Hi everyone
I just updated the ingredients web page with the two new products (Pina Colada mask, and also Chocolate Truffle Buttercreme).
Also Purity toner no longer contains potassium sorbate and ascorbic acid (the witch hazel hydrosol had those ingredients added to it by my previous vendor, to help extend shelf life. I have just switched vendors so the hydrosol does not have any additives now).
Our huge Chinese New Years/1 Year online Anniversary sale is now over, but today is the start of our new special 🙂 Every order from now (February 6, 2011) until February 12th, 2011 (11:59 pm EST) will receive your choice of one of the following products: a free xiao (small) Karite African black soap OR a petite (sample) size of a mineral makeup multipurpose color (please specify which color). After you place you order, please email me to let me know which you prefer. If I do not receive an email, then I will choose the free gift for you 🙂
Li@earthalkemie.com
Gift sets are also back up on the site (which are 15% off of regular prices).
Happy Chinese New Year! Xin nian kuai le! Today is the start of the Year Of The Rabbit. 🙂
It is also the one year anniversary for Earth Alkemie (I really can’t believe I’ve been in business for a year already. To me it feels like I only opened my store a couple months ago). I’ve been through thick and thin this past year and I hope that this year Earth Alkemie will be better than ever. I am in the process of revamping Earth Alkemie (how I run and do things) so look forward to all the exciting changes surrounding Earth Alkemie!
I just wanted to give a special thanks to everyone for supporting Earth Alkemie thus far! One thing that has touched me was the support I have received from my customers (many of which I also consider friends).
So to celebrate both Earth Alkemie’s 1 year, and also Chinese New Year, from now (Feb 3rd, 2011) until Feb. 5, 2011 (11:59 pm EST) Earth Alkemie will be having a huge sale. 20% off of everything. (The only other time I have done 20% off of the whole store before was during black friday and cyber monday, so I won’t be having a sale this huge for a long time).
Use coupon code: Rabbit
Please note, only one coupon code can be used at a time. Thanks!
I have temporarily taken the gift sets and samplers off the site during the sale (since they were already discounted 15% off, and when I use coupons with my shopping cart, it discounts everything).
They will be back after the sale. The seasonal outdoor oils are also taken off the site for this reason.
Throughout this month, in addition to the samplers and gift sets, and the current sale, there will be more specials and also contests, so please check this blog, our forum, or our facebook page often!
Products added recently: pina colada mask and also Chocolate Truffle Buttercreme (both of these smell so yummy!)
The snow and weather have been pretty bad so still need to take some new pictures up for the Buttercremes once the weather clears up (Chocolate Truffle Buttercreme is in the same blue glass jars as Vanille Lavande Buttercreme).
Later this month: new products will include more aromatherapy soaps, mineral makeup, my new perfume for Chinese new year/the year of the rabbit (it still needs time to age properly). And other goodies. The African black soaps will soon be offered a bit differently (I will no longer be rebatching them into bars, and will be just cutting them from the blocks they come in. Will post more on this later).
Hi everyone
Earth Alkemie now has a facebook page! Yay! Please check out Earth Alkemie’s face book page.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Earth-Alkemie/199106513438140
Also check out the forum, this blog, facebook, and the website on Feb 3rd (tomorrow!). Feb 3rd is a very special day 🙂
Cheers,
Li
We ended up getting somewhere between 5-10 inches of snow in the D.C. metro area/Northern VA (the snow depth at my house is about 7-8 inches), and according to the weather forecasters we may get some more snow on Friday and also next week too.
I like snow but it is very unusual for this area to get this much, the natural pattern is one huge snow–maybe 8-12 inches–every 8 or 9 years. We had a lot of snow last year in two super huge storms one right after another (which was also not part of the natural pattern, since we usually don’t get over a couple feet of snow, and don’t have two major storms within days of each other). We also had a major snow storm, I think in March 2009. Most of the time, in regular years, we usually get maybe 1-3 inches every once in a while during the winter time. As an environmentalist/biologist, changes like this really worries me. Other changes have been really worrying me too, like one day it is freezing cold and the next day hot. Or seeing mosquitoes out of season, or trees blooming at the wrong time, or leaves changing colors too early or too late. I’ve lived in the D.C. area my whole life–except for my undergrad years–(I am 32 now) and none of these are part of the natural patterns in this area.
Another concern that I have is crop failures all over. I’ve noticed this a lot more as a business owner (many ingredient prices are going drastically because of A LOT of crop failures or poor crop yields world wide, which I will post about shortly. There is a long list of ingredients whose prices have been changing over the last couple years. Noticed it as a hobby crafter, pre-business, but as a business owner been noticing it even more especially when many prices have doubled or more). But I’ve also noticed this as a consumer too, like cranberries not being available (a couple years ago) or pumpkin last year (there was a shortage of canned pumpkin during the holidays for a few weeks), etc.
(Parts of this post, so the above information, will also be posted on my Eco Blog (Solarkat’s Eco blog) too)
Website update: I can’t take any pictures because of the snow (and it may snow more tomorrow and also maybe early next week). So just wanted to mention that Earth Alkemie’s brand new Chocolate Truffle Buttercreme is packaged in the same blue glass jars as the Vanille Lavande Buttercreme. Hope everyone enjoys the new products and gift sets (see a couple posts below for info on the new products and gift sets/samplers).
Order updates: I will try to mail all orders tomorrow (if it doesn’t snow) or on saturday. But if I can’t, they will go out monday. Sorry for the delays, thank you for understanding 🙂
Hi everyone
Just wanted to mention that it is snowing in Northern VA right now (it started way last night, or early this morning) and we are supposed to get at least 6 inches (the weather has been crazy here, I was at the post office last night and it was cold but not too cold–certainly did not feel cold enough for snow–and I did not ‘smell’ snow in the air (9 out of 10 times I am able to smell/detect when it is going to snow by the chill/smell in the air).
I do not think I will be able to get to the post office for a couple days, and don’t know if the post office will be delivering/picking up tomorrow (in this area, when it snows even an inch or two, things slow down, have reduced hours, or sometimes even close, so with an expected six inches, I am not sure if there will even be mail delivered/picked up tomorrow so I can’t even do pick up service). I only have a few orders to mail out right now, but just wanted to mention that shipping will be delayed a couple days.
Take care and stay warm!
Cheers,
Li
I am so excited, there are two new products and three gift sets/samplers!
New mask!
I created Pina Colada mask last year for a clay product swap I participated in. I loved this mask so much I decided to make it an Earth Alkemie product! Yay! 🙂 This mask is clay based (a blend of three wonderful clays) but it is non-drying since it contains rich, emollient coconut milk and hydrating, skin softening fruits. This tantalizing mask mildly exfoliates the skin, and leaves it super soft and glowing. Pina colada mask contains bromelain (naturally found in pineapple), which is known for dissolving dead skin cells. It is also a rich source of natural fruit acids (in the fruits. There are NO lab derived/concentrated exfoliants in this mask), and also glycolic acid (also not lab derived), so though it exfoliates in several different ways, it is super gentle and suitable for most skin types, including sensitive and blemished. It is 100% natural, preservative free (it is a dry/powdered mask), and vegetarian (this is not a vegan product due to the casein (milk protein) in the coconut milk powder). This mask smells so delicious: mostly of limes, and when you add a liquid, it smells lightly of coconut and pineapple (and the most sensitive of noses can probably smell the cherry too). I call it Pina colada mask since it has many of the ingredients in virgin pina coladas. Pure yumminess for the skin!
New Buttercreme!
I love east shea butter! Shea butter is my favorite butter for the skin, since it was one of the ingredients which helped clear my facial skin when I had acne many years ago. Shea butter is fantastic because it creates a light breathable barrier on the skin, so is a boon for dehydrated skin. East shea butter is higher in olein so is creamier than unrefined west shea butter (which is very creamy too, but east shea is even creamier!), so it is easier to spread and is wonderful for the eye area, body (for all skin types, especially dry and dehydrated), and also facial skin (depending on skin type).
Chocolate Truffle Buttercreme is one luscious buttercreme. Like all of my other (current) buttercremes, it is made with east shea butter. This simple formulation is amazing, it is rich in antioxidants, help improve skin clarity and improves the appearance of aging skin. And best of all, it smells delicious! I have blended rich delectable cocoa absolute, sweet vanilla, citrusy-floral petitgrain Bigarade (from the orange tree), floral lavender, and a kiss of spicy cardamon. Yum, pure bliss!
For these two products I have redone the webpages. I still need to add the pictures for the buttercremes, but have revamped the info on both pages, adding much more information about the ingredients, products, and also scents. Please let me know how you like all of the new changes on the website. 🙂
Last but not least, I have also put together three samplers and gift sets! The first is a petite masks and scrub sampler which contains petite (sample) sizes of all three masks/scrub (Cinderella, Morning, and Pina Colada)! This is a great way to try all three of my masks and scrub at one low price (the sampler is priced at 15% off of regular prices). I have packaged it in a beautiful organza bag. Take this with you when traveling!
The second set I have put together is a gift set containing grande (full) sizes of all of my masks and scrub (Cinderella, Morning, and Pina Colada), in my grande masks and scrub gift set. If you like the masks and scrub, this gift set is for you! Pure luxury! The masks/scrub will last you a very long time (Earth Alkemie’s masks and scrub are powdered/dry, and are extremely concentrated products since they do not contain water or fillers. Each jar is enough for several months of usage). This gift set is also at an amazing price: 15% off of regular prices.
The last gift set is a chocolate lovers dream! I have packaged grande (full) sizes of my Chocolate Dreams and Chocolate Truffle Buttercreme into my Double Chocolate Gift Set. Chocolate Dreams is made with certified organic cold pressed unrefined coconut oil, and Chocolate Truffle Buttercreme is made with east shea butter, which in my opinion, are two of the best ingredients you can use on dry winter skin. They leave your skin feeling so soft and lightly scented. Just perfect, especially with Valentines Day coming around the corner! This gift set is also 15% off of the regular prices.
More products coming soon within the next few weeks (aromatherapy soaps are up next to be released, and also lots of new mineral makeup colors, and I am also working on a new perfume for Chinese New Years!).
I believe that change can start with small steps. For January’s anb (all natural beauty) mall’s Eco Living article, I have written about a few simple, quick, inexpensive, but effective things that people can make in their daily lives that can have a huge impact on the environment. I hope that you will enjoy the article 🙂
I have updated the contact us page 🙂 I have been working on updating the other pages (so far so good, I have updated maybe 1/3 of them but still need to retake new pictures so haven’t posted them yet, and slowly working on the rest). Hope everyone likes all the new changes, and added info on the uploaded and upcoming web pages 🙂
Hi everyone
I just posted about the natural exfoliants used in Earth Alkemie products on the forum.
All three Earth Alkemie masks or scrubs (Morning mask and scrub, Cinderella mask, and my new upcoming Pina colada mask) contain gentle natural exfoliants, such as sugar, pumpkin, pineapple, or oatmeal, that are super gentle and nutrient rich for the skin! Many of these plants ingredients also are highly recommended for a variety of skin types and conditions (including sensitive, blemished, oily, or dry skin).
Cheers,
Li