Overview of the show:

From Art Throwdown

Utter cuteness by Bee’s Knees Studio

From Art Throwdown

Tasha McKelvey wonderful bird pottery! (I have one of her bowls I keep by my bathroom sink to mix my face masks)

From Art Throwdown

And who could not want this picture of a squirrel with a gun by Monkey Dog Studio!

From Art Throwdown

The show will be up till September 9, and 5% of the sales go to the Richmond SPCA!

“I’m super excited about this opportunity to browse creations such as handmade bath and body products from Jackson Sage; funky, slightly offbeat jewelry by Keen Designs; homemade perfume from Modern Atelier; elegant ceramics by Tasha McKelvey; and vintage-inspired baubles from Twist Style.”

See full review on Richmond.com >>>>>

Grapefruit & Green Tea Renewing Masque
For All Skin Types
Honey 1 tsp
Adzuki Bean & Rhassoul Microscrub 1 tsp
Grapefruit Juice   1 /2 tsp
Lavender & Green Tea Toner 1 /2 tsp
Rose Hip & Vitamin C Serum 5 drops
Tea Tree & White Willow Bark Serum 5 drops

Directions
Mix ingredients together. (Adjust ingredients for desired thickness.) Cleanse face with Cleanser. Mist face with Hydrating Mist. Leave face damp from Hydrating Mist. Apply masque in a circular motion to face, avoid eyes. Leave on for 5-10 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Post Masque Care
Mist face with Hydrating Mist. Add two drops of Serum to a pea size amount of Skin Cream, apply to face.

Highlights of Additional Ingredients
Shiitake Mushroom Extract (in the Rose Hip & Vitamin C Serum): increase cell turnover, improve firmness and hydration, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles
Pumpkin Seed Extract (in the Rose Hip & Vitamin C Serum): Smoothes fine lines and wrinkles
Rice Bran (in the Adzuki Bean & Rhassoul Microscrub): A gentle exfoliate that helps to prevent wrinkles, heal blemishes, absorb dirt and balance oils.
Rhassoul Clay (in the Adzuki Bean & Rhassoul Microscrub): Rich in minerals, reduces dryness, improves skin clarity, improves elasticity, and skin texture.
White Willow Bark (in the Tea Tree & White Willow Bark Serum ): anti-inflammatory, clams and soothes skin
Honey: Antibacterial, anti-fungal, increase skin hydration
Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil (in the Rose Hip & Vitamin C Serum): Nourishing and restoring oil. and rich in vitamin E and anti-oxidants.
Helichrysum (in Tea Tree & White Willow Bark Serum ): Antibacterial, and wound healing
Echinacea (Adzuki Bean & Rhassoul Microscrub): anti-inflammatory antioxidant and antiseptic.
Green Tea (in Lavender & Green Tea Toner ): Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral. Helps to protect skin against UV radiation.

Jackson Sage was listed as one of the eco-friendly travel necessitates!

“Richmond-based skin and body care company, Jackson Sage (www.jacksonsage.com) offers sample kits for all skin types with travel-size containers of cleanser, micro-scrub, toner, mist and skin cream, all tailored to your skin type. The kit also comes with a recipe book, so you can whip up treats for your face from fruits, veggies and other ingredients you have around the house. Jackson Sage’s products are handcrafted in small batches with natural and organic ingredients and contain no artificial colors or fragrances.”

Go to the Richmond Eco-Travel Examiner to  read the complete article >>>

Of course all this digging in the dirt leaves my skin rough and dry.

Below are a few of my favorite post garden products to heal and renew.

Renew Your Hands and Feet: Exfoliate with Handcrafted Soap

Handcrafted soap is excellent for Garden Hands (and beach feet). Choose a natural soap with build in exfoliation to remove tired (and dirty!) dead skin.  Choose To Go., Lavender & Rhassoul, or Happiness.

Don’t want to get dirt under your finger nails?
Take a bar of soap, dig finger nails into bar leaving soap under nails. Leave under nails while gardening. When you are done, wash hands. The soap will prevent dirt from getting stuck under your nails!

Renew your Body and Feet: Therapeutic Bath Salts

Spent too much time in the garden or by the river?  Our special blend of Therapeutic Bath Salts soothes tired muscles and moisturizes and repairs skin.  Dead Sea Salts, release toxins and excess fluids.  Calendula Oil, heals, softens and soothes skin.  Alfalfa Leaf Powder aids in relieving fatigue, and inflammation.
Been running around barefoot?  Soothe and soften feet by using the Therapeutic Bath Salts as a foot soak.

Renew and Repair your Hands, Knees, and Feet: Soften Up Salve

Soften Up Salve is excellent to soften, soothe, repair and heal garden hands, knees, feet, sunburns and even bug bites.  The secret is in the botanically infused oils.  Calendula oil soothes and heals dry skin.  St John’s Wort aids in healing wounds, sunburns and bug bites.  Sea Buckthorn treats scars and dry skin.  Apply after a long day in the garden to repair skin and treat bug bites.  Don’t forget to apply Soften Up Salve (or pick one the Firming Body Creams such as Garden Hippie or Lavender) before (and after) sun exposure to reduce the possibility of your skin drying out and/or skin peeling.

A review of Jackson Sage Workout Recovery Cream and Bath Salts.

Read Full review at Breathe Magazine >>>

See winners of the giveaway here >>>

“Born in Houston, Texas, Erica Hollen came to Richmond to attend grad school at VCU. She has been selling her line of botanical skin care products, Jackson Sage, since 2006. She’s also a vendor at Richmond Craft Mafia’s Spring Bada-Bing on Sunday. Let’s get to know her a little better.”

Read the complete interview at RVA NEWS >>>

BUT then lotion making gone bad happens.

I was removing the blender to start pouring the lotion, and then just like that, lotion all over me, all over the floor, my shoes (yes I am barefoot in the photo because it felt really strange and gooey inside my shoes), the walls, the walls around the corner (not sure how that happened but it did).

I stood there for a minute wanting to cry.  I had a big deadline and was already behind on orders.  I wanted to cry because there was a lot of money sloshing around on the floor. I wanted to cry because it was already the evening and I was tired.

But then I stood there slipping around on the floor trying to remain standing up, and I just started to laugh.

Most of us look in the mirror at the end of winter and wish we could find a short cut to a fresh, energized appearance. This simple recipe made with ingredients found right in your kitchen will help spring your dull winter skin back to life leaving it soft and glowing.  So hit the cupboard and transform your kitchen into a spa quality experience.

Bird on Bowl by Tasha McKelvey

Apple Rosemary Masque
For All Skin Types
•Apple Sauce 2 tsp
•Crushed Rosemary 1 tsp
•Cornmeal 1 tsp
•Olive Oil 3 drops
•Honey 1 tsp

Directions
Mix ingredients together. Cleanse face with Cleanser. Mist face with Hydrating Mist. Leave face damp from Hydrating Mist. Apply masque
in a circular motion to face, avoid eyes. Leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Post Masque Care
Mist face with Hydrating Mist. Apply Skin Cream.

Highlights of  Ingredients
Apples: Apples contain the alpha-hydroxy acid, malic acid. Alpha-hydroxy acids are known to slough of old tired dead skin cells leaving your skin younger and more radiant, and to stimulate collagen production producing smoother skin. Apples are also rich in antioxidants, Vitamin A and C, to help protect against the signs of environmental damage.
Rosemary: Stimulates circulation, antibacterial, anti-fungal
Honey: Antibacterial, anti-fungal, increase skin hydration
Cornmeal: Gentle Exfoliate
Olive Oil: Nourishing and restoring oil