What is Fair Trade? Fair Trade in Skin Care Products

Batty's Bath only purchases ingredients from Fair Trade Compliant companies and I often get ask what exactly this means. The fair trade program has come out of the human rights & ethics movement. It's in place because many people (such as myself) are sickened that already impoverished countries are continuing to be exploited for their resources.

The basics of Fair Trade are...

...that the profits go back to the communities that produce the goods, that environmentally friendly production methods are used, and that forced labor is never used. I couldn't sleep at night if I wasn't doing what I could to ensure that each aspect of my business is only helping and not hindering anyone, anything, or any place. It's a high ethical calling but I can't imagine running a business any other way.

For more information about fair trade, check out what About.com says about it:

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What is Fair Trade? Do you ever wonder what the term "Fair Trade" means when you are shopping for skin care and beauty products? Here are the fair trade basics when it comes to skin care and beauty products.

When you're shopping for skin care and beauty products, you likely will notice when a product label reads "Fair Trade", but you might be wondering, "What is fair trade"?

When you look at the list of ingredients your product has, you may notice ingredients such as cocoa butter, shea butter, aloe and seaweed, just to name a few, that make the skin care products what they are. These natural ingredients come from farmers who provide to the skin care companies.

What typically happens is that the farmer sells to a middle man, who may sell to another middle man, who then sells to the company who makes the products. This leaves the farmers who produced the ingredients with only a small piece of the profits they worked so hard for. Many times the farmers and communities are taken advantage of, and are left to take what they can, instead of what they deserve.

When a company chooses to get these ingredients in a way that treats the producers fairly, they work directly with them and pay them a fair wage for their work, and their product.

Many times these working relationships coincide with marginalized communities who make their entire living producing and harvesting. Having a fair trade contract gives them the money they deserve, getting out of poverty, creating an opportunity for children to go to school, giving the community the funds to provide what is needed, such as water wells and hospitals for example.

While fair trade is growing in popularity, it is definitely not the norm. If you would like to support marginalized communities with your everyday purchases, read labels, ask employees and do your research. If you're going to make a purchase anyway, it's always nice to know that your purchase made a direct impact for the good.


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How to Guide: Facial Rescue Kit

I've got a lot of requests for a How to Guide for the Facial Rescue Kit so here it is!

Click here to download the full PDF version.

If you haven't gotten your facial rescue kit yet, you can

purchase it on Etsy here or on BattysBath.com here.

Rosacea Skin Care

Wondering if You have Rosacea?
Rosacea is a frustrating skin condition that begins subtly, with the intermittent appearance of redness along the cheeks and nose. If left untreated, rosacea almost always worsens. Read More

Here are the signs to look for:

• Red flushing over the cheeks and nose
• Consistent, though random, and often extreme skin sensitivity
• Acne-like bumps (but the bumps are not acne)
• Flakey skin, sometimes accompanied by oily skin
• Visible tiny blood vessels that may become more noticeable over time
• Other concerns, which can still be present: dry skin, wrinkles, sun damage, and skin discolorations
• Almost anyone can get rosacea, but those affected most often are lighter skinned women. Men are less likely to have rosacea, but when they do, they have more noticeable problems, including swollen bumps along the nose called rhinophyma.

What causes rosacea?
Although the exact cause of rosacea is unknown, various theories about the disorder's origin have evolved over the years. Facial blood vessels dilate too easily, and the increased blood near the skin surface makes the skin appear red and flushed. Various things -- called trigger factors -- can increase this redness response. Acne-like bumps appear, often in the redder area of the central face. This may be due to factors related to blood flow, skin bacteria, microscopic skin mites (Demodex), irritation of follicles, sun damage of the connective tissue under the skin, an abnormal immune or inflammatory response, or psychological factors. None of these possibilities has been proven, although potential inflammatory pathways have been identified in recent ongoing research -- including an immune response triggered by a type of antimicrobial protein known as cathelicidin. A recent study also found that certain bacteria present on otherwise harmless Demodex mites could prompt an inflammatory response in rosacea patients.



What You Should Eliminate from Your Skin-Care Routine:
If you have rosacea, it is critical that you eliminate the parts of your normal skin-care routine that increase inflammation, and make skin redder, such as the following:

• Harsh cleansers such as "beauty bars" that contain detergents
• Drying liquid or lotion cleansers (again, that contain detergents)
• Toners with alcohol and fragrance
• Abrasive scrubs
• Rough washcloths
• At-home facial peels
• Using too many products at the same time.

What to Eliminate: Specific Ingredients
Skin-care ingredients that make rosacea worse include the following, and, shockingly, they often show up in skin-care products whose labels claim they are specifically for those with rosacea:

• Fragrant plant extracts such as cinnamon, rosemary, lavender, and rose
• Some Synthetic fragrances
• Lemon, lime, menthol, peppermint, pine, and cedar
• Alcohol
• Witch hazel

Pore Clogging Ingredients

"Noncomedogenic" basically means "non pore clogging". You've probably seen "won't clog pores" or noncomedogenic on products before but how can you be sure? We've all learned by now that it's hard to trust advertising and packaging claims, especially when they are products of a big faceless company. Handmade, approachable, small time sellers are usually more trust worthy as they are often up front about their ingredients - including why they include them in their formulas - but it's alway best to educate yourself first - it's your best line of defense about false or uneducated claims. Today I wanted to share with you a few ingredients to look out for when it comes to facial skin care. The last thing you want to do is use something that's supposed to clean or hydrate your skin that actually ends up clogging pores and causing breakouts. Although there are some exceptions to using comedogenic ingredients in your skin care routine, today I'll just stick with the general comedogenic ingredients that shouldn't be part of a daily routine.

Some of the most common ones are:

• Isopropyl myristate
• Cetyl alcohol
• Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
• Laureth-4
• Cocoa butter
• D & C red dyes.

Even the prescription acne medication Retin-A (in the cream form) has one of the worst offenders - isopropyl myristate. If that doesn't make you paranoid about who to trust with your skin, I don't know what would! Be your own advocate for your skin and check the ingredients.

If you have acne on your body and/or near your hairline, be sure and check your hair products, especially hair rinses that leave a residue on the hair. These could be contributing to body acne - beware of every product you put on your body and hair that might come into contact with places you find particularly prone to acne. Moreover, get rid of any products that are stripping your skin of it's natural oils! I know I've said this many times before, but I'll continue to say it because it's so important when it comes to combating skin problems! As soon as you use these types of products (think commercially made body wash, "beauty bars", and the like) that include detergents in them, your skin's natural oil balance becomes out of whack which results in overly dry skin or an over production of oil (both of which can cause breakouts)!

Quick Trick for Dry Hair & Skin

If your hair and skin are dry and in need some TLC, I've got a great trick to share with you! You don't even need to do anything besides soak in the tub with an olive oil bath bomb!

That's right, that's it.. well besides relaxing in the tub! Here's the full run down... Run a warm bath, throw in an olive oil bath bomb (make sure it's a bath bomb made with olive oil, like the ones from Batty's Bath, otherwise this wont work!). Now carefully climb into the tub and soak your bones! Make sure to lay back in the tub, letting your hair soak in the water as well. If you have short hair, tip your head back and soak it that way. Make sure you get all your hair wet so all your hair is treated. Let the ends float in the water most of the time if possible. You don't need to soak your hair as long as your skin; just soak your hair on and off throughout your bath time. Try to stay in the tub for 20 minutes. With a great magazine, or podcast, this shouldn't be hard :)

Happy soaking!

Q & A with Batty: How well does your primer work for oily skin?

Q: "How well does this work for oily skin? I love wearing makeup (organic makeup!), but my liquid foundation always cakes and looks yucky after wearing it for several hours. I'm always on the look out for organic foundation primers, but sadly I haven't found one that did much to minimize my oil slick of a face! hehe I'm hoping yours will work like magic and possibly end my hunt!" - anonymous

A:

battysbath says: Thanks for your question! I've added a specific clay especially for oily skin! It actually balances excess oil :) Now the primer is one thing, but your foundation is a whole other story.. if you pile on cream, whip, or liquid makeup on top of that (or on top of anything really).. you'll get that glossy look after wearing it for several hours. The primer can handle any amount of natural skin oils, but additional synthetic or natural oils creates much too much of a mess for any primer to really handle. My advice would be to use the primer to balance excess oil, and then use a good mineral make up foundation - that way you wont have to worry about ADDING more oil to the situation. I love mineral make up and there's a lot of great etsy sellers that have fabulous foundations :) If you simply cannot stray from "traditional" make up I would at least try to use on that has as little "liquid" content as possible. Always finish with a POWDER! So even if you are using, say a cream foundation (i actually love whipped foundation hehe), then finish it off with a GOOD layer of pressed powder or a sheer finishing mineral makeup powder. This will help to absorb any oils that come out from the makeup while the primer works on YOUR natural ois underneath :) I hope that helps :)

New Release: Facial Resuce Kit for Acne Prone Skin

Is your skin in need some TLC? Have you had problem skin for as long as you can remember and have tried everything at the department and drug stores with no relief? If you said yes, then it might be time to try the handmade made approach to skin care!

Each one of these products are used personally by "Batty" each and every week - and some, like the patchouli cream, are used daily to keep breakouts at bay! Not only does this kit fight acne, it also helps reduce the scars that past breakouts have left behind!

If you suffer from acne breakouts, scars from previous acne breakouts, or uneven skin tone, then it's time to change your skin care regiment!

The Facial Rescue Kit for Acne Prone Skin will get you started on the path to figuring out what your skin needs to keep it healthy, smooth, and glowing!

Why I Exfoliate Everyday!

Ever wonder how some people seem to have that perfect, glowing skin? It's no secret or magical potion. It's because they exfoliate. And it's a practice everyone should get in the habit of doing.

Exfoliation is the process of getting rid of the old, dead cells on the outermost surface of your skin. It's been a part of men and women's skin care routines for centuries, beginning with the ancient Egyptians, and it's been proven to play a dramatic role in achieving younger skin.

Your Skin's Life Cycle

Your skin is constantly regenerating itself. New skin cells are created in the dermis (the lower layer of the skin). Over time, these skin cells work their way to the surface and die. These dead cells are constantly shedding and the entire cycle repeats itself.

However, some of the cells have a hard time leaving the skin. Dirt and oil trap these cells on the skin's surface, causing your face to look dull, your pores to look larger and your wrinkles to appear deeper.

The longer these dead cells build upon each other, the greater chance you have for clogged pores and acne. The longer the pores are clogged, the less likely they are to shrink back down to a smooth and flawless appearance.

Why Your Skin Needs Help

The amount of time it takes your skin to regenerate has everything to do with your age. As babies, the skin usually renews itself in 14 days, needing little to no help to shed dead cells and replace them with new, healthy skin.

In fact, the skin continues to do a pretty good job at restoring itself until you hit 30. It's at this time that your skin's life cycle begins to slow, causing more flaws to appear on the skin's surface. By the time you hit 50, your skin takes nearly 40 days to regenerate, resulting in a rough, uneven, older-looking complexion.

How Exfoliation Works

Exfoliation involves scrubbing the skin with an abrasive.This abrasive could be a rough cloth or loofah, or body/facial scrubs (with ground-up kernels, nut shells, sugar or salt, etc). The Batty's Bath body scrub that I use on my face every day is made with ground up apricot shells (the pits). I find this formula is rough enough to keep my skin clear and soft and significantly reduces any flaking from the old acne scars I have on my cheeks. Some people may find that a Batty's Bath body polish will do the trick - they are made with epsom salts, sugar, or jojoba beads - but these are a much milder form of exfoliation.

Exfoliation does a good job at sloughing away dry, damaged skin. But it's important not to go overboard. If your abrasive is too rough or if you use it too often, it can lead to skin irritation and damage. I'm able to exfoliate my face every day but find that I only need to exfoliate the rest of my body every few days. You may find that your skin may look best with more or less exfoliation. Test out exfoliating more or less to find the balance that's right for you :)

Skin Care Facts: Does Your Diet Cause Acne?

Myth: Acne is caused by eating the wrong foods.

Fact: This is both true and false. The traditional foods thought to cause acne, such as chocolate and greasy foods, have no effect on acne, and there is no research indicating otherwise. However, there is the potential that individual dietary allergic reactions can trigger acne, such as eating foods that contain iodine, like shellfish, although there is an ongoing controversy about that. A bit more conclusive is new research showing that milk, especially skim milk, can increase the risk of acne. The same may be true for a diet high in carbohydrates; a high glycemic load can increase breakouts, while a low glycemic load can reduce their occurrence. (Glycemic load is a ranking system for the amount of carbohydrates in a food portion; too many carbs in your diet could trigger breakouts.) Experimenting for a few months to see which of these food groups either hurt or help your skin is worth the effort

(Sources: Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, June 2008, pages 718-726; Dermatologic Therapy, March-April 2008, pages 86-95; Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, May 2008, pages 787-793; and Dermatology Online Journal, May 30, 2006).

Skin Care Facts: Does Your Skin Adapt to Skin Care Products?

Myth: Your skin adapts to the skin-care products you are using and you need to change to new products every now and then.

Fact: Skin doesn't adapt to skin-care products any more than your body adapts to a healthy diet. If spinach and grapes are healthy for you they are always healthy, and they continue to be healthy, even if you eat them every day. The same is true for your skin, as long as you are applying what is healthy for skin (and avoiding negative external sources such as unprotected sun exposure) it remains healthy.

Skin Care Facts: Can Toothpaste Take Care of Pimples?

Myth: Toothpaste works to prevent or quickly heal a pimple.

Fact: Absolutely not true!!! This would be funny if so many people didn't believe it. None of the ingredients in toothpaste can have a positive effect on acne or change a blemish once you have it, and actually it can make matters worse. The bacteria in your mouth are not related to the bacteria in your pores that cause acne (P. acne). And although the fluoride or sodium monofluorophosphate in your toothpaste can help fight bacteria in your mouth, on your skin it actually can cause pimples and redness in the areas with which it comes in contact. This is known as perioral dermatitis (Sources: Journal of the American Dental Association, September 2003, page 1165; Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, June 1990, pages 1029 -1032; and Archives of Dermatology, June 1975, page 793). The other ingredients in toothpaste might offer minimal abrasive properties, but they provide nothing that a gentle rubbing with a washcloth doesn't provide far better.

Save Yourself from the Winter Woes Before They Start This Year!

Many of us dread winter because of the cool winds, all the snow to shovel, and the outrageous heating bills! If those weren't bad enough, many people experience cracked, dry, flaking, and itchy "winter skin" year after year! The usual remedy is to stock up on moisturizer and lip balm which is always a great idea... BUT did you know you can also help save your skin from the winter woes BEFORE they start with products other than just moisturizers? It's true! Healthy skin can happen all year long! I'm sure many of you have experience itchy dry legs after shaving even in the summer - but no more! It's time to take back your skin! I used to have itchy dry legs and cracked sore heels all year long but thankfully, now that I'm older and wiser (haha), I've figured out what the problem was! The problem was that I was using commercial body washes full of detergents! Detergents are used in almost every commercially available body wash, hand soap, and bar soaps that you can find at big retail stores. If there's one thing you pick up from this post, let it be this: switch to REAL SOAP, as in the handmade kind that is free of detergents, and you'll save your skin a world of hurt! It may sound drastic, but in my experience, before switching to handmade REAL soap, there was no doubt in my mind that I had dry skin! As it turns out, this simply wasn't true! Now that I'm using real soap, I have "normal" skin. It's not dry, it's not oily... it's simply the way skin is supposed to feel because I'm not using products that strip it of its natural oils! Sure, I use my body butter too, but I usually don't even need to use it as a moisturizer! I just like the smell of it! :)

Here's a little bit of a history lesson for you...

You may have already started to wonder why commercially made products aren't made with real soap and are instead made with detergents. The truth is, before the 2nd world war, real soap WAS made commercially and everyone used this real soap on their skin, hair, and even as household cleaners. However, during the war, the fats and oils that are used to make real soap became scare because they were being used to manufacture nitro-glycerin for explosives. This created a dilemma - how to create soap without the actually ingredients to make it! Petroleum became the next option and scientists where able to make all kinds of new products out of it including detergents. Without the supplies to make real soap, society quickly replaced real soap with detergents for their personal hygiene and household cleaners. After the war, manufactures continued to make and market detergents as being just as safe and as beneficial for your skin as real soap because detergents cost them so much less to make! They were actually making more of a profit by using cheap petroleum in their products rather than sourcing out high quality fats and oils for soap making (so of course they would continue to convince consumers that detergents are just as good! They didn't want the truth to cut into their profit!). The sad truth is that detergents will NEVER be good for your skin or hair no matter how many ways the marketers and advertisers spin the story... the truth is that REAL soaps made with fats and oils will ALWAYS be better for your skin and hair than detergents will.

So what does that have to do with saving your skin from the winter woes?

Everything! :) If you're still using commercially bought body wash, then the first way to stop your skin from drying up is to switch to a cleanser that wont strip your skin of its natural oils. This means using real soap or a carefully formulated handmade body wash. Real soaps don't damage your skin's protective layers like detergents do. Detergents are the reason why your skin can't retain its natural moisture levels. In fact, detergents actually dissolve skin protein and draw your skin's natural oils from far beneath the surface. After you get out of the shower and towel dry off, the itch you start to feel all over your skin is your skin telling you something is wrong! And what's even worse is that if you're using a commercially made cream, you're not doing your skin any favors because that "big brand name" cream is full of drying ingredients (yes, I said drying ingredients! If your big brand name moisturizer did its job the first time you wouldn't have to use so much cream throughout the day and that's not what big commercial companies want! They want you to have to feel that itching urge to slather ridiculous amounts of cream all over your body every few hours so you keep buying MORE cream and they keep selling MORE products... rather than producing a product that is good for you in the first place because that just wouldn't be profitable!). On the other hand, while a lot of peoples experience super dry skin due to this drying cycle, some people have the opposite reaction - they get oily skin! Why do they get oily skin you ask? Well, they end up with oily skin after using commercial body wash and commercial moisturizer because the deep stripping of natural oils causes their skin to produce copious amounts of oil to compensate for it. This in turn aggravates acne and makes skin problems worse!

What about my hair??

This same cycle happens with commercially made (big brand name) shampoo & conditioner. The shampoo damages the hair by stripping it of its natural oils and people become convinced that they just have "problem hair". Rather than using conditioner as a detangler, they end up relying on it to restore their hair from all the damage their shampoo as done, but unfortunately, those commercially made conditioners are just as bad for your hair as the shampoo! My advice? Steer clear of commercially made big brand name cleansers (no matter HOW expensive) for your hair and your skin!

So why are my commercial products getting me these drying results?

The simple answer is that it's their intended results! Commercial companies are not as big as they are because they produces high quality products. They are as big as they are because they MARKET their products as being the best while using the cheapest ingredients to produce a product to sell. Handmade sellers do NOT embrace this "code of ethics", in fact, it's the complete opposite. Handmade soap makers like myself, make high quality products with ingredients that WILL NOT damage, strip oils, or otherwise wreak havoc on your hair and skin. We don't have the big marketing firms to tell the public about us so we need our products to speak for themselves. They need to be products that do what they say will do. I make and sell bath & body products because I'm passionate about high quality hair and skin products. I wanted something better than was being offered to me in the stores, and I wanted to know the truth about all those ingredients. And I wanted to ensure that my family and friends were using products that were actually GOOD for their skin! With watching so many people I know struggle with skin problems, unruly hair, and my own battle with acne, I knew SOMETHING had to be done! Something had to change! I started with soap, and have expanded my knowledge and product line into skin care and hair care products. Each and every product has a story behind it and has been made with a purpose - made with a person in mind - made to offer a healthy alternative to what was available at the store.

What's the bottom line? How do I save my skin & hair from the winter woes?

The bottom line is that the best thing you can do for your skin & hair is to ditch any detergent filled cleansers you're using and replace them with REAL soap and cleansers!!!

Now the tricky part.... you will NOT find real soap at most corner stores, the grocery store, or the big box stores! You'll have to hunt it down from a handmade soap maker like myself. Handmade soap makers can be found all over the place! Most cities, towns, and villages have at least one soap maker who is selling their skin loving creations. For example, my soaps are available at a local shop called Weezi, available online, at home parties, and at local craft shows! If you're local to me, you'll definitely be able to find me out and about a lot in the community, or you can simply place an order online! And, if you order online and live in London (Ontario) and area, I'll deliver it for free! If you're not local, no worries! I ship worldwide :)

Say Goodbye to Problem Skin with Patchouli :)

Many of you know that one of my secret weapons against breakouts and bad skin is my patchouli moisturizer. Almost every day I have someone new telling me that they started using my patchouli moisturizer and now their skin is looking great!!!

Don't listen to all the old ill-advised advice that tells you to dry your skin out as much as possible to deal with breakouts! This only makes matters worse! The more you dry out your skin, the more your pores will create oil to compensate! The best thing you can do for your face is to wash with a handmade facial soap or scrub, and then apply my patchouli moisturizer! You'll notice within a few days that your skin is starting to balance out its oil production, your acne is starting to calm down, and your skin is softer than ever before!

But don't just take my word for it, try it for yourself!

Grab a jar of my patchouli moisturizer from the online shop today :)

P.S. if you want to know more about my skin care regiment, check out my youtube channel ;)

New Release: Facial Soap

A new facial soap has arrived in the Batty's Bath online store!

If you often have break outs and are looking for a soap to help you get your problem skin under control - this is the soap for you! If you're looking for a soap to keep your skin clean, controlled, smooth, and soft - This is still the soap for you!

This soap bar does the work of two different soap bars - the patchouli side is used during a flare up of skin problems to helps calm break outs, while the grapefruit side purifies congested, oily and acne prone skin to reduce future breakouts!

The side of the soap made with patchouli essential oil has jojoba beads added for excellent moisturizing benefits as well as extremely mild exfoliation.

The side of the soap made with grapefruit essential oil has apricot shells added for deep cleaning exfoliation.

Who could resist this new 2-in-one facial bar? :)

Snag a bar for yourself or someone else by going to the Batty's Bath Etsy shop!

New Release: SLS Free Body Wash, Shampoo, and Conditioner

I'm super excited to announce my newly formulated

Body Washes, Shampoos & Conditioners!

Now they are all free of SLS, Phosphate, BHA, BHT, Parabens, DEA, MEA, TEA, Dibutyl Phthalate, Formaldehyde-releasing Preservatives, PEG compounds and Siloxanes!

The old formulas were free of most of these ingredients but I decided to make the full leap into making liquid formulas that are free of SLS.

So what does all this mean to you?

It means that Batty's Bath products are even more

skin loving, eco-friendly, and natural than ever before!

Enjoy the new formulas loaded with

Hemp, Aloe, and Natural Botanicals!

Go to the online shop for more information on each product.

My newly formulated goodies have been flying out of my online shop and
out of my studio locally faster than ever before! I'll be adding new
scents daily so stay tuned and snatch up what you want FAST
before someone else beats you to it :)

What Your Skin is Up to While You Sleep

Did you know that your skin is up to some pretty interesting things while you sleep? It's true! The saying "beauty sleep" does hold some weight because we all know we don't look so "hot" when we're run down due to lack of sleep. Want to know why? Let me explain...

Your Skin Responds Better to Treatments While You Sleep...

Your skin will readily take in active ingredients from facial products, such as my patchouli facial cream, while you sleep. One of the reasons for this is because the products and your skin don't have to compete with sunlight, make up, and pollution. Secondly, your body temperature is higher when you go to bed because of activity and food intake so products will absorb deeper into your skin - and if you're trying to get rid of a nasty breakout, this is exactly what you want!

But...

When I need it, I always put on a facial product to "clean up & repair" my face while I sleep but I can honestly say that I don't ALWAYS need to do this. There are those few days a week when my skin is looking A-OK and without any problems. On these days I "let my skin breath". Yes, what your mother told you is true.. your skin needs to breath! At least once a week give your skin a break while you sleep and let it do it's thing - repair itself, detox that dirt, and balance oil production. Every once and a while it can do this on it's only without our help ;)

Even More Essential Oil Soaps Have Arrived!

Grapefruit Essentail Oil Glycerin Soap
Grapefruit Pink Essential Oil is believed by aromatherapists to be a spiritual up-lifter, and to ease muscle fatigue and stiffness. It is also a purifier of congested, oily and acne prone skin.

Peppermint Essential Oil Glycerin Soap
Peppermint Essential Oil is widely credited with being refreshing, a mental stimulant and energizing. It's familiar aroma of peppermint is known for both its warming and cooling properties.

Sweet Orange Essential Oil Glycerin Soap
Sweet Orange Essential Oil has been historically recognized for it's deodorizing properties, for brightening dull skin and for easing stress. It has a fresh, citrus orange scent.

Patchouli Essential Oil Glycerin Soap

This Patchouli Glycerin Soap is handmade with "dark patchouli essential oil". Patchouli is a warm and earthy aroma. Patchouli is known for being helpful for skin irritations, acne, and other skin imperfections. Since this soap is packed with patchouli, it's great for anyone looking to calm down problem skin.

Video Update - Make Up Talk & Studio Secrets!

Take Back Your Skin!

If you're looking to boost up your skin care regiment, Batty's Clay Facial Mask is for you! This natural clay mask is made with 100% natural soy butter and skin loving clay!

Batty has picked out only the best natural clay that is known for its ability to calm break outs, reduce redness, diminish the look of scars, and is the strongest of all clays for detoxification. Minerals in the clay also help to rebalance oil flow, and strengthen the skin.

This clay mask is also beneficial after pregnancy, where cellulite or stretch marks are of concern.

Just put some of this clay on the trouble areas and leave it for a couple hours while it goes to work (the longer the better). Wash off with warm water.

Batty's Secret Revealed!

Batty's Facial Primer & Day Moisturizer has been my little secret for a long time now! This is one of the essential items in my "tool kit" when it comes to making sure my complexion always looks its best!

This formula has 3 natural clays that are each added for specific skin loving reasons.

The first clay is used to add "slip", making it a good primer. A primer is used on the skin before you put your make up on. It gives your skin a super smooth and soft texture, so your make up goes on flawlessly without getting "caught" on any imperfections, dry spots, or fine lines.

The second clay is added to improve the overall state of your skin by working to reduce dryness and flakiness, while improving clarity and tone.

The third clay is added to combat skin imperfections such as excess oil, break outs, and scars.

This formula can be used as a day moisturizer even when you don't wear any make up. When you do wear make up with it, you'll be happy to know that you'll have something between your skin and make up that's actually beneficial to the look of your skin!

If you missed my video about this primer and the other products I use on my face, you can see it here: