Holiday Fundraiser for Great Cause!

San Diego Bath & Body Company will be donating two gift bags full of organic, all-natural bath and body products to be raffled away at the holiday fundraiser to benefit Segrada Esperanza Project this Wednesday, December 16th.

Please join us for mixing and mingling at this wonderful holiday fundraiser on the rooftop of the Indigo Hotel downtown San Diego.

With our help they will be able to bring food clothes and toys to one of the most poverty stricken areas in Tijuana.  This is such a worthy cause we really hope you will be able to attend.

Please click on the link. To see how contributions were used last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghuz-wEqvrs

Location: Indigo Hotel Rooftop
Date: Wednesday December 16th
Time: 6pm to 9pm
Cost: $20 Includes 1 drink ticket and heavy appetizers

There will be a raffle for several great prizes:
-Stay cation at the Sheraton Mission Valley (2night suites stay, 1 dinner for two and breakfast daily)
-2 sedan transfers to the San Diego airport (Execucar)
-100 dollar gift dry cleaning gift certificate from Dryclean it online.
-Autographed LT foot ball and much much more.

Please register in advance at http://segradaesperanza.eventbrite.com
Contact Randy Rodriguez, at randylbc@gmail .com with any questions.

THREADshow – this Sat & Sun.

We are so excited – this Saturday, Dec. 5 and Sunday, Dec. 6 we will be at the THREADshow in San Diego. Come check out our fabulous booth in the eco/life-style section. The THREADshow is a great one-stop shopping event to find the latest hip, unique gifts for those on your holiday shopping list (or for yourself).

“The event will present: 100 New Brilliant Fashion Designers; Men’s + Women’s + Kids + Eco + Art + Music; Same gorgeous unique venue; Eco/Green/Good section; Clothes swap; New DJs, Bar, Art Shows, and more.  In addition, free style tips from designers, custom orders available from many designers, limited edition & one of a kind, and new eco design elements.

Plus, a fashion show and clothes swap.”

http://tweetvite.com/event/THREADshowSD09

We will have special discounts for everyone who visits our booth; stop by either day and say hello! We’ll be selling our body lotions, body scrubs, soy candles, body washes and therapeutic salt soaks.

http://www.cooleremail.net/users/brolly/library167.jpeg

We hope to see you there!

Christy Bartlett
Co-Founder & Owner of San Diego Bath & Body Company
www.sdbathandbody.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are very thankful for another year of good health, plenty of love from family and friends and lots of laughs. We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Christy & Steve
San Diego Bath & Body Company

Are Your Feet Healthy? Part 2 of 2.

In the first part of our two part posting on “Are Your Feet Healthy?”, we addressed the need to keep your feet clean, moisturized and without any broken or irritated areas. In this posting we want to address one of the common causes that leads to dry, cracked and irritated feet: ill-fitting shoes.

It is estimated that up to 70% of us wear ill-fitting shoes. Many people don’t realize that ill-fitting shoes can lead to bad knee, hip and back alignment. So, even though you don’t feel pain in your feet ,your ill-fitting shoes may be causing pain in another part of your body. Some people falsely believe that you have to sacrifice comfort for the sake of wearing fashionable shoes. Some people are not aware of how a proper shoe should fit them and some people aren’t sure where to find proper fitting shoes.

We found a shoe store that addresses all of these problems. Comfort & Wide shoe store has an extensive variety of fashionable yet very comfortable shoes. They also have a number of widths to accomodate even the widest of wide feet. Last week we spent an afternoon at Comfort & Wide shoe store and owner, Jerry Ewell, showed us his huge inventory of brand name, quality comfort shoes and his custom orthotic machine.  The customization is free, quick and very easy to do.

We highly recommend that you stop by his store today and get your feet sized properly. Not only do you need to make sure you have the right length of shoe but you also need to be sure you have the proper width and support from toe to heel.

Comfort & Wide shoes is located at 5521 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92117. Check out their website to see the variety of name brand comfort shoes they carry. They also have gift certificates, so we highly recommend giving the gift of healthy and comfortable feet to your loved ones. Stop by today and tell Jerry Ewell and his staff we said hello.

Be good to your body!

Christy Bartlett
San Diego Bath & Body Company
www.sdbathandbody.com

Are Your Feet Healthy? Part 1 of 2.

Do you have dry, rough feet? Cracked or peeling skin on your feet? If so, your feet are calling out for help. Ignoring these seemingly minor irritations can progress to something much worse if left untreated.

Cracked skin is broken skin. Your skin is your body’s largest organ. One of it’s main functions is to protect the inner body from external dangers, such as bacteria and infections. When the skin on your feet is cracked or peeling your body is vulnerable to infections.

To prevent your feet from cracking and peeling you must keep them moisturized and hydrated. Wash your feet daily and moisturize them immediately after each washing. Use a mild soap/cleanser that does not contain any harsh detergents. Use a soap with natural, vegetable based oils.

We highly recommend using our new Fabulous Feet Healing Balm every night before retiring to bed. Rub a little bit of the balm thoroughly all over your feet. Be sure to spend a couple of minutes massaging it in. Put cotton socks on your feet and get a good night’s rest. During your sleep your body rests, re-charges and heals itself. The balm has more time to be absorbed into your feet the less you are on them.

Our Fabulous Feet Healing Balm is made with all natural, organic ingredients which include: cocoa butter, olive oil, castor oil and jojoba oil. These are all plant-based, vegetable oils. Then we added tea tree, rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils for their natural anti-fungal properties. We added some peppermint essential oil to refresh and re-energize your feet with a minty scent.

Visit our website to pick up a jar of our Fabulous Feet Healing Balm today. Keep it by your bed or give to a family member so they can get started on the path to Fabulous Feet!

Happy Birthday To Us!

Happy Birthday to Us!

Can you believe it? It is our first birthday. It has been 1 year since we launched San Diego Bath & Body Company!

Thank you to all of our fans. Without your support we could not have been so successful. As we enter our second year of business we are excited to introduce some new changes:

We are now offering new shipping rates and new products. Now through the end of the holiday season we are offering these promotional shipping rates:

- Free shipping on any order of $50 or more
- And $5.95 flate rate for all orders less than $50

 And as always, we offer free delivery on all orders to all San Diego residents.

Just in time for the holiday shopping season we have several new products:  Vanilla Coconut Body Scrub, Mandarin Lime Body Lotion, OB Hemp Body Butter, Pink Grapefruit Exfoliating Face Wash, Rosemary Mint Hydrating Creme, Pumpkin Butter Body Scrub and White Chocolate Body Scrub. We also have several new soy candle scents to naturally illuminate your home this winter.

Come check out our new products at www.sdbathandbody.com. 

Thanks to all of you for your support over the past year; our success is because of you!

 Sincerely,

 Christy & Steve
Co-Founders & Co-Owners of San Diego Bath & Body Company
www.sdbathandbody.com
Be good to your body®

Nature’s Finest – Organic, Virgin Coconut Oil

We love coconut oil.

Seriously, it is amazing stuff.

We use it in all of our bath bars, our body scrubs and in some of our hydrating cremes. We also use it to cook with and bake with and use in place of butter at times. My favorite is spreading it on whole grain toast for breakfast.

Virgin coconut oil does wonders for our hair and skin externally and internally. One thing to remember is that we are talking about virgin coconut oil and NOT hydrogenated coconut oil.

We’re shocked that few Americans know what virgin coconut oil is, know what it can do for them and have ever tried it. We could write a book on the wonders of organic, virgin coconut oil but there are plenty of people who have already done just that so we will just give you a quick run down on the benefits:

1. Virgin coconut oil is rich in the essential fatty acids, the “good fats” that doctors recommend and is cholesterol and trans fat-free. This has great effects on your body when used externally and internally.

2. Virgin Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, a nutrient that supports the body’s immune system.

3. The traditional Pacific Islander diet includes large quantities of coconut meat and oil, and those who still follow this diet have low rates of heart disease and minimal weight issues. Despite high exposure to sun their skin tends to look more youthful and more healthy than their Western counterparts.

4. Virgin coconut oil is especially useful in fighting free-radicals, as it is unrefined and hasn’t been stripped of any of its natural components through the refining process. Wrinkles and age spots are diminished when using anti-oxidant rich products internally and externally.

5. Using virgin coconut oil as a pre-wash conditioner can rid a person of dandruff better than a medicated shampoo. We massage it through dry hair as a deep conditioner prior to washing.

6. Virgin coconut oil absorbs easily into the skin, and yet without feeling greasy.

7. Virgin coconut oil also reduces chronic skin inflammation and helps to heal skin rashes. We use virgin coconut oil in all of our body scrubs.

8. Virgin coconut oil is a great base oil for making soaps. It provides a hard, lasting bar that lathers easily. We use it in all of our bath bars.

We use certified organic, virgin coconut oil that is cold-processed and not fermented. It is made from fresh coconut flesh. It is not processed using chemicals. It is never bleached or deodorized.

To order organic, virgin coconut oil as a natural moisturizer we offer it in 4 oz jars for only $8.95. Or check out our body scrubs or bath bars made with virgin coconut oil. Visit our website: www.sdbathandbody.com for more information or to place your order.

We encourage you to be good to your body®

Christy & Steve

Natural Challenge – Round 1 vs Avon’s “Naturals” Vanilla Body Lotion

Over the past year we have seen an unbelievable number of “all-natural” bath and body products join the already jam-packed market. When we started our business we knew that we were entering a very competitive industry and that the green, natural segment was going to become even more competitive now that more and more consumers were demanding natural over artificial ingredients.

We were confident that we could be successful because we knew that our products were the real deal and that there were some players in this industry that would eventually fall by the way-side once the public learned the truth behind the false claims on their front label did not match the ingredient list on their back label.

Unfortunately, our industry here in the United States is not regulated as adquately as it should be, or even close to what the European Union requires. As a result, our market is still crowded with fake natural products alongside real natural products like ours. What really sucks is that a lot of these fake natural products that should have fallen by the way-side are selling like hotcakes because they are coming from large corporations with big marketing budgets and well-bought name recognition.

Utilizing the internet’s strength in helping to even the playing ground for the little guy, we have decided to shed some light on these fake natural products and show you how the front label with some glossy marketing can mislead you into trusting the back label which lists the actual ingredients.

Remember, nobody regulates cosmetic and bath and body products for safety and truth in labeling (not even the FDA; not that you should trust them 100% if they did). It is a self-regulated market and much like the financial market it chugs along with one goal in mind – the bottom-line: $$profits$$.

In our first round of “Natural Challenge”, San Diego Bath & Body Company takes on Avon’s Naturals Vanilla Body Lotion. Here is what the front label looks like:

The front label is simple. The colors are soft, muted and earthy tones. It shows an image of the gorgeous, delicate vanilla bean flower. The word “naturals” is proudly displayed in a large font at the top to grab your attention. They even added a silhouette of a leaf to further emphasize the “natural” feel. This label shouts to the consumer – “You ARE buying a NATURAL, nourishing vanilla body lotion.”

Now, let’s take a look at their ingredient list that they list on the back of their product label and post on their website:

http://www.avon.com/1/1/335-naturals-vanilla-body-lotion.html

Avon has got a long ways to go before they can name this lotion “naturals.” They have artificial fragrances AND colors in this lotion. They do have real vanilla listed so I’m not sure why they needed the artificial fragrance as well? Oh, wait – I DO know why. Real vanilla is expensive. Artificial vanilla fragrance is cheap. Add a dab of real vanilla to mostly artificial vanilla fragrance to reduce the cost to make the product, thereby increasing your PROFIT margin! See how the “Parfum/Fragrance” ingredient is listed above the “Vanilla Planifolia Extract,” which means that there is more of the artificial parfum/fragrance than the real vanilla extract in this product.

We also find mineral oil in this body lotion, which is a by product of petroleum. It is also comedogenic (proven to clog skin pores-yuck). They also put petrolatum (petroleum jelly) in their lotion which is PROVEN to repel water not attract it. Don’t you want a body lotion that helps your skin retain water? Also, included are the questionable methylparaben and phenoxyethanol; two synthetic preservatives that some question whether or not they cause tumors. How are these ingredients considered “nourishing” for your body?

The ingredient PEG-100 Stearate that they also use is very questionable when it comes to animal-safety tests:  http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient/721388/PEG-100_STEARATE/

And last but not least, there is the addition of artificial color Blue 1. Did you know that the Center for Science in the Public Health, a consumer advocacy group, tried to get the FDA to ban Blue 1 because it has been linked to cancer in mice? What has us scratching our heads is why would you add a controversial artifial color to make a product brown in color when it does not add to the efficacy of the product?

Can you believe that over 92% of Avon customers who have used this lotion would recommend it to a friend? I bet if you shared this information with these customers they would think twice about it using it themselves, let alone recommending it to a friend.

Now take look at the ingredient list of San Diego Bath & Body Company’s Vanilla Bean Light Body Lotion:

Distilled water, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, vegetable wax emulsifier, vegetable glycerine, vanilla essential oil, rosemary extract and vitamin e oil.

I think the un-disputed winner of Round 1 of the Natural Challenge is:  San Diego Bath & Body Company. What do you think?

Please send us your questions and comments by email: info@sdbathandbody.com. We’d love to hear from you!

The Scariest Part of Halloween

Do you know what is in your child’s Halloween make-up?

“Rarely are chemicals, even known carcinogens, banned. Products with Food and Drug Administration–restricted ingredients must display warning labels, such as an announcement that an ingredient has caused cancer in lab animals or a recommendation to test the product on a small area of skin for an allergic reaction.”

Here is a fantastic article published in the San Diego Reader that sheds some insight into the really scary part of Halloween:

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/oct/28/city-light-2/

Fall In Love With Our Pumpkin Butter Body Scrub

Ahhh, life is full of fall fever:  football, school, boots, scarves, stews and chilis, changing leaves and holiday anticipation. To welcome this change in seasons we are introducing our Pumpkin Butter Body Scrub.

Pumpkin Butter Body Scrub

Our Pumpkin Butter Body Scrub is a purely natural scrub that promotes healthy skin cell turnover, resulting in age defying rejuvenation. Our scrub is made with organic pumpkin, organic sugar, organic virgin coconut oil, organic lemon juice, organic honey, ground cinnamon and nutmeg. No artificial ingredients or fragrances in our body scrubs.

Did you know that pumpkins are packed full of skin-loving nutrients? Pumpkin seed oil yields essential fatty acids that regulate proper skin sebum oil production and helps to balance dry skin. Pumpkin’s rich plant enzymes act as a natural exfoliant that gently removes dead skin cells.

We use organic sugar crystals to aid in gently exfoliating away dry skin, organic honey to soothe and organic virgin coconut oil to moisturize.

Treat yourself to a pumpkin butter body scrub to promote the healthy glow in your skin. The warm delicious scent of pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon captures the fantastic feel of fall.