Whether you’re gluten intolerant or not, there are many reasons to switch to Castle Baths’ gluten free bath products and spa products.
You may have heard the hype about going gluten free, and how a gluten free diet can lead to weight loss, greater energy, and many more health benefits (as well as a few risks.) But did you know that gluten can also be found in your commercial body lotion and makeup? You probably didn’t because, despite all the publicity gluten free diets have received in recent times, the potential problems arising from gluten in cosmetics, and the rise of gluten free bath products have received relatively little attention.
So what exactly is gluten and why is it in my spa and bath products?
Gluten, for those unfamiliar with the term, is a protein found in wheat, wheat derivatives, and some meats. Gluten is also used in the formulation of many commercial spa products as an emulsifier (a substance used to blend other ingredients together.) Some household cleaners also incorporate gluten into their formulations for this purpose.
Like lactose in milk, gluten is something to which some people have a genetic intolerance or sensitivity. The allergic reactions people with gluten sensitivities experience can range from mild indigestion to severe symptoms depending on the severity of the person’s intolerance. Some people have a particularly severe gluten intolerance known as celiac disease, and must avoid all sources of gluten entirely.
Do I really need gluten free bath products? If so, where can I find them?
Science estimates that your skin absorbs as much as 60% of whatever you rub into it, so, if you have a gluten sensitivity, it is probably a good idea to avoid gluten-based products when possible. This can be difficult to do, however, as cosmetics companies that produce the synthetic products you see in retail stores are not required to disclose all their ingredients on their labels. Even those that do disclose ingredients may disguise their true sources by using scientific-sounding chemical names. The only sure way to find gluten free bath products and spa products is to look for products that say “gluten free.”
Castle Baths offers spa and bath products that are vegan, handmade with organic ingredients, and 100% gluten free. Our products are also free of parabens, preservatives, and other nasty chemicals that can be found in most synthetic, commercial equivalents. Take a look at how our Hand and Body Lotion compares with Bath and Body Works’ popular Cherry Blossom Body Lotion.
Even if you don’t have a gluten sensitivity, there is no harm in switching to gluten free bath products and spa products, and doing so can still benefit your overall well-being.
Last week, we discussed six “superfoods for skin,” a list of six natural skin care ingredients exceptionally beneficial to the health and beauty of your skin that included Avocado Oil and Hemp Seed Oil. Now that you’re somewhat familiar with the beneficial properties of each “superfood” skin care ingredient, imagine all of them working together to make your skin look and feel softer, younger, and more beautiful than any one ingredient could have achieved alone.
You don’t have to imagine it because it’s already happening, right here at Castle Baths! A few days ago, Castle Baths created and launched a new Tre’Yours face cream that combines four of the six “superfoods for skin” in one luxuriously soft and creamy moisturizer. Our Avocado Hemp Regenerative Cream is made with organic Avocado Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Shea Butter, and Green Tea Extract to deliver high concentrations of vitamins, essential fatty acids, and moisture to help regenerate and beautify your skin.
This cream is especially useful for post-op skin care following cosmetic surgery, for people with sensitive skin, and/or as a nighttime face cream. It’s high vitamin and nutrient content will work wonders on your skin while you sleep, helping to lighten scars, increase collagen, and act as an antiseptic ointment to help damaged skin resist infections.
We’re also offering an Avocado Face Cream, in a long-lasting, convenient air pump. If you love the moisturizing abilities of our Avocado Eye Cream, but always find yourself running out of it, this is a great way to get a longer-lasting supply of avocado oil for your skin. Plus, the aerosol pump will infuse our Avocado Face Cream with air bubbles for an even softer, smoother feel. It also works great for spot treatment, and is easy to take with you on the go.
Can’t decide which one to try first? Get them both delivered to you on a silver platter, literally! When you purchase our Avocado Face Cream and Hemp Regenerative Cream Combo, you’ll receive the decorative silver tray pictured absolutely FREE!
Our Avocado Face Cream and Avocado Hemp Regenerative Cream give you some of the highest concentrations of these “superfoods for skin” you’re likely to find outside of a doctor’s office. In fact, we intend to market these two new products to dermatologists and plastic surgeons to recommend to their patients following facial procedures. We expect these to become extremely popular very quickly!
Also keep in mind that Avocado Oil intensifies the effectiveness of other skin care ingredients too, so when you use either of these creams, you’re not just getting a blend of some of the best natural skin care ingredients in the world, you’re getting visible results far superior to what any individual skin care ingredient could accomplish alone!
If you want to learn more about our Avocado Oil face creams, we will be offering a FREE report you can download from our website soon.
You may have heard of “superfoods” – unprocessed, organic foods that are reported to be absolutely packed with vitamins and nutrients essential to healthy living (such as blueberries.) But, did you know there are also superfoods for skin? Here are six of the best organic skin care ingredients to look for in your natural bath and body products, and how each can help you achieve long-lasting beautiful skin.
Avocado Oil for Best Eye Cream Care
Avocado oil is extremely soothing, especially to sensitive skin, which is one of the many reasons we use it as our key ingredient in our Avocado Eyes Eye Cream. It is a known bactericide, and helps mobilize and increase collagen production in your connective tissue. Collagen, for those who are unfamiliar with the term, is one of the primary substances responsible for keeping your skin firm and youthful. Avocado Oil is also a natural sunscreen with one of the highest rankings in the Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, and possesses high concentrations of the vitamins A, D, and E. It has one of the highest penetration ratios (meaning it can reach into the deep layers of your skin easily) and helps intensify the effectiveness of other skin care ingredients and nutrients when used as a carrier oil.
Hazelnut Oil for Firming Skin
Hazelnut oil is beneficial as a moisturizer to all skin types, but especially so for dry skin or sensitive skin. It is also the key ingredient in our Hazelnut Cream. Like Avocado Oil, Hazelnut Oil also works as a natural sunscreen and is even superior to Avocado in the UV protection it offers. It also possesses super-astringent properties, meaning it firms and tightens skin for a more youthful appearance, but does so without clogging pores. Hazelnut Oil is also fast absorbing and antiseptic.
Green Tea Extract for Anti Aging Skin Care
Green Tea Extract possesses antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and stimulant properties, making it a wonderful key ingredient for our Daily Renewal Face Cream. It goes beyond penetration of the skin to be absorbed at the cellular level, thereby protecting cells from the damage associated with free radicals (which accumulate via sun overexposure, pollution, etc.) This makes Green Tea excellent for anti-aging purposes, as cellular degradation due to free radicals is one of the leading causes of premature aging. Green Tea can also help reduce skin swelling and extend the SPF of other skin care ingredients, making them better natural sunscreens.
Shea Butter for Improving Skin Appearance
Shea Butter is another natural sunscreen, and also protects skin from dehydration. It can improve the appearance of irritated, dry skin and help lighten stretch marks or scarring. Try pure shea body butter or our shea-butter-based hand and body lotions.
Coffee for Tightening Fine Lines
Coffee is a vasodilator, meaning it constricts blood cells to reduce redness. This has the effect of tightening and firming the surface of your skin, and is also why we use it in our cellu coffee soap to help reduce the appearance of cellulite. Additionally, coffee dehydrates fatty cells to give your skin a smoother glow, tightens fine lines, and smoothes puffy surfaces. Like Green Tea, coffee is also possesses an extremely high concentration of antioxidants, making it ideal for anti-aging purposes and adding to your overall flawless appearance.
Hemp Seed Oil for Repairing Damaged Skin
Hemp contains high amounts of essential fatty acids, to include Omega 3, 6, and 9. It also increases collagen production, thereby reducing the aging process. Hemp Seed Oil penetrates even deeper into your skin than other oils listed here, giving it outstanding regenerative properties and making it an excellent carrier oil to deliver other nutrients and skin care ingredients.
See for yourself how these superfoods for skin can work synergistically to improve your complexion when you try Castle Baths’ Tre’Yours Anti Aging Eye and Face Creams. Once you’ve experienced the silky softness of these natural superfoods for skin, chances are, you’ll never want to go back to synthetic cosmetics ever again!
If you’re interested in aromatherapy, you likely already know that long before the days of mass-marketed pharmaceuticals, essential oils played a vital role not only in the fragrance industry, but also in healing – as they were used as natural, herbal remedies for many common ailments. A fact of which you may not yet be aware, however, is that almost all of the folk traditions surrounding the use of essential oils for healing purposes have scientific evidence to support their herbal claims.
In fact, many essential oils serve as the active ingredient (under a different name) in many over-the-counter and prescription medications. For example, the essential oil of peppermint is used in the prescription digestive aid Colperin, and many other drugs intended to treat indigestion (ever wonder why Peptol Bismol tastes minty?)
Though industry regulation prohibits anyone from claiming that essential oils can cure, prevent, or treat any injury or illness completely, there are many oils in addition to peppermint oil that have been shown to have beneficial effects on the human mind and body when applied topically or through steam inhalation. If you are interested in experimenting with essential oils for folk remedies, this chart of common essential oils for folk medicine should help you decide which ones you may wish to try.
One of the many reasons so many essential oils have been shown to be beneficial to health is that nearly all of them have disinfectant properties. So the next time you want to eliminate a foul-smelling odor from your home, instead of reaching for that aerosol can of chemical-based air freshener, you may wish to try making your own natural spray with one or more of these disinfecting essential oils.
Essential oils also make great natural skin care solutions. When used topically, they can help normalize troubled skin, help reduce the appearance of cellulite or wrinkles, and give your skin a golden glow unmatched by any synthetic body moisturizer. Additionally, essential oils will not linger in your skin’s deep layers and/or clog your pores as synthetic cosmetics so often do (and if they do remain in your system to some degree after accomplishing their aromatherapy purpose, there’s no harm to you, as they are infusing your body with natural vitamins and moisture – not chemicals.)
If you are interested in learning more about the healing powers of essential oils, consider scheduling an aromatherapy massage with a local aromatherapist. Not only will it feel great, but it will give you the opportunity to discuss your aromatherapy goals with a professional and discover which oils you should try using at home. Who knows? He or she may even recommend you purchase your essential oils from Castle Baths!
Though Spring has officially started, many may still have dry winter skin from the various snowstorms this past winter. Dry scaly skin can also occur indoors from heating your home, which, unless you live in the deep south or tropics, you’re not likely to stop doing any time soon. So what can you do while you wait for the weather to catch up with the calendar?
You may have been told you need to find a good moisturizer, but where do you start? Do you need an oil-based moisturizer, a water-based moisturizer? A natural moisturizer? An over-the-counter drug-infused moisturizer? The choices are nearly endless, and the longer you wait, the worse your dry scaly skin will become. But how do you choose the best moisturizer if you don’t understand the underlying causes of dry winter skin, and what skin care ingredients will help address each cause?
What causes dry skin?
Cold temperatures cause outside air to lose humidity, and forced air heating systems do the same to indoor air. Your skin breathes air just like your lungs, so when the air is dry, your skin is also dry. The red patches you may see when you have winter dry skin are typically the result of inflammation. Inflammation can cause and/or exacerbate dry skin, so when looking for a moisturizer to re-hydrate your dry winter skin, it is very important you choose one that will not only moisturize but help reduce your skin’s inflammation as well.
Moisturizing Natural Skin Care Ingredients Helpful for Dry Scaly Skin
Coffee – the caffeine content in coffee makes it a natural anti-inflammatory skin care ingredient. Try our coffee cocoa bath scrub to experience the anti-inflammatory properties of coffee combined with the powerful moisturizing abilities of unrefined cocoa butter. Coffee’s natural anti-inflammatory abilities are also the reasoning behind our including it in our Cellu Coffee Soap to help reduce the appearance of cellulite.
Evening Primrose Oil – Certified Organic Evening Primrose Oil is both moisturizing and anti-inflammatory, and thus, addresses both causes of dry winter skin at once. We use Certified Organic Evening Primrose Oil as one of the primary ingredients in our Tre’Yours BeRestored Face Cream, making it an excellent choice of moisturizer for those with a genetic predisposition towards dry skin.
Keep in mind when using these skin care ingredients and products that they are not intended to treat or cure any disease associated with dry scaly skin such as eczema, psoriasis, or rosacea, though they are all excellent moisturizers to use if you have these conditions. But be sure to reapply them often to keep dry winter skin at bay.
How do I get glowing skin for a beach body? Are there any detox skin care solutions? What is a scrub, and why should I use one? If you’ve been asking yourself these questions, or are just interested in reading about natural skin care topics in general, you may wish to check out Castle Baths’ four new skin care solution articles.
Detox Skin Care Solutions from Castle Baths
In our last blog, we introduced our readers to the concept of detox skin care solutions as an alternative or addition to detox dieting. For those interested in learning more about detox skin care, we now have two pages on our website devoted exclusively to this topic, which go into much more detail on how toxins end up in your skin and how to remove them naturally.
For instance, did you know that your body’s biological detox systems such as the liver and kidneys detox your body by pushing toxins out of your organs and into your skin? Similar to the means by which tear stains can build up in your pet’s hair over time, toxins can lie dormant in the deep layers of your skin for weeks, months, or even years – accumulating to the point where they can cause acne, premature wrinkles, or in extreme cases, even skin cancer! Find out which natural skin care products work best for removing toxins from the body and skin before they have their chance to take their toll on your health, and where to purchase detox skin care products from Castle Baths.
How to make skin glow in preparation for your perfectly toned beach body
Is your skin in shape for sunbathing in that new bikini? If not, learn how you can get your skin perfectly toned for a day of sunbathing at the beach simply by using Dead Sea Salt Products. Dead Sea Salt is an all-natural solution for how to get glowing skin FAST, so you can have a glowing face and sexy smooth skin this summer. For example, exfoliating with one of our Dead Sea Salt Bath Scrubs can help keep your skin from peeling while you bask in warm sunlight. Learn more about how bath scrubs polish your skin.
How to make a homemade bath scrub
Want to make your own salt or sugar homemade bath scrub/body scrub using our Certified Organic and wild-crafted ingredients? View some simple and easy body scrubs recipes you can make at home. If you need help deciding whether to use a salt scrub or sugar scrub, check out our comparison of the benefits of each scrub type.
Have a skin care or body image topic you would like us to discuss in terms of natural skin care products? We’ll be creating a lot more of these topic-oriented skin care solution pages, so if you have ideas or suggestions, let us know! You may just see your article idea turn up on our website or blog!
When it comes to selecting a romantic Valentine’s Day gift for your girlfriend or wife, spa products are always a staple. But, if you’re a guy, chances are you’re not all that up-to-date on the latest home spa and cosmetics trends for women. So how do you proceed? Sure, you could go into your nearest Bath & Body Works and ask a sales associate to recommend something, grab it, go through express checkout, and be done shopping in about half an hour. But what does taking this course of action really say about you? That you took the time and effort to get your significant other something you know she’ll enjoy? Or that you almost forgot all about Valentine’s Day and rushed to purchase the cheapest and quickest gift you could find on such short notice?
Chances are, she’ll interpret it to be the latter, especially once she notices that you forgot to cut the price tag off the bottom. So, if you do decide to go with spa products this Valentine’s Day, be sure to do your homework before you buy. Or, if you feel embarrassed about potentially being seen researching such a feminine topic on the Internet, just take a look at the suggestions below.
Go natural. Nothing says, “I love you” quite like a collection of bottles filled with cancer-causing chemical soup, right? Handmade, natural spa products make for a much more romantic (and healthful) gift than the synthetic, chemical-based products you’re likely to find in box stores. Many creators of handmade, natural spa products operate exclusively online, so you can shop around from the comfort of your home, and some will even offer you perks such as a free Valentine’s Day card with a custom, handwritten message, and free shipping.
Consider a gift basket. Not sure what she’d like. Give her some of everything. Natural spa gift baskets make great romantic gifts, and some can be enjoyed by both the giver and the recipient. For example, Castle Baths’ Love Gift Basket includes one 8oz bottle of natural massage oil, scented in a sexy aromatherapy blend of essential oils. Conclude the evening by offering her a sensual massage using the oil you have given her, and then let her do the same for you!
Three words: chocolate spa products. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate is another staple Valentine’s Day gift. But before you go and buy that box of chocolates like every other guy in line ahead of you at the store, consider thinking outside the box (literally) when it comes to your gift this year and give her some chocolate-scented spa products. Chocolate-scented natural spa products combine these two classic Valentine’s gifts into one. Also, did you know that dark chocolate is good for the skin? Consider this Cocoa Body Butter or Coffee Cocoa Body Scrub (pictured right.)
Soap is always useful. If you don’t know her tastes or she isn’t a big spa aficionado, handmade, patterned bars of natural soap are usually a safe bet. She can use it in the tub, in the kitchen, or just as a decorative item if the soap is patterned. You can even find chocolate-scented patterned soaps such as Castle Baths’ new Valentine’s Day Rose Soap Bouquet, available in your choice of dark chocolate or vanilla musk with a hint of white chocolate.
Be tactful with anti-aging spa products. Anti-aging spa products make great gifts so long as you do not draw too much attention to the fact that they are anti-aging. While she’s sure to appreciate and use the products you give her, she may interpret it as a subliminal message that you consider her less attractive. This is, most likely, not the case, and indeed, a good anti-aging moisturizing cream can benefit anyone, even people in their 20s. But to avoid any miscommunication during your romantic evening, it’s best you stick with natural, herbal anti-aging products if you choose to go this route for your gift. Natural anti-aging products, as opposed to the often less-than-effective “cosmeceuticals” sold in beauty stores, are more like good preventative care than purported miracle cures for wrinkles, and, when used regularly, can help delay the onset of many physical signs of aging. So why not give her a spa gift basket like this Tre’Yours Dead Sea Spa Gift Basket that says, “I want to preserve us, our relationship, and this moment forever,” instead of one that simply says, “You look old.”
Finding the perfect romantic gift doesn’t have to be difficult, especially when you keep these tips in mind during your search. Have a happy, romantic Valentine’s Day this year, and many more to come!
When you sign into your Facebook account, chances are you did so in order to interact with your friends rather than find new business pages to “like.” If you’re new to Castle Baths and haven’t “liked” us already, we realize that you may need slightly more motivation to do so than the sparseness of your profile’s “liked pages” category. So, here are five additional incentives:
Get live customer service. We are available for real-time customer service chats Monday through Saturday every week. If you have a question, comment, or concern regarding our products or your shopping experience and you need a quick answer, our Facebook page is the way to go.
Get access to exclusive deals, discounts, and giveaways. From time to time, we will offer a special deal or discount exclusively to our Facebook fans. The only people who will be able to see and participate in these offers are those who have “liked” us. When one of our bloggers or affiliates hosts a product giveaway, we also post links to submit yourself as a potential winner on our Facebook page.
Learn what our products actually do for your skin. Read comments and reviews by those who have posted their Castle Baths experiences on our page and see how our products were able to help them live healthier, happier lives. Additionally, whenever we publish an informational skin care article, we will post a link to it on Facebook so all our fans can view and learn from it. For example, did you know that Dead Sea Foot Salts can help a diabetic person’s feet from becoming swollen? Find the link to our recently published hubpages article from our Facebook page.
Keep informed on beauty trends. We’re constantly researching new ingredients and methods of making our products so that they will have the most benefit for your skin and lifestyle. For instance, we just recently began incorporating the patented anti-aging Coffeeberry® into our Coffee Cocoa Body Scrub after learning about its youth-preserving properties at HAPPI Magazine’s Anti-Aging Conference this past September. We also like to keep all our fans informed on what NOT to do or buy for your skin. Want to know about the latest corporate synthetic skin care product manufacturer to get caught red-handed by the FDA for using known toxins in their product ingredients? Find out on Castle Baths’ Facebook page.
Support a small American business. While big multinational corporations are outsourcing jobs and getting themselves in trouble with the FDA and other regulatory agencies, small businesses are and have long been one of the building blocks of the American Dream: growing our economy by producing quality products made by people like you, for people like you. Small businesses like ours need your help to spread the word about our products, so if you enjoy using them, please “like” us and tell someone about us.
Castle Baths will be closed December 31 2012 through January 1, 2013 for the New Years Holiday. We hope you have an enjoyable holiday and wish you well in the coming year. If you still have yet to think of a New Years resolution, you may wish to consider something related to a health and skin care goal. Check back with us next week and feel free to share your resolutions with us!
Like lactose in milk, gluten is something to which some people have a genetic intolerance or sensitivity. The allergic reactions people with gluten sensitivities experience can range from mild indigestion to severe symptoms depending on the severity of the person’s intolerance. Some people have a particularly severe gluten intolerance known as celiac disease, and must avoid all sources of gluten entirely.
