Travel + Leisure Magazine just released their list of the greenest cities in America and San Diego has been voted the 8th greenest city!

We are proud that San Diego has more farms per capita than any other county in the country and we have easy access to sand and surf. Let’s keep working hard to make San Diego an even greener city, let’s aim to become #1 next year. Buy your eco-friendly bath and body products made right here in San Diego, California – the 8th greenest city in America.

We just made a new batch of our Torrey Pines bath bars.  For those who are not familiar, the Torrey Pine is a rare and elegant tree. It is the rarest pine tree in our country - Pinus torreyana. It only grows in the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Park here in San Diego and on Santa Rosa Island off the coast of Santa Barbara.

We have hiked many times through the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Park. It ranks as of the most scenic spots here in San Diego for locals and visitors alike. The smell of the salty ocean, the fresh pine and coastal sage scrub combine with the scent of other native plants culminating in a one-of-a-kind aromatherapy experience. The serenity in seeing the hawks soaring high above the tan sandstone cliffs and the visual beauty of the steep bluffs juxtaposed against the expansive blue ocean makes this a truly breathtaking and very unique outdoor experience.

Our Torrey Pines bath bar is inspired by the rare and elegant beauty of the Torrey Pine tree. These bath bars are scented with organic, natural plant-based essential oils. When you cleanse with these bars you will experience a refreshing pine scent with a touch of bright lemon and pineapple extract in addition to a hint of peppermint and corriander to balance out the pine.

Visit our online store to order your Torrey Pines bath bar. To learn more about the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve please visit their site. Please note that their pictures do not come close to displaying the breathtaking views and beauty of this park. To fully appreciate you must come to San Diego to view and smell the natural beauty in person!

Christy
San Diego Bath & Body Company

Many of our customers currently have a PayPal account and for those who do not you are able to purchase from our online store without having to set up a PayPal account to process your credit card payment. PayPal will still be processing your credit card payment but won’t require you to open or maintain an account with them. PayPal will not be charging our customers for any processing.

Two additional payment options we have added is check payment and collect on delivery  (COD) which is also known as cash on delivery. These options are only available for our wholesale account orders. If you by accident select one of these payment options and are not placing a wholesale account order we will contact you by email and notify you of the error.

If you have any questions regarding payment methods when purchasing from our online store please contact us by email at: info@sdbathandbody.com.

Christy

We all love body washes, shampoos, and cleansers that provide us with big bubbly lather. We love to emerge from our showers feeling squeaky clean. We love having grease and oil removed from our bodies as well as our dishes, floors, counters and clothes.

Most cleaning products contain artificial chemicals that help produce this big bubbly lather and helps to easily and effectively remove grease and oil. These chemicals are commonly referred to SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) and SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulfate). These chemicals are referred to as surfactants and they are foaming and cleansing agents that act like soap but are not soap. These surfactants are also the same chemicals that are used in car washes and garage and engine cleaners. Don’t you think that is a bit harsh for your skin?

Aside from being harsh on your skin, the most troublesome questions with adding SLS and SLES chemicals to our bath and body products are the potential long-term toxicology and environmental effects. There is no absolute conclusive evidence that these chemicals are carcinogenic or cancer-causing. There are concerns, however, regarding how our skin reacts to repeated exposure to them and what effect the absorption has on our bodies over the years.

The number of people reporting cases of eczema, dermatitis and skin allergies seems to have sky-rocketed with the increased prevalence of these surfactants and other artificial ingredients that fill our products.  Also, consider the millions of people everyday in the U.S. that rinse away shampoos, detergents, cleaning agents and toothpastes down the drain into our water systems. The effects of surfactants in our water system and influence on marine life is still being studied. Although the FDA has not deemed these to be hazardous enough to ban I ask you to consider these points:

Your skin is your largest organ and it absorbs what you put onto it. Think of the number of times you wash your hands, body and shampoo your hair. Think of the detergents you use to wash your clothes then wear against your body. Think of the number of times you spray a household cleaner and wash your dishes. Obviously, no one has died instantly from cleaning and being exposed to SLS and SLES surfactants. Just as smoking one cigarette doesn’t kill you instantly. It’s the cumulative, long-term effects that need to be studied. I find it interesting that these surfactants concern enough people in Europe and Central America because those chemicals are banned in the European Union and Central America. Yes, that’s right banned.

So, why (by some estimates over 90%) do so many cleaning products here in the USA contain SLS and SLES? Because these are very effective and very cheap cleansers. These chemicals are very cheap and easy to formulate. The cosmetics industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and when so many companies already use these chemicals in so many of our products it is in their best financial interest to continue to use them.

There are a growing number of companies, like ours, that are realizing the importance of eliminating these surfactant chemicals and proving that you can still get big bubbles and lather to cut through grease and grime without over-stripping and harshly irritating your skin. The picture above shows our bubbles from our liquid hand soap. Check out our bath bars, liquid soaps and body washes. You won’t find SLS and SLES or other artificial surfactants in any of our products.

Our products clean and foam the old fashioned way – we use acids (natural, organic oils such as coconut, olive, and jojoba to name a few) and combine with lye (sodium hydroxide and water) to react and create soap, also known as saponification. We scent our products using essential oils from plants, most of which are organic. Unfortunately, the cost to use higher quality organic oils and botanical ingredients is higher than using cheap alternatives such as SLS and SLES.

Please be aware though that some companies are faking a ride on the “green washing” bandwagon and appearing to make their products better for you by leaving out SLS and SLES but instead use other petrochemicals by many different names that raise their own safety questions. Some just flat out lie and label their products as natural and organic even while still containing these surfactants and other questionable chemicals.

Christy

]]> http://www.sdbathandbody.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=758 0 http://www.sdbathandbody.com/blog/?p=750 http://www.sdbathandbody.com/blog/?p=750#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:10:52 +0000 bartlettblake http://www.sdbathandbody.com/blog/?p=750 Read more »

Email us if you would like to start selling San Diego Bath & Body products: info@sdbathandbody.com.

We have an excellent affiliate program for those that have their own website, blog or eNewsletter and would like to earn cash while selling quality, natural products that their customers and readers will love.

We also have a competitive wholesale program for those who would like to carry our products in their retail stores and boutiques. Check out our online store to see our full line of products: www.sdbathandbody.com.

However, this holiday season all orders received Dec. 23 – Jan. 2 will not ship out until Jan. 3rd to allow our employees time to spend with their family and loved ones.

We wish you a fun and festive holiday season and many blessings throughout the coming year!

Our candles are made with sustainable soy wax and organic free-trade certified shea butter. This blend makes for a great warm aromatherapy massage. Light the candle, let it burn for a few minutes so there is a small melted wax pool and then blow out the light. Wait a couple of minutes and then dip your fingers into the warm wax pool and use it for your massage.

Our aromatherapy massage candles come in three scents: Jasmine, Mango Sorbet and Lavender. They make wonderful gifts for the upcoming holidays. Visit our on-line store to purchase yours today.

To combat dry skin we recommend these tips:

1. Nourish your skin from within. Stay hydrated, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day or more if you are engaging in strenuous activities. Eat organic and as many fresh vegetables and fruits as you can. Avoid fried foods, preservative laden and processed foods. Avoid sodas and limit fruit juices (rather eat the whole fruit).

2. Take warm showers and baths. Hot water may temporarily feel better in cooler weather but hot water is much more drying for your skin.

3. Use body washes and soaps that contain natural, plant-based ingredients. Do not use harsh detergents and cleansers that contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate, these chemicals dry out your skin.

4. Look for cleansers that contain glycerin and plant-based oils such as sunflower, coconut, olive, grapeseed and sweet almond oil to name a few.

5. Immediately after showering lock in moisture with a natural, plant-based hydrating creme, lotion, raw coconut oil or unprocessed shea butter.

6. Exfoliate weekly with a natural loofah, sea sponge or organic cotton washcloth.

To learn more about the effects and computer modeling of La Niña to Southern California visit:
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/oct/20/la-nina-forecast-bring-dry-winter-southern-califor/
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

Our Rosemary Mint Bath Bars are also known as Gardener’s Soap because they contain crushed apricot kernel seeds, which effectively clean dirt and grime away without any nasty harsh chemicals. Feel good knowing that you are washing with bath bars made with organic cocoa butter, organic olive oil, organic palm oil and organic coconut oil.

Scented naturally with organic rosemary mint essential oil, feel good knowing that you are using nature’s best botanical ingredients that won’t harm our waterways. 100% vegan with no artificial colors or fragrances.

Visit our store and order yours today before they are all gone! Enter promo code RMINT at checkout to get your free shipping!

–Christy