Sunkissed Baby + Mama :: Natural Skin Care for This Sacred Time in Your Life

Being pregnant is A LOT of work, I've never done it, so I don't "really know" what it's like. But, creating a life, harbouring a child inside of you and growing to however big you grow does not look easy (or enjoyable sometimes). But the reward is totally worth, I've heard!
So, to honor and treat mama's & new baby's well - I created a line of products for this precious and hard working time in their lives. 

:: Here's the line up ::

 + MOMMY BALMY // ORGANIC BELLY + BODY BALM

This is a deeply emollient and softening balm. I've infused organic calendula flowers & burdock root in high quality oil for weeks before adding it to this luscious and sweet earth smelling creation. Rich, luxurious oils of avocado, jojoba, coconut & unrefined shea butter combined with powerful skin-healing properties of calendula & burdock root will nourish your baby-harbouring body. 
+ aids in keeping your skin supple & elastic
+ helps to avoid stretch marks and scarring
+ omission of essential oils (or other fragrance) raises the safety factor for use during pregnancy

get it here >>

+ BABY BOOTY DUST // ALL NATURAL BABY POWDER

My calming, lavender smelling, talc-free baby powder is full of wonderful herbs & soothing ingredients. I finely grind the high quality herbs, so they feel soft and smooth against your little one's skin. This all natural baby powder 
+ is full of antimicrobial, antiseptic & soothing ingredients
+ will help prevent diaper rash by absorbing moisture
+ will aid in healing diaper rash and minor infections
+ does not contain chemicals or other ingredients that are harmful if used or inhaled
 After a few sprinkles of this booty dust, they'll be back to all smiles and ready to take on their day (or nap). 
++ You can also use this as a bath soak for baby - or a foot soak for athlete's foot or other skin irritations like eczema.

get it here >>

+ BABY LAV // ORGANIC LAVENDER BABY CREAM WITH CALENDULA 

Ok....I'm obsessed with this lotion! I use it all the time on myself, and am working on a "Lady Lav" version (for us ladies). With the calming smell of lavender and the sweet, soothing smell and properties of calendula - your little one will love how this feels on their brand new skin! I've infused organic calendula flowers in high grade organic olive oil for weeks before adding it to this sweet concoction. 
+ Aids in healing skin irritations & rashes
+ Helps soothe and calm skin and senses
+ Leaves a fresh, clean & intoxicating smell
+ All natural & organic ingredients are completely safe for your precious mini-you
You'll be tempted to slather this all over yourself...go for it, I know I do!

get it here >>

I'm excited to give this as gifts to a few expecting gals I know! My little sis, who's pregnant, has been enjoying the belly balm and said she loves using it right out of the shower, before bed time and it smells like earth. I can't wait to use all of this when my husband and I decide to create a new human together! I hope any mama who tries this can feel the love that I put into it. 

Click here to visit the baby + mama section of my shop to get a few more details and purchase some for yourself or a friend, sister, aunt, cousin - someone special!

Until next time. xoxo

Sunkissed Dream :: Retailin'

Last Friday was an awesome day for me! I got the opportunity to stock a local store with my products. Rustic Roots in my hometown of Turlock. I had the freedom to create the display myself (lots of Pinterest searches for inspiration). It was so exciting (and nerve racking) to try and display my products in a lovely fashion, to be pleasing to others. And even if people don't buy anything, hopefully they can at least enjoy how it looks. It was a lot of work making that much of my product all at once, but totally worth it! I was so giddy when I stepped back and looked at these shelves and thought - I created all that. (Is that kind of what it feels like when you have a child?...) kidding....kind of.

I used a few plants, dried herbs in mini apothecary jars of different sizes and styles (I hope customers open & smell them), and framed a few product photography shots. I want people to feel like they're in my little sunkissed world when they step into this area.

I took at least one of each product out of its box to display and turned some of the boxes around, so customers can see the fun & beneficial information that's on the back. 

I included a large hobnail jar full of high quality facial cottons for the taking (oh my gosh, these things really are so soft & amazing on your skin- find them here).

I also put out sample jars of a few of my lotions & balms for people to try. I mean, it's a lot easier to purchase something when you've tried it and know you like it, right? 

I decided to divide my products up into different sections for different skin types. So all products for acne-prone or problematic skin were together, all the baby+mama goodies got displayed together, anti-aging products..etc, etc. I feel like that will make it easier for people to find what they're looking for, for their specific skin type. 

I put my best sellers or top products on the top shelf, since that is what people will see first. 

And I tried to make sure that there was a lot of height and dimension in the display. Some products up on the box, some just on the shelf, to keep customer's eyes scanning and looking for what they want to find!

I'm pretty sure the best thing I had going for me was this gorgeous white mantel that Jenny has in her store. Hopefully nobody buys it anytime soon, or I'm going to be up a creek. 

I feel like the best way to display your products is with simplicity and to just let the products, in their own beauty, do the talking. The plants and herbs I used complimented my products because those are the kind of ingredients I use. Also, you want it to be easy for the customer to grab a product to look at it or buy it! If they can't pick it up, or it seems too complicated - you might lose a sale!
I'm definitely not an expert in this field yet, but had a blast creating my first display and it was great practice for my artisan faire in 2 weeks, the STOCKMARKET!

If you're in or around Turlock, I'd love for you to stop by Rustic Roots and take a gander at my all natural + organic skin care line and my hand poured soy candles.

If you're not around, head over to my Etsy shop or website. 

Until next time. xoxo

Sunkissed Casa :: Future Abode

Happy Tuesday dreamers! Been super busy with my all natural skin care line the last couple weeks, as I'm preparing to sell my products in a local store! I've been creating some new products, building up inventory, labeling, pricing, photographing etc. etc....Luckily I really enjoy both sides of my business - the creative and the "business" side of it. It's slowly but surely growing and I'm very hopeful that soon enough more people will find and love my products and the message I am sharing. 

Anyways...I thought I'd take a break from that to share some of my favorite Pins on my "la casa" Pinterest board. I love our home right now, it's a hundred year old beauty with a gorgeous yard - but one day when we own our own place, I will be more than ready to customize it to our perfect cabinesque+bungalow+spanish-style+colorful+bohemian abode. Enjoy the following photos and be sure to find all the links on my "la casa" board and follow along with me for more!

ps: Sunkissed Dream has it's own Instagram now! 
I'd love for you to follow along with my journey.

Keep dreaming. xoxo

Sunkissed Dream :: New Site :: Fresh Look

So excited to finally be launching a FULL NEW WEBSITE!
I've done website design and management for local businesses for years now and finally got around to making one for myself... 

Head over to the new sunkisseddream.com to browse my fresh look!
Be sure to stay tuned here for new blog posts & fun, sunkissed content!

Until next time. xoxo

Sunkissed Dream :: Artisan Fair Vendor :: the STOCKMARKET

I'm so, so, so excited to be a vendor at my first artisan market & street fair!  

:: The STOCKMARKET :: located in Stockton, CA on Saturday July 18, 2015.

 I can't wait to showcase my all natural beauty products and hand poured soy candles IN PERSON, create my own booth, meet new people and let them sample my products, meet other vendors and see their wonderful creations, and just actually be a part of something so creative & beautiful instead of just being a visitor!

If you live in the Central Valley of California, or even a couple hours away - I would suggest visiting this event. It is a curated marketplace of local artists, creators & vintage with local food trucks, drinks and live music! There will vendors inside & on the street. FIND MY BOOTH INSIDE!

:: visit their website here ::

:: find their facebook page here ::

It's going to be a busy next few weeks for me - but so fun and a wonderful learning experience! 

I hope to see you there!

Follow along with all my sunkissed adventures on my facebook page. 

Until next time. xoxo

Sunkissed DIY: All Natural Facial Cleanser with Olive Oil + Rice Flour

Good morning! Things have been very busy for me lately as I'm trying to get all my new products completed, labeled, photographed and up on my Etsy shop! I also just found out I was accepted into an artisan fair next month (my very first one)! So that should keep me very busy these next few weeks!

If you're wondering what's new in my shop...well I'll tell ya =)

• All Natural Facial Cleansing Oil
• All Natural Herbal Toner + Astringent + Primer (I've been using this SO much lately & absolutely love it)
• All Natural Anti-Aging Facial Serum
• Mucho Mango Hand Poured Soy Candle (smells divine)

I'd love for you to head on over & take a look!

--------------------------------------------------
The main reason for today's post is to tell you about one of the best and easiest facial cleansers you can make yourself! It is all natural, great for pretty much any skin type and has ingredients that are easy to come by or you may already have in your casita!
This cleanser is something you can mix up every morning or evening or make a larger batch to use up within a couple days or a week. 

This cleanser is great for removing dirt, oils and grime from your face and promoting a bright and healthy complexion. Here's the ingredients & why you'll love them: 

RICE FLOUR is a wonderful cleansing grain because it's gentle enough to not disturb the protective coating of your skin while still removing dead skin cells, polishing, soothing and nourishing your face. OLIVE OIL is a great emollient oil for most skin types and is full of nutrients that your skin loves & needs- using oil is one of the best ways to cleanse your delicate skin. LIME JUICE is what will give your skin that extra wake up call- with it's antioxidant and astringent properties it helps kill bacteria on your skin, as well as brightening & toning your face. CHAMOMILE is a wonderful calming and anti-inflammatory herb that has been used for medicinal & skin healing purposes for centuries. Adding this ingredient will help liven up tired & dull skin, diminish puffy eyes and aid in healing acne scars.

:: WHAT YOU'LL NEED ::
(this makes about 2 applications)

• 1 TBSP Brown Rice Flour like Bob's Red Mill
• 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil (preferably cold pressed +  organic)
• 1 tsp Fresh lime juice (optional)
• 1-2 tsp Chamomile flowers- freshly ground or powdered (optional)

:: DIRECTIONS ::

• In a small, ok very small, bowl mix together rice flour and chamomile flower powder (if using) 
• Drop in olive oil and stir
• Squeeze fresh lime juice (if using) and mix well again
• It's ready to be used!
• Sometimes I'll make enough to last me a couple days and just leave it in the fridge. It does harden when it gets that cold, so I'll take it out about 20 minutes before I'm going to use it so it has time to liquify again.

:: TO USE ::

• Dampen face with warm water or cloth to open pores
• Spread cleansing mixture onto fingers and gently massage in upward motions into face and neck
• Do this for about a minute to loosen dirt and grime from pores
• Rinse face with wet cloth or cool water
• Follow up with a toner (to remove excess oil) and moisturizer
• Enjoy the glow!

Isn't it so wonderful & rewarding when you know that everything you're using on your skin comes from the earth? 

Until next time. xoxo

Sunkissed DIY: Herbal Infusions with Olive Oil

The old saying goes, "good things come to those who wait," right? Well, that old proverb sure holds true when it comes to creating your own herbal infusions. I started about 7 new dried herbal infusions over the past couple days and already want to open them, smell them, and utilize their powerful properties! But, sadly I can't - yet. They just looked so beautiful, I had to take some photos. 

I'm making these for creams and salves, so I have them all infusing in organic, cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil. I plan on doing tinctures (alcohol based) & some vinegar based hair rinse infusions as well- but I ran out of jars - so those will have to wait until I make a trip to Walmart again. 

• The basic rule is 1 oz, by weight (I use a small digital scale), of freshly dried herb - to 4 oz carrier oil. 
• For "fluffier" or flowery herbs, you'll have to use a few more ounces of oil in order to fully immerse the herb. They will absorb some of the oil, so just make sure you have enough oil to fully cover the dried herbs in your container/jar. 
• Close your jar with a tight fitting lid, label it with contents & date, and let it sit for 3 to 6 weeks, shaking it everyday (or as often as you remember).
• Once they're ready, line a bowl with a muslin cloth (you can put a strainer under the cloth as well), pour the contents of the jar into the cloth and let the oil seep through. Squeeze the bottom of the cloth, trying to get out as much oil as you can. Note that you will lose a small percentage of the oil, since the herbs drank it up!

I chose olive oil because it is one of the most stable oils (long shelf life), and is very emollient & great for most skin types. Since these infused oils are going to have new plant material introduced to them and will be sitting on the shelf for 3-6 weeks, you want to make sure they will not go rancid! Other stable oils are safflower, sunflower & palm kernel. Always make sure any oils you're using are cold pressed (nutrients are not lost by high heat processing) and preferably organic. 

My infusions consist of:

Burdock Root

Calendula Flowers

Comfrey Root

Chamomile Flowers

Chamomile Powder

Rosehips

St. Johns Wort

I get most of my herbs from a local health store, but I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs or Starwest Botanicals if you're purchasing online. 

Can't wait to open these up in a few weeks! Happy infusing!

Until next time. xoxo