We Have a Winner!

Sheila is our winner for the October Give-Away…Congratulations!

Look out for our upcoming combined November-December Give-Away, which will be drawn just in time for Christmas delivery…

We Have a Winner!

Congratulations to Laureen for winning the September Give-Away! Check in tomorrow, October 2, to see what we have in store for this month.

September is all about Make-Up!

Almost everyone loves the colorful fall season, so we’ll go along and help add some color to your life with our September Make-Up give-away. We have recently more than doubled the size of our foundations, bronzer, powder and blushes in order to maximize value for you and help protect the environment by reducing the amount of packaging we use. You’ll also notice that our invoices are now printed on sustainable banana paper.

Mineral make-up is an excellent choice for anyone who would like to avoid synthetic ingredients and reduce the chance of developing allergic reactions. The JASCO Organics make-up line contains no parabens or bismuth-oxychloride, the ingredient usually responsible for the itchiness resulting from the use of mineral foundations and bronzers.

We are giving away a blush, an eye-shadow and a lipstick, all in the color of your choice, a value of $45, just for leaving your comment below. Please be sure to add solutions@jascoorganics.com to your address book. If we notify you via email and you do not get back to us, the products will go to someone else.

Please visit http://shop.jascoorganics.com to explore our available make-up colors. Our foundations, blushes, powder and bronzer are on sale throughout the month of September and orders over $75 ship FREE!

Slather it on or drink it up! Have you heard of Rooibos?

This month, we are giving away a 4 oz bottle of our hugely popular Renew Rooibos Exfoliating Cleanser. Read our blog, leave your comment and you are automatically entered to win. Please be sure to add solutions@jascoorganics.com to your address book. We’ve had winners miss out, because they did not receive our notifications. Good luck!

Rooibos, translated from Afrikaans, means “red bush” and many of you may already have enjoyed a cup of this delightful red tea with its recent popularity gain in the US. The tea, which also has a green rooibos counterpart, is not only delicious, but has been consumed for its health benefits for generations. Compared to oxidized black and unoxidized green tea, red rooibos is lower in caffeine, but contains a very high level of antioxidants. Why is this important? Antioxidants in your body can terminate the potentially cell-damaging activities caused by free radicals, which is one of the reasons a healthy diet should contain sufficient amounts of Vitamin C, which has the same effect. In South Africa, the tea is known for other health benefits as well, including alleviation of nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems and even asthmatic conditions.

Recently, studies have discovered notable benefits of this plant in skin care products as well, and you can find it in our lotions and our facial scrub. Rooibos displays anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, is anti-allergenic and therefore suited for sensitive skin, it is soothing and counters free radical damage when applied topically. While additional research is needed, preliminary reports show anti-aging effects with regular application. Best of all, it is completely natural and the extract we use is 100% organically grown and processed.

Whether you drink it or apply it, this is one plant you can’t go wrong with, and should you ever need to pronounce it, it is “roy-bos”…

What’s so great about toners?

While almost all of us are intimately familiar with multiple variations of facial cleansers, from mild to scrubby, moisturizers of all sorts and serums and eye creams to boot, the toner remains one of the more under-used facial care products. In order to change this, we are giving away a free toner of your choice this month, depending on your skin type (check out Restore and Refresh!). Simply add a comment to enter the drawing.

What’s so great about toners, you wonder?

For starters, they are affordable, easy to apply and incredibly refreshing!
Most toners are formulated to remove what your cleansers leave behind, reduce pores to help tighten skin and balance pH. Particularly during the warmer months of the year, toners can be kept in the fridge and applied any time to refresh the face, remove sweat, impurities and excess oils.
When applied to cotton pads, the soaked pads can be placed on the face for about five minutes in lieu of a facial. You’ll notice an instant improvement in complexion.

Toners are great for men, women and teens alike.
Good luck to all our participants and feel free to share your own tips and experiences!

On Essential Oils in Beauty Products

In line with our March blog on essential oil usage, we are giving away a full-sized organic Lavender Lotion. Scented with 100% certified organic Lavender Oil, sustainably harvested in the Provence, this lotion not only provides silky moisture, but a burst of aromatherapy to boot!

Simply leave your comment and you will be entered to win.

Essential Oils are a great alternative to synthetic scents, also known as “fragrance” and often full of toxic chemicals. However, some caution should be used, mostly because pure essential oils are highly concentrated and very potent.

Never apply undiluted essential oils directly to the skin.

Essential Oils used to scent soaps, lotions and other personal care products are usually safe, because they occur in concentrations of only 1-2%.

Consult with your doctor if you are using medications that may interfere with certain oils.

Do not use essential oils from plants, flowers or fruits you know you are allergic to! If you are allergic to citrus, for example, you will react to lemon or orange oils.

Caution should be used during pregnancy, particularly when using oils in higher concentrations for aromatherapy. A qualified aromatherapist can help you decide which oils are most beneficial for you during pregnancy. Positive results have been reported in easing morning sickness and general discomfort.

Essential Oils are absorbed through your skin and will be processed just like any other natural substance. Choosing organic oils is a safe way to avoid absorption of pesticides and herbicides through your personal care products.

If you have any questions or would like for us to discuss a specific area of concern in an upcoming blog, please email us to solutions@jascoorganics.com.

Treating Stretchmarks

This is one of our most asked about subjects, so we chose this topic for our February blog. Our give-away for this month consists of our rich, 95%+ organic Pure Body Wash in a scent of your choice and a 1oz bottle of our certified organic Tamanu Oil for, yes, you’ve guessed it, the treatment of stretchmarks! Just leave your comment below and you are automatically entered to win!

Stretchmarks occur when skin is stretched past its natural capacity too quickly, which commonly happens during pregnancy, weight gain and even in teenagers who experience growth spurts (teenage girls can also get them on their breasts as they develop). They are not reversible, despite what many ads claim and regardless of how much we wish they were. However, like any type of scarring, their appearance can be significantly reduced with adequate and persistent treatment. Here are some tips to get you started (and naturally, of course!):

1. Because stretchmarks develop scar tissue as they heal, it is important to aid skin cell regeneration, which can be accomplished through regular exfoliation of the area.

2. The more dehydrated your skin, the more noticeable your stretchmarks, so be sure to drink lots of water and moisturize regularly, ideally twice daily.

3. One of the best treatments for both scars and stretchmarks known to us, with no known adverse effects, is Tamanu Oil. Apply directly to stretch marks twice daily.

4. Working out helps reduce the appearance of stretchmarks by firming muscles and reducing fat deposits.

5. Toxins tend to accumulate in fat cells, which is why we recommend an occasional detox. Sea salt bathing is a great option and the salt can also be used to exfoliate!

6. Don’t beat yourself up over stretchmarks. Many, if not most of us have them or will eventually have them, even the airbrushed celebrities you admire in magazines.

Tips for Bright Eyes

This month, we are giving away a natural mascara and a mineral eye shadow, each in the winner’s choice of color. Visit http://shop.jascoorganics.com to explore color options.

In line with this give-away, we are posting some of our eye-care tips from our January newsletter. You can sign up for our newsletter by clicking on the link above and entering your email address. We have special offers for subscribers each month.

If you’d like to enter this drawing, simply leave a comment pertaining to this blog topic, our products in general or share your own tips with other readers. We wish you the best of luck!

For puffy eyes: Brew some Chamomile tea, put the tea bags into the fridge and then place them on your eyes for 5-10 minutes. If you don’t like the idea of tea bags, you can soak cotton pads cut in half in the tea, cool them and place them directly under your eyes. Cucumber slices do, in fact, also reduce puffiness.
Cooling your eye cream or eye serum prior to application also provides relief.

Dark circles: For a quick fix, use concealer. Mineral make-up works well for most women with dark eye circles, however, it is commonly only applied under the eye. Circles often surround the eye or most of it, so be sure to apply the concealer all around. Your eyes will instantly appear brighter and applying concealer to your eye lid extends the wear of your eye make-up as an added benefit.

Irritation: Use natural eye make-up whenever you can. Mascara and liquid eyeliner are common sources of irritation. Use a pencil liner instead and if you don’t have natural mascara (as natural as currently available anyway), start high enough to where the mascara won’t touch your skin, only your lashes. If you know you are going to cry, use a pencil liner on the bottom, but skip the mascara. We don’t recommend waterproof mascara, due to toxicity.

Look: If you go for smokey or very colorful, strong eyes, keep the rest of your make up simple and neutral.

More “Morning After” help: One of the best pieces of advice we can give you is to hydrate and by that we mean drink plenty of water or unsweetened tea after a long night out. Also, be sure to remove your make-up at night or you may wake up with irritated eyes.

JASCO’s Holiday Beauty Tips

While we are continuing our focus on charities below, we also want to share some holiday beauty tips. As advocates of natural beauty, we find that a few little tricks can yield big results without too much fuss and so our give-away for December is a full sized bronzer and our popular Vanilla Lips organic lip balm. Add a comment and you are automatically entered to win! Now back to those beauty tips…

1. Exfoliate. Especially in the winter months when skin tends to be dry, it is important to get rid of those dead cells to keep your complexion fresh. Exfoliation is also great for circulation and you can (gently) apply it to your lips as well!

2. Moisturize daily. This will keep your skin supple and protect from the cold. Use balm on your lips as often as needed.

3. There is no better time to add sparkle. Bronzer provides a great accent, gives your face a beautiful glow and defies blizzards! Focus on cheeks and forehead.

4. Balance your make-up with your dress and accessories! If you go for that sparkly holiday dress, keep your make-up neutral and accessories to a minimum. If you choose a simple dress, feel free to add more color and jewels.

5. If you live ina cold State, consider a salt bath every now and then. The cold weather is often rough on joints and salt therapy can help alleviate joint and muscle pain, while providing incredible benefits to your skin.

6. Dry hands and feet need Therapy! Overnight treatments are best. Apply generously and put on gloves and socks for intensive healing.

7. Make sure that what you put on your skin is safe! Skin care is always a big seller around the holidays. Unfortunately, most commercially available products carry health risks that are still widely unknown to consumers. If you want to see where your cosmetics rank, check them against the Skin Deep database at http://cosmeticsdatabase.com.

Finally, as you prepare for the holidays, think of the less fortunate. We find that life is particularly hard on the homeless community during the winter months. Remember that no matter how little you have in this economy, they still have less and are often extremely grateful for a meal or a hot cup of coffee. Whether you work with a local shelter or go out one afternoon to spread some warmth, your contribution makes a world of difference and isn’t that what the holidays are all about?

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones from all of us at JASCO Organics!

Spotlight on Charities

During the months of November and December, we’d like to bring attention to various non-profit organizations, particularly those advocating animal welfare and environmental and consumer protection. We will do so in two ways:

1. We are giving away FREE at-home Spa Facials and exotic Sea Salts!

2. The more readers leave comments, the more facials and salts we’ll give away, so be sure to refer a friend and increase your chances of winning!

You will be entered automatically once you leave a comment. You may write something about the charities we mention or about one of your own, as long as it works for environmental or consumer protection or animal welfare. This is your chance to spread the word about worthy causes and propel others to act!

Here is some information about one of our favorite organizations: Farm Sanctuary.

Farm Sanctuary is the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the “food animal” industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at http://www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225. (from http://www.njfarms.org/)

 

Essence Spa Facial available at http://shop.jascoorganics.com