Borage Oil aka Borago Officinalis

If you want a product that is designed to make your skin incredibly soft, you should look for one that contains Borage Oil.

Borage oil comes from a plant. This plant is a wildflower, sometimes called starflower. It is a relatively large plant with star shaped, bright blue flowers and it is found wild in almost all parts of the world. It is a well-known herb that has been recognized and used for over 1500 years. The Roman historian Pliny writes of the virtues of borage and it is suspected that borage leaves, steeped in wine, was the mysterious nepenthe elixir that Homer writes of, which causes absolute forgetfulness when drunk. In the middle ages borage leaves were commonly brewed into a medicinal tea.*

Clinically, borage oil has been shown to be a very effective agent for treating skin disorders and for alleviating the inflammatory symptoms associated with these disorders. For everyday use, borage oil has been shown to be very effective in treating the redness, inflammation and moisture loss associated with dry skin.

This fabulous ingredient which is in our Men's lotion currently is best known for its ability to soften, soothe, and re-condition the skin. It is truly marvelous as a carrier oil and is equally superb for addition to body care products. It is considered useful for sensitive skin.

*Grieve, M., A Modern Herbal (Vol 1) Dover Publications, NY 1971 p.119.

Dandelion-Not so much a pesky weed

Organic Dandelion has been under-appreciated, overlooked, and forever maligned.

Considered by most to be a pesky weed, EclipseSpa is here to set the record straight and raise Dandelion up to its well deserved glory.

As a wild plant that has not been cultivated like most others, dandelion retains its high mineral content and passes this onto us in a highly bio-available form. Having originated in Greece, its botanical name comes from the Greek words “disorder” and “remedy”. It has blown itself into the four corners of the world and today is used as a thousand year old remedy for breast cancer in China, a cure for AIDS in Toaist Herbalism, and in Costa Rica is sold as a remedy for diabetes.

Dandelion contains chemicals called eudesmanolides, which are found in no other herb. Other components include sterols, flavonoids, and mucilage. These are all highly revered antioxidants, preventing the degeneration of skin cells and DNA.

A key to anti-aging is preventing free radical damage. Dandelion kicks free radical booty and is why we include it religiously in our body care products. Next time you blow its parachute-tufted seeds while making a wish, take a moment to say thank you to our faithful and humble skin care servant….Dandelion.

Aromatherapy Tip: Studying for Exams

If you are studying for an exam and need to be more alert, or need help remembering what you are studying, use aromatherapy. All the essential oils in this recipe help with mental clarity and memory.

Mix together:

5 drops of lime essential oil
5 drops of rosemary essential oil
5 drops of spearmint essential oil
1 tablespoon oil (olive, almond, etc.)

Before you start to study massage the formula on the back of your neck and shoulders. On the day of your exams, take a cotton ball, dip it in the essential oil formula and place in a zip lock bag. Bring this to class and inhale deeply the aromas before and during the exam.

Blog Contest: Name Our New Candle!

I thought I would have a little fun and give-away one of our new candles that has not been named yet. The contest is to name our new candle. I am going to lend a hand and explain a bit about the essential oils in the candle. The candle is a blend of grapefruit, cedarwood, geranium and oakmoss essential oils.

This candle smells truly amazing!


Grapefruit: From the citrus family. Has an energizing and uplifting scent
Cedarwood: The scent is woody. Promotes restful sleep and reduces anxiety and tension
Geranium: The scent is rose like. Known to be a stimulant and mood uplifting
Oakmoss: The scent is earthy-mossy. Kind of comforting and grounding. Used in Witchcraft for Money Spells! ( I am not joking )

Keep these in mind when thinking of a name. The names of our other aromatherapy candles are: Clarity, Inspiration, Harmony, Balance and Calming

We will run the contest until April 17th and pick a winner over that weekend.

Thank you for participating,

Anne Keefe

Clean the Home with Aromatherapy

Unfortunately, space that we live in must be cleaned on a regular basis. That has been the necessary but pretty unglamorous job that has fallen to wives and mothers historically. Husbands and fathers have been getting into the cleaning routine in the last few years as more and more wives and mothers are working full time outside the home.

In the past, very harsh chemicals were regularly used to eradicate germs, dirt and odors. Today, younger generations are becoming more and more aware of the way these harsh chemicals affect their families and the environment in which we all live.

Many modern-day households use nothing but ‘green’ cleaning products. These are products that are made from natural ingredients that are safe for use around kids and pets and are also biodegradable and harmless to the environment. Many household have quit buying cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals altogether.

Some households even make their own cleaning products using natural ingredients like baking soda and vinegar. While it is true that almost every cleaning job in the home can be accomplished by using one or the other of these natural products, there isn’t a nice clean scent left behind once the cleaning task has been accomplished.

Once households that are very concerned about avoiding the use of harsh chemicals in cleaning products discover the essential oils that are used in aromatherapy, they never look back. Many of the scents of the essential oils are used in commercial cleaning products. They are what give the products the nice clean smells of pine and lemon for example.

You don’t have to give up nice clean smells when you switch to natural cleaning products. You can enhance the cleaning and disinfecting properties of natural cleaning products by adding essential oils to them and get that nice clean smell as a bonus.

Tea Tree oil is a good example. Tea tree oil has a medicinal scent that is sharp and practically screams clean AND disinfected. Add just a few drops to that vinegar/water spray that you use to clean the bathroom. Tea Tree oil is a disinfectant that will kill germs in your bathroom and leave a nice clean scent behind.

Eucalyptus is another essential oil that is a disinfectant. Adding a few drops to your wash will kill dust mites in sheets and pillowcases and leave behind a nice clean scent as well.

The essential oils of orange, lemon and pine all have cleaning properties. You can add a few drops of orange or lemon to a little olive oil and make furniture cleaner that is next to none and have a nice clean scent to boot. Pine essential oil can be added to water used to wash floors and other surfaces. The scent will be wonderful and you get added cleaning and disinfecting as well.

Just because you want to be environmentally correct and just because you want cleaning products that are natural and safe to use around kids and pets doesn’t mean that you have to deny yourself the pleasure of clean aromas.

Have a great weekend,

Anne Keefe