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We know it can be particularly hard when you love a product and then it disappears from our shelf. Often times,we can special order an item –but other times –that treasured lotion or must-have supplement remains out of our reach. There are so many reasons for this. We do discontinue slow sellers,but more often products are dropped by a distributor. When that happens the only way for us to get the product is to create a one-to-one direct buying relationship with that smaller company. We have literally hundreds of small vendors we work with,and we love it! It can be very time consuming to manage so many small accounts,so we like to make sure you really,really want that product before we do all the leg work. Read more Organic Essence Lip Balm is Back! … 
As we head into the warmer months and spend more time outside,remember that pets need some love too. Often a walk in the mountains,or a trip to beach,even just being outside gardening can be a rewarding time for you and your pet,but please remember if you are putting on sunscreen…so should fido. Fleas are also another issue that needs to be looked after before it becomes a problem. Tackling them before infestation is key. Here are some ways to love on your pets all summer long. Read more Critter Corner …  Springtime inspires activity. Getting your hands dirty in the garden,cleaning the house and more. Feeling the effects of such activities in the form of swollen muscles? I found myself answering “yes”to that question and a friend recommended using Epsom salts for a soothing bath.
So I did a bit of sleuthing. Epsom salt is affordable and available in bulk at the Co-op’s Wellness department for only $1.29 per lb! When I soaked my tired feet in Epsom salt and warm water I experienced tremendous relief. So much so that I cannot recommend it enough for those in need of a good soak. As with many minerals and supplements,please consult your healthcare provider before using Epsom salts. According to many sources Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate MgSO4) is named for a bitter saline spring from the town of Epsom in Surrey,England and has been used to treat a variety of complaints,including reducing swelling,relaxing muscles and exfoliating skin. Read more Epsom Salt Soaks …  Valentine’s Day is a great time of year when we show others we care. As we emerge from the haze of a heavy flu and sick season,now is the time to treat your sweetie health and body care style. Visit the Co-op’s Health and Beauty Aids department and you’ll find a great selection of goodies to pamper that special someone.
Hugo Naturals Fizzy Bath Bombs –give the gift of a luxurious spa experience with these little packages of all natural joy. Vegan,soy free and gluten free. Also free of parabens,phenoxyethanol,sulfates,PEGs,propylene glycol,petroleum products,silicones,phthalates,synthetic surfactants,artificial colors or synthetic fragrances! Read more Pamper Your Sweetie this V-Day …  Locally made health and beauty goodies! Winter is a time when many of us get swept away and can forget to take care of ourselves. This season give the gift of self-care with gentle and locally made health and beauty care products. The Co-op’s Health and Beauty Aids section carries an amazing range of personal care products,including many that are made by local Skagit Valley and Washington State artisans and herbalists. Stop by HABA and find the perfect assortment of gifts for the holidays! Read more Local Gift Basket:Healthy and Beautiful …  During the damp time, when colds linger, garlic is a good friend. Also effective with persistent colds, Oregano oil is more like an avenging angel –full of anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties. You can use it topically to fight fungal infections,and you can ingest it in small quantities: 3 drops per day. Ann from our health &Beauty Dept recommends mixing it an almond or coconut milk, as it is an oil and will stay separate from water. If you add it to water, use a straw so it doesn’t burn your lips!
I tried gnawing on raw cloves of garlic for a few days, and after a while the thrill wore off –what a boring punishment for sickness…but the cold settled in to my lungs. So I’m trying again, this time with the help of some culinary imagination. Here are a few recipes that a doctor friend suggested, to support your immunity efforts this winter: Garlic Sauce 3 cloves chopped raw garlic a pour of olive oil a sprinkle of hemp seeds –these little nutty guys go good with all sorts of things and make a great substitute for Parmesan cheese - a pinch or two of nutritional yeast salt and pepper to taste Mix and eat with a spoon standing up in your kitchen,or dip something into it,or drizzle it on tomatoes,your call. Remember to enjoy your medicine –life is much more fun when you are taking good care of yourself! Read more Good Ways to Get Your Garlic On …  Visit the Co-op’s Health and Beauty Aids section and you’ll find a host of festive gifts from your favorite body care companies,including Zum from Indigo Wild. Refresh your home and bathroom with an array of hand made all natural products. From classic frankincence and myrrh to spearmint and grapefruit –you’re gonna feel and smell festive!
Stocking stuffer sized gifts include adorably packaged all natural goat’s milk soaps in various flavors,such as Mazel Zum with almond and orange essential oils,Kwan Zum with grapefruit and sandalwood and Jingle Zum –a fresh and woodsy burst of pine and spruce. And there’s so much more. Don’t forget the holiday room fresheners and Zum’s everyday line of fun and relaxing scents,like their new Dragon’s Blood Zum products:Zum Bar,Rub and Tub Crystals. These balms and soaps are made with quality ingredients to remedy dry skin,and the restorative resin from the Dracaena Tree,a succulent shrub based in African and Asian rain forests. Fortunately no dragons were harmed in the making of any of these products. Enjoy the holiday season with fresh and lively scents from Zum! by nancylee bouscher  photo credit:U.C.F.A Womens Cooperative
It seems everyone has that one favorite product that they always make sure to have on hand. Customers come in searching for it like a bee on the scent of a clover- and they buzz with excitement when they find it nestled on our shelves. Some might feel the sting when we don’t. We do our best to help them find it –yes,we do special orders! –and we are always willing to help find your new favorite. Here’s your new fav. Read more One Bottle To Have on Hand …  Unscented and Lavender Skin Soothers are good for all types of dry and itchy rashes,and Great for eczema,Rosacea-like redness,and Keratosis Pilaris (chicken skin from pools/swimming). Made with olive oil,beeswax,angelica sinensis (Dang Gui),Potentillae Chinensis Herb (Bei Zi Cao) and Mentha Haplocalyx Herb (Bo He / Mint). NO colors,fragrances or chemicals added.  Super Dry Skin Soother is amazing on dry,rough feet,“sandal feet”,and cracked heels. It soothes away sunburn,windburn,and dryness from heat. This is Emily’s preferred product for psoriasis. Emily Skin Soothers products are natural and effective skin care solutions for babies and adults,powered by herbs. Their products are made with sensitive skin in mind. Their goal is to make wonderful and extremely effective products that have very few,simple and natural ingredients. Read more Emily Skin Soothers Uses for Spring and Summer …  Just in time for the sunshine,a new line of Goddess Garden sun care lotions arrive at the Co-op. Protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun everyday with natural,safe sun care. Goddess Garden Sun Body Lotions are gluten free and non-GMO,as well as certified Cruelty Free (no animal testing of any kind) and Reef Safe. The sunscreen is made from a base of 95% organic ingredients,including organic aloe vera juice,shea butter and cocoa seed butter.
Nova Covington founded Goddess Garden in 2009 as an way to provide safe,effective organic body care for her family. Based in Boulder,Colorado,the company makes biodegradable sun care lotions using natural minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to reflect broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunlight. Unlike many chemical based sunscreens,Goddess Garden’s lotions are certified organic,non-greasy and won’t absorb into skin. Read more Goddess Garden:New Sun Body Lotions …  Getting active out there? Sick of taking harsh pharmaceutical anti-inflammation medications like Ibuprofen and Acetamenophen? Try Zyflamend Whole Body,from New Chapter –it’s designed to support anti-inflammation for the entire body,including aching joints,sore muscles and cardiac health. Read more Zyflamend Whole Body:Gentle Anti-Inflammatory …
 A prior room mate suffered so from his allergies that he would spend the spring inside with all doors and windows tightly closed and the air purifier cranking away on high speed –just trying to gut it out. This is one way to deal with the many pollens bursting forth during this time…but if you’d prefer to carry on about your business,we’ve got some Allergy Relief in store for you. Here’s a little sample of our Health &Beauty manager’s picks to help you fully enjoy the promise of Spring…
 Celebrate this upcoming Earth Day,April 22nd by choosing to act in ecologically friendly way. Come along with us in a three part series focusing on environmental facts,products and plans of action. One of the most important things you can do to support both the Earth and local farmers:avoid plastic bags when you shop! Read more Earth Day at the Co-op,Part 1:Plastic Baggage …
This weeks recipe is brought to you by the letters P and P,short for Pity Party!!! Having had the wretched horrible flu,topped off by the hubby being away,I sat on my couch this weekend feeling oh so sorry for myself. This would normally lead to sad Facebook posts  and ingesting an inappropriate amount of cheese,but this weekend I pulled up my big girl pants and decided that I was going to do something to make myself feel better. I believe a little pampering is in order here. I scurried ( ok maybe not so much a scurry ) to the kitchen and found the fixings to make a homemade facial mask. This is just what the doctor ordered. I looked online and found a web-site that explained the benefits of using food as a mask,and the alchemy commenced. I need a base,which was the food,and a binder to help it stick. Here is a list of some base foods: apple pulp: slightly acidic;soothes and gently exfoliates. brewer’s yeast: excellent for oily skin. carrot pulp: antiseptic;heals pimples. celery juice: acts as a toner for tired or older skin. cooked and mashed turnip: deep-cleansing. egg white: astringent and drying for oily skins. grated cucumber: cools,soothes and heals. Works as a mild bleach for sallow skin and freckles. grated raw potato: helps clear blemishes and eczema. honey: hydrates,softens,soothes and heals. lemon juice (diluted in one part water/one part lemon juice): removes oil and gently bleaches freckles. lettuce juice (blend lettuce leaves to a pulp,adding a little water): soothes sore,rough skin;helps heal pimples. mashed apricots: moisturizes,soothes and cleanses. mashed avocado: deeply penetrating and nourishing. mashed banana: nourishing. mashed strawberries: slightly acidic and luxurious;cleanses. mashed tomatoes: excellent for oily skin. yogurt: moisturizes and restores skin’s acid balance. orange juice: hydrating for older skin. pear pulp: soothes and cools hot,sunburnt skin. pineapple pulp: an astringent wash for oily skin. And now for the binder: Finely ground rolled oats Dried milk powder French Clay ( we carry this in our bulk section) plain flour Finely ground almonds Here is what I made: Banana,Yogurt and Honey Mask 1/2 banana 2 tablespoons yogurt 1 tablespoon honey (heated slightly to liquefy)
1 tablespoon ground oats 1 tablespoon french clay Instructions: Mash the banana with a fork then mix in honey and yogurt. Add the oat and clay. Apply to your face evenly. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse off with cool water or soft wash cloth. Play with the amounts to get the consistency that is pleasant for you.
Amazing what good food can do! It can actually spoil your pity party  Have fun!! I have curly hair. We are talking Good Ship Lollipop,Shirley Temple curly hair. My whole life has been spent searching for products that will keep my curls together and the frizz away. Sure I can gloop on some gel,but then it is stiff and hard. I want soft,luxurious  curls. The kind you see in commercials. Well… I have found it. Recently in the HABA Department (Health and Beauty) we received a new product from the Alaffia Company. They have come out with a line of Curly hair products called Beautiful Curls. I took home a sample and watched the package sit there on my bathroom counter. I am often disbelieving in products that say they can tame my mane,as I have spent THOUSANDS of dollars trying not to look like a Cocker Spaniel,but this morning I thought sure what’s one more bad hair day? AMAZING!!! I have soft velvety curls. They are uniformed,and might I say quite pretty. The line is made for curls that run the spectrum from Wavy to Kinky. There are no hard sulfates,mineral oils,synthetic fragrances,no parabens,no animal testing. Alaffia combines Fair trade Shea Butter,Virgin Coconut Oil,Choline (Vit. B) Aloe Vera and Herbal Extracts to make these wondrous products. The line includes Shampoo,Conditioning Treatments and Styling Products. Beautiful Curls can be yours…. AND MINE!!! |
Need help finding Gluten-free options? Look for this label in the Store  |
