer at the flowering sage! My first thought was of Joy, my winter hummer from two years ago - could it be? Then I told myself that's it's far more likely one of the summer hummers passing through. I didn't get a good look so I'm not sure. I always leave the sugar water feeders up through the winter just in case we do have visitors and just in case Joy or one of her family decides to come back. I'll be watching for her.

Now, I've changed from my morning yoga routine in the garden to morning yoga inside with exquisite Gary Stadler music. Instead of the aromatherapy of my outside garden I enjoy my inside garden with my ferns and orchids and my atomizer with essential oils of Geranium, Clary Sage, Cedarwood virginiana. The view of the forest as the sun comes up is beautiful and I am reassured of the cyclical changes of the seasons. We've been this way before and we'll come this way again.

Spot and Plain will soon be wintering in our basement in a nice, new aquarium. They will be a part of my morning yoga class! My Zinnias have thrown their seeds to the earth and will be back next summer. Next summer will be the 10th or 11th year they have reseeded themselves. I try to keep the faith and look forward to the next generation.

Go with the flow, live through the cycles - be like Spot and Plain - just keep swimming.

Best Fall Wishes To You!
Angie

Everyone Loves Aloe Vera!

2011-08-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

Aloe Vera Loves You Too!

I’ve created a light summer lotion (or skin care serum) formula and I want to share it with you! This formula is chock full of Aloe Vera and features Plantamulse Pastilles as the complete emulsifier. For those who want to make a smooth, very fine particle size lotion or serum, Plantamulse Pastilles can do it!!

Here are the details on Plantamulse Pastilles:

ECOCERT PlantaMulse™ Pastilles - Natural Plant Source, PEG-free, biodegradable emulsifier and emollient made from the esters of glycerin and fatty acids.
PlantaMulse™Pastilles has the ability to form lamellar liquid-crystalline structures in water which provides exceptional stability and superb re-fatting properties and sensory characteristics.

PlantaMulse™Pastilles functions as an o/w emulsifier and emollient for creams, lotions, serums, and other emulsions and will leave skin feeling exceptionally soft, smooth and conditioned.

Formulating Guidelines:

● PlantaMulse™Pastilles can be used as a complete self-emulsifier for elegant light lotions or serums at very low percentages - typically 3.0%.
● For creams and lotions where greater viscosity is desired, 1-2% fatty alcohol (ie. behenyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol), fatty acid (stearic acid), or medium HLB co-emulsifier (PlantaEm), or low HLB co-emulsifier (ie. glyceryl stearate or sorbitan stearate or lecithin) is recommended.
● Water phase viscosity/sensory enhancing ingredients such as VenaSilk, OryzaSilk, UltraMaize, XanThix, or HEC are recommended.

Product Characteristics:

●PlantaMulse™Pastilles provides all natural, PEG-free emulsification for skin care lotions, serums, and other emulsions.
●PlantaMulse™Pastilles has excellent compatibility with most ingredients and due to its lamellar liquid-crystalline structure is a perfect carrier for active ingredients.
●PlantaMulse™Pastilles is supplied in easy to use pastilles and will form smooth white emulsions with a soft conditioned feel.
●PlantaMulse™Pastilles exhibits excellent stability at elevated temperatures and good freeze/thaw stability from pH 4.5-8.5.
●PlantaMulse™Pastilles is free from ethylene oxide and nitrosamines, is biocompatible and biodegradable.

Recommended Usage: 3.0% for most emulsions
INCI Name: Polyglyceryl-3 Methyglucose Distearate
Physical Form: Creamy white pastilles
HLB Value: 12
Nonionic

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I am loving this cool, silky and soothing emulsion! I'm often asked about non-whitening, non-soaping emulsion formulas. I am also asked every day about formulas with Aloe Vera! So, for this formula my goal was to formulate a light, cool, non-whitening lotion with Aloe Vera!

Fatty alcohols are key ingredients for building body and viscosity in emulsions, but do create a whitening or soaping effect. So I had to come up with a different strategy for building body and viscosity. I used HEC to build stability/viscosity from the water phase. I used skin loving Shealoe to build viscosity from the oil phase. The result: Very light, non-soaping emulsion!

● Fabulous for a light summer lotion!
● Excellent for a silky skin care serum!
● Effective as an after-sun, skin soother!
Shealoe and Lavender Skin Soothing Lotion with Plantamulse Pastilles

All natural Plantamulse Pastilles is the complete emulsifier in this very stable and silky smooth emulsion. Shealoe offers well known skin care benefits of aloe vera and shea butter and also provides viscosity to this formula. Aloe Vera Oil Extract, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, and Calendula Extract OS further enrich and soothe skin.

HEC (Hydroxyethyl Cellulose) builds viscosity through the water phase and adds a nice feel in application. The Herbarie’s Lavender Hydrosol and Aloe Vera 100% Liquid are utilized as the entire water phase of this formula.

Our preservative system for this formula includes Aloe Advanced Leucidal as the primary antimicrobial along with Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract and Lavender Essential Oil. Rosemary CO2 Extract also serves as the powerful antioxidant in the formula and Lavender EO is valued for its fresh clean scent as well as its benefits to skin.

This natural system works synergistically to soothe, moisturize, and condition skin - without greasiness or a “soaping/whitening effect” - and leaves skin fabulously soft and silky. The finished emulsion is medium to low viscosity and could function as a skin care serum or light lotion especially nice in summer, but lovely to use any time of the year.

Part A
Lavender Hydrosol 69.40% = 347 grams
Aloe Vera 100% Liquid 10.0% = 50 grams
Part B
Plantamulse Pastilles 3.0% = 15 grams
Shealoe 3.0% = 15 grams
Aloe Vera Oil Extract 3.0% = 15grams
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil 3.0% = 15grams
Calendula Extract OS 3.0% = 15grams
HEC 1.5% = 7.5 grams

Part C
Aloe Advanced Leucidal 3.0% = 15 grams
Lavender Essential Oil 1.0% = 5 grams
Rosemary CO2 Extract 0.1% = 0.5 grams

Total: 100% = 500 grams

Part A (water phase) – Combine and heat ingredients to 175F.

Part B (oil phase) - Weigh HEC and set aside. Combine all other ingredients in and heat to melt point (approximately 175F). Remove melted/hot oils from heat. Disperse HEC into hot oils, stirring to separate particles.

Add Part A (water phase) to Part B (oil phase). Allow emulsion to stand for one minute before mixing. After one minute, begin mixing and continue until cooldown. Cool to 50C/122F, add Part D and mix until smooth.

I've used our Magic Airless Dispensers for this emulsion. But our Pearl Airless Dispensers can also be used. We offer several sizes: 50 ml Magic Airless White, 30 ml Pearl Airless, and coming soon - 200 ml Magic Frosted and Magic White.

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Well, it's daylight and time to go outside. I love my ponds and water creatures!

Keep cool and let's hope for rain soon!

Angie

Some Thoughts About Hot Summertime!

2011-07-28T01:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
The temperature is soaring with high humidity here in South Carolina, yet the soil is dry as a bone at Stoney Hill Farm. We are carefully watering our gardens from our two very deep wells. But we cannot give water to the fields and woodlands. It's sad for me to know they are thirsty and there is nothing I can do. I see clouds and hear thunder, but there is no rain.

In the early morning I'm out in the garden and think about the grand white oak at the edge of our woods. I think about how this spectacular, strong oak tree has been here for 100+ years and has weathered storms and drought by sending its roots deep into the soil. I notice how the willow trees grow in colonies beside the creek and pond and survive by bending with the breeze. I consider our trees and plants to be my good friends and teachers so always try to learn from them.

It looks like rain is on the way for next week - we are hopeful!

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I've been spending part of each morning tending to my water gardens. One of the gardens has a waterfall with plants and some small fish and frogs. I enjoy feeding the fish each morning.

See one of the frogs on the lily pad?

The water lily flower is absolute perfection!

I've named my new secret garden Hummer Haven because the hummingbirds love the Rose of Sharon, Bougainvillea, Mandevilla and other bloomers.

In this area we created another small pond with a few plants and some mosquito fish and frogs. A small solar fountain helps to keep oxygen in the water.

During this drought, I am refreshed by my ponds, water plants and water creatures. I also find our heat loving plants to be refreshing as well. This year I'm growing Holy Tulsi Basil as well as the usual varieties of sweet basil. Basil loves hot weather!

I've distilled a lovely Hydrosol from our Holy Tulsi Basil! I enjoy using our Holy Tulsi Basil Hydrosol as a cooling spritzer.

Holy Tulsi Basil Hydrosol (Ocimum sanctum) is distilled from several varieties of Ocimum sanctum - Rama, Vana, Kapoor and Krishna. These plants are grown from Organic Certified seed.

Holy Tulsi Basil Hydrosol is recommended for use in skin care and hair care.

Holy Tulsi Basil Hydrosol can be used for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and soothing characteristics.

All varieties of Basil are native to India where it is used in Ayurveda medicine. Holy Tulsi Basil(Ocimum sanctum) is considered to be a sacred plant and is used to open the heart and bring harmony to the mind. Our Holy Tulsi Basil plants grow in a special place in our garden and are honored for their many gifts to us.

Basil smells like summertime and thrives in hot weather, but the fresh scent of Holy Tulsi Basil Hydrosol can be enjoyed all year!

http://theherbarie.com/Holy-Tulsi-Basil-Hydrosol--pr-481.html

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More soon..........stay cool!

Summer!

2011-07-11T02:15:00.001-07:00

Dear Blog Friends,
I am finally finding some time to write again! As usual, this has been a very busy spring and summer.

Right now we are in the middle of "dog days" - hot and humid! Each morning in the summer, I wake up very early and go into the garden. Daybreak is my favorite time - every day new and fresh with possibilities. I enjoy spending an hour or so going through my yoga routine, meditating, watering plants, pulling weeds. I listen to the birds' wake up calls, breakfast on grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and blackberries.

The hummers are wide awake at 6:30am - chirping and zooming around from flower to flower and the many sugar water feeders in the gardens.

If the sugar water feeders are low, they will get my attention by zooming by me until I notice and refill the feeders. I love my hummers!

As the world wakes up, I can catch the earthy, carrot scent of the Queen Anne's Lace while I appreciate her delicate, lacy beauty. I am so thankful to be able to enjoy nature's symphony and aromatherapy every morning in my garden!

Many of the roses are resting now. I've given most of them a summer shearing which will rejuvenate them for their glorious Fall Bloom. Dorsey still blooms and the pretty little Cecile Brunner, Marie Pavie, Borderer and Roxy are still lush and blooming and seem very happy - even in our extreme summer heat.

The sunflowers and zinnias have sown themselves in the gardens and are now everywhere. Zinnias and Sunflowers love hot summertime and seem to exude joyfulness!

Our vivacious Zinnias seem proud to be Stoney Hill Farm Cheerleaders in the gardens with their hot pink, neon orange, sunny yellow and every shade in between petals.

Each year the butterflies, bees and I enjoy them immensely.

My pretty lavender plants are flowering profusely right now and the scent is wonderfully clean and fresh. I always enjoy distilling Lavender Hydrosol because it's so aromatic.

I treated myself to a new version of my Luscious Lavender Natramulsion which is very, very conditioning and smells wonderful! This all natural formula is based on Natramulse which is one of our several plant-based emulsifiers. This formula is full of skin softening and conditioning ingredients! Natramulse, Shea butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and Botanical Complex LSCD form the richly conditioning oil phase. I also loaded this formula with skin nourishing oats - Avena Oat Extract WS, VenaSilk and Symglucan - and all work in synergy to moisturize and nourish dry skin. I used our Lavender Hydrosol as the entire water phase. Our new, multifunctional Antioxidant Synergy Blend will protect the formula from oxidation as well as serve as a powerful antioxidant for skin. Lavender Essential Oil gives the formula a nice clean, fresh scent while lending some antimicrobial/preservative activity. Leucidal Liquid, manufactured by Active Micro Technologies, is my favorite natural preservative and serves as the primary preservative in the formula.

I've packaged this cream in our new Magic Airless Dispensers. This formula is very substantial so during our hot southern summer I only use it at nighttime after showering and as a hand cream during the day. I keep one dispenser in my office to condition my dry hands after coming inside from the garden and also keep one at home to use at nighttime. Here's the formula:

Ultra Moisturizing Oats and Lavender Natramulsion

Oil Phase
8% Natramulse
12% Organic Shea Butter
5% Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
3% Botanical Complex LSCD
2% VenaSilk

Water Phase
56.75% Lavender Hydrosol
5% Symglucan
5% Avena Oat Extract WS

Cool Down Phase
0.25% Antioxidant Synergy Blend
2% Leucidal Liquid
1% Lavender Essential Oil

-Oil Phase: Weigh and combine first 4 ingredients (weigh VenaSilk and set aside) in a stainless steel or heat safe pot/vessel. Heat to approximately 175F or until solids have melted and the oil phase is clear, not cloudy. Once the solids in the oil phase have melted, remove from heat and disperse VenaSilk to the hot/melted oils.
-Water Phase: weigh, combine and heat ingredients to approximately 175F
-Add heated Water Phase to heated Oil Phase and mix continuously until cooldown (approximately 100F).
-Cool Down Phase: When temperature of emulsion has cooled to about 100F, add Cool Down ingredients. Mix until homogeneous.
-The finished emulsion is thick and creamy. I used our new airless dispensers which work beautifully. - Pearl Airless and Magic Airless.

Tip 1: Using an electric stovetop is preferable - just be sure to monitor carefully.
Tip 2: Even though VenaSilk is mostly water soluble, we disperse it into the oil phase so the particles will more easily separate.
Tip 3: Adding the water phase to the oil phase is easier and creates a very stable emulsion.
Tip 4: When the emulsion has cooled, scoop into a gallon size freezer bag, remove air and seal. then cut a tiny tip off the corner and "squirt" into containers - no mess and easy peasy :-)

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SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY SALE!

Since my last blog, we've brought in a number of new products including Avena Oat Extract WS, Antioxidant Synergy Blend, Wild Carrot Seed Hydrosol, and SCI Pearl.

We are offering a Special Introductory Sale on these new products so now is the best time to try them! We are also very pleased to offer airless dispensers - Magic Airless (50ml) and Pearl Airless (30ml). I just love these new dispensers! I'm so excited about all these new products and have been talking with many of you about them already. But here are the details that you can also view on our website:

Our Avena Oat Extract WS is derived from the entire oatstraw herb which includes the green stalks, the leaves and the milky grain. Constituents include polysaccharides such as beta glucan, flavonoids, silica, triterpenoid saponins (including avenacosides), and phenolic compounds (avenanthramides).

Avena sativa is a member of the Poaceae, or “grasses” family. Wild oats (Avena) likely originated in Eurasia and were first cultivated (sativa) in Greece and Rome around 400BC to 1st century AD. This nutrient-rich, ancient grass is now cultivated throughout the world and valued for its many uses. While the traditional use of oats in folklore is well-established and has stood the test of time, modern science has documented excellent efficacy as well. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated the benefits of oats and oat derivatives in skin care products.

These constituents are known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant, and moisturizing characteristics. When used topically, Avena sativa can soothe, smooth, and nourish skin and hair.

Avena Oat Extract WS is recommended for all skin types, but especially for sensitive skin and dry and flaky skin. Avena Oat Extract WS is recommended for all hair types, but particularly for dry or damaged hair or flaky scalp. Avena Oat Extract WS is useful in moisturizers, anti-aging products, smoothing and soothing products. Avena Oat Extract WS, can be used in hair care products to improve conditioning and manageability.

Avena Oat Extract WS is a water soluble extract and can be used in toners, facial cleansers, shower gels, creams and lotions, shampoo, and conditioners.

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Antioxidant Synergy Blend (ASB) is a multifunctional, proprietary blend of ascorbic acid, rosemary extract, and tocopherols. This powerful antioxidant blend has the potential to function as a topical free radical scavenger for skin care products as well as inhibit oxidation and delay rancidity in natural oils and products that contain oil.

Human skin is our natural barrier that serves as a protective shield. Our skin is constantly bombarded by physical and chemical stressors. These environmental stressors can directly or indirectly produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS molecules upset the natural balance of human skin which can lead to skin damage and premature aging. Topical antioxidants have the capacity to neutralize ROS and help restore skin’s natural balance.

Antioxidant Synergy Blend (ASB) contains Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Rosemary Extract, and Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E) in a vegetable oil base.

Ascorbic Acid functions as the initial free radical scavenger and can help to regenerate natural antioxidants in lipid systems and is good for skin.

Rosemary Extract functions as the long-term, broad spectrum antioxidant by offering carnosic acid/carnosol components to the blend.

Natural mixed tocopherols isolated from vegetable oils and concentrated to contain naturally occurring d-alpha, d-beta, d-gamma and d-delta tocopherols Mixed tocopherol compounds enhance and compliment one another to increase their overall antioxidant activity.

This powerful, all natural, synergistic blend offers unique antioxidant functionality for cosmetic formulators.

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Wild Carrot Seed Hydrosol (Daucus carota) is excellent for all skin types, but is especially recommended for sensitive skin or mature skin. Suzanne Catty says Wild Carrot Seed Hydrosol soothes eczema, psoriasis, inflammation, and promotes the growth of healthy new skin cells. Some sources report reduction in fine lines and wrinkles.

Daucus carota is commonly called Queen Anne’s Lace. Daucus carota is a biennial plant – growing from seed the first year and blooming the second year. Queen Anne’s Lace reseeds every year and grows beautifully and happily in our gardens. The delicate, umbrella shaped blooms are actually comprised of hundreds of tiny, white flowers with one dark red flower in the center. Legend suggests Daucus carota is called Queen Anne’s Lace because the delicate flower cluster resembles lace and the red flower in the center represents a blood droplet where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace. We harvest Daucus carota when the flower cluster matures and “turns to seed”. The Herbarie’s Wild Carrot Seed Hydrosol is distilled from the seed heads and flowers of this beautiful plant.

Wild Carrot Seed Hydrosol has a mild, earthy, carrot scent and is recommended for use in body spray/splash, the water portion in lotions and creams, antiaging products, anti-inflammatory products, and facial toners.

I made a super cool facial toner with our Wild Carrot Seed Hydrosol, Cucumber Extract WS, Aloe Vera 100% Liquid, and Avena Oat Extract WS that I'd like to share with you. The formula is very simple, but quite nice. I've weighed and measured a 200 gram batch for those who do not yet have a scale:

Cucumber Aloe Facial Toner with Avena Oat & Wild Carrot

Cucumber Extract WS 25% = 50 grams = 1/4 cup
Aloe Vera 100% Liquid 25% = 50 grams = 1/4
Wild Carrot Seed Hydrosol 10% = 20 grams = 2 tablespoons
Avena Oat Extract WS 5% = 10 grams = 2 teaspoons
Distilled Water 33% = 66 grams = 1/3 cup
Aloe Advanced Leucidal Liquid 2% = 4 grams = 1 teaspoon

This formula can be used as a facial toner after cleansing your face or it can be used as a cool, spritzer any time of day. Just combine all ingredients in a bottle with a dispensing cap or spray mister. For a more concentrated toner, do not add the distilled water or the Aloe Advanced Leucidal Liquid. This is the way I made mine - I just combined all the ingredients without Distilled Water or Aloe Advanced Leucidal Liquid - very nice!

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SCI Pearl offers dense, luxurious lather and leaves skin feeling soft and conditioned after rinse off. SCI Pearl is an easy to use, buttery form of the mild, anionic primary surfactant sodium cocoyl isethionate.

With a low melting point (50-60C), SCI Pearl is much easier to disperse into water than SCI 85% Flake or Noodle.

Formulating Guidelines:
-Can be combined with one or more of our other surfactants (SMC Taurate, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, DLS Mild, Plantapon, Coco Silky Cleanse, etc.). When used at 20% or greater will yield

creamy/pearly/opaque product. Lower percentages will yield clear product. Heat together with water to melt point (about 120F), stirring to incorporate. See Formulary for more information.

This coconut derived, biodegradable surfactant can be used to create elegant and mild shampoo, body wash, facial cleansers and other personal care products.

Characteristics:
-Mild to skin and eyes
-Excellent foamer in hard or soft water
-Imparts a soft afterfeel to skin or hair
-Based on fatty acids from natural, renewable coconut oil
-Easy to use paste form
-50% Activity
-Contains 5.0-8.5% free fatty acid
-pH 10% solution @ 35C: 6.2-7.2
-Biodegradable
-Yields opaque, creamy, and pearly products at higher percentages
-Yields clear products when used at lower percentages
-Can be used for solid cleansing bars

I've enjoyed making creamy shampoo and body wash for friends, family and myself with our new SCI Pearl!

SCI Pearlicious Body Wash (Recipe)

Naturally derived SCI Pearl and Cocoamidopropyl Betaine provide luscious foam and gentle cleansing in this pearly, cream formula. Raspberry Dimethicone WS is an excellent water soluble emollient that will soften skin and also help to solubilize Lavender Essential Oil. Glucamate LT is used to thicken this formula. Aloe Advanced Leucidal is the natural preservative for this formula. Lavender Essential Oil provides a fresh, clean scent.

SCI Pearlicious Body Wash is an easy to make formula. This elegant formula will leave skin feeling silky soft after rinse off. It’s perfect for first-time or experienced formulators. In addition, we have provided approximate fluid/volume measurements for those who do not yet have a scale.

Please note that our formulas are created using percentages and calculated by weight which is always best and most accurate. We have calculated a 500 gram batch for this formula. In addition, we have provided approximate fluid/volume measurements for those who do not yet have a scale.

Ingredient

Part A
SCI Pearl
Cocoamidopropyl Betaine
Distilled Water

Part B
Raspberry Dimethicone WS
Lavender Essential Oil
Aloe Advanced Leucidal

Part C
Glucamate LT

Total

Percentage/Weight/Measurement

25.0% = 125 grams = 1 cup
10.0% = 50 grams = 3 tblsp.
58% = 290 grams = 1 + 1/2 cups
3.0% = 15 grams = 1 tblsp.
1.0% = 5 grams = 2 tsp.
2.0% = 10 grams = 2 tsp.
1% = 5 grams = 1 tsp.

100.0% = 500 grams = approx. 16 oz.

-In Part A, combine SCI Pearl and Cocoamidopropyl Betaine with one half distilled water portion. Heat slowly on a hotplate or stovetop while stirring constantly. Once the SCI Pearl has melted, remove from the heat source and add the remainder of the water portion. Continue to stir gently until temperature is 100F or less.
In Part B, combine Raspberry Dimethicone WS (solubilizer and refatting agent) with Lavender Essential Oil, add to the surfactant mixture (in Part A) with gentle stirring. Add Aloe Advanced Leucidal (preservative) to the mixture with gentle stirring.
-In Part C, add Glucamate LT (thickener) to combined Parts A and B with gentle stirring (whisk and nylon spatula are useful). Pour into bottles with dispensing closures. The formula will thicken and become more opaque/pearly within 24 hours. The finished pH of this formula is 6.0.
Enjoy!

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Here is a picture of the dried botanical wreath on the front door of our house. If you look closely, you can see the nest with three eggs. A house finch decided this would be the perfect spot to raise her babies! How cute is that?

Today is July 11, my own baby girl Amy is 25 today! Happy Birthday Amy :-)

Best Wishes for a Great Summer!

Angie

The Roses Are Blooming!!

2011-05-06T05:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog Friends!
The roses bloomed early this year!

In April, we had several garden tours and gatherings to celebrate Spring, the blooming of the roses, and my birthday! So many of you have expressed interest in our farm and gardens and I wanted to share our celebration with you all.

Welcome to my Garden!

This is my Secret Garden looking out towards the farm and new waterfall and Kiwi bed. I created a mandala of sorts including pavers with some of my favorite symbols - hummingbird, butterfly, bee, and leaf.

We built this trellis for Alister Stella Grey last year when she outgrew the porch pillar. I've been so looking forward to her blooming this spring and she has not disappointed me!

Alister Stella Grey is a noisette rose and she will bloom all summer. The fragrance is lovely. This spot is just outside my lab so I can smell her fragrant blossoms whenever I walk outside on the porch!

Sarah Van Fleet (to the left and up close below) is a Rugosa and quite thorny, but beautiful and fragrant. Late winter (February) she was pruned back and has provided lush, healthy growth and good blooming this spring.

Hot Pink Madame Isaac Pereire is a Bourbon rose and smells heavenly! She will bloom off and on all summer.

I call this rose Dorsey in honor of the person's home where I found it. I took a cutting about 10 years ago and rooted the plant in this picture. Since then, I've taken several cuttings to root and pass on to friends.

I believe this rose is more than likely Don Juan. The fragrance and flower are "classic rose". I've featured the bud (far right) on our website header as it is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

If you ask me which rose is my favorite, I'll answer by saying they are ALL my favorites! But this year I did seem to have a special affinity for Constance Spry seen in these three pictures.

Constance Spry was the first of David Austin's English Roses. As you can see this shrub rose is very graceful with arching branches that reach at least 10 feet wide and six feet high. Instead of pruning her back, I've let her dominate the garden with her lush, yet delicate beauty.

Constance Spry blooms only once in spring, but oh what a blooming! These gorgeous cup shaped, pearly pink, almost translucent blossoms produce the most intoxicating fragrance that David Austin describes as "myrrh".

I simply could not get enough of Constance Spry this spring. Constance Spry, as well as everyone else on this page, have been transformed into our 2011 Rose Hydrosol. As you can see from my basket in front of Constance Spry, I took one last picture of her glorious bloom prior to harvesting her blossoms.

Our big Belinda rose is the show stopper whenever she blooms. Belinda is a Hybrid Musk with one big bloom in Spring. She will bloom a bit off and on throughout the summer, but not the big Spring Show as you see here. The bees love her and there is a constant buzz when she is in bloom.

Well, that ends our 2011 Rose Garden Tour at Stoney Hill Farm! I hope you have enjoyed it!

Back soon with more from The Herbarie - new products and interesting information. Oh, and please be sure to take advantage of our Rose Hydrosol Spring Sale!

Love and Best Wishes for Beautiful Blooming!

Angie

Early Spring 2011!

2011-03-15T03:40:00.000-07:00

After the snow and ice in January, we now have a beautiful early Spring! The hyacinths and daffodils have bloomed, the fresh green leaves of Plantain have emerged and the Roses will soon be blooming!

Our huge Lady Banks roses are in bud and ready to bloom in a week or so. The other roses will bloom in late April and early May. What a wonderful time of year!

I've been busy as usual this winter. So much to do, so little time! We have almost completed our Kiwi garden bed with the river rock pond and water fall. I've planted Camellia sasanquas everywhere! In between the rocks of the water garden, I've planted Thyme and Lavender and a few succulents and they smell so good! In April, I will finish this garden bed by planting small rose bushes among the Sasanquas and water plants in the pond. I'll be sure to share pictures once it's completed!

I've also reworked my Secret Garden to include pea gravel paths, paver designs, and a new pergola. The winter sun felt good as we sat under the pergola watching the birds at the feeders and listening to the water fall sounds from the Kiwi garden. The pergola was built for the new Reve d'Or rose that will be planted in a few weeks. I can imagine the sunrise colored Reve d'Or covering the pergola in a few years to provide us with shade in summer and a heavenly fragrance and beauty.

My next project is the new garden room behind my Secret Garden. In addition to the two new pergolas, I plan to create a small terraced bed with a small pond for water lilies. I'll use more Camellia sasanquas and, of course, roses.

I've planted sugar peas and snow peas this week and am looking forward to our asparagus which will be sending up stalks very soon. Asparagus is so delicious when picked fresh from the garden. I should be starting seeds for tomato and pepper and eggplant inside, but just haven't done it yet. Maybe next week I'll get to it. I want these plants to be ready to put into the garden in April or early May.

We also need to complete the paperwork for our USDA NOP Organic Farm Certification. It's a mountain of paperwork and record keeping, but hopefully we will be able to find the time very soon. We should be able to meet the criteria with no problem since we have been adhering to the practices for quite some time. It would be fun to be able to sell our rose products and other botanicals as NOP certified!

Spending time outside and in my garden brings joy to my heart and soul.

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From The Herbarie Lab

As much as I love my garden and being outside, I also love working in my lab! Today I will be distilling chamomile hydrosol and look forward to the gentle sweet scent. While distilling, I will likely make myself some herbal tea - maybe dandelion with lemon balm and mint - perhaps some Rosemary? My Rosemary is blooming and very beautiful. Rosemary grows well here and I've planted it everywhere. Earlier this week, I distilled some of our aromatic Rosemary Hydrosol which is excellent for hair care or skin care. Soon, the Melissa will be lush and full and ready for harvest for our skin and hair care botanical extracts and hydrosol.

As anyone can tell from previous blogs, I am fascinated with microbiology in general and especially interested in using it to our advantage for cosmetics and toiletries. It's such a pleasure to work with Active Micro Technology and be a part of their cutting edge technology. They have developed techniques to combine the performance of botanical extracts and fermentation products with the natural defense mechanisms employed by microorganisms. The Active Micro Technology line of natural antimicrobials offers cosmetic formulators excellent alternatives to older, traditional cosmetic preservatives.

At The Herbarie, we currently distribute Aspen Bark Extract, Aloe Advanced Leucidal, and Leucidal Liquid. I've worked extensively with Leucidal Liquid and have found it to have excellent antimicrobial efficacy in many of my formulations. The microbiology testing from Botanical Olive Natural Lotion May 2011 batch still look very good. Results have come back
with <1 APC and <10 yeast/mold. The 2009 Natramulsion formula sample still yields the same results. I typically use Leucidal Liquid as the primary antimicrobial, but also include Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract as well as essential oils in my formulas. I'm considering a switch to Leucidal Liquid for some of our hydrosols and other botanical products.

The Aloe Advanced Leucidal utilizes aloe vera and the fermentation process to offer traditonal skin care benefits and antimicrobial characteristics. The only drawback is incompatibility with some materials such as XanThix, Natramulse, Olivem 1000 and also Sugarmulse. Aloe Advanced Leucidal is compatible in Polawax or EmBlend CA 20 formulas as well as in BTMS Conditioning Emulsifier (cationic) formulas. Aloe Advanced Leucidal seems to disrupt the emulsion structure of Olivem 1000 and also Sugarmulse. Anionics (XanThix and Natramulse) also seem to be a problem. We recommend using regular Leucidal Liquid with these materials as there are no compatibility issues.

I've used Aloe Advanced Leucidal in toner formulas and also in formulas with BTMS with great results. I've also been evaluating Bamboo Advanced Leucidal in the same formulas and will likely decide to offer it as well. For those who are interested, I'd be happy to discuss these products - just send me an email: ProductAssistance@theherbarie.com.

More New Products Coming Soon!

--Avena Oat Extract is an aqueous product that is made from the green oat straw of Avena sativa. Green oat straw contains silicic acid, flavones, triterpenoid saponins, carotenoids and is soothing to dry, flaky, damaged, and itchy skin. Avena Oat Extract is recommended for use in creams and lotions for dry or itchy skin, baby products, and products for mature skin.

--Eyeseryl Solution B is an aqueous product from Lipotec with a proven efficacy in reducing puffy under eye bags. Eyeseryl® Solution B also enhances skin elasticity, skin smoothness and shows a decongesting effect. Eyeseryl® Solution B can be incorporated in cosmetic formulations such as emulsions, gels, serums, etc. where a reduction of puffiness under the eye is desired. I've been using Eyeseryl® Solution B for two weeks and have already noticed a reduction in my under eye puffiness. I am using it at 5% in a simple eye cream made with BTMS Conditioning Emulsifier and plan to continue.

--Melfade PF is an aqueous solution of purified Bearberry Leaf Extract (natural source of arbutin) and a stable Vitamin C derivative (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate). Melfade PF is a product from DSM that has demonstrated good efficacy for skin lightening. In one study, Melfade PF was used at 10% for 3 months and significant skin lightening was demonstrated. As with all skin lightening agents, use of a sunscreen is recommended.

************************************************************************************* Today I am remembering Joy, my little Rufous hummer, since it's been exactly one year since she left my garden. She continues to be a great inspiration for me.

Last Fall, we had another unusual visitor to our garden - a white rabbit! We have no idea where he came from, but he seemed to want to stay close to Tinkerbell, our Dutch Belted bunny who lives under the shelter of the old smoke house. For several weeks, the white rabbit hopped all around the garden, going between Tinkerbell's cage and the warehouse, but he would always spend the night near Tinkerbell. I began to fear for his safety since I knew he would be very easy prey for the many predators that live in the wild.

So after much deliberation, I decided that we would build a house for him. So, we named him Peter Pan and he now lives beside Tinkerbell and seems very happy.

Hippity Hoppity Happy Early Spring from me and the critters at Stoney Hill Farm!

Angie

Happy New Year - 2011!!

2011-01-12T03:33:00.000-08:00

During our holiday break, I was so happy to be able to spend time walking in the woods and also working in the garden. As part of the reconstruction of my Secret Garden and big rose and vegetable garden, we are building several pergolas and trellises and privacy screens. I love having roses and other plants growing on pergolas and trellises! They are beautiful and also provide a nice shady spot during our hot summers. Our hardy kiwi are planted on three pergolas in our center garden bed and we have finally built our pond with waterfall!

I'm planning to use beautiful evergreen Camellia sasanqua to create garden "rooms" with paths to tie everything together. In Spring, we'll add water lilies and other plants to our little garden pond. Hopefully this summer the Hardy Kiwi will cover the new pergolas to give us a lush shade.

We've taken advantage of winter dormancy to transplant several roses and other plants to areas where they will be able to grow to their full potential. These winter projects are so much fun!

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But now it's great to be back to work after a nice, relaxing holiday with family and friends! I'm pleased to begin 2011 with a superb staff including Andy, Alden, Earl, Jean, Wanda and of course me. Everyone has been hard at work processing orders that came in over the break and most are completed.

On Sunday evening, the big winter storm of the southeast gave us 6 inches of gorgeous, fluffy snow! Here's a picture of little Rose Cottage here on the farm. Earl and Sally and I had fun playing outside and walking in the woods!

It rarely snows in our area and I can't remember having as much as 6 inches in quite a long time. On Monday, the snow turned to sleet and we ended up with 1/2 inch of ice on top of the snow!

Snowy and icy weather will bring most things in the south to a halt - especially in rural areas. Since we aren't equipped to handle this much snow and ice, most schools and businesses simply close. Today is Wednesday and most schools and businesses are still closed. While the interstate is somewhat clear, it's still not really safe to drive. Several of our vendors in Atlanta and Charlotte were closed yesterday because employees could not get in to work.

Stoney Hill Farm is in a very rural area about 4 miles outside of a little town called Prosperity. The back roads in our neck of the woods will never see a snow plow so we have to do the best we can. As one might imagine, this storm has had an impact on our business as well. Earl and I have been working in the warehouse as usual, but other staff could not make it in on Monday. UPS couldn't make it out here either. On Tuesday, Andy and Wanda were able to make it in to work, but UPS still could not make it out to this area. We are hoping UPS will be able to make it out today which is Wednesday. So, this has delayed shipping for all orders that were placed since last Thursday. We are hoping to have our shipping be back on schedule by Thursday or Friday.

Stay Warm and I'll post more later!

Best Wishes for a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Angie

Fall Lessons and Natural Antimicrobials

2010-11-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

As summer has come to a close and winter is just around the corner, it seems natural to think about where we've been and where we want to go and how life is always changing. It's a time for reaping and sowing, cleaning out the old, and planning for new.

I see that our trees are changing and preparing for winter dormancy. The leaves are shades of gold, orange, red and brown and are falling to the Earth. I like to think about how the leaves will enrich the soil and the roots will grow deep for winter nourishment.

My beloved Zinnias are straggledy haggledy this time of year, but are still valiantly blooming and sending out thousands of seeds. I’ve pulled out many past-their-prime Zinnias to make way for the gorgeous Sansanqua blooms, but have left some of the still brilliant flowers for the bees and butterflies who love them.

Yesterday in the garden, I saw several beautiful Monarch and Swallowtail butterflies! They were moving from Zinnia to Zinnia in the late afternoon sunshine. I’m thinking that soon they will also be preparing for winter, but how nice to enjoy those blossoms while they can! It’s sad to know all the Zinnia flowers will be gone by the first frost, but it makes me happy to think about their rebirth in the Spring! I sowed the first tiny packet of Zinnia seeds in Spring of 1997. For many years I saved the seeds in Fall for careful sowing the following Spring. But over time, as I’ve developed a better understanding and faith in the process of life, the Zinnias have beautifully and bountifully sown themselves each year! I look forward to meeting the 14th generation in 2011 and together we will decide where to grow!

Last Winter we began renovating the gardens and business facilities and have made good progress, but there is still so much to be done! Hind sight being 20/20, back when we bought the property in 1996, I wish we would have developed a master design including the business facilities, gardens, our home, woods, etc. But instead, we’ve done everything bit by bit, adding things here and there over the years so that we now have a bit of a hodge-podge of this and that. Also, as a former city girl with a country heart and soul, I was so thrilled to have my own special place on Earth, a place to sow seeds and plant plants, that I filled every nook and cranny with TOO MUCH! So for the past year, I’ve been trying to rethink and rework the gardens and buildings to create spaces that are both enjoyable and have good functionality. The basic plan now is to work with what we have, while removing, refining and restructuring as needed to make the best of it!

We always have a lot going on at Stoney Hill Farm and The Herbarie! During the week, Earl, Jean, Andy and I can usually be found in the warehouse, office and/or processing area. We process over 40 of our own botanical extracts, complexes, hydrosols and other ingredients that we sell at The Herbarie. Our inventory includes approximately 400+ ingredients and products that we distribute from other manufacturers. In addition, our Formulary includes many sample formulas which demonstrate how to utilize our ingredients. The previous blog included three of my most recent formulas which demonstrated how to utilize Olivem 1000, Oliwax, Oliwax LC, and Olive Oil PEG 7 Esters. I very much enjoy working in the lab and had hoped to created new formulas for this Fall blog, but with the beautiful, cool weather I’ve been spending as much time as possible outside. So, instead of working in my lab on weekends, I’ve been in the garden. But I do want to discuss some important points regarding my Botanical Olive Natural Lotion.

Botanical Olive Natural Lotion

In a previous blog, I shared my formula for Botanical Olive Natural Lotion. This formula utilizes Olivem 1000 as the primary emulsifier, with Oliwax and XanThix to stabilize and enhance overall feel and texture. Botanical Olive Natural Lotion will be a very thick lotion or moderately thick cream. I’ve packaged it as a lotion with a pump dispenser and also as a cream in a jar. Either way, this formula makes a lovely emulsion!

It’s also very important to note the primary antimicrobial in this formula is natural sourced Leucidal Liquid. Leucidal Liquid is water soluble, compatible with most ingredients, and is odorless and colorless. In fact, the entire preservative system in this formula consists of natural source, plant based antimicrobials. We have been testing our batch sample over time since May and I am absolutely thrilled to report that our most recent tests are still <10 cfu/gram for yeast/ mold and <1 cfu/gram for bacteria! With these excellent test results at the six month point, I can recommend this formula and preservative system to our clients with reasonable confidence. We will continue to test this sample for at least one year or may choose to have the formula challenge tested. And as always, we encourage companies to conduct their own stability and preservative efficacy testing.

Here’s the formula:

Botanical Olive Natural Lotion

Part A or Oil Phase
5.0% = 25 grams Olivem 1000
2.0% = 10 grams Oliwax
8.0% = 40 grams Cupuacu Butter
5.0% = 25 grams Organic Golden Jojoba Oil
3.0% = 15 grams Olive Squalane
0.4% = 2 grams XanThix

Part B or Water Phase
65.95% = 329.75 Distilled Water
5.0% = 25 grams Symglucan

Part C or Cooldown Phase
2.0% = 10 grams Chia Seed CO2
0.05% = 0.25 grams Rosemary CO2 Extract
0.5% = 2.5 grams Lavender CO2 Extract
0.5% = 2.5 grams Bergamot FCF EO
0.5% = 2.5 grams Rose Geranium EO
0.1% = 0.5 grams Ylang Ylang EO
2.0% = 10 grams Leucidal Liquid

Total: 100% = 500 grams

Part A: Weigh XanThix and set aside. Combine remainder of ingredients and heat to 175F. Add XanThix to heated mixture and stir gently.
Part B: Combine ingredients and heat to 175F. Add Part B to A with high shear mixing. Cool to 50C/122F (or less)
Part C: Add ingredients, mix well until completely cool.

--I am always asked about substitutions and changes to formulas. When substitutions are used and formulas do not turn out as expected I am asked why. Of course, when changes are made, the outcome will be different. Some changes or substitutions will have a more significant impact than others. Some changes may be for the better or some could take it in the wrong direction. I recommend first making the formula as it is written, then tweak it to suit preferences in subsequent experiments.

Natural and Plant Based Preservatives

Nowadays, most customers are looking for less aggressive preservatives and "natural preservatives". Unfortunately there is no one perfect natural preservative that we can simply put into our finished formulations as an afterthought. Let me repeat: There is no one natural preservative that will work for every formula as an afterthought! However, it’s entirely possible to create a formula using natural antimicrobials to create a viable preservative system that can demonstrate efficacy in a particular formula. Notice that I often use the terms “antimicrobial” and “antioxidant” and “preservative system” instead of “preservative”. We need to move away from the idea of creating fabulous formulas only to realize at the last minute that it needs a “preservative”. Instead, we need to consider the entire formulation including a preservative system that may in fact be multifunctional as well. Creating an effective preservative system takes time and testing for each and every formulation. What works for one formulation, may not work for another. So, please make note, it's always best to create a formula from start to finish with the preservative system in mind.

The Botanical Olive Natural Lotion contains many nutrient-rich, moisturizing and conditioning ingredients. They were carefully chosen to complement one another in various ways. Many of the ingredients are also multifunctional. For example, Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract is a powerful antioxidant which will help delay the oxidation of oils. In addition, Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract offers some antimicrobial activity and has skin soothing, anti-irritant characteristics. As an added plus, Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract is certified organic by the USDA NOP. Now that’s one powerful, multifunctional ingredient! I also chose a blend of essential oils for their antimicrobial activity, synergy and lovely scent. Lavender Flower CO2 Extract, Rose Geranium Essential Oil, Bergamot FCF Essential Oil, and just a touch of Ylang Ylang Essential Oil provide a fresh, green-floral scent that I just adore!

Microbial Testing

When I created the Botanical Olive Natural Lotion formula in May 2010, I speculated and hoped these antimicrobials would work in synergy and prove to be a broad-spectrum preservative system with efficacy to inhibit the growth of microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, mold) and most especially pathogenic organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas species, Enterobacteriaceae and Candida albicans. But while I can speculate and hope the cream will be well preserved, the only way to know for sure is with microbial testing. There are a number of different testing procedures and methods. The standard in our industry is Challenge Testing for various microorganisms with a standardized protocol. Challenge Testing provides information about a specific formula and whether or not it will stand up to the challenge of being inoculated with specific microorganisms over a specified period of time. Challenge Testing is pass/fail and is expensive. As a viable and less expensive first step or alternative, we often recommend using Normal Usage Testing. I’ll explain how Normal Usage Testing works for us and can work for others.

We utilized Normal Usage Testing for our Botanical Olive Natural Lotion. The name speaks for itself. Since May, the product has been packaged in a jar and has “been used normally” on a routine basis. We can determine preservative system efficacy by testing the same sample (APC/yeast/mold) repeatedly with normal usage over time. The initial test results should have very low counts and will not tell us much about preservative efficacy, but will provide valuable information about Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). The subsequent test results will tell us more about Preservative System Efficacy or how the preservative system will stand up over time.

Our Normal or Possible Usage testing includes putting unwashed fingers into the jar repeatedly and any number of things customers may do once the product is in their hands. Please note this procedure does carry some risk since there is potentially a period of time where the product could be contaminated without the user knowing it. Therefore, as part of the protocol, we recommend “normal usage” should be immediately following test results.

Here’s the way it works: After each period of “Normal or Possible Usage”, a sample from this original batch is sent to the lab for testing. Usually one ounce samples are sufficient. I opt for the following testjng schedule:

●Manufacture sample – determines GMP
●One month from manufacture date – sets baseline
●Three months from manufacture date
●Six months from manufacture date
●One year from manufacture date

For each APC/yeast/mold sample test our goal is:
●Less than 1 cfu/gram for bacteria
●Less than 10 cfu/gram for mold and yeast
●Contains no pathogenic organisms

For more information about how to proceed with microbial testing, please send me an email: support@theherbarie.com

Please note: Responsible cosmetic and toiletry businesses will be familiar with the FDA Guidelines for Cosmetics and will adhere to the FDA Good Manufacturing Guidelines (GMP).

Creating a Preservative System for Cosmetic Formulations

For excellent detailed information about preserving cosmetics and toiletries, I highly recommend David Steinberg’s “Preservatives for Cosmetics” and “Preservative Free and Self Preserving Cosmetics and Drugs – Principles and Practices” by Jon Kabara and others.

My goal for this blog is to share some very basic information that I hope will be helpful. It’s important to learn as much as possible about each and every ingredient, including antimicrobials. For example, some antimicrobials are water soluble and some are more oil soluble. Some antimicrobials are cationic and will not be compatible in anionic formulations. Some antimicrobials are not compatible with certain ingredients. Some work in synergy and others don’t.

Water Soluble Antimicrobials

Water is the substance for life and that includes microorganisms. The most effective antimicrobials will be water soluble so they can most efficiently inhibit the microorganisms in the water portion.

Water soluble antimicrobials are used in watery products that do not contain emulsifiers. Water soluble antimicrobials can also be used in emulsions. The antimicrobials in this category range from aggressive and efficient broad spectrum to very mild gentle with minimal antimicrobial activity. Some can be used as the primary or only antimicrobial in the formula, others play a supportive role and must be used in combination.

Water soluble antimicrobials that can play a primary role in the preservative system include the following:

●Germall Plus Liquid – synthetic, completely water soluble, easy to use viscous liquid, highly efficient at low percentages, broad spectrum, excellent compatibility, offers best assurance for most difficult to preserve formulations. Downside is that some formulators do not want to work with a formaldehyde donor.
●Leucidal Liquid – plant based/natural, completely water soluble, easy to use liquid, non irritating, odorless, available data demonstrates broad spectrum activity, excellent compatibility. Synergy with other antimicrobials such as Aspen Bark Extract. Downside is lack of data.
●Cosmocil CQ – synthetic, completely water soluble, non irritating and very gentle, can be used near mucous membranes, our test results demonstrate excellent efficacy when used in all water formulations as well as in cationic emulsions. Downside is incompatibility with anionics.
●Aspen Bark Extract – plant based/natural, available data demonstrates broad spectrum antimicrobial activity, good compatibility, synergy with other antimicrobials such as Leucidal Liquid. Downside is lack of available data. Powdered form is not as easy to use as a liquid.
●Optiphen ND – synthetic, water dispersible, but not completely water soluble and works best with an emulsifier or surfactant. Downside is that it will not be a good choice for formulations with a pH greater than 5.5.

Here are a few supportive antimicrobials and/or chelating agents. Please read more about these water soluble/dispersible ingredients on our website product pages:

●Willow bark Extract
●Wasabi Extract
●Versene NA Crystals (Disodium EDTA) and Tetrasodium EDTA
●Citric Acid
●BHT

Oil Soluble and Oil Dispersible Antimcrobials

Oil soluble antimicrobials are used in anhydrous or oily products such as salves and balms and other products that do not contain water. Oil soluble antimicrobials can also be used in emulsions such as creams and lotions because the emulsifier will help the oily antimicrobial move to the water portion. Since we know most of the microbial activity is happening in the water portion, this is an important consideration. Again, within this category there are more aggressive and less aggressive antimicrobials. Few are broad spectrum, with Optiphen being the exception. Optiphen has demonstrated good efficacy in a number of different formulations including emulsions. However, most of the oil soluble antimicrobials will play a supporting role instead of a primary one. Here are some examples of oil soluble antimcrobials and antioxidants:

●Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract – both antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, multifunctional as skin soothing agent.
●Various essential oils such as geranium, lavender, tea tree, oregano, thyme, rosemary. Use caution since overuse of essential oils can be dangerous or sensitizing.
●Usnea Lichen CO2 Extract – water dispersible
●St. John’s Wort CO2 Extract
●Gramwell Root CO2 Extract
●Coviox T-50 – mixed tocopherols – antioxidant, will help delay oxidation of oils. Synergy with Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract

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The Herbarie at Stoney Hill Farm, Inc. – 10 Year Celebration – Thank You!

Time flies and before you know it, we’ve been in business for 10 years! As any successful business owner knows, we’ve worked very hard to achieve our success and we are proud of our achievements. But we certainly couldn’t have made it without our dear friends and customers! Many of our first customers are still with us after all this time and we are grateful for their loyalty. We are also happy to “meet” our many new customers every day!

During the month of November, every online order will receive a small gift as a special THANK YOU! We will continue to celebrate in December and into 2011 with special THANK YOU! gifts for our customers! The Herbarie Customers are the BEST!

Best Wishes for a Colorful Fall!
Angie

All About Olives, Bluebirds, and Cool Cucumbers!

2010-07-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

During Summer I'm usually outside as soon as the sun is up. Early morning is an exciting time to be awake and out and about the farm. As I make my way to the garden, I hear the black capped chickadees call "fee bee - fee bee" and the Rufous-Sided Towhees call "drink your tea, drink your tea". I notice how the rabbits sit perfectly still as they hope to blend into their surroundings. As I walk into the garden the ruby throated hummers zoom in to the feeders with a chit-chit, chit-chit which I suppose means good morning!!

As I work in the garden, I enjoy my breakfast of blackberries and blueberries and cucumbers! For several weeks we have been picking gallon after gallon of blueberries. We eat them fresh, give many away and then freeze the remainder. Blueberries freeze well and can be used throughout the year to make delicious smoothies, jams or jellies, muffins, etc.

During the hot afternoon, we cool off with blueberry smoothies

or afternoon slices of watermelon!

Our organically grown Cucumbers have produced beautifully this year! Last evening I made a Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Thai Basil. The recipe is easy - just one crisp, cold cucumber sliced very thin, one or two Roma tomatoes diced, toss in a handful of fresh Thai Basil leaves, a dash of Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a dash of Balsamic Vinegar, some sea salt and ground pepper - toss all together - top off with Feta cheese. Nutritious and Delicious and Cool!

Botanicals From The Herbarie! - Cucumber Extract WS

We use these same organically grown cucumbers to process our wonderful Cucumber Extract WS! Our Cucumber Extract WS is NOT EDIBLE, but is truly fabulous for skin care and the perfect gentle astringent for summer.

Last week I came up with a simple, but very nice and emollient facial cleanser and eye makeup remover using our Cucumber Extract WS and Olive Oil PEG 7 Esters.

Olive Oil PEG 7 Esters

Multifunctional Olive Oil PEG 7 Esters (Olivem 300) continues to be one of our best selling products! Olive Oil PEG 7 Esters offers the rich emolliency of Olive Oil in a uniquely water soluble and oil dispersible product!

Olive Oil PEG 7 Esters is a lovely, multifunctional ingredient for dispersible bath oil blends, oil based facial cleansers, water based facial cleansers. It can also be used as a co-emulsifier in creams and lotions, and as a re-fatting agent in shampoo or body wash that will not compromise foam.

Cool Cucumber Olive Facial Cleanser and Eye Makeup Remover

15% Olive Oil PEG 7 Esters
74% Cucumber Extract
1% Cosmocil CQ

This simple formula is the best eye makeup remover I've ever used and just a few drops on a cotton pad will do it. All ingredients are safe for leave-on products so it doesn't have to be rinsed off. I typically use this formula as an overall facial cleanser and eye makeup remover in the shower with rinse-off. It leaves my skin soft and smooth and feeling great! This formula is not thick, but I find it to be the perfect viscosity for my own use. I've packaged mine in a bottle with a dispensing cap.

But there are all sorts of possibilities with this formula:

To thicken this formula, it would be possible to use HEC or HPMC or XanThix or UltraMaize. I haven't experimented with the percentages, but would try 0.5%-1.0% HEC or HPMC or UltraMaize. Maybe 0.1% XanThix. A thickened formula could be packaged in a tube or pump container.

Nice additives could include our Rose Phytolate, Olive Leaf Extract, Antioxidant Complex T5, Edelweiss Extract, Helichrysum Extract, Hibiscus Extract, Licorice Root Extract, Honeysuckle Extract WS, Tamarind Seed Extract, or Symglucan.

More From the Sacred and Noble Olive Tree - The ancient olive tree is rich in folklore and offers many wellness, skin and hair care benefits. I learned the benefits of olive oil at an early age from my southern Italian mother. She used Olive Oil for everything - cooking, skin care and hair care. I now do the same thing.

We've recently added two new Olive products to our inventory! In addition to our Organic Certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Olive Oil PEG 7 Esters, Olivem 1000 and Olive Leaf Extract, we are excited to offer Oliwax and Oliwax LC!

Oliwax is a completely natural, multifunctional lipid obtained 100% from Olive Oil. Oliwax is rich in squalene and unsaponifiable olive oil fractions and recommended for both skin care and hair care. Oliwax is conditioning and will build structure and increase viscosity in creams and lotions as well as anhydrous products such as body butters, lip balms, and salves. The unique “crystal network” is similar to human skin lipids and promotes excellent delivery to skin. Unlike many other waxy lipids, Oliwax offers conditioning with a light, silky-smooth feel.

Clinical tests have demonstrated that Oliwax is hypoallergenic and an excellent choice for sensitive skin. Oliwax has not been tested on animals, is completely biodegradable and compatible with most cosmetic ingredients.

Oliwax is stable to oxidation, is odorless and colorless and offered in easy to use flake form. The melt point is approximately 55° C which allows substitution for waxy products such as beeswax and other waxes.

I've made a super emollient, conditioning lotion using Olivem 1000 as the complete emulsifier with Oliwax as the stabilizing, conditioning, and "bodifying" agent. Botanical Olive Natural Lotion is very moisturizing and conditioning, but doesn't feel greasy, waxy or oily. I'll outline the various ingredients and their functionality:

Cupuaçu Butter is one of my favorite butters for skin care and hair care. It contains phytosterols and unsaponifiables that help to regulate the balance and activity of lipids in the epidermis and it does not have a greasy feel when used in emulsions. It has a high capacity for water absorption which gives it superior moisturizing properties. Cupuaçu Butter offers a lovely emolliency that will restore elasticity and softness to skin.

Our Organic Certified Golden Jojoba Oil is actually a liquid wax ester with characteristics similar to skin. Jojoba Oil is stable to oxidation, is absorbed quickly and has a feel that I love - I use it in almost all my products.
Olive Squalane is an emollient lipid with excellent stability and provides a nice slip to this formula.

XanThix is a water phase stabilizer and viscosity builder. At low percentages (0.1%-0.3%) XanThix will enhance the feel and slip in application. When XanThix is used at higher percentages, the esthetics of the formulation will diminish. XanThix is water soluble. Like most other gums, XanThix works by swelling in water. Even though XanThix is water soluble, it's more easily added to the oil phase of emulsions. Other gums, such as HPMC or HEC can also easily be added to the oil phase of emulsions. First heat the oil phase to the desired temperature - usually around 175F - then add the pre-weighed XanThix to the hot oils/lipids with gentle stirring to be sure the particles have separated. Then proceed with the formulation as usual. Swelling will occur during cool-down and viscosity of the formulation will increase as a result.

SymGlucan® is an exciting multifunctional, antiaging ingredient manufactured by Symrise. SymGlucan® is made by a patented technology which refines Oat Beta-Glucan to produce a highly active soluble fraction. SymGlucan® has been clinically shown to penetrate the skin and help reduce the visible signs of aging. SymGlucan's unique delivery system stimulates fibroblast growth and collagen synthesis which reduces the appearance of wrinkles. Studies have also demonstrated SymGlucan® to be an excellent moisturizer that provides even better long-term moisturization than Hyaluronic Acid. SymGlucan helps to restore skin's youthful elasticity and softness. I use SymGlucan at 5% in most of my emulsions and can definitely tell the difference when using it.

Chia Seed CO2 Extract is unique as it contains the highest concentration vegetarian source omega-3 linolenic acid. These high concentrations of alpha linolenic acid help both skin and hair to maintain moisture. In addition to moisturization, Chia Seed CO2 Extract promotes skin elasticity and can help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Nutrient-rich Chia Seed CO2 Extract offers skin smoothing characteristics leading to soft, silky and healthy skin. Chia Seed CO2 Extract can also be used for effective moisturization in hair and scalp formulations. I add this oil at cool-down temperatures.

For the Botanical Olive Natural Lotion, I've chosen a blend of extracts and essential oils to provide a wonderful scent as well as antimicrobial activity. Lavender Flower CO2 Extract, Rose Geranium Essential Oil, Bergamot FCF Essential Oil, and just a touch of Ylang Ylang Essential Oil provide a fresh, green-floral scent that I just adore!

Nowadays, most customers are looking for less aggressive preservatives and "natural preservatives". Unfortunately there is no one perfect natural preservative that we can simply put into our finished formulations as an afterthought. Creating an effective preservative system takes time and testing for each and every formulation. What works for one formulation, may not work for another. It's always best to create a formula from start to finish with the preservative system in mind.

I've combined these antimicrobial oils to work in synergy with Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract and Leucidal Liquid to offer a broad-spectrum preservative system in this formula.

The Herbarie offers many natural antimicrobials such as Leucidal Liquid, Aspen Bark Extract, Usnea Lichen CO2, Cucurma Xanthorrhiza, Geogard Ultra, Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract and others. It will be up to the creative cosmetic formulator to mix and match and combine these ingredients for broad spectrum antimicrobial activity. Using hurdle technology, smart packaging and good manufacturing practices will definitely help. However, the only way to know for sure whether or not a preservative system is effective is with microbial testing. We work collaboratively with an independent lab and have developed a protocol for inexpensive "Normal Usage Testing". If anyone is interested, please send me an email and I'll be happy to share the information.

We are in the process of testing our Botanical Olive Natural Lotion, but our results are not yet complete. We are in our second round of microbial testing and the results are very promising - less than 30 cfu/gram for bacteria and less than 10 cfu/gram for mold/fungus/yeast. We will continue microbial testing on this formula for up to one year.

Here's my formula with a 500 gram batch calculated. I hope you enjoy Botanical Olive Natural Lotion as much as I do!

Botanical Olive Natural Lotion

Part A or Oil Phase
5.0% = 25 grams Olivem 1000
2.0% = 10 grams Oliwax
8.0% = 40 grams Cupuacu Butter
5.0% = 25 grams Organic Golden Jojoba Oil
3.0% = 15 grams Olive Squalane
0.4% = 2 grams XanThix

Part B or Water Phase
65.95% = 329.75 Distilled Water
5.0% = 25 grams Symglucan

Part C or Cooldown Phase
2.0% = 10 grams Chia Seed CO2
0.05% = 0.25 grams Rosemary CO2 Extract
0.5% = 2.5 grams Lavender CO2 Extract
0.5% = 2.5 grams Bergamot FCF EO
0.5% = 2.5 grams Rose Geranium EO
0.1% = 0.5 grams Ylang Ylang EO
2.0% = 10 grams Leucidal Liquid

Total: 100% = 500 grams

Part A: Weigh XanThix and set aside. Combine remainder of ingredients and heat to 175F. Add XanThix to heated mixture and stir gently.
Part B: Combine ingredients and heat to 175F. Add Part B to A with high shear mixing. Cool to 50C/122F (or less)
Part C: Add ingredients, mix well until completely cool.

Oliwax LC is a Liquid Crystal Promoter derived from Olive Oil fatty acids. Oliwax LC is designed to stabilize oil in water emulsions while enhancing the texture and feel in application. The unique “crystal network” is similar to human skin lipids and promotes excellent delivery to skin. Unlike many other waxy lipids, Oliwax LC offers stabilization with a light, silky-smooth feel.

Suggested Applications:
● Daily Moisturizers
● Night Creams
● Eye Creams
● Products for Sensitive Skin
● After-sun Creams and Lotions
● Sun-care products
● Makeup Foundation

I'm currently using a really nice moisturizer made with everything Olive! Olive Tree Skin Renew Lotion is moisturizing and conditioning, yet leaves my face feeling soft and smooth - no greasiness and no whitening effect in application. This antiaging formula is based on the complete emulsifier Olivem 1000 with Oliwax LC to enhance stability and improve texture. The Liquid Crystal structure of Oliwax LC allows for greater emulsion stability and moisturization capabilities.

Here's some information about the other wonderful ingredients:

Olive Squalane provides superb emolliency and slip and Organic Certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil provides good nutrition for skin.

Olive Leaf Extract (Eurol BT) is a multifunctional active ingredient from a natural blend of diphenolic structures such as Oleuropein. Olive Leaf Extract serves as a free-radical scavenger and antioxidant, but also offers hydrating and anti-inflammatory characteristics.

Matrix Peptide is an active antiaging ingredient suitable for creams, lotions, serums and toners. Matrix Peptide can reduce the appearance of wrinkles by promoting the synthesis of collagen.

The active constituents of Tamarind Seed Extract are of great benefit in skin care. Studies have shown that Tamarind Seed Extract significantly improves skin elasticity, hydration and smoothness.

Coviox T-50 or mixed tocopherols, serve as the antioxidant in this formula to help delay oxidation of oils and provide a longer shelf-life for this formula. Germall Plus Liquid is a robust preservative for this formula.

And here's the formula:

Olive Tree Skin Renew Lotion

Part One or Oil Phase
5.0% Olivem 1000
3.0% Oliwax LC
5.0% Olive Squalane
5.0% Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
0.5% Coviox T 50

0.1% XanThix

Part Two or Water Phase
75.85% Distilled Water

Part Three or Cooldown Phase
0.25% Olive Leaf Extract
4.0%Tamarind Seed Extract
1.0% Matrix Peptide
0.3% Germall Plus Liquid

-Part One: Weigh XanThix and set aside. Combine all other ingredients and heat to 175F. Add XanThix to hot oils while stirring gently to separate particles.

-Part Two: Heat Distilled Water to 175F, add to Part One with mixing. Using a stickblender for small batches works fine. As emulsion begins to cool, switch to a handheld stir tool such as our stainless steel wire whip.

-Part Three: When temperature of emulsion cools to 115F or less, combine ingredients and add to combined Part One/Two. Mix well until emulsion is completely cool.

Tip: For small batches weighing 500 grams or less, I often use a gallon or quart size plastic freezer bag for dispensing emulsions into bottles. When batch is complete, scoop into the freezer bag and seal. Cut off the tip of the bag and dispense into bottles - easy peasy!

Happy Formulating!

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A Bit More Stoney Hill Farm News!

-Update on Sally!

Sally has finished her 19 radiation treatments - yay! - and she is doing very well! These treatments were Monday through Friday and Sally had to be anesthetized each day. Even though it's been "ruff" she has maintained a positive attitude and even has pep in her step on the good days :-)

Sally is pictured here with the wonderful oncology team at Upstate Veterinary Specialists in Greenville, SC. Everyone has been so good to Sally and she will miss seeing them. Sally's oncologist, Dr. Sarah Kraiza (in dark gray behind Sally) is one of the nicest people I've ever met. Dr. Kraiza is a talented doctor, but also has an extraordinary gift of kindness and truly went the extra mile to make this experience as good as it could possibly be for all of us.

We are looking forward to a full recovery and many good times ahead!

**********************

-We were happy to have a family of Eastern Bluebirds build a nest close to our office and garden. Yesterday Earl spent several hours observing Mom and Dad Bluebird trying to teach the last little one to leave the nest.

Bluebird House Near Office

Bluebird Male

Feeding the last little one.

Last But Not Least

What If I Can't Fly?

Bluebird Dad demonstrates how it's done and is ready to offer positive reinforcement. As of this morning, all babies were out of the nest and flying on their own!

Best Wishes for Fearless Flying, Fun Formulating, and Staying Coooool As a Cucumber this Summer!

Angie

Summer Solstice

2010-06-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

The Summer Solstice is here! St. John's Wort is blooming and the forest and field creatures are ready for dancing! A time for magical transformation!

Right now I'm sitting in our newly renovated office which is next door to our newly renovated processing/lab facility. Since we incorporated The Herbarie approximately 10 years ago, we've expanded our warehouse and business facilities numerous times to accommodate our growth. But this time we simply did not want to build another structure; instead we chose to rethink the existing facilities. During May and June our workspace was completely redesigned and renovated to allow for greater functionality and we are thrilled to have completed these changes!

I love my new processing/lab facility! I've just started a distillation of chamomile which smells wonderful to me! The next phase of the renovation will be to complete a break room for employees and to rework and refinish another storage area.

May was a lovely month here at the farm and the roses bloomed beautifully! We distilled our Rose Hydrosol each week and enjoyed the scent of our roses while we worked inside. When our hybrid musk Belinda rose is in full bloom she takes center stage. The bees love Belinda and so do I!

My overall theme and focus for 2010 seems to be on redesigning, restructuring, and reorganizing everything - life, gardens, and work! The gardens are slowly, but surely, evolving into what I have envisioned for years. While our cottage gardens are not spectacular, the birds, bees, butterflies and I love them!

Every year our Zinnias reseed and share their happy blooms with us. Our Zinnias, Cleome (spider flower), Pineapple Sage, Sunflower, Vitex (Chaste Berry) Tree, and Camellia Sansanqua are pictured here.

Several years ago, we created wide gravel paths between garden beds of different shapes and sizes. Last month we continued this theme into our main vegetable and rose garden.

As a tribute to my winter visitor Joy, I've set up a permanent space for hummers near the huge Monsieur Tillier and Mrs. B.R. Cant roses.

This is a view of Joy's Place including Monsieur Tillier, Mrs. B.R. Cant and Crepescule Roses. The gravel paths provide pleasant access to the gardens for planting, mulching, harvesting and simple enjoyment!

The Ruby Throated Hummers have been here since May and are enjoying the flowers and the sugar water feeders. Just this past weekend, I noticed this courting male performing his arc dance for a female. I bet there's a tiny nest around here somewhere!

We've recently built three pergolas in one of our garden beds that will eventually have a small garden pond in the center. Inspired by our friends Patti and Jay, we've planted 4 Hardy Kiwi vines - one male and three female along the sides of the pergolas. As you can see, this bed is still under construction. We recycle our many cardboard boxes by using them as biodegradable weed control and ground cover in our gardens. The boxes form the first layer over weeds and then we cover the cardboard with hardwood mulch. Near each Kiwi plant, we layered rabbit manure between the cardboard and the hardwood mulch. Within a few months the "sheet composting", along with microbes and worms, will yield nutrient-rich soil.

Hardy Kiwi are vigorous vines and in two or three years will cover the pergolas. I'm looking forward to the lush, shady summer retreat as well as the fruits! The garden pond will hopefully be done this fall or winter.

It's important to note that we did not do this work all by ourselves. Most of the hardscaping, work on the garden paths, and pergolas, and also the business facility renovations were done by our neighbor Bobby Morris. Bobby is brilliant and "can do anything" - a real Renaissance man. He's completing his doctorate in religion, plants a huge vegetable garden every year, speaks and teaches Hebrew, and can build or rebuild any vehicle or building from top to bottom. I've shared my visions and ideas with him and he has been able to make my ideas a reality. Thank you, Bobby!

On Mother's Day, Earl, Sally and I visited my daughter Kim in Durham, NC. Amy - my youngest daughter - came up from Dallas and we had a wonderful time! This is a picture of Amy, Sally and me at Kim's soccer game.

The weekend after our fun visit to Durham, I found a lump on Sally's left elbow. We took her to the vet immediately and they recommended surgery. We scheduled Sally's surgery early June and it went well, but the biopsy results told us that Sally has a soft tissue sarcoma. While this was certainly not the best news, it wasn't the worst news either since soft tissue sarcomas are more localized and less likely to metastasize.

However, because of the location of the tumor, there was no way to remove enough surrounding tissue to allow for good, clean surgical margins. Therefore, the likely recommended treatment will be radiation - twice a week for five weeks. We've scheduled an appointment with an oncologist so we'll know more about the treatment at that time. Even though we are naturally upset about all of this, the prognosis is good for this type of cancer and we are very, very hopeful that Sally will have a complete recovery.

Sally is pictured here about two days after her surgery. She's wearing her tee shirt to protect the elbow. Jean gave her the cute little dolly. Right now, Sally is happy and enjoys the extra attention.

Last fall and winter I began a new spiritual journey that has proved to be very enlightening and has also brought much joy to my life. We stay so busy and it seems like we rush from one thing to the next, one day to the next, multi-tasking as well! I've learned how to slow down enough "to smell the roses". I understand that life is more about the journey than the destination.

It's so important to make the most of each day - to enjoy each moment, both in work to play. So often the special gifts are right in front of us. A friend's smile or kind word, a bird's brilliant color and song, or the scent of a flower can bring great joy. Just this morning, when Sally and I were on our walk, a gorgeous black swallowtail butterfly appeared. The butterfly flew around us and just in front of us for quite a while - a special gift for us! I like to think the butterfly represented beautiful transformation that is available to all of us no matter our circumstances!

May we all be blessed with butterflies and beautiful transformations. Best wishes for a joyful summer!

Angie

The Roses Are Blooming!

2010-04-30T03:27:00.000-07:00

To everything there is a season and the roses are blooming again! We have a gorgeous morning here at Stoney Hill Farm – clear and cool – fresh green against cerulean blue sky – the kind of day that we wish could last forever. This week, most of the roses are in full bloom! Some of my favorites are Sarah Van Fleet, Belinda’s Dream, Abraham Darby, Othello, The Prince, Madame Isaac Perrier, The Apothecary, Zephirine Drouhin, Mrs. B.R. Cant, and Monsieur Tillier. Each season I am amazed by their generosity and beauty.

I’ve spent the morning in the garden with my roses, harvesting many blossoms for distillation, many for drying, cutting some for the office and home, leaving some untouched to simply enjoy their beauty as they grow. I’m running our second rose distillation this week and the rose scent is heavenly!! For me it just doesn’t get better than this!

We have been spending as much time in the garden as possible, but this time of year there is never enough time to do everything! In addition to our gardening, we are also very busy with processing our herbs and flowers for our botanical extracts and complexes. The long awaited Botanical Complex HCA is now in stock! Rose Phytolate Botanical Complex will soon be available. As requested, new botanical extracts and complexes are on the horizon!

The warehouse staff is still very busy with orders and we are thankful for our loyal customers! We are all working very hard to streamline our warehouse procedures so that we can maintain our quick turnaround. But since there are only 24 hours in a day, we sometimes don’t meet our goal of 24-48 hours. For customers who need immediate shipping, we offer our RUSH order option which we mention in our Sales and Shipping Policies.

But even though we are soooo busy, I wanted to take just a few minutes to share some pictures and let everyone know what’s happening at the farm.

I’ll report that Joy, my winter hummer, left for the Pacific Northwest on March 25. I was so very sad for her to leave, but I like to think of her finding a mate and building her nest to raise her babies. I am hoping she will return this Fall. I’ll certainly be watching for her!

Soon after Joy left, we had our first Ruby-Throated Hummer visit the sugar water feeders. It was a female apparently scouting around for a good summer spot. She must have spread the word because this morning I saw two hummers zooming around one of the feeders.

Hummingbirds and other birds, butterflies, bees all love our gardens since there is always something blooming and there are many nice places to nest, rest and enjoy.

Best Wishes for a Beautiful Blooming Season!

Angie

Spring is Here!

2010-03-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

The daffodils are blooming, the birds are singing, the bees are buzzing and Joy is still in my garden!

It’s hard to believe that we are almost three months into 2010! We’ve certainly had an unusually cold winter, but there’s no doubt, Spring has now arrived!

I’ve planted Sugar Snap Peas and Snow Peas in the garden, they’ve germinated and are just now coming up. The seedlings under lights and on heat mats germinated beautifully and look like they are doing well. This year I sowed less because of time limitations. I chose two heirloom tomato varieties – Rose, which is our all-time favorite and Brandywine which is an old-time favorite but a new one for us. I also chose two varieties of Pepper – the absolutely delicious Corno di Toro sweet pepper and Aji Colorado a medium hot pepper. We’ll have two varieties of Basil – Sweet Genovese and Thai Basil. I plan to sow some Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum) as well. I also sowed some of the delicious Rosa Bianca Eggplant. The miracle of Spring and the germination of seeds is a wonder of life that is a joy to behold.

Speaking of Joy, yes, she is still here. I was told that if we were lucky she may stay until March when breeding-time calls for her to leave for the Pacific Northwest. So, every morning when I go into the garden at dawn, I wait and wonder and hope I will see her. The chickadees are the first to call in the still dark mornings with their plaintive song of “fee-bee, fee-bee” as they pair up for mating. At dawn, the cardinals and the other birds join in for an early morning symphony. Then Joy zooms in to the sugar water feeder at the appointed time as the prima donna of the garden. She has survived the coldest winter we’ve seen in SC in many, many years with temperatures consistently less than 20F for days. She is a beautiful, brave, resourceful and resilient little bird. Joy has inspired me in so many ways and has taught me that each day is a gift to be cherished.

The Herbarie has been very busy and it’s been difficult to keep up at times. But Andy, Jean, Earl (not in the picture) and I have been working, working, working to keep shelves stocked and orders moving as quickly as possible! Within a few weeks, we should be back on our usual speedy schedule since we are adding new staff and increasing staff hours.

Our Herbarie customers will be happy to know that our Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) will be ready for ‘first harvest’ in about two weeks! As soon as it’s lush and green, we’ll be able to process our Botanical Complex HCA which also includes Peppermint Leaf, Yucca, Horsetail Leaf, and Nettle Leaf Extracts. This botanical complex has become a best seller and we’ve been out of stock for about a month. Botanical Complex HCA is rich in nutrients that are beneficial for both hair and skin and also has a fresh, clean scent. So, be sure to check the website for Botanical Complex HCA in mid April!

We are excited about gardening this year and look forward to all the fresh vegetables that will be coming soon! Throughout the winter our collards, turnips and mustard greens did well inspite of the snow and freezing rain. We are still harvesting collards and mustard greens although with temperatures around 75F, they will soon be going to seed. So yesterday I made sure to harvest some fresh collards and mustard greens for my dinner. Along with the Pink-eye Purple Hull crowder peas from our freezer, they made a delicious and nutritious meal.

My overall garden plan this year is for enjoyment! With that thought in mind, I am focusing on structure, functionality, nutrition, and beauty. Some may wonder how structure and functionality weigh into enjoyment? I’ve found it’s important to structure the gardens so we can more easily work within them. We spend a great deal of our time mulching and weeding. Two years ago we laid gravel paths throughout the various gardens which made access much easier and allowed for drainage also. This year we are extending the gravel paths into our big, fenced garden where we have beds for our roses, herbs and veggies. This will make access so much easier. As part of the overall plan, we are also building several pergolas in one of the other garden beds. I had considered planting more muscadines to cover the pergola and provide a lush shady retreat in the summer as well as delicious fruit in the Fall. After reading about Hardy Kiwi and seeing pictures of the lush vines that our good friends Patti and Jay have planted, I was inspired to try them instead. As part of that bed we will also build a small pond for water plants. I’m so excited about all the new plans!

All the gardening and hard work can lead to dry, rough and chapped hands. I’ve made a rich, moisturizing Gardener’s Hand Cream that both Earl and I use after a long day in the garden or anytime really. I’ll share the formula with you:

Gardener’s Hand Cream with Sugarmulse

Part One or Water Phase:
68.96% Distilled Water
0.5% HEC

Part Two or Oil Phase:
4% Sugarmulse
10% Cupuacu Butter
6% Golden Jojoba Oil – Organic Certified
3% Botanical Complex LSCD
0.5% Coviox T50

Part Three or Cool-down Phase:
5% Symglucan
1% Myrtle EO and Lavender EO Blend
0.04% Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract
1% Optiphen

100% Total

I prepared a 500 gram batch that I packaged in two 8 ounce jars. Here’s the batch I worked out:

Gardener’s Hand Cream with Sugarmulse – 500 gram batch

Part One or Water Phase:
68.96% Distilled Water = 344.80 grams
0.5% HEC = 2.5 grams

Part Two or Oil Phase:
4% Sugarmulse = 20 grams
10% Cupuacu Butter = 50 grams
6% Golden Jojoba Oil – Organic Certified = 30 grams
3% Botanical Complex LSCD = 15 grams
0.5% Coviox T50 = 2.5 grams

Part Three or Cool-down Phase:
5% Symglucan = 25 grams
1% Myrtle EO and Rosemary EO Blend = 5 grams
0.04% Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract = 0.2 grams
1% Optiphen = 5 grams

100% Total = 500 grams

-Part One: Disperse HEC to room temperature water and heat until temperature reaches 170F – be careful not to scorch HEC.

-Part Two: Combine all oil soluble ingredients and heat until solids are melted.
-When both Phase One and Two are heated, pour Part One (water phase) into Part Two (oil phase) and begin mixing. High shear mixer such as a stick blender can be used.
-Continue to mix until emulsion begins to form and begins to cool
-As emulsion begins to thicken and cool, switch to the hand held wire whisk
-When emulsion is 100F or less, add Part Three (cool-down phase) and continue to mix with the wire whisk until completely cool. 500 gram batch will yield about 16-17 ounces. Package in jars.

This formula is one of my favorites. Each ingredient lends its own unique characteristics to the formula.

● SugarMulse is one of the best of the new nonionic, PEG-free, biodegradable, plant derived self-emulsifiers. SugarMulse offers excellent stability and a conditioned skin feel and is easy to use.

Self-emulsifiers or Complete Emulsifiers provide emulsification as well as stability and thickening due to the fatty alcohol portion. But sometimes it's helpful to include a low HLB emulsifier or water phase stabilizers. In this formula, no other emulsifier is necessary, but we do include a water phase stabilizer/thickener.

● HEC or Hydrodroxyethyl Cellulose is a water dispersible, water phase thickener and stabilizer. Water phase thickeners/stabilizers provide a structure that allows for greater stability and also enhances the overall feel of the product.

Other water dispersible stabilizers/thickeners that can be used are XanThix or UltraMaize at varying percentages.

● Golden Jojoba Oil is USDA NOP Organic Certified and is simply an outstanding quality oil. Jojoba Oil is nourishing and conditioning to skin and is quickly absorbed without residue.

Other oils that can be used are Marula Oil, Abyssinian Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, or almost any vegetable oil. I prefer using the more stable oils as mentioned.

● Cupuacu Butter is a luscious butter that has the capacity to moisturize and condition skin leaving a soft, supple feel.

I have also used our Shea Butter USDA NOP Certified Organic with excellent results.

● Botanical Complex LSCD contains nutrient-rich extracts of Burdock, Elder Flower, Lavender, Calendula, and Cleavers and provides emolliency as well.

I have used Calendula Extract OS and our Rose Extract OS (not yet available for sale) with good results.

● Symglucan is an exciting multifunctional, antiaging ingredient manufactured by Symrise. SymGlucan® is made by a patented technology which refines Oat Beta-Glucan to produce a highly active soluble fraction. Symglucan is primarily marketed as an antiaging product, but I use it in almost everything I make for myself. Symglucan softens skin and is the best humectant I’ve ever used. I figure I deserve it :-) There really is not a good substitute for Symglucan since it offers unique characteristics.

● Coviox T50 is utilized in the formula for its antioxidant capabilities to help protect the Cupuacu Butter from oxidation.

● I’ve included Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract for antioxidant capabilities also. In addition to antioxidant capabilities, Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract serves as an antimicrobial and an anti-inflammatory – a perfect addition to a Gardener’s Hand Cream.

● The primary antimicrobial is Optiphen. Optiphen along with Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract and the essential oils of Myrtle and Lavender will serve as the entire preservative system.

I have also made this cream with Geranium, Rosemary, and other essential oils, but particularly like the fresh clean scent of Lavender with the Myrtle eos.

I hope you will enjoy this cream as much as we do!

***********************************************************

Happy Spring!

Angie

The Winter Solstice and Joy in the New Year

2010-01-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

The Winter Solstice is a time for introspection, a time to be quiet, and a time to listen. I was fortunate to be able to take time in December to reflect on the past year, contemplate where I hope to go in the future, but most of all just enjoy the present. We all live such busy lives that it’s much too easy to lose touch with ourselves and the truly important things in life. For me, spending time with Nature is revitalizing and essential to my well-being. We are fortunate to live in an area with many trees, plants, and animals. Included in our 21 acres are gardens, woodlands, open grassy spaces.

This time of year I especially enjoy going into the woods. In Winter, the woods are often crystal-clear, crisp-cold, and full of wonderful things. Sometimes our southern winter woods are misty and soft.

I love our woodlands and always look forward to my winter journeys. Nature is a good teacher and healer if we allow ourselves to accept the gifts she has to offer.

In my last blog, I wrote about the hummingbird visitor to my garden. Well, she is still here and I have named her Joy! The Saturday before Thanksgiving was a beautiful, balmy day and I was treating myself to some rest and relaxation in my “Secret Garden” when I heard a familiar chit-chit, chit-chit. I turned around and just behind me, a tiny hummingbird was perched in my huge Belinda rose! At first I thought she was a Ruby-Throated hummer remaining from summer, but I soon discovered she was not our typical summer visitor. This little hummer was a visiting Rufous from the Pacific Northwest!

Since Thanksgiving I have been inspired to read and learn as much as possible about hummingbirds. Winter hummers in the Southeast are almost always Selasphoras rufous (Rufous) hummingbirds. Rufous hummers typically over-winter in Mexico and breed/nest in the Pacific Northwest - as far north as Alaska. But over the last 10 years or so, according to experts such as Bob Sargent at the Hilton Pond Center in Rock Hill, SC and also Susan Campbell, researcher at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Rufous hummers have been seen during winter at feeders in the Southeast. Information from their websites and other birding websites has been very helpful to me. But no one seems to know for sure why these little birds are visiting the Southeast. It’s hard for me to imagine this tiny bird traveling over 3000 miles to my garden, but I am honored that she is here!

Until early December, our flowers were still blooming and provided plenty of nectar along with the sugar water feeders. Joy was happily zooming from feeder to feeder and flower to flower. But by mid to late December when temperatures were consistently below 28F, the flowers were gone and the sugar water was frozen. Most of the east coast experienced very cold temperatures and we were no different here in SC. Our garden thermometer registered 12F lows with highs around freezing or less. These consistently low temperatures are unusual for South Carolina and I could not help but think Joy chose the wrong winter to visit us! I confess I stayed awake at least a couple of nights worried about whether or not she would freeze to death and I prayed for her to be ok. My maternal instinct wanted to bring her inside or build her a warm little house to keep her safe, but according to Susan, the best thing I could do is keep her “nectar” available. So, each morning before dawn, I bundled up and made the short trek to my office to prepare her sugar water feeders. At first light, I was outside with feeders hung, waiting and watching and listening for Joy. Sure enough, as if by magic, each morning, around 7:10am-7:20am I’d hear her chit-chit, chit-chit as she would zoom in to the feeder near her favorite Monsieur Tillier rose. I would breathe a sigh of relief and send thanks to the universe for keeping her safe another night.

We wonder how this tiny little bird with a very high metabolism can survive long, cold nights? She is using the ancient and fascinating survival technique called “torpor”. Torpor is a type of deep sleep similar to hibernation where she can lower her metabolic rate by as much as 95%. By achieving this state of torpor, she maintains a cooler body temperature and therefore requires up to 50 times less energy. During torpor, the heart rate slows and there are no visible signs of life. This night time body temperature is barely sufficient to maintain life and is sometimes referred to as the sleep of death. According to researchers, torpor appears to depend on the circadian rhythms and doesn’t seem to be effected by outside stimulus. It reportedly takes about 20 minutes for a hummer to awake from torpor during which time the heart rate increases and wing muscles begin to vibrate which helps to warm the blood supply. So, my job as friendly human has been to make sure the “nectar” is available when Joy awakes from torpor and is ready for her morning energy drink. This I have gladly done each morning.

Joy’s favorite Monsieur Tillier rose is big – nearly eight feet by eight feet. She likes to perch and chit-chit in this rose bush much of the day. She also enjoys perching in the huge Belinda rose which is where I first saw her. My Belinda rose is close to 12 feet tall and 15 feet wide. Earlier blogs have pictures of both Belinda and Monsieur Tillier. Another favorite spot is in the Sarah van Fleet which is close to the sugar water feeder in the Secret Garden. She and the other birds – cardinals, chickadees, house finch - seem to feel protected in the many thorny branches of these rose bushes. I have wondered if she roosts at night in one of these bushes, but it’s hard to know for sure since she seems to appear out of the air every morning. I have tried to figure it out for weeks. I’ve watched carefully from several different locations, but never can tell precisely where she has spent the night.

Hummers need nectar from flowers, but also require insects for protein and other nutrients. Even when the temperatures are below freezing, hummers are very resourceful at finding insects. But these little birds have also adapted to the availability of sugar water feeders and may rely on them for survival – particularly in winter. I’m not sure what would have happened to Joy if the sugar water feeder had not been available each morning. Would she have found another food source? Would she have survived? I’ll never know for sure, but it is perfectly clear to me that we have shared a wonderful and mutually beneficial relationship this winter.

As the days and weeks have gone by, I’ve continued this morning routine even though the weather most days is well above freezing and I don’t need to monitor the feeders as closely. Going into the garden before dawn is something I look forward to each day. I quietly listen, watch, and wait as our world wakes up. At first light, I hear the cardinals and chickadees begin the chirp, chirp – chirp, chirp. The cardinals, one by one, fly to the pergola with the Lady Banks Rose and soon there are dozens on the nearly bare branches that look like red Christmas tree ornaments. Soon after the chickadees and cardinals begin to gather and the sky is turning a lovely shade of peachy pink, Joy magically appears for her morning “nectar”. Zooming in for a quick sip sip, she then perches for a while in her Monsieur Tillier rose bush and we have our early morning “chit-chit chat”.

So, how long will she stay in my garden? Susan the researcher said perhaps as long as March when she decides it’s time to go back to the Northwest to find a mate. I do hope she will stay until March and I also hope she will revisit next winter.

But one thing is certain, I have learned so much about life from this tiny, yet brave and tenacious bird. Perhaps one of the most important lessons for me is to always remember that Joy can be found in my garden! The gift of her joyous, colorful, resourceful spirit will always be with me.

Happy New Year with Love and Joy!
Angie

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

We have been very busy working long days in our warehouse and office. On Saturday, the weather was so beautiful that I decided to spend some time outside.

Overall, we have enjoyed a mild and lovely Fall, with temperatures in the 50-60F range. We've not yet had a hard freeze, so our gardens are still filled with blooming Roses, Pineapple Sage, Honeysuckle, Mexican Sage, Sansanqua Camellia, and Zinnias. Ginger Lily and Osmanthus (Tea Olive) are still blooming and smelling wonderful and the birds and bees are everywhere.

On Saturday, I was relaxing in my secret garden when I heard the distinctive sound of hummingbird chitter twitter! I could hardly believe my ears! I thought I'd seen the last of our hummers until Spring of 2010! This past summer, just like every summer, we enjoyed hearing and seeing our many hummers buzz-fly from flower to flower and feeder to feeder. All summer long I've tried to take a picture of these magical creatures, but have not been fast enough. On Saturday, this precious little hummer perched on the Belinda Rose and waited patiently while I took picture after picture of her - isn't she adorable!

This is a view of old Rose Cottage - a former share cropper's home. This little cottage here on the farm is over 100 years old. Sasanqua Camellias are blooming profusely in the foreground with Mexican Petunia in the background.

This magnificent Monsieur Tillier Tea Rose is in bloom from Spring to Fall. These roses are near the Stoney Hill Farm sign beside our warehouse. Monsieur Tillier also grows and blooms in our other gardens. I propagated these roses myself which are now about 8 feet tall and just as wide. True Tea Roses are perfect shrubs for Zone 8 gardens with lots of room. They are not demanding, easy to grow and free from pests. All of these pictures were taken this past weekend.

Another Sansanqua Camellia beside The Herbarie office. Camellias don't have a scent, but the blooms and evergreen foliage are just gorgeous.

My husband Earl and I are animal lovers. In addition to our wild birds and other wild creatures, our farm is home to Sally - our Great Pyrenees, our three Nubian goats - Rose, Petunia, Pansy, a bunny named Tinkerbell, and many "rescue kitties". These kitties have somehow made their way to us over the years. We support the dedication and hard work of our local animal shelter where animals are spayed and neutered and adopted into families. Earlier this year I wrote about Gracie and her kitties - Dahlia and Poppy. Soon after the kitties were born, we acquired Sir Thomas, called Tommy, whom we are guessing is Kitty Daddy. Now Sir Thomas, Gracie, Dahlia and Poppy are one big happy (and neutered) family. Poppy is resting after a long day in the garden.

We have so much to be thankful for here at Stoney Hill Farm! We are thankful for our family, dear friends and customers, superb staff, our thriving business, and our special place on Earth that brings us so much joy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Angie

Fall Is Here!

2009-09-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

Here at the farm, the air is fragrant with the scent of Osmanthus and Ginger Lily. My beloved Roses are in bloom again. Cooler temperatures remind us the seasons are changing. Summer is behind us and Fall is here.

Our eggplant, peppers and okra are rushing and racing to produce fruit and we harvest daily. The Red Okra is now almost 12 feet tall and still producing those tasty pods!

The muscadines have done well again this year. Muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia) are native to South Carolina and thrive with little care.

During late summer and early fall, these generous, low maintenance vines are dependably lush with fruit.

Every morning and evening - to and from work - I stop by the arbor to grab a handful of delicious and nutritious muscadines! My favorite muscadine is Southland, a big juicy purple to black variety. These delectable bites of bliss are very high in polyphenolic compounds such as Ellagic Acid and Resveratrol. Muscadines are one of the richest sources of these antioxidant compounds and have been studied extensively for many potential health care benefits.

Our Pineapple Sage plants are lush and just starting to bloom. The Camellia sansanquas are full of buds and will be blooming soon. This time every year I make my Muscadine and Pineapple Sage Jam along with more Hot Pepper Jelly. Each year I say I’m going to make wine with our grapes and who knows this might be the year I’ll do it!

Fall fruits and flowers are a special treat and remind me that life goes on and to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose.

Herbarie Update!
Our mission at The Herbarie is to bring nature and science together to offer the best in innovative, natural source products. We have a strong commitment to quality and ethics, a responsibility to the environment, and strive to offer the best in customer service. We are passionate about what we do and we strive to share this passion with our customers!

We have brought in many new products! Throughout Fall I will be sharing information on these new products, along with ideas, formulas and formulating tips - all here on my blog!

NEW PRODUCT!
ECOCERT - PlantaMulse™ Liquid - Natural Plant Source, PEG-free, biodegradable complete emulsifier made from the esters of glycerin and fatty acids. PlantaMulse™ Liquid has the ability to form lamellar liquid-crystalline structures in water which provides exceptional stability and superb re-fatting properties and sensory characteristics.

PlantaMulse™Liquid performs beautifully to formulate cold process, sprayable formulations such as body mist or facial mist. PlantaMulse™Liquid will emulsify essential oils, as well as oils and emollients, in sprayable formulations.

For years, customers have been asking for a natural alternative to ethoxylated emulsifiers such as Polysorbate 20 and we are so pleased to be able to offer PlantaMulse™Liquid!

This summer I have enjoyed making and using my Natural Spray Mist with PlantaMulse Liquid: http://www.theherbarie.com/Natural-Spray-Mist-with-Plantamulse-Liquid-p-131.html

I’ve used this basic formula to make a light, refreshing and conditioning “bodymilk” mist with our Calendula Extract OS and Rose Geranium Essential Oil. This formula is so easy to make and so very nice to use!

NEW FORMULA!

Natural Spray Mist with PlantaMulse™Liquid

Part A:
Plantamulse Liquid - 2.5% = 12.5 grams
Calendula Extract OS - 9.0% = 45 grams
Essential Oil or Fragrance Oil - 1.0% = 5 grams
Optiphen - 0.8% = 4 grams

Part B:
Distilled water - 86.7% = 433.5 grams

Total: 100% = 500 grams

-Combine room temperature ingredients in Part A with mixing – a hand held whisk or stir tool can be used. -Add distilled water in Part B to combined Part A with high shear mixing (stick blender) or homogenize until fully incorporated. -Package in container with spray mister.

PlantaMulse™Liquid is perfect for making elegant, light lotion! Our All Natural Lotion formula http://www.theherbarie.com/Plantamulse-Liquid-All-Natural-Lotion-p-130.html is so easy to make and will leave skin feeling exceptionally soft, smooth and conditioned.

NEW FORMULA!
PlantaMulse™Liquid All Natural Lotion

Part A

PlantaMulse - 3% = 15 grams
Abyssinian Oil - 2% = 10 grams
Passionfruit Oil - 2% = 10 grams
Calendula Extract OS - 5% = 25 grams
Coviox T-50 - 0.5% = 2.5 grams

Part B
Distilled Water - 70.2% = 351grams
Cucumber Extract - 5% = 25 grams
Pineapple Sage Hydrosol - 10% = 50 grams
Hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) - 0.5% = 2.5 grams

Part C
FO/EO - 1% = 5 grams
Optiphen - 0.8% = 4 grams

Total: 100% = 500 grams

-Combine room temperature ingredients in Part A and mix well using our hand held, wire whisk and nylon spatula. - Add Part B distilled water and mix well using a high shear mixer such as a stick blender. - Lotion will be medium viscosity and perfect for packaging in a bottle with a dispensing cap.

PlantaMulse™Liquid can also be used to make hot process creams and lotions by utilizing a co-emulsifier and fatty alcohols. When greater viscosity is desired, 1-4% fatty alcohol (ie. behenyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol), and medium HLB co-emulsifier (PlantaEm), or low HLB co-emulsifier (ie. lecithin, glyceryl stearate, sorbitan stearate) can be used. We also recommend water phase viscosity/sensory enhancing ingredients such as XanThix, UltraMaize or HEC.

●PlantaMulse™Liquid is compatible with most ingredients and due to its lamellar liquid-crystalline structure is a perfect carrier for active ingredients. PlantaMulse™Liquid is not compatible with cationics.

●PlantaMulse™Liquid is supplied in easy to use liquid form.

●PlantaMulse™ Liquid exhibits excellent stability at elevated temperatures and good freeze/thaw stability from pH 5.0-9.0.

●PlantaMulse™Liquid eliminates the need for Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80 and other ethoxylated emulsifiers in the formulation of sprayable body mist.

●PlantaMulse™ Liquid is easy to use and provides all natural, PEG-free emulsification for cold-process, sprayable lotion milk, body mist, facial mist and light lotions.

●Sprayable emulsions will be opaque and will not be clear. For stability and to enhance sprayability, homogenization is necessary to create smaller emulsion droplets and lower viscosity. A high speed stick blender can be used instead.

●PlantaMulse™Liquid can also be used with co-emulsifiers and fatty alcohols to formulate high viscosity lotions, creams, and other emulsions.

●PlantaMulse™ Liquid can also be used in scrubs and body polish to provide rinseability.

●PlantaMulse™Liquid is based on vegetable source raw materials and is free from ethylene oxide and nitrosamines. It is biocompatible and biodegradable and offers skin conditioning and a soft feel. PlantaMulse™ is a trademark of The Herbarie.

NEW PRODUCT!
All natural, Amazonian White Clay for skin cleansing, hydration, and rejuvenation.

After months of steeping in nutrient-rich leaves, fruits, and seeds swept downriver from the Amazon rainforest, this native clay is allowed to dry naturally and become energized by sunshine during the dry season. The clay is then gathered from the banks of the Amazon river and used for skin hydration, cleansing, and rejuvenation. Amazonian White Clay is rich in mineral salts such as calcium, iron, potassium, and sulfur and according to traditional belief, can channel positive energy.

Recommended usage:Face or body pack: 15-50%Skin and body products such as regeneration, cleaning, hydration: 3 to 10%

NEW PRODUCT!
Honeysuckle Extract WS for moisturizing and soothing skin.

Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for many years, but only recently by western herbalists. Honeysuckle contains antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory constituents and has a multitude of uses. The major constituents in Lonicera japonica are Flavonoids, Triterpenoid Saponins and Tannins.

The Herbarie’s Honeysuckle Extract WS is prepared from the flowers, buds and tender, young leaves of Lonicera japonica. Our unique processing utilizes steam distillation and other pure extraction methods to obtain both volatile and water-soluble plant constituents. Honeysuckle Extract WS contains no solvent residues, no heavy metals or other impurities.

Honeysuckle Extract WS can be used in skin care products such as creams and lotions, serums, toners, antiaging products, baby care products.

NEW FORMULA!

Amazonian White Clay Facial Gel Mask

Amazonian White Clay is nutrient-rich and perfect for skin cleansing, hydration, and rejuvenation. Biofunctional Acai Extract WS is rich in polyphenolic antioxidant compounds. Our Pineapple Sage Hydrosol and Honeysuckle Extract along with Aloe Vera Liquid provide moisturization and help to rejuvenate skin.

Ingredient Percentage / Weight / Fluid/Dry Meaure

Part A

Distilled Water - 34.7% = 34.7 grams = 2 tablespoons + 1 tsp.
GuarSilk - 0.3% = 0.3 grams = 1/8 tsp.
UltraMaize 3% = 3 grams = 1 + 1/2 tsp.

Part B
Pineapple Sage Hydrosol - 25% = 25 grams = 2 tablespoons
Aloe Vera Liquid - 10% = 10 grams = 2 tsp.
Honeysuckle Extract - 10% = 10 grams = 2 tsp.
Acai Extract WS - 2% = 2 grams = ½ tsp.
Amazon White Clay - 15% = 15 grams = 2 tablesp.

Total 100% = 100 grams = about 4 ounces

NEW PRODUCT!
Marula Oil is obtained from the fruit of the Marula tree (Sclerocarya birrea) which is native to Africa. Marula Oil has been used traditionally in South Africa for many years. Our high purity Marula Oil is extracted from the kernels of the fruit using traditional cold-press methods and no solvents.

Marula Oil rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants which are essential components in the maintanence of healthy skin. Marula Oil is absorbed quickly and provides skin with a conditioned, soft feel. It has also been found to significantly improve skin hydration and smoothness.

Marula Oil is also used in hair and scalp conditioners for rinse out and leave in applications.
Due to the high mono-un-saturated content, Marula Oil demonstrates excellent oxidative stability as well.

Characteristics: ● Light, quickly absorbed ● Conditioned skin feel ● Excellent oxidative stability
Applications: ● Skin Care products ● Antiaging products ● Baby Care products ● Hair and Scalp Care products ● Lip balm ● Balms and salves

NEW FORMULA!

Emollient Facial Cleanser with Marula Oil

This oil based facial cleanser is perfect for normal to dry skin. It contains Marula oil which is rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants and offers excellent skin softening and conditioning in leave on or rinse off products. Our Olive Oil PEG 7 Esters is water dispersible and provides gentle cleansing without stripping skin of natural oils. Meadowfoam Oil is naturally high in Vitamin E and along with Jojoba Oil and Castor Oil add stability to this formula.

Ingredient Percentage / Weight / Fluid/Dry Measure

Olive Oil PEG 7 Esters - 25% = 25 grams = 2 tablesp.
Marula Oil - 35% = 35 grams = 3 tablesp.
Jojoba Oil - 10% = 10 grams = 1 tablesp.
Meadowfoam Seed Oil - 10% = 10 grams = 1 tablesp.
Castor Oil - 20% = 20 grams = 2 tablesp.

Total: 100% = 100 grams = about 4 ounces

More New Products, Formulas and Tips Coming Soon!

Angie

Summer Vegetable Review

2009-08-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

August in the South is hot and muggy and buggy, but we can sometimes catch a glimpse of Fall just around the corner. It seems like yesterday we were sowing seeds for our Spring garden and now most of the crops have been harvested and summer is coming to a close. Since I wrote about our garden earlier in the year I’m sure folks are curious about how it turned out and I wanted to share the results!

Summer Vegetable Review!

We’ve been gardening without the use of pesticides for many, many years, but this was the first year we exclusively used USDA NOP certified or approved seed. We purchased most seed from two different sources – Johnny’s Seed and Seeds for Change – which I will list below. We bought some Aji Colorado Pepper seeds from Horizon Herbs and found some USDA NOP Clemson Spineless Okra seeds at Lowes and some untreated Park’s Whopper Seeds at Cousin’s Feed and Seed.

From Johnny’s Seeds: Rose Tomato, De Cico Broccoli, Yellow Crookneck Squash, Sugar Pearl Sweet Corn, and Rosa Bianca Eggplant.

From Seeds for Change: Oregon Trail Shell Pea, Oregon Giant Snow Pea, Roma 2 Bush Bean, Royal Burgundy Bush Bean, Straight Eight Cucumber, Sweet Marketmore Cucumber, Corno Di Toro Sweet Pepper, Costaluto Genovese Tomato, Arkansas Traveler Tomato, Roma Tomato, Lettuce Leaf Basil, Genovese Sweet Basil, Poppy Joe’s Basil, Lemon Basil, Red Velvet Okra, Crimson Sweet Watermelon, Ambrosia Cantaloupe.

Except for corn, beans and melons, we started all seeds inside under lights and some with a warming mat. Germination was excellent! What miraculous power within even the tiniest seed! It’s wonderful to see those tiny green sprouts in February!

With the exception of Aji Colorado, all the starts were beautiful! Actually we tried sowing Aji Colorado twice and germination was only about 25%. The seeds that germinated didn’t thrive which was disappointing. I’d not tried this variety before and they sounded so delicious. I can only suppose that for some reason these seeds weren’t viable and I keep meaning to call the good folks at Horizon Herbs to let them know.

De Cico Broccoli produced beautiful plants, but the timing was bad. Broccoli needs cool weather and I was hoping the long, cool spring would bring us lots of delicious shoots. Unfortunately this didn’t happen. The plants grew very large, but took too long to send out shoots. So our broccoli harvest was zero this spring. I will try more this fall/winter or perhaps winter/spring.

Fresh yellow crookneck squash are so delicious – especially when sautéed with Vidalia onions and basil! But within the last 6-7 years, it’s become more and more difficult to successfully grow yellow crookneck squash. These squash and other plants in the Cucurbitacae family are often plagued with squash bugs. We use interplanting techniques and rotate crops to try to outsmart the pests and it generally works well. We have many, many butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects. This year, I tried to outsmart the bugs by planting the squash very early in out-of-the-way, mixed garden beds and odd spots. We were able to harvest a few times before noticing any signs of squash bugs. But by June, the critters found our plants. Initially, we hand picked all bugs and eggs that we could find, but as the summer progressed, we weren’t as diligent and they slowly but surely took over and the plants wilted and died. Next year we’ll try a different strategy.

Our early Oregon Giant Snow Pea and Oregon Trail Shell Pea were a great success and so delicious! I highly recommend them and wish we would have planted more! These peas are so tender and sweet that they can be eaten fresh out of the garden and I confess that I probably ate as many as I brought inside. These very tender peas can be used fresh in salads or gently cooked.

Beans and peas are very generous plants! As legumes, they have the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil while at the same time provide humans with nutritious and delicious food! Organic farming should always include beans and peas and other legumes!

My husband Earl looks forward to fresh corn every year. We’ve planted Silver Queen and several super sweet varieties over the years. We plant the corn in blocks and every year we have a great harvest! It’s very important to harvest and eat or freeze within a few hours to preserve the fresh, sweet flavor. Earl is the expert for this job and has it down to a science.

This year we planted USDA NOP Sugar Pearl from Johnny’s Seeds which looked like a good choice for early sweet corn. When the corn was about 4-5 inches tall, I fertilized with Hollytone and sowed Southern Peas along the rows. Corn requires huge amounts of nitrogen and I wanted to make sure we had enough in the soil. We weeded, watered, and nurtured the stalks for several weeks. The corn grew lush and green and the peas along with it. The corn was just about ready for harvest when the squirrels found it. In spite of the resin owl, the organic squirrel deterrent, Earl’s rock tossing (he missed every time), those fat squirrels got every single ear of corn. I suspect they were watching us the entire time and just waiting patiently to harvest it themselves. We’ll have to come up with a different strategy for next year. I’m thinking that Sir Thomas, one of our rescue cats who now lives in the garden, may be willing to help.

It’s interesting to note the differences in corn and peas. Corn is a rather selfish and demanding plant while peas are most generous. Corn requires a great amount of nitrogen, water, and lots of human energy to produce only one or two ears per stalk. Peas grow easily and quickly and produce generously while fixing nitrogen in the soil. And nutritionally speaking, peas are by far the best choice. I’ll vote for peas and beans.

The Roma 2 Bush Bean and Royal Burgundy Bush Bean were very tasty and produced well for about three weeks. Again, I only wish we would have planted more. Next year we will be sure to plant these varieties at intervals throughout the summer.

All Southern gardeners grow tomatoes and by February we are already anticipating the July harvest! At Stoney Hill Farm, we plant our tomatoes in a row between two cattle panels adding about 4 inches of compost/mulch. This method works very well for us and every year for years and years we have had lots of tomatoes.

This year we planted our tomatoes in a new spot near the back of the fenced garden. In hindsight, this new spot was probably not ideal for planting early tomatoes and it’s a wonder they survived - I’ll explain why. The micro climate in this spot is slightly cooler and more sheltered than other areas of the garden. This year we mulched heavily with hardwood mulch. Hardwood mulch requires nitrogen to break down. Tomatoes don’t like cool and damp and were being robbed of nitrogen so these conditions were the opposite of what they needed and wanted! In addition, the heirloom tomatoes are not as resistant to the fungus diseases (Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt) that can plague tomatoes.

And I’m sorry to say that we lost several plants after the first month or so of planting into the garden. I felt so foolish and should have known better. I’ve grown tomatoes all my life and these were pitiful looking! One by one, the plants were dying and by early July we had not yet had our first tomato. Our neighbors felt sorry for us and gave us some of their Celebrity tomatoes which had thrived. We enjoyed those tomatoes for several weeks.

We had initially fertilized our tomatoes with Hollytone organic and compost at planting time, but the surviving plants were spindly and yellow and clearly still deficient in nitrogen. I felt so sorry for them and decided to try giving them a boost with a nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer for a few weeks. By the end of July, the fertilizer along with the hot temperatures miraculously brought the remaining plants back to life and now they are thriving and producing - finally! The Rose tomato is by far the best! These big tomatoes are beautiful with a rich taste – very delicious! The Rose is perfect for slicing, for drying or for freezing or canning. The Rose tomato’s rich flavor reminds me of the tomatoes my Grandfather used to grow.

The Arkansas Traveler was a disappointment. It hasn’t produced well and the taste is rather bland. We won’t try this one again. The Costaluto Genovese is tasty, but tiny – about the size of cherry tomatoes – which is very unlike the description. The Park’s Whopper is good – not outstanding like the Rose – but good. The Roma’s are good and reliable as always. We had two or three Roma volunteers in other areas of the garden which was a nice surprise.

I’m not canning any tomatoes this year, but I have dried several pounds and stored in the freezer for use throughout the winter.

As mentioned, Southern Peas were interplanted with our corn and tomatoes. Like all legumes, these peas fix nitrogen in the soil and make a good companion crop. This year we planted Pink-eye Purple Hull and they are delicious. These peas are perfect for a children’s garden because they are easy to handle with close to 100% germination and fast growth. The pods look like string beans hanging from the vine and can be harvested when the pods turn purple. We shell the peas for eating fresh and can easily be frozen for eating throughout the winter months. Purple hull peas and rice with okra and tomatoes is one of my favorite meals! Absolutely delicious and so good for you!

And now for the late summer, heat loving plants! Okra, peppers, eggplant and melons!

I love Okra! Okra is in the same family as hibiscus and produces beautiful big flowers. The Red Velvet variety is quite ornamental and I plant it in all the garden beds amongst the other veggies and flowers. Okra loves hot weather and produces best in late summer. The pods grow quickly and must be cut every day. As soon as I harvest the pods, they are cut into pieces, placed in freezer bags and frozen.

Eggplant and peppers are happiest in hot weather and are now producing well. Eggplant and peppers sautéed with Vidalia onions, fresh thyme and basil in olive oil makes a great topping for homemade pizza – yummy!

Yesterday I made some Hot Pepper Jelly. Hot Pepper Jelly is a favorite and we like it with cream cheese on crackers.

All the basil is thriving and I use it in everything. I’m still making pesto, but I am using pecans instead of pine nuts. I’ll not buy any more pine nuts because of the problems associated with them. I actually prefer using the pecans and will experiment with other nuts too.

These are our wonderful Pinkeye Purple Hull Peas!

What’s better tasting on a hot summer afternoon than watermelon and cantaloupe? The Crimson Sweet and Ambrosia both have done well this year and we hope to enjoy them into the Fall.

Last week we picked a bushel or two of apples and are planning for more fruit trees to be planted this Fall. We have lots of blueberry bushes, thornless blackberry, and muscadine grape vines. We bought four Asian Persimmons and three PawPaws in pots last year and will be ordering Fig, Asian Pear, Apple, Jujube and perhaps Hardy Kiwi upon the recommendation of my friend Patti. We plan to plant these in October. We like growing disease resistant, tough fruit trees since we don’t have time to pamper them and don’t spray. We’ve never sprayed or fertilized our apple tree and it’s produced well for over 10 years.

Our muscadines are almost ready for harvest. Muscadines are tasty and good to eat right off the vine. On my way back and forth to the office/warehouse, I always stop by for a quick snack!

I like to make Muscadine Pineapple Sage Jam, apple juice and grape juice and hopefully will also have time to make wine this year.

The days are still hot, but noticeably shorter. Every plant is rushing to flower and send forth seed. The zinnias have peaked and are beginning to decline, but the butterflies and bees and hummingbirds and I are still enjoying them.

This week we will be sowing our Fall garden. We’ll sow turnips and mustard greens, chard and collards. I’ve not had much luck with carrots and beets, but I’m going to try them again. In September, we’ll sow Crimson Clover as our winter cover crop in areas that aren’t planted with Fall crops. Since it’s too hot here to grow lettuce outside, I will grow some Mesclun mix inside under lights. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on how everything turns out!

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Next Blog: New Products! The Herbarie's Natural Source Cosmetic Ingredients - Plantamulse Liquid, Phytocide Aspen Bark Extract, Curcuma Xanthorrhiza, Amazonian White Clay, Usnea Lichen, Chia Seed CO2 Extract, Gromwell Root CO2 Extract, Sage Antioxidant CO2 Extract and Avenalipid!

One Sunday in July

2009-07-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Today is gorgeous! If only every South Carolina summer day could be in the 80’s instead of the 90’s! I cannot believe it’s already mid-July - where did the past six months go? It’s Sunday and I’m spending some time on the back porch of the old cottage on our property. Our rescue kitties – Gracie (mother), Dahlia, and Poppy (daughters) – have all been spayed and are now allowed outside during the day. They are so adorable and very cute as they play “chase the shadows and anything that moves”.

The wind chime on this porch is singing slightly out of tune because of the dirt or mud "dobbers" that have taken up residence, but it’s still pleasant sounding as it sings with the gentle breeze.

As many of you know, we were “on break” during the week of July 6-10. During my break, I had time to finish 6 months of filing that had piled up, a good bit of manufacturing, a good bit of warehouse reorganizing, some website editing, some office cleaning, a little reading, a little R&R, and other fun and good stuff. The “other fun and good stuff” included making some Blackberry Jam and Blueberry Jam! We are now getting quart after quart of blueberries and blackberries every day. I eat blueberries on my Muesli cereal in the morning. I snack on blueberries and blackberries during the day. Every afternoon I look forward to my refreshing Blueberry Smoothie! I am literally loaded with antioxidants and feel very healthy these days!!

I’ve mentioned this recipe before, but will talk about it again because it's so good! I also wanted to remind folks that smoothies can be made with fresh or frozen berries! I make my Blueberry Smoothie with about a cup of either fresh or frozen blueberries, ½ to one whole banana, about ½ cup vanilla yogurt and ice. I put everything in a blender with some exquisite Dances With Bees honey! Dances With Bees is located in Georgia and is the best honey I’ve ever tasted! My husband (Earl), daughter (Kim), and I love this honey and eat it on our cereal and just about everything! So delicious!

Anyway, back to the Blueberry Jam. I wanted to report that the Blueberry Jam was a bit of an experiment. I made this batch from frozen blueberries and wondered if it would be as tasty as with fresh – it was! So now I will be freezing the berries to make jam (and those yummy smoothies) this winter when I have more time - or at least that's the plan for now.

My basil is lush and healthy and ready for harvesting. Later today I will be making the first batch of Basil pesto this season. Pesto is so tasty on pasta or in soups or almost anything. I started several Basil varieties from Organic Certified seed this year – Sweet Genovese, Poppy Joe, Lettuce Leaf and Lemon. All but the lemon have done so well! The lemon basil thrived, but went to seed so quickly. No amount of pinching would delay it so I just let it flower and made the bees happy!

All spring, I’ve been pinching bits of the basil for cooking with vegetables or to use fresh on sandwiches or in salads. I made a delicious sandwich with one of the big Lettuce Leaf Basil’s leaves and avocado and cheese – very tasty! Basil is probably one of my most favorite kitchen herbs. It’s best used fresh and cooked gently. I’ll add it during the last five minutes of cooking. Unlike some herbs, Basil doesn’t dry well. To me, it’s almost tasteless when dried. I like to mince fresh basil and mix with olive oil into a paste and freeze. I usually put the “paste” into a small quart size freezer bag, flatten and freeze. This paste is similar to pesto without the cheese, garlic and pine nuts. Once frozen, the basil/olive oil can be broken off as needed for cooking and the fresh taste of basil can be enjoyed all winter! The pesto that I make today will go into ice cube trays to be frozen. Once frozen, the cubes will be put into a freezer bag for later use.

Later this week we will be distilling our Basil Hydrosol. Basil Hydrosol makes a lovely, aromatic addition to formulas for hair or skin care. It's particularly useful for acne or problem skin. I'll share some more information and new formulas soon!

We are currently preserving our hydrosols with Cosmocil CQ. We have conducted three years of testing with our hydrosols that are preserved with Cosmocil CQ and the efficacy is outstanding. Cosmocil CQ is a very gentle preservative and is safe to use around mucous membranes such as the eye area. While we are extremely pleased with Cosmocil CQ, we are looking for other preservative options that will work as well and that will allow us to certify our Hydrosols and Botanical Extracts with the USDA NOP program. Many people do not realize that it is very, very difficult to certify cosmetic products as organic with the USDA NOP – their requirements are very explicit and stringent. The product must contain USDA NOP certified ingredients.
If the product contains ingredients that are not USDA NOP certified, those ingredients MUST be included in the USDA NOP “allowed” listing. For details, please refer to the USDA NOP Standards which can be found on their website.

Fortunately, we have identified one new natural preservative that may make it possible for us to offer USDA NOP certified botanical extracts and hydrosols. Since we are in the experimental stages, I won’t report any details at this time. But hopefully by next year, we will have good news to report regarding the USDA NOP and these experiments. I’ll be sure to keep everyone posted!

We have also been doing quite a bit of experimenting with the new natural preservative from Active Microsystems – Leucidal Liquid. The manufacturer has challenge test data (as noted on our website), but as we all know, each and every formulation is different and must be tested to determine efficacy. I am thrilled to report that our preliminary microbial testing on one cream formula that includes Leucidal Liquid is excellent! The formula we used is identical to the Luscious Lavender Natramulsion formula that can be found in our website Formulary. I used 2% Leucidal Liquid in the formula with 1% Coviox T50 – I reworked the water percentage so the formula would balance. The manufacture date on this batch is 050809. The first APC/yeast/mold was conducted on June 19 after normal usage. The results were: yeast/mold less than 10 cfu/gram and bacteria less than 1 cfu/gram - excellent! I'll be sending samples to the lab over the next 6 months to a year and will report on the results.

We are also testing Leucidal Liquid as part of a preservative system in our Botanical Extracts and Complexes. The results are not yet in, but I am very optimistic. I'll be sure to let everyone know how the testing turns out.

I am very pleased with Leucidal Liquid and and feel very encouraged with the results so far!

Well, I’ve moved from the back porch of the cottage to the front porch of The Herbarie. The wind chimes here sing in key. It’s so peaceful and I love looking at my happy Zinnias, birds, butterflies and bees, but I just realized that time is flying and it’s already afternoon and I’ve not yet made Pesto! I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer – I’ll be back in touch soon!

Angie

Summer Solstice

2009-06-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

The magical Summer Solstice is here and dawn comes early. The woodland creatures will dance and sing all night! This morning and every morning and evening in spring and summer, the Rufous sided Towhee calls out “how are you, how are you?” or sometimes “who me, who me?”. The Rufous sided Towhee lives in our area all year and we see them at the seed feeders in winter. They are ground feeders and can be recognized by their distinctive backward scratching motion when looking for insects and seeds that have dropped to the ground. During winter we don’t hear their call often and I look forward to it every spring.

The hummers are back! I just love those little birds! We have several sugar water feeders around the property as well as hundreds of flowers to entice these magical creatures. I enjoy their chitter-twitter-chat when I am in the garden. Our hummers have always enjoyed perching on branches and the wire fence in our garden – waiting to zoom in every now and again to take a sip from the many flowers or feeders. My daughter, Kim, gave me the best hummingbird feeder in the world. It’s copper and glass and can be easily disassembled for cleaning. She bought it from Drs. Foster and Smith. Good hummingbird feeders are difficult to find and I ended up buying four more.

We recently noticed a new bird running across one of the paths and garden beds. The bird had a distinctive white and black ringed neck and long spindly legs that made it easy to identify as a Killdeer. This very interesting bird is in the gull or shorebird family and seems oddly out of place here in the Piedmont of SC – but in fact, is a permanent resident for this area. Our book tells us they eat grubs and insects so we want to encourage them to stay here. Since they build their nests in hollow depressions in the ground we will keep careful watch so they won’t be disturbed.

Walking to the office and warehouse I’ll stop by the blueberry bushes and grab a handful to take with me. Blueberries are full of antioxidants and so tasty! Blueberries freeze well and we can enjoy them all year. Blueberry smoothies are a favorite treat on a hot summer afternoon! I toss a handful or two of blueberries into the blender with some vanilla yogurt, half a banana, some honey or sugar, a few ice cubes, and blend. Soooo delicious and refreshing!

My Zinnias are blooming! Hundreds of Zinnias in bright and beautiful colors are a treat for butterflies, bees and me. These are 11th generation Zinnias that began as a few tiny Cut and Come Again Zinnia seeds that reseed every year in our many garden beds. Each year they send out their seeds to come up the following spring. Zinnias are such happy flowers and I love to share them with family and friends.

I fell in love with Queen Anne’s Lace when I was a young girl and determined that I would have it in my own garden some day. Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) grows wild in meadows and along roadsides and is considered a weed by most people. This graceful and delicate flower is in the same family as parsley and carrots and can claim medicinal usage as well as beauty.

On my way to the office and warehouse I cut a bouquet of Zinnias and Queen Anne’s Lace to keep us company as we work inside all day.

The Herbarie

June has been very busy at The Herbarie! We’ve been working almost non-stop to make sure shelves are stocked and orders are shipped. We’ve also been busy distilling and manufacturing our botanical products. We are offering a new botanical extract – Honeysuckle Extract WS – which contains beneficial water soluble and volatile components of Lonicera japonica.

Honeysuckle Extract WS contains soothing and anti-inflammatory constituents and can be used in skin care products such as toners, body mist, creams and lotions.

*I’ll share some simple recipes for soothing and hydrating facial or body mist:

Chamomile Rose with Honeysuckle Extract WS

¼ cup Honeysuckle Extract WS
1 cup Chamomile Hydrosol
1 cup Rose Hydrosol

Combine ingredients and package in clean container with spray mister

Honeysuckle Rose and Lavender Facial Mist

1/4 cup Honeysuckle Extract WS
1 cup Rose Hydrosol
1 cup Lavender Hydrosol

Combine ingredients and package in clean container with spray mister.

Here’s another fun to make recipe:

Honeysuckle, Rose and Lavender Scented Body Mist:

¼ cup Honeysuckle Extract WS
1 cup Rose Hydrosol
1 cup Lavender Hydrosol
¼ teaspoon AquaEm
¼ teaspoon Lavender Essential Oil

- Combine AquaEm and Lavender Essential Oil in a clean container that will hold at least 3 cups and gently mix. Our tri-pour beakers work very well for this purpose.
-Add the remainder of the ingredients with mixing and package in a container with spray mister.

*Our hydrosols are preserved with Cosmocil CQ and Honeysuckle Extract WS is preserved with potassium sorbate and citric acid. If these recipes are followed precisely, no additional preservative is necessary.

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New! SMO Taurate

We have recently brought in a fabulous new surfactant for shampoo and body wash – SMO Taurate! I am very discriminating when it comes to choosing surfactants. They must be gentle, perform exceptionally well, be vegetable derived, AND be environmentally friendly. SMO Taurate fits this description and then some. SMO Taurate is in the same family as SMC Taurate. SMC Taurate is derived from coconut oil and SMO Taurate is derived from olive oil. SMO Taurate is supplied as a liquid and has superb functionality in a cold mix formula or formulas that are heat processed. In most formulas, SMO Taurate will build enough viscosity so that no thickener is necessary – this makes formulating much easier! SMO Taurate can be used as the primary and only surfactant or it can be used with other surfactants.

I particularly enjoy combining SMO Taurate with Jordapon ACI 30 G for a very mild and substantive shampoo for color treated or dry hair. This seems to be a perfect marriage in terms of mildness and performance and after rinse out will leave hair silky and soft and manageable. The ingredient possibilities are endless, but many of our customers ask for “as simple as possible” so I wanted to share a very simple, yet very elegant formula. I’ve calculated a 200 gram batch with estimated fluid/volume measurements for those who may not have a scale:

Silky Soft Shampoo with SMO Taurate and Jordapon ACI 30G

20% SMO Taurate = 40 grams = approx. 3 tablespoons
20% Jordapon ACI 30 G = 40 grams = approx. 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
58.5% Distilled Water = 117 grams = approx. ½ cup + 1 tablespoon
0.8% Optiphen ND = 1.6 grams = ¼ teaspoon
0.25% Peppermint Essential Oil = 0.5 gram = approx. 1/8 teaspoon
0.25% Rosemary Essential Oil = 0.5 gram = approx. 1/8 teaspoon
0.2% Citric Acid = 0.4 grams = approx. 1/16 teaspoon

-Using a container that will hold at least 8 ounces, weigh (or measure) water. Weigh (or measure) Jordapon ACI 30 G, adding to container with water. Gently blend. I typically use our wire whisk for blending.
-In a separate container, combine SMO Taurate, Optiphen ND, Peppermint and Rosemary EO with gentle mixing. I like to use our 100ml porcelain dish and our nylon spatula for mixing.
-Add the above mixture to the Jordapon ACI 30G/water with gentle blending.
-Add the citric acid to the shampoo with gentle blending until shampoo thickens. –Package in a container with a pump or dispensing cap.

This shampoo formula will have a finished pH of 5.3-5.5 and is suitable for shower gel as well as shampoo.

Some other ideas include:
-even more conditioning shampoo, add 0.2%-0.5% GuarSilk
-thicker shampoo, add 1%-3% Glucamate LT
-more billowy and longer lasting bubbles, incorporate Cocoamidopropyl Betaine into the formula.
-include Botanical Complex HC or HCA
-include Solu-Silk SF or Hydrolyzed Wheat or Oat or Soy Protein
-other essential oils that seem to work well in surfactant systems are geranium, lavender, myrtle, lemongrass.

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Happy Summer!

Angie

Roses, Melissa, Sally and Me

2009-05-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

The Roses Are Blooming!

2009-05-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Roses are blooming! I’ve enjoyed this misty morning outside in the garden harvesting the many blossoms. The damasks, bourbons, English Roses and other antique roses are the first to bloom. Constance Spry and Sarah Van Fleet have been blooming their hearts out for a week or more. Belinda, our huge hybrid musk in the picture on the left is almost in full bloom. The true teas are just starting to bloom and will continue through the summer until Fall.

Every Spring my roses amaze me with their beauty and generosity.

I am distilling our second batch of rose blossoms today and the fragrance is heavenly! We will be busy distilling hundreds of pounds of roses over the next few months. Now, as I sit here at my computer, I can look out my office window to the gardens where the roses live while I enjoy the lovely rose fragrance and Gary Stadler’s lovely music! Gary Stadler is the wonderful man who designed and created my distillation equipment and made it possible to obtain our exquisite hydrosols. I always listen to Gary’s music when distilling our hydrosols.

This morning I overslept and didn’t wake up until 6:00am. But so far this morning, I’ve answered emails, harvested and distilled roses – stopped a few minutes to smell them – fed the animals, pulled a few weeds, worked with the seedlings – 4 varieties of basil, two varieties of cucumbers, two varieties of okra – checked on the garden veggies – answered a couple of business calls and it’s now 9:00am. By 10:00 am I need to finish with the gardening so Sally and I can take a walk and I can shower and be in the warehouse by 11:00am to finish processing orders I promised would go out today.

I'll write more later, but for now will share some pictures of my beloved roses, lemon balm, Sally and me!

Happy Spring!

2009-04-15T05:38:00.000-07:00

My typical day begins around 4:30 or 5:00 each morning – writing, returning emails, catching up on the news and weather reports, contemplating the day ahead. Around 6:00 or 6:30, while most of the year it’s still dark outside, Sally and I walk to The Herbarie office across the field. This past month – March 10 – I heard the first whippoorwill call as we stepped outside in the early morning!

Both February and March brought challenging and exciting changes for The Herbarie and I found myself working very long days, every day of the week.

We received our USDA NOP Organic Certification as Handler/Processor! We are still working on our Farm certification which will allow us to claim our farm grown products as Organic Certified. At The Herbarie, we’ve created a new product category to include our USDA NOP Organic Certified products and we plan to add more products to this list.

After 10 years of successful business, The Herbarie website traffic and sales demanded that we move to a dedicated server. Now that we’ve made the change, the website is quite snappy and pages load very quickly!

During March, which was busier than usual, we were also short staffed and I spent much of my time in the warehouse. The timing could have been better, but the outcome was positive. This allowed me the opportunity to review our operating procedures and make improvements.

Also, on March 10, when the moon was full, Gracie had her kittens. Gracie is a rescue cat that found us several months ago. She found a warm soft spot in the barn for nesting. This week we moved the family to a secure and safe spot inside until everyone is ready for a trip to the vet for neutering.

The plants we started from seeds in February are all ready for planting in the garden. We began to harden off the plants a week or so ago to avoid shock when they make the move to the outside. The broccoli and yellow squash were planted April 12. The tomatoes are scheduled for planting April 18. The peppers and eggplant will have to wait a couple more weeks, along with the Basil and Cucumbers and Melons.

In anticipation of the return of the hummingbirds, the sugar water feeder in the Secret Garden has been up since the first of April. We saw the first hummers last week! Right now, there are a few blooms in the gardens to entice the hummers and butterflies – Carolina Jessamine, Tulips, Pansies, Collards, Cabbage and my elegant Constance Spry Rose - but soon everything will be blooming and hummers and butterflies will be everywhere!

Spring is an exciting time of year! Hope and new growth, so many shades of green, the first butterfly, the first hummer, the birds nesting, the flowers blooming!

The Lemon Balm (Melissa) is green and lush and almost ready for the first distillation of the season. Lemon Balm has a fresh green-lemony scent and I enjoy the aromatherapy while working in the garden. This wonderful plant is useful in so many ways. I’ve been making Lemon Balm tea for years and consider it a spring tonic. One tea that I make is called Garden Fairy Tea and I’ll share the recipe here:

Garden Fairy Tea

This magical and refreshing tea is made with our own farm-grown herbs and flowers and is enchanting for young and old alike. Children enjoy watching the magic color change and everyone finds it refreshing. We offer this nourishing and refreshing tea to our friends and family as a summertime treat.

1 cup Fresh Lemon Balm Leaves
1 teaspoon fresh or ½ teaspoon dry Rosemary Leaves
1 teaspoon fresh or ½ teaspoon dry Spearmint or Peppermint Leaves
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dry Garden Sage or White Sage
2 fresh Red or Dark Pink Rose whole Flowers OR two tablespoons dry rose petals
Juice from 1 fresh lemon
Sugar or honey to taste

All herbs and flowers must be fresh and harvested from an area that is free from pesticides. Rinse fresh herbs and flowers as needed in cool water. Combine all herbs and flowers together in a stainless steel or other non-reactive, heat resistant pot or container and fill with enough water to cover plant material. Cover and bring just to boiling point. Remove from heat and steep for 20-30 minutes. Strain tea from solids into a warmed, glass container – a Mason jar works beautifully. Add sugar or honey to taste, stirring until dissolved. At this point, make certain your audience is present! Add lemon juice to tea and the magic begins – the brownish color is transformed into a lovely pink! Serve in tall, ice-filled glasses with a sprig of fresh mint or lemon balm.

Herbarie Hydrosols!

Our Hydrosols are distilled from our own botanicals here at Stoney Hill Farm. These Hydrosols are for external use only and are preserved for the safety of our customers. Lemon Balm (Melissa) Hydrosol has a lovely green-lemony scent and can be used directly on skin as a gentle astringent and toner or it can be used as part of the water phase for creams and lotions. Our Rose Hydrosol is distilled from our own antique Roses and has a light rosy fragrance. Here’s a simple toner formula that utilizes both our Lemon Balm (Melissa) Hydrosol and our Rose Hydrosol:

Spring Morning Facial Toner

This basic hydrating toner is designed to soothe, nourish and refresh skin. SymGlucan is an outstanding humectant and skin softener and has demonstrated superior moisture retention. Rose Hydrosol and Melissa Hydrosol offer gentle astringency and toning. This formula can be used as a daily finishing toner for oily or acne prone skin or as an intermediate hydrating toner to be followed by a cream or lotion.

The simple formula below is calculated to make a 200 gram (7 ounce) batch. We’ve also provided the approximate measurements for those who do not have a scale.

Ingredient Percentage/Weight/Measurements

Rose Hydrosol 50% = 100 grams =1/2 cup
Melissa Hydrosol 44.5% = 89 grams = 1/2 cup
SymGlucan 5.0% = 10 grams = 2 teaspoons
Cosmocil CQ 0.5% = 1 gram = 3/8 teaspoon

Total: 100% = 200 grams = approx. 7 oz.

Combine ingredients and package in container with a dispensing top.

Soon all the Roses will be blooming - Happy Spring!!

Angie

Lessons From The Garden

2009-03-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite books from childhood is still one of my favorites as an adult – The Story of the Root Children originally written by Sibylle von Olfers. This story is about the wonderful, magical transformation of Winter into Spring! This story has been retold several times, but my favorite version is by Helen Dean Fish and is called When the Root Children Wake Up. My mother read it to me when I was 4 or 5 years old and every year, about this time, I think of the story which begins like this:

“All winter long the trees are bare, the wind is cold and the fields are empty. But very early in the Spring the Sun begins to grow warmer, the air softer and the sky bluer. And the boys and girls grow happier though they cannot tell just why. Down underground something is happening. Something secret and wonderful. The root children who have been sleeping soundly all winter are awakened by the Earth Mother. She comes with her candle and her little firefly helpers to tell them they must be up and at work for it will soon be Spring. They are very sleepy at first but soon begin to stretch and open their eyes and be glad that it is time to wake. Wide awake at last, in their root house, the root children work busily on their new Spring dresses. Each chooses the color she loves best – violet, yellow, blue, white, orange or red – and with needle, thread and thimble, sews happily till her work is done.”

I’ll admit that even as an adult this story is exciting for me and I can still feel the wonderful anticipation of Spring and envision it through a child’s eyes.

The seeds that were sown in flats under lights a few weeks ago have germinated! The tomatoes were first, followed by the peppers and eggplant and broccoli. The USDA NOP Organic Certification requires that we use Organic Certified Seeds which has led us to try many new varieties this year! Along with the usual Roma and Park’s Whopper tomatoes, we’re experimenting with two new heirloom varieties this year – Arkansas Traveler and Costaluto Genovese. I bought them based on the delicious sounding descriptions, but later someone mentioned problems with these two varieties. But we’ll try them this year and hope for the best. The Rose tomato is another heirloom variety that proved to be delicious when we grew it some years back so we are growing it again this year.

We are growing two new varieties of peppers – Aji Colorado and Corno Di Toro. The Aji Colorado was purchased from Horizon Herbs. Horizon Herbs is one of the absolute best seed and plant sources available. They describe the Aji Colorado as a "fast-growing, flat-topped bush 24-30 inches tall, loaded with ornamental flowers giving way to red, elongated lantern fruits. These sweet, thin-walled fruits make incomparable chile powder.” A few months ago, a customer/friend from New Mexico gave me some of the most delicious chili powder I’ve ever tasted. I’ve been using it on everything I can think of – from my lentil soup to sprinkled on popcorn. I am now inspired to grow peppers for making chili powder! I am also planning to use these moderately hot peppers in my Hot Pepper Jelly that I make every year. Hot Pepper Jelly is great with cream cheese on crackers or on biscuits or as a condiment with meat or vegetables – yummy!

Good news!! Our application for USDA NOP Organic Certification as Handler/Processor has been approved! We are excited about this achievement and will continue with our application for Farm certification as well.

One of our small gardens – I call it my secret garden - is located just outside my office window. The garden is my special and private place – not really secret, but more or less protected from the foraging of the deer by a lattice fence. As I sit at my computer much of the day, I can watch as summer changes to fall, fall fades into winter, and winter becomes spring. In this garden we have several bird feeders and two bird houses and dozens of birds. Spring through Fall, this cottage-type garden is filled to overflowing with roses, herbs, daylilies – too many plants I’m told. But, this jumble of plants makes a great habitat for the birds, rabbits, turtles, frogs, and other critters that I welcome into my space. This time of year – late winter – the birds and other wildlife struggle to find food to eat. We fill the birdfeeders with seeds several times a week to make sure they will be fed. At any given time, we can see 25 to 30 cardinals in and around the garden and perched in the bare branches, they look like beautiful red ornaments! This huge family of Cardinals must have their own territorial rules because they certainly seem to live in harmony. Along with the cardinals are dozens of goldfinch. Through the winter these little birds are a dull greenish brown. As the days grow longer and spring and mating season approach, the little birds become brighter and brighter until they are a brilliant yellow by springtime! We also welcome the wrens, house finch, chickadee, sparrow, tufted titmouse, rufus-sided towhee and others.

On one of the warm days this week, I noticed the behavior and calls had changed. When I took a closer look, I saw the cardinals staking out territory and searching for nesting spots – they seemed to be on a mission! I was surprised and thrilled to see two bluebirds – male and female – come into the secret garden. The bluebirds don’t come to the seed feeder, but prefer to forage inside the big garden and out in the fields for insects so this was a rare and special treat. We have several bluebird houses – two in the fields and one in the secret garden – and this pair seemed to be very interested in the house by our secret garden. The male perched on top while the female inspected the inside. After a few minutes, they flew over to the smaller wren house to inspect, but after a quick look they flew back to the bluebird house. They continued to inspect the bluebird house for quite a long time. I am hoping it met with final approval as their spring nesting spot!

We’ve pruned our grapes and most of the roses, but still have some more work to do. Even though I know pruning is necessary, it’s never been my strength since I fear hurting the plant. How do I know precisely where to prune or just how much to prune? What if I prune too much or not enough? Am I being brutal or kind to the plant when I prune it back severely? These thoughts lead to philosophical thoughts about life in general. I recognize the fact that I have a tendency NOT to prune at all. I have a tendency to plant as much as possible – even plants that are often called weeds. I love Queen Anne’s Lace and Plantain and Chickweed and encourage them to grow. How do I decide which plant lives and which plant dies? To me, it’s an important and difficult decision. So most of my gardens are crowded and by Summer some of the plants struggle to survive. Maybe my lesson is to learn when and how to prune - when and how to weed. Because I know that even though it goes against my nature to prune the roses and pull up the plantain, it’s necessary for the overall good of the garden.

I’ll quote a passage from one of my books about roses, 100 English Roses for the American Garden by Clair G. Martin: “There are some basic guidelines for how, and how much, to prune. Most English Roses naturally have a V-shaped, or open pattern. Opening the center of these cultivars will not require as much pruning as some of the larger English Roses, which produce many basal canes. Once a rose has been growing for three years or so, it is a good idea to renew the shrub by removing some of the oldest canes. A cane will continue to grow and flower for a number of years, but after three years, its best flower production will be over. So for each new cane produced by a mature shrub, you can remove one old cane. This helps keep the shrub to a controllable size and maximizes flower production by encouraging the production of new flowering canes. Also, we should remember that pruning activates the growth cycle built into the roses. After the shrub is pruned, chemical processes are initiated that cause the dormant cycle to produce tender new growth. This tender new growth can be adversely affected by a sudden freeze to the point of being killed, so timing is important.” The author goes on to say: “If a cane or branch is dead, it’s dead-it won’t ever come back. Pruning out dead growth simply helps tidy up the plants and creates room for new, healthy growth. Dead or diseased wood is just a potential source of infestation, and removing it will help suppress the spread of the problems.”

These are words of wisdom that can be utilized in the garden as well as other areas of our lives. Many of us stay too busy with too many things. Sometimes it’s necessary to select the most important and weed out the rest. Sometimes we need to prune out the old wood to promote new growth. We are weeding and pruning at the Herbarie right now! After almost 10 years of successful business, we are much like the mature shrub. It’s time for us to remove some old canes, open up the center, to make way for new growth! This means that we are discontinuing some of our products to maximize our overall production and growth. We currently have nearly 500 products and a number of them are on sale for closeout as we move to a new phase in our business. It’s exciting to plan for new growth!

Today, is a gorgeous almost Spring day and I can't wait to get outside and enjoy it! I will be planting sugar peas as well as weeding and pruning. As Winter fades and prepares for Spring, I’m ready!

Angie

New for 2009!

2009-02-04T07:18:00.000-08:00

The second half of January proved to be very busy and has continued into February. There’s been little time to sit beside the fire unless the laptop is with me. Working in the gardens, processing botanical products, and business in the warehouse and on the phone has made the past few weeks a 24/7 situation.

The good news is that most of our gardens are mulched and weeded and ready for planting this Spring! This weekend we will be pruning roses, grapes and other dormant shrubs and trees. We’ve made our vegetable garden seed selections and will be ordering this week. My favorite seed suppliers are Johnny’s Seeds, Horizon Herbs, and Seeds of Change. This year we are using only NOP Organic Certified seeds so it’s a bit of a challenge to choose the varieties that we think and hope will do well in our area. It will be fun to experiment though.

The Herbarie staff has been working very hard to process orders, keep shelves stocked, and keep everything running smoothly in the warehouse. This January/February it’s out with the old and in with the new! We’ve needed to make room for our new products and have drastically reduced some of our closeout items. We also changed our pricing structure on many of our long-time customer favorites:
http://www.theherbarie.com/NEW-PRICING-AND-SPECIAL-SALE-c-35.html

In spite of the current poor economy, most customers report their businesses are doing well. We do hear reports of some companies that are struggling. We are hoping the new pricing structure will enable our customers to be more competitive in the marketplace. Rich creams and lotions, luscious shampoo and shower gel and anti-aging products are affordable luxuries. In difficult times, a bit of pampering can help us feel better.

We are excited to offer many new products. All can be found at this link:
http://www.theherbarie.com/New-Products-c-24.html

Some I’ll list here:

● Jordapon ACI 30 G – (Ammonium Cocoyl Isethionate) offers the same luscious lather and mildness as SCI Flake – only in an easy to use liquid!

● Glucamate LT – easy to use, vegetable sourced thickener for shampoo and shower gel offers superior compatibility and thickening characteristics.

● Colhibin – Inhibits collagen degrading enzymes. This plant derived peptide fraction protects Collagen from the harmful effects of Collagenases (MMPs). Colhibin has been clinically proven to help to reduce skin roughness and to delay wrinkle formation.
As skin ages, the synthesis of collagen decreases. In addition, enzymes known as Collagenases, promote the degradation of collagen. This degradation is sometimes referred to as MMP activity. MMP activity leaves skin rough and wrinkles are formed. Colhibin has strong MMP (Collagenases) inhibition properties that protect the collagen fibers from degradation. Colhibin is recommeded for antiaging products, sun care products, and other personal care products.

● Matrix Peptide – Restore and maintain skin's youthful appearance!

Our skin matrix is made up of 75% collagen. Collagen is an integral structural component of this matrix and is responsible for providing skin with the necessary strength and support for the surrounding cells.
Collagen synthesis occurs naturally throughout our lives as our skin continuously repairs damaged tissue or builds new tissue. As we age, collagen synthesis decreases and skin will degrade. Therefore, preventing the loss of collagen and promoting the synthesis of collagen are both integral to maintaining youthful, healthy skin. Matrix Peptide is pure (>99.7%) G-P-Hyp tripeptide that is produced without the use of animal derived products or GMOs and demonstrates excellent bioavailability. In-vitro experiments have demonstrated Matrix Peptide will significantly increase the synthesis of Collagen I by binding to fibroblast receptors to initiate collagen production, making Matrix Peptide suitable for a variety of skin care applications to help minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Matrix Peptide is recommended for antiaging creams, lotions, serums, toners, and other personal care products. Matrix Peptide has similar functionality when compared to Matrixyl 3000 and can be used interchangeably.

● Syn®-Coll –Renew Skin's Youthful Appearance!
Collagen represents the main component of the ECM (Extra Cellular Matrix) of the dermal connective tissue and is responsible for providing skin with the necessary strength and support for the surrounding cells.

Collagen synthesis occurs naturally throughout our lives as our skin continuously repairs damaged tissue or builds new tissue. As we age, collagen synthesis decreases and skin will degrade. Syn®-Coll has the ability to bind with and activate key elements that promote the synthesis of collagen. Promoting the synthesis of collagen is important for maintaining youthful, healthy skin.

Syn®-Coll is a patented, innovative approach that is based on Pentapharm's many years of experience in synthesizing peptides for the pharmaceutical industry. This bioactive ingredient has been clinically proven to be safe and effective. In both In vitro and In-vivo experiments, Syn®-Coll has demonstrated significant anti-wrinkle effects.
Syn®-Coll is recommended for use in lotions, creams, serums, toners, and other antiaging products.

● VitaC Stable (AAP) – a new, stable, water-soluble, vitamin C derivative known as Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate (AAP).

Numerous studies have documented the effectiveness of l-ascorbic acid as both an antioxidant and anti-aging ingredient for skin care. Unfortunately l-ascorbic acid is not stable and will oxidize very quickly – within hours - once put into solution. The oxidation of l-Ascorbic Acid can actually be detrimental to skin health. This makes l-ascorbic acid a poor choice for most skin care products.

When compared to l-ascorbic acid and other vitamin C derivatives, VitaC Stable (AAP) demonstrated superior benefits for skin care. VitaC Stable (AAP) serves as an excellent antioxidant, helps to promote the biosynthesis of collagen, and also helps to lighten/brighten skin by inhibiting the production of melanin which causes hyperpigmentation or age spots.

Studies have demonstrated a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles and hyperpigmentation after as little as two months. VitaC Stable (AAP) is non-irritating and non-toxic when used as directed (0.1% - 1.0%). VitaC Stable (AAP) is an off-white powder that is easily soluble in water and very stable over time. This superior stability along with superb functionality, makes VitaC Stable (AAP) one of the most important anti-aging active ingredients.

● Marula Oil – Lovely, easily absorbed oil with a conditioned feel! The Marula tree (Sclerocarya birrea) is native to Africa and is highly valued for its fruit. Marula Oil has been used traditionally in South Africa for many years. Our high purity Marula Oil is extracted from the kernels of the fruit using traditional cold-press methods and no solvents.
Marula oil is rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants which are essential components in the maintanence of healthy skin. Marula Oil is absorbed quickly and provides skin with a conditioned, soft feel. It has also been found to significantly improve skin hydration and smoothness.

Marula Oil is also used in hair and scalp conditioners for rinse out and leave in applications.
Due to the high mono-un-saturated content, Marula Oil demonstrates excellent oxidative stability as well.

● Helichrysum Extract ECOCERT® certified is produced from the flowers of the Helichrysum stoechas plant. The Helichrysum flower contains compounds that have antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. These compounds include flavonoids, acetophenone derivatives, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes and phytosterols. Flavonoids and acetophenones are the primary antioxidants and serve as free radical scavengers and help to prevent ROS formation. In addition to antioxidant activity, Helichrysum Extract ECOCERT® also demonstrates antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and purifying activity primarily due to the essential oil components.

● Aloe Vera Oil Extract – This oil based extract is from the Aloe Vera Barbadensis Miller variety of Aloe. Aloe Vera Oil Extract is produced by incorporating constituents from the leaf of the Aloe Vera plant through a proprietary process into a Soybean Oil base.

Aloe Vera Oil Extract has an exceptionally nice feel and is absorbed quickly, leaving skin feeling soft and conditioned. Aloe Vera Oil Extract may be used in most anhydrous (oil based) products, or it can be used in the oil phase of formulations for cosmetics, toiletries, or O.T.C. pharmaceutical preparations.

● Cupuaçu Butter is obtained from the seeds of the Cupuaçu tree that grows in the Brazilian Amazon. Our Cupuacu Butter is a refined, light tan, soft solid with a low melt point (approx.32-36°C) that liquefies and spreads quickly when in contact with the skin. Cupuaçu Butter possesses a high capacity for water absorption which gives it superior moisturizing properties. Cupuaçu Butter offers a lovely emolliency that will restore elasticity and softness to skin. It contains phytosterols and unsaponifiables that help to regulate the balance and activity of lipids in the epidermis. Phytosterols have been used topically to soothe dry skin and smooth wrinkles. The phytosterols contained in Cupuaçu include: β-sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol. The β-sitosterol properties and chemical structure are similar to that of cholesterol, which represents more than 70% of the unsaponifiable fraction of Cupuaçu Butter. In addition, Cupuaçu Butter also functions to help stabilize emulsions.

● Vincience Active Achromaxyl™ IS!
Achromaxyl IS is a new, patented skin-lightening active ingredient for cosmetic products. It is composed of fermented and hydrolyzed proteins extracted from the Brassicaceae family.
Skin-lightening biofunctional active ingredients are generally used for two major cosmetic applications: the reduction in the appearance of age spots (one of the major signs of aging) and general skin-lightening

● Vincience Active D'Orientine™ S!
D'Orientine™ S is a new, patented plant-derived active ingredient extracted from the date-palm kernel (Phoenix Dactylifera). D'Orientine S has clinically proven anti-wrinkle efficacy and free radical scavenging properties to protect skin from environmental sources of aging and wrinkling.
D'Orientine S properties are based on its unique complex of 7 compounds acting in synergy to delay the visible effects of aging.

● COMING SOON - Natural Preservative - Leucidal Liquid OC is derived from Leuconostoc kimchii, the bacteria that has traditionally been used to make kimchi. This product consists of a peptide that is secreted from the bacteria during the fermentation process that has been shown to have antimicrobial benefits. Using in-vitro testing methods, Leucidal Liquid OC has been determined to be non-irritating. Leucidal Liquid OC combines the current trends for alternative preservative systems and peptide technology.

Challenge testing has demonstrated that 2% Leucidal Liquid OC in a cream bse is able to successfully inhibit microbial growth. Samples were inoculated with S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans, A. niger, K. pneumoniae, B. cepacia. Following 28 days of incubation samples were then re-inoculated for an additional 28 days. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) were determined using a standard agar dilution method. A variety of bacteria and fungus were tested to evaluate the ability of Leucidal Liquid OC to protect against microbial contamination. The results indicate that Leucidal Liquid OC can provide effective protection for a cosmetic system.

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Today has turned out to be a lovely blue sky day, but it's COLD for SC - still below freezing at 10:30am! A good day for lentil soup, collards and cornbread! More later....

Angie

Happy New Year!

2009-01-15T04:21:00.000-08:00

January is a relatively quiet month at the farm so along with our regular responsibilities, we have been indulging ourselves by taking peaceful walks in the woods and reading by the fire. This is also the time to bring out the seed and vegetable catalogs and dream of those roses blooming in the spring! Horizon Herbs, Johnny’s Seeds, and Seeds for Change are my favorite online seed shops. So throughout January, I’ll be making my selections!

We have been gardening organically without the use of pesticides for years and years because it makes sense to me. But we have not pursued any organic certification programs. I am excited to say that we are in the process of applying for Organic Certification through the USDA’s NOP program. We're applying for two certifications: 1) Farm Certification 2) Processor/Handler Certification. The Farm certification for us will be for crops (herbs, veggies, flowers, etc.) The Processor/Handler will be for the products we sell (our farm distilled hydrosols, botanical extracts and complexes, our jams and jelly, and other products.

The certification process requires a long paper trail and the task seems a bit overwhelming. But fortunately the official in charge of this program has been extremely encouraging, helpful, and patient with my many questions which makes it seems much less daunting. I hope we will receive at least one of the certifications this year!

As most folks know, I created The Herbarie from my love of plants and their gifts to us. Since 2000, The Herbarie has grown to include close to 500 products for cosmetics and toiletries. We are fortunate and thankful that our business is flourishing in spite of the current troubled economy. We are thankful for our wonderful and loyal customers, many who have been with us since the beginning – our customers are the best! It’s been exciting for me to see how many of these businesses have grown and are thriving. It’s equally exciting to hear from new customers about new endeavors and plans for achieving their dreams. It’s rewarding for us to be able to play a role in this process.

In addition to the many products we distribute, we also create, process, and sell over 30 of our own botanical products for cosmetics and toiletries. We combine traditional herbal medicine with the latest phytochemical research to create our botanical products. These products include our Botanical Complex line and our Hydrosols, most of which are grown in our gardens or wildcrafted from our woods. As the business has grown over the years, I have found myself spending too much time at the computer and in the warehouse instead of in the garden or my lab. This past year we hired several new staff members and now have four. Now that our staff can assume more of the inside responsibilities, I have resolved this year to Spend More Time In The Garden! So, I am definitely looking forward to “growing” in 2009!

Angie Turner
The Herbarie at Stoney Hill Farm, Inc.
http://www.theherbarie.com/

Welcome to The Herbarie

2009-01-08T14:06:00.000-08:00

The Herbarie
Natural Source Products for Cosmetics and Toiletries

We are a wholesale supplier of ingredients for the cosmetics and toiletries, personal care, spa and wellness industries. Our mission is to bring nature and science together to offer the best in innovative, natural source products. The Herbarie is built around our commitment to quality and ethics, a responsibility to the environment, and the best in customer service. We are passionate about what we do and we strive to share this passion with our customers.

The Herbarie offers a full selection of ingredients for making cosmetics and toiletries. Most of our products are based on natural ingredients, such as shea butter, jojoba oil, sunflower seed extract, rose water, herbs and other botanicals. We are pleased to offer this selection of naturally derived bulk ingredients from which you can create your own personal care products.

Our raw materials include, botanical extracts and botanical complexes, distillates and hydrosols, dried botanicals, hydrolyzed proteins, emulsifiers, emollients, conditioners and thickeners, oils and butters, and essential oils for making both skin care and hair care products. We specialize in botanical extracts and botanical complexes which include antioxidants and anti-aging products. The Herbarie also specializes in making shampoo and making shower and bath products. We offer the best of the ultra-mild surfactants and surfactant concentrates for making shampoo and shower gel. The Herbarie also offers cosmetic active ingredients, cosmetic anti-aging ingredients, cosmetic preservatives and other ingredients to make your own handcrafted personal care products and cosmetics.

We provide technical assistance and information on all products from The Herbarie and offer a Formulary to provide additional guidance for working with the raw materials we sell.

The Herbarie Formulary is designed to provide basic information, creative ideas, and guidance to formulators in the cosmetics and toiletries, personal care, and spa industries. Our free online formulas range from simple to complex to meet the needs of both the beginning and experienced formulator. We hope you will enjoy using them to make your own handcrafted cosmetics and toiletries and other personal care products.

Stoney Hill Farm, Inc. is located in Prosperity, South Carolina. The 21 acre farm is home to a variety of fauna and flora, but specializes in growing herbs, roses, and other useful plants.

Angie Turner

The Herbarie at Stoney Hill Farm, Inc.

http://www.theherbarie.com/