Organic Skin Care Interview with Lily Organics

Like your eggs and milk farm fresh? How about your skin care?

Lily Organics is in the business of making farm fresh skin care. That’s right, they grow, process, and create their organic skin care products all right on the Lily Organics premises. And they have recently taken their purity one step further – Lily Organics are the first skin care manufacturers to become USDA Certified Organic in three areas: farming, processing and laboratory, and skin care.

I caught up with Lily Organics founder and Head Farm Hand, Lily Morgan. Here is what she had to say:

Organic Beauty Source: How big an impact do you feel herbal therapy and natural living have had on your health and general well-being?

Lily Morgan: I am a type A personality, without all of these practices and healthful ways of living in my life I would be insane. I have to really practice relaxation, I have to work out, do yoga, and meditate and walk every day just to keep myself normal. It is not an option for me to not do these things every day of my life. So, to answer your question, I would say this lifestyle I have embraced IS my general well-being.  I have to work very hard to keep my well being, it has not come easy for me. It is everything to my well being, and it doesn't take a lot of money or anything else to bring it into your life.  It does take the discipline to do it everyday.

OBS: You have trademarked, "Purely Botanical," what exactly do you hope the phrase conveys to consumers?

LM: I would hope everything we do and say would convey to consumers that plants are where quality ingredients come from, and that ingredients are everything in a skin care product. All the pretty packaging, all the hype and clever words will not clear up your acne or diminish your wrinkles!

OBS: You do a lot of community and global work. Tell us about that.

LM: When I was 22 I founded the Association for Senior Citizens in Denver, since that time, it has helped over 1,000,000 Senior Citizens in poverty. We provide eviction prevention and heat assistance, a food bank, as well as many other services to Denver's elderly poor. It is a wonderful organization. I served as Founding Executive Director and I was on the Board of Directors for 28 years.

Lily Organics has been very involved over the last 24 years in supporting Tibetans, relocating in camps in Southern India, we support 5 Tibetans every month, and Lily Organics was a major sponsor in bringing the Dalai Lama to Colorado. Now, I am most interested in helping foster kids. After adopting my son when he was nine years old from the foster care system, and mentoring another young man, I can see so clearly how difficult life is for these kids. There are over one million older kids, over 7, waiting to be adopted in the foster care system. Another area of my interest is to help foster kids that are aging out of the system. The just are put out on the streets at 18 years old. I would like to see Lily Organics provide housing for these young people and job training, to help them transition into adulthood, when we make enough money.

OBS: Can you share any skincare tips with us?

LM: Yes, in my book (Beauty, Health, and Happiness – A Way of Life) I have over 100 recipes on how to make your own kitchen and garden cosmetics.  That would be my best tip, is experiment, have fun and make your own! It is very empowering to make your own skin care products. Additionally, I would not buy any skin care products that have any synthetic chemicals in them. I would only buy skin care products from companies that actually make their own products in their own facilities. The best tip I can give to looking good is being happy.  Make sure you do a lot of what you love!

OBS: Could you please share product info with us, which products are best for what and why?

LM: We have products split up into 3 different skin types: Sensitive, Dry, and Normal/Oily. Due to all the toxic chemicals in skin care products, many people have developed chemical sensitivities.  Some people are also highly allergic to many plants.  In our sensitive skin cream, I put as few ingredients as possible. Our Kukui Facial Oil for wrinkles, is U.S.D.A. certified organic and a wonderful light treatment oil. Our dry skin line is wonderful, my favorite product in that line is our Seven Rejuvenating Facial Oil.  It is super rich, with primrose oil and rose hip seed oil.

OBS: If you went away for one week and could only take one skincare product with you, which would it be?

LM: That is a tough one! If I could only bring two, it would be the balancing facial toner, so I could simply clean my skin with a cotton ball, and the Seven Facial Rejuvenating Oil, so I can moisturize my skin.  I will be 52, so I have got to have my moisturizer!

Thanks Lily!

I tried several products from Lily Organics: Sensitive Facial Cleanser, Balancing Toner, Moisturizing Cream, Rejuvenating Enzyme Mask, and Kukui Facial Oil Treatment.

Sensitive Facial Cleanser – This fluid, unscented facial cleanser rids skin of dirt and impurities without stripping away natural oils. Perfect for dry or sensitive skin.

Balancing Toner – Freshens and refines skin, again without stripping away natural oils.

Moisturizing Cream – We all love a great moisturizer, right? This unscented moisturizer for sensitive skin does not disappoint. Light yet hydrating and leaves skin unbelievably soft and smooth. For extra hydration, apply over Kukui oil.

Rejuvenating Enzyme Mask – Papaya and Pineapple enzymes dissolve dry, dead skin cells to reveal healthy skin, while soothing honey repairs and helps skin to retain moisture. I love using this product. Left my skin so smooth and healthy, and my skin tone was fabulous after use.

Kukui Facial Oil Treatment – I am a firm believer in the restorative power of facial oils, but not all oils behave the same. I have found that the lighter oils still provide adequate hydration, but do not clog pores or make skin look sallow. Admittedly, I had not yet tried, or even heard of, Kukui (pronounced koo-KOO-ee) oil. This oil is perfect as a wrinkle treatment at night, but I like to use a bit under the moisturizer during the day too. So light it sinks right into skin and leaves the complexion glowing.

To Cleanse or Not to Cleanse

I was recently offered the opportunity to do a cleanse. Dr. Natura sent me The Colonix Program which consists of an Herbal Intestinal Cleanser, Herbal Tea for regularity and detoxification, and an Herbal Supplement for liver and colon purification. It is a month-long program designed to cleanse the colon of plaque and debris, replenish good bacteria, and detoxify the system. They asked me to try their program and offer a review to my readers.

The problem is…I am scared. I just KNOW that I will become sweaty, light-headed and sick to my stomach and do not relish the thought of feeling this way for a day, let alone an entire month.

Why? I do not really have much trouble with (ahem) elimination in the first place, and fear this could give me a “problem”. Also, I once tried a mini-cleanse where you drink a shot glass of olive oil, alternated with a shot glass of lemon juice every 15 minutes for up to, like, 7 shots each or something. Well, I made it through the first shot of oil and after the shot of lemon juice…that is where the sweaty, nauseated part came in. Let’s just say, I was cleansed, but not in the way I had expected.

Anyone out there with experience with cleanses of this sort, please please send me your thoughts, experiences, opinions. I would love to have some real-life information if/before I take this on.

Thank you ever so much!

Grey Day

Well, last weekend we went shopping and bought my daughter her fall wardrobe.  Lucky duck!

Even though I didn't purchase one item of clothing for myself, I did get a little somethin' for my digits.  This new shade from the latest Zoya nail polish collection is a modern grey called Kelly.  As described on the Zoya site:

"A rich gray shade with soft purple and blue undertones. An easy to wear alternative to black and a perfect NEW neutral."

Last year I bought alot of grey sweaters and tops rather than the usual brown tones.  And this polish looks fabulous with them.  Zoya polishes are free from the top three toxic ingredients found in most polishes -- toluene, formaldehyde, and phthalates -- and perform just as well.  Love this stuff!

Though my daughter was not that excited about dark grey polish (we usually do our pedis  together) she was a good sport and went along with it.  We decorated hers with red and yellow gems.  But next time we will probably opt for her choice.  (below)

Friday Fun

Ok, I have recently finished (for the most part) a big writing project.  It was fun and I love it!  But since it is pretty much wrapped up my free spirit side has taken over.  After weeks of daily (and nightly) writing on organic beauty products, ingredients, manufacturing processes and so on...I have allowed my mind to wander to some of my other loves.

My kids -- goes without saying, of course -- are  a passion of mine that have been a bit neglected lately.  It feels really great to just slow down, watch them, truly listen to what they are saying.  Love it!

Another love of mine is interior design, but you would never know it by looking at my poor neglected house right now.  Yuck!  But I have the bug again, especially after last week's paint job with my daughter.  My bedroom is next up and I have all kinds of ideas for other areas of my home.

This morning I took some time out just to look through my favorite home/life blogs and this one post from earlier this week really caught my attention.  It came from Grayson:  a different shade of grey and is on abandoned castles.  As long as I can remember I have dreamed of living in an old castle in the countryside somewhere.  Fixing it up, but not quite to modern, leaving it a little old and craggy.  There is just something about the photos in this post that are so cool and creepy.  I could stare at them all day.  This one gives me goosebumps...

What will you do this Friday?

My Boy is 11!

My boy was born 11 years ago today, but it seems like he just looked like this.  Today the most beautiful and organic thing I can think of is to be present with my kids.  They are growing up mighty fast...

A Perfume Organic

Choosing perfume is much different than selecting skincare. Perfume is very personal. We each have scents that we prefer and perfumes smell differently on each of us. Remember going out and purchasing the perfume you had loved on someone else, only to find out it smelled not at all the same on you? I specifically remember the fresh, springy Origins scent on my friend turning skunky when on my own body.

Selecting scent is individual and should be fun . It is not a necessity so should not be treated as such. The idea here is: Indulge and enjoy.

Sampling A Perfume Organic perfumes was definitely a pleasure. Organic perfumer, Amanda Walker, has created a line of USDA Certified Organic perfumes that are healthy alternatives to synthetic perfumes. Conventional perfumes contain phthalates, petro-chemicals, and acetone which have been linked to such health issues as migraines, asthma, birth defects, and cancer.

Amanda has studied with Master Perfumers and distillers who still believe in the practice of creating perfumes from flowers, fruits, herbs, and spices. A Perfume Organic perfumes contain only the best quality plant ingredients, are vegan certified, and hand-poured in small batches for purity and freshness. Each is packaged in a seed-infused container so you can plant the package, rather than discard.

Green is the line’s signature scent – a fresh combination of “citrus fruits, rare spices and precious herbs from the West Coast, inspired by an amazing, and unforgettable hike in Silver Falls, Oregon.” A light, clean scent that appeals to most. If you prefer a sweeter scent Urban Organic is likely for you, with notes of lemon, lime, ginger, and vetiver. White Magik includes essence of jasmine, sage, and spearmint. A complex, woodsy aroma that is at once dusky and light.

My favorite of the bunch is Wine – Rosé, an intoxicating blend of rich spices and fruits. I always go for the warm, foody, “brown” perfumes and this delicious concoction is all that. It conjures the holidays, something yummy simmering on the stove, a cinnamon-nutmegy spice scent. This is almost exactly the essential oil blend I created over the years using different essential oils. Only Amanda’s perfumes have a luxurious quality that combines the individual scents to create one beautifully unified bouquet. Like all of your favorite oils perfectly married into one fabulously distinctive scent.

Part of the reason spicy scents appeal to me is because of their warmness, and if you are scent-sensitive, this is very important. The cool thing about Amanda’s perfumes is the soft finish. Once on the skin they seem to instantly penetrate and meld with your natural warmness. This creates a soft, almost powdery, aroma. Very delicate, not at all over-whelming.

Can’t decide which perfume to try? The Sample Set includes a vial of each of the four A Perfume Organic scents, and at only $15. The perfect way to try them all and discover your new signature scent.

Guess Who's at NYFW

Nope, not me.  I wish.

It's my friend, co-founder of Caren Online and creator of The Answer for Skin, the lovely Ellen Holder.  Remeber my Bright Eyes post a couple of weeks ago?  Yep, Ellen's products were invited to attend The Green Shows at New York Fashion Week this year via the swag bags at the Auralis Herrero-Lugo show.

The Green Shows feauture eco-friendly, ethically sound, fair-trade fashion during New York Fashion Week and run September 12-14th.

Congratulations Ellen, we love ya!

Reuse -- An Old Desk Gets New Life

We finally had a weekend to ourselves and boy did we get a lot done!

My daughter has this teensy tiny bedroom and, since she is getting older, has been wanting a desk.  This meant two things:  I had to find a cheap (preferably free) desk and some of her stuff had to go.

We inherited a desk from my sister (for free!) and gave it a big makeover this weekend.  This desk was actually the one my sister and I used as kids, so it's the perfect size for a little girl and is sort of a family keepsake.  I didn't take before pictures (why do I always forget the before pics?) but it was finished with a clear stain and the wood was kind of a blue color.  It is hard to describe, but we have always called it the "blue desk". 

We went for white paint (no VOC, of course) to match her room.  The walls are very pale pink and all of the other furniture in the room is white.  I think white furniture looks so "liitle girl" and doesn't seem to bulk up a small room the way darker furniture would.

We went to the paint store and chose Olympic Queen Anne's Lace, a very pale off-white, in semi-gloss so we could wipe it off.  I think the chunky knobs give it a funky, modern vibe even though the desk is 40 plus years old.

The funnest part, for me anyway, was showing my daughter how to paint a piece of furniture.  I have let the kids help me with a couple of smaller projects, but never from start to finish and for something that would be all theirs.  She did all of the painting on the desk with a small roller and I did the drawers with a brush.  We put on three coats and I was so impressed with her dedication and patience with the project.  She saw the whole thing through, even helping me carry the drawers up to her room.  The desk matches her room perfectly and made it look so much more grown-up. She already has it filled up and has her makeup mirror and Kaboodles on top.  My daughter has a really great eye for matching and design and I've always felt that she will do something very creative when she grows up.

We had to take out her little wooden stove, but my parents will store it for us.  My Dad made it -- an exact replica of a Pottery Barn stove -- and it is way too precious for us to give away or sell.  We will save it for MY grandkids.

This simple little project was fun and felt so satisfying to complete.  Again, it is hard to tell with no "before" pics, but it really has transformed her room.  And she will use that desk for a long time and remember working on it HERSELF!


Have you given your house a makeover lately?  Please share....

It's Friday!

It is Friday…let’s do something fun!

I recently came across Deliciously Organic, a site chock full of recipes made from organic ingredients. The site’s creator, Carrie Vitt, even provides a shopping list for stocking your pantry with organic essentials.

Since we do not have much going on this weekend (yay!), I felt like it would be a good chance to look through the site and maybe pick a couple of new recipes to make. So, this morning I went over to take a look around and, lo and behold, what was today’s post on? Making your own organic coffee creamer!

Don’t tell anyone but I loooooove that nasty CoffeeMate coffee creamer. Just a little dab in coffee makes it so super yummy. I know it is full of non-natural ingredients (I mean the stuff isn’t even a dairy product) but it is something I really enjoy. So, this weekend I plan to make one of Carrie’s organic coffee creamers – Pumpkin Spice anyone? – and maybe whip up something from her “Dessert” section to go with.

And then there is coffee itself. It is definitely my vice of choice. All the health gurus tout its bad-ness – wrinkles, thin skin, dark circles – and too much does strange things to me for sure. But it is just so satisfying and can be such an event in and of itself. Having the girls over for coffee…meeting for coffee…coffee first thing in the morning.

Well, in this very same post on organic coffee creamer, Carrie recommends an herbal product that she swears tastes exactly like the real deal. It is called Teeccino and has no caffeine. I must try it immediately. I am skeptical. I will let you know what it is like once it arrives. I am going to go and order it now.

Have any favorite organic recipes you’d like to share with the rest of us? Tried Teeccino yourself? Let us know…

Image:  Ron T at Flickr.com, Creative Commons license.

Bright, Happy Eyes

For a totally fabulous eye cream check out my post on Feelgood Style. The eye cream I wrote about, Ideal Eyes, was created by my friend Ellen of Caren Online. Ellen has also come up with a natural, nontoxic skincare line targeted for women dealing with hormonal skin called The Answer for Skin. Eye Fix is from the same line and is perfect for anyone and any skin type. And Ellen is offering a 15% discount when you purchase The Answer for Skin products.  That includes Ideal Eyes, the perfect time try it out.  You will not be sorry.  I promise!

While we are on the subject of eyes and keeping them looking great…

Last night I was reading an article on eye makeup (not sure where, Better Homes & Gardens I think) and it said to apply nude eyeliner to the lower eye rim for youthful looking eyes. This is supposed to reduce any pinky redness and make eyes look bright and awake.

This morning was the most difficult of the week. Why are Thursday a.m.s always toughest for me? Thought it was supposed to be Monday or Wednesday. Anyway, I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for an eye opener. Since I didn’t have a nude pencil on hand, I used a white shadow pencil instead. The result: my eyes did look brighter and more awake. I have never been a big fan of applying liner to the rim of the eye, but this really was not noticeable. Just took away the pink-ness like the article said.

My favorite way to make my eyes look whiter and brighter is black eyeliner. Give it a try. While I do love a good brown eyeliner pencil, there is just something about the contrast between black pencil and the white of your eye that really works. I usually whip on just a bit in the morning in lieu of mascara so my eyes don’t look quite so “naked”.

And that white eyeshadow pencil I spoke of? Love this product! It is so creamy and just brightens eyes without making it look like you are wearing... well, white eyeshadow. And it lasts all day long. Pretty cool.

I will be posting here soon about an amazing line of natural makeup products that I have been trying out. Including the white eyeshadow.

What are your fave tricks for bright, happy eyes? Please share!

Image:  Colton's Photography at Flickr.com, Creative Commons license.