Pucker Up Again with a Luscious List for Lip Appreciation Day!

Lips so lovely they have their own day! For National Lip Appreciation Day we thought we'd pass along some lip licking tidbits about  - lips!

• Human lips are unique. According to LiveScience, humans are the only creatures that have such a distinct border between the pinkish, reddish parts and the surrounding skin, called the "vermilion border."
• You pucker up by tightening the orbicularis oris muscle, a set of four independent quadrants of muscles that interlace the mouth. 
• Oh, and puckering up takes 2 muscles. French kissing takes 34 muscles.
• Lips don't sweat. They don't have any sweat glands, which is one of the reasons they can dry out so quickly.
• Blood red lips is an appropriate saying. Lip skin is thinner than else where on the body.  There are only three to five layers of skin. Most areas have up to 16. Because it's thinner, its easier to see the blood vessels. And the skin gets thinner with age.
• Your fingertips are extremely sensitive  - but lips are the most sensitive part of the body.
• Movie kisses have been around since the beginning. The Edison Company made the 30 second long film The May Irwin-John C. Rice Kiss in 1896.
• Lip gloss was invented to make lips look moist for the movies. It was developed by Max Factor in 1930.
  
• Good lip balms with a wax base provide a waterproof barrier that keeps your internal moisture from evaporating. It's especially needed on cold, dry, or windy days. Naturally Celtic Chairde Creations has a fine selection for you to choose from.
• Lips sunburn more easily because they don't contain melanin, the skin pigment that helps protect your skin against UV rays.
  
• Don't lick your lips! The enzymes in saliva will break down your lips the same way they start to breakdown your food, cause cracking and dryness.

Celebrate Lip Appreciation Day and take some time to give your lips a little TLC. Even it's just to give a little whistle!

It's That Cinnamonny Time of Year

Autumn is a time of shorter days and a sharp chill in the air. The leaves turn color with a flash, then fall to create great mounds of crunchy, kickable fluff. It's not my favorite season, but it does have it's magic.


This time of year I crave cinnamon. I always like it, but now I crave it. Marsala Chai tea, snickerdoodles, pumpkin pie, baked cinnamon apples and all other kinds of warming goodies. Not just food either. Nothing smells as wonderful as some cinnamon and orange rinds gently simmering on the stove. I have a cinnamon broom hanging on my door to great me with the warm and invigorating fragrance. It's used to Tingle my lips, sooth my sore muscles, and scintillate my skin in Pumpkin Chai Latte sugar scrub.  

Here are a few facts about cinnamon you may not know.

1. Cinnamon is made from the inner bark of the tree, which is a tropical evergreen laurel.
2. Cassia is strong, spicy and sweet. Ceylon or true cinnamon is more complex and citrusy.
3. It is an ancient spice, used in embalming, a costly process that filled the body cavities with spiced preservatives. 
4. Chinese myths tell that cinnamon grows in paradise and all that eat it will gain immortality.
5. To maintain their hold on the cinnamon monopoly, ancient Arabians created a myth of giant birds that used cinnamon sticks as nesting pieces.  Donkey meat would be used as bait for the birds. When the birds brought the meat to their nests,  it would collapse from the weight and those below would collect the twigs.
6. It has shown promise in the treatment of diabetes, arthritis, high cholesterol, memory function, and even leukemia and lymphoma.
7. Because cinnamon contains eugenol, you can dust some of it on cuts and scrapes to help relieve pain.
8. The fragrance of cinnamon is said to alleviate exhaustion.
9.  In the book of Exodus, God instructs Moses to make a holy anointing oil out of cinnamon, cassia, olive oil, myrrh, and hemp. (Exodus 30: 22-33).
10. A 2004 study found that the smell of cinnamon helped boost brain function.
11. The smell of hot cinnamon buns produces an aphrodisiatic effect. 

I still crave the sunlight of longer days, but until those days return, I'll cinnamon it up.

Skin Care Switch Up

Autumn has arrived in its full, beautiful and chilly glory. The trees are in various states of their color show. Some have even lost their leaves already. The crisp air has us turning up the heat inside and bundling up to get cozy.

But let's face it, as beautiful as it is, and however glad we may be to stop sweating after a very hot New Jersey summer, all these temperature changes are wreaking havoc on our skin. So, just as we change out our shorts, flip flops and tee's for long pants, boots and sweaters, it's time to change up our skin care routine a little.

There are certain staples to your skin care routine just as there are to your year round wardrobe. That perfect fitting pair of jeans works no matter what the season. To keep your skin in the best condition possible - staying well hydrated is important year round. Good hydration helps to remove toxins from your body and keep things nice and properly moist from the inside out.

Even if we're diligent with applying sunscreen, our skin can get damaged during the summer. As the days grow shorter, it's more important to exfoliate and remove those dead skin cells. This removes the yuck (OK, that's not a technical term but it does describe it well) and allows new skin cells to show and glow. Our Honey Pumpkin Face Mask is a gentle exfoliant and toner for your face. Sugar Scrubs works beautifully on the rest of your body while leaving a light moisturizing oil to provide protection from harsher temperatures.

Hands take a real beating in cold weather. Keeping them protected with a good wax based moisturizer. Our Lotion Bars are excellent for providing that protection while soothing dryness and itchiness that can occur in the fall.

Another part of our skin that seems to suffer through the cold months is our lips. Keep them moisturized and protected to prevent cracking and dryness. Our Sweetest Kisses lip balm provides that barrier to the elements and adds the softening sweetness of honey. Should you catch a cold or just have a bout of really dried, cracked lips, Tingles will really help. They'll protect and provide essential oils known for their healing benefits. And it will make your lips tingle.

In the fall and winter, I also change my face moisturizer. Before I go to bed, I use a little Jazzy Lavender Body Butter on my face, especially on those laugh line around the eyes and the nasolabial folds (there's a technical term - those are the lines that go from your nostrils to the corners of your mouth). It gives a little extra softening and extra protection from the dry air.

I always like the seasonal switch up, for my skin care and my clothes. A rediscovered favorite sweater and that pair of jeans and a great skin care routine. That's a great Autumn.

Spicy Clove and Winter Memories

It's been a very snowy winter here on the east coast. It reminds me of when I was a kid, when the snow seemed piled as high as mountains. We lived next door to my grandfather’s bakery, and there was nothing as wonderful as playing in the snow while smelling the tantalizing, warming spices of cinnamon buns and spice cakes being baked while building a snow fort.

Cinnamon is often the first that comes to mind when thinking of those lovely winter spices. It is one of my favorites. But cloves are right up there - warming, fragrant and tangy. And so good for you, too.

Cloves (Eugenia carophyllata), are the flower buds of a tropical tree that is kin to allspice. The tree is native to the Molucca (Spice) Islands.

This popular spice serves an array of purposes in the kitchen, the medicine cabinet, and aromatically.

Whole cloves look like little tacks or nails. But don’t let the size deceive you, they are pungent and strong.

The fragrance of clove is said to reduce stress and improve concentration. I love putting just a few drops of clove essential oil in my diffuser. You don’t need much to have that spicy fruity scent fill the air. It seems to make the air feel cleaner. It probably does since cloves are antibacterial, antifungal, antihistaminic, anti-infectious – and so very much more.

Mix clove with citrus, and you get an unbeatable combination. It’s easy to create that scent any time with a so simple to make Pomander.

For a Pomander you need a jar of cloves and a citrus of your choice. Most people use oranges. But you can use lemons, Clementine’s, limes, and I guess even a grapefruit - but that would be a very big project and need a very big jar of cloves.

When I make a pomander, I take a straight pin or pushpin and mark out where I’ll put the cloves on the citrus fruit. This can be rather juicy, so make sure to do it over a dish or bowl. Some people make patterns; others (like me) cover the citrus with cloves. Once I’ve marked the spots, I start adding the cloves. Just push the long part in and leave the tack part on the surface. Once you’re done, add a ribbon around it and hang it up! The citrus will dry with the cloves and will tighten up. The fragrance lasts for years.

Chinese and traditional Ayurvedic healers have, for centuries, used cloves for a number of ailments and issues. These include indigestion, nausea, gout, respiratory issues and parasites.

Clove oil eases the pain of toothaches. The most common practice is to mix just a drop or two of clove essential oil with a carrier oil (like vegetable or grape seed) and rub it on to the sore area. The straight clove essential oil might be too strong, but I do know a few people who have used it that way. They really had bad toothaches. I usually add three drops to a table spoon of vegetable oil, and then use a cotton swab to rub it into the affected area. Works like a charm for me. However, I wouldn’t recommend this for teething infants, even diluted it might feel to hot on their baby gums.

Have you ever seen a ham that wasn’t studded with cloves? I rarely have. This spice is a wonderful addition to savory dishes as well as sweet. It’s a must for pickling, and pumpkin pie wouldn’t be the same without clove. It’s part of the tangy Chinese 5 Spice, and essential in Chai Tea.

Cloves powers across the board make it an invaluable ally in kitchen or cabinet. We use cloves in our Tingles Lip Balm to add warmth and all it’s “anti’s” powers. It’s also in our Muscle Rubs to aid in circulation to sore muscles.

A snowy night, some Chai tea, a little Muscle Rub to soothe those aches and pains, and the fragrant embrace of clove to warm the heart and spirit bring back playful memories.