SEABUCKTHORN - Blue Sage Naturals

News on the homefront

2008-06-13T09:53:00.004-07:00

Well, it's a NICE feeling to still, in this heat, go in the backyard and pick fresh, organic lettuce, tomatos and zucchini. I make delicious salads. I add all the herbs from my garden, parsley, sage, lemon thyme, tuscan rosemary, spearmint leaves, a stevia leaf and rose petals. It tastes really good when I take a bit of salad that has sweet in it, along with the bite of vinegar from the sesame dressing.

I've finally got fencing up overhead, a little at a time, so the grapes can crawl across and it will shade that part of the yard.

The sea buckthorn trees/bushes are doing well. Even after we lost all the big ones.

The clementine tangerine tree isn't looking so good. It's small and new, I hope it will withstand the summer. The Meyer Lemon is doing great, lots of lemons for winter.

The zucchini has begun to take off. At least it freezes well, unlike cukes, which we had last year. Even the watermelon vine is starting to produce babies. IT had better get a move on!

The comfrey and stevia are doing great, however the echinacea and horsetail are suffering. Horsetail needs it wet ALL the time and the ech..I dunno, too much sun I guess.

I even have basil up and zinnias blooming, both volunteers from last year!

I have dwarf crape myrtle in back by the pool, they smell LOVELY.
I also have a butterfly bush in the back. The seeds of this bush are winged and look like butterflies. I read a magazine article 9 years ago of a woman that paints them for earrings and brooches. I thought it was neat, so I searched til I found one. But I don't have time to do anything with them. If anyone would like any to try to paint, let me know, I'll send you some.

The front yard...I will try to take a good pix of the Persian Lilac bush. It is HUGE and covered in purple/bluish blooms. It looks much like a butterfly bush. The desert willow is blooming..and growing. I'll have to cut that back soon. Chaparral is smelling up the yard and doing well. The teatree tree is growing taller and doing well, and the polonia, it's growing but the leaves were yellowing. I think it wasn't getting enough water. When I was at school all the growing things suffered.

I have two protected elephant trees in my front yard. That was dumb. They grow to 10x10. That's about how big my yard is! LOL Actually it's about, I dunno, 30x20? It's not huge. We are the cornerstone house on a cul-de-sac. The end house, the one that didn't get all the yard.

I have 5 major trees in that yard. We shall see what happens in the coming years. I keep cutting back the elephant trees.

I have 5 little pomegrante bushes near the front of the house, dunno if they will bear fruit.
And I have a tuscan rosemary, [huge] and 2 jackson- perkins Lincoln red roses in front.

I have in pots..a gardenia that is dying, a lavender that can't take the heat, white and purple petunias that smell divine at night and red cockscomb.

Everything is getting watered now, so they are doing better.

Lastly, water accidentally drained out of our pool a few months ago. It was fiberglass lined. It cracked. HUGE cracks. we had to get it resurfaced. Lotsa $$$$. It is FINALLY done. The pool is 10 feet deep, only old houses have pools that deep here, ours was build in 1970, slump block, we put pebble tec in it, so it has a darker bottom, which is supposed to let us swim earlier in the year and later. It took 2 full days and 2 full nites to fill up that baby. Something like 40,000 gallons? I dunno.

So what is it that owning a house ALWAYS costs so much money??? Dang, do things ever stop breaking??

Janine

GRADUATED!

2008-06-11T10:42:00.003-07:00

YAYYYYY! I AM OUT OF SCHOOL!!!! I put in 53 hours a week for the last 2 months at school. THEN I came home and worked here 4-5 hours at night. It has taken it's toll. At some point in the near future, I WILL be taking a vacation. However, first, to get my license and play catch up with all the things that didn't happen here.

I graduated from there on Monday. My stress level went from a high buzz to a quiet hum. It's amazing.

I hired a new gal, Stephanie, a few weeks ago. She goes to the same school. She is wonderful. I've never met someone who works like me. Actually, she bypasses me in work. She is learning all aspects of the business.

Stephanie has tried her hand at answering emails, and has done wonderfully. She's been the new shipping department. She is filling and labeling products. Stephanie is a Godsend.

We have stock on hand now, instead of being out alot. We concentrated on that the first few weeks Steph was here.

We'll be in Las Vegas at the end of this month, going to a Cosmetic and Esthetician conference. If any of you reading this are in Vegas, give me a ring, maybe we can meet for iced tea.
As soon as I get my license, I will then have on the website, 'products formulated by a licensed esthetician'.

I MAY rent out a booth somewhere in town to perform skin treatments using my products. There is just no comparison between my products and the products on the market today for skin treatments. I cringed every time I had to use another product at school full of chemicals. Personally *I* couldn't use them, all of them made my face burn or itch.

However that will have to be perhaps later this year if there is any interest locally.

Well, I'm off to water the plants. How NICE I now have the time to water the plants!

God bless each of you,

Janine Joi
p.s. I changed my name also.

March 31, 2008

2008-03-31T20:50:00.006-07:00

And I know WHY now sea buckthorn works so well on cancerous cells, regenerating skin cells, encouraging hair growth and making the skin glow, just to name a few.

My Persian Lilac is leafing out, as is the Polonia tree, the seabuckthorn trees are leafing out and we have a couple of new babies. Spinach, Holy Basil, Lettuce, Zucchini and watermelon seeds have sprouted. Tomatos are doing well with one tomato on one bush. Horsetail is doing better since we started wetting its feet more. Comfrey is pushing out more and more leaves, the dill plants are thriving, lemon-thyme [I love the smell of lemon anything], parsley, sage, rosemary [Tuscan] and thyme, are all doing well.

LOL did anyone start singing the song?

The grapevines have lots of leaves and we are waiting til the viny part gets longer to get it to hook on the fence. Chaparral, weeping willow teatree tree, willow tree/bush, mini pomegranate bushes, dwarf myrtles and lavender bushes are all doing well. It's SPRING here!
With loads of pollen in the air to prove it. :)
And we have a small yard. Can you imagine if it was large? Oh the Meyer Lemon tree and the new Clementine tangerine trees are BLOOMING all over, and smell SOOOOO sweet.

Gonna plant potatos as soon as I figure out when, moving the herbs to another planter.

I'm trying to decide on whether to dilute the seabuckthorn oils and offer them for sale that way also. Any ideas?

Janine

Feb. 21 08

2008-02-21T20:58:00.003-07:00

Well, today ended the third day of school for me. Full time job and full
time school. And I'm not as young as I used to be! Seems I'm tired all the time. lol School is exciting. I'm going to become a licensed Esthetician.

Then you know what I'll be? An Herbal Esthetician. There's not many of
us in the country. :) You know me, I like being the first or one of the first. :)

I've been taking a coaching course online with the creme de la creme of business coaches, Donna Maria Coles Johnson at http://www.indiebeauty.com Tonite it's on getting your blog going, so here I am, trying to get this going again.

Let me know what you would like to talk about.

Janine

NOP certified, first in the Nation

2008-02-07T00:51:00.000-07:00

Blue Sage Naturals Announces NOP Certification for Sea Buckthorn Oils

Blue Sage Naturals, first in the US and abroad to offer NOP certified organic Sea Buckthorn [SBT Seed and Berry oils. Highly touted oils for use in formulations for skin care, SBT oils are higher in essential fatty acids, beta-carotenes and tocotrienols than any other oil.

Phoenix, Ariz. (PRWEB) February 6, 2008 -- Natural herbal cosmetics company Blue Sage Naturals today announced it is the leading US supplier of National Organic Program (NOP) NOP Certified Organic CO2 Sea Buckthorn Seed and Berry Oil, juice powder and capsules. Sea Buckthorn, a breakthrough natural skin care ingredient, is a full spectrum plant extract that contains high levels of essential fatty acids and vitamins that are helpful with all kinds of skin conditions, including rosacea, inflammation and eczema.

"SBT seed and berry CO2 oils are added to cosmetics because they soothe dryness and inflammation, and may even speed up healing of scar tissue from cuts, scrapes and burns," said Janine Phariss, president of Blue Sage Naturals. "For several months, we have been anxiously anticipating final NOP certification of the Sea Buckthorn products we have been carrying for years. Now, with NOP certification, our U.S. based customers are assured of the highest quality Sea Buckthorn oil for use in the cosmetics they manufacture."

The addition of the NOP Certificate for the Organic Sea Buckthorn to our line of ingredients means more people will enjoy healthy, organic skin care. It's 100% pure, 100% organic and 100% good.

Trends in natural and organic cosmetics are going the same way as the organic food market, with sales of organic cosmetics increasing at a rapid pace. Consumer concern about harmful chemicals in cosmetics is widely believed to be driving the interest in certified organic cosmetic ingredients. The demand for higher quality cosmetics is helping them to become more widely available, and Blue Sage Naturals plays a critical role by offering manufacturers Sea Buckthorn oils, an effective skin care ingredient that is also NOP Certified Organic.

As the first and only distributor of NOP certified organic CO2 Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil, Blue Sage Naturals is helping its customers respond to their customers' demands with an oil that addresses the skin conditions in the most healthful way possible -- organically. Our NOP Certified Organic products have met stringent federal organic regulations.

Blue Sage Naturals NOP Certified Organic Sea Buckthorn is available in 4 forms:

Organic Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil (first and only US distributor)
Organic Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil
Organic Sea Buckthorn Juice Powder
Organic Sea Buckthorn Capsules

NOP certified organic Sea Buckthorn is also an ingredient in Blue Sage Naturals' branded line of cosmetics, including soaps, facial serums and skin balms, all made with natural and organic ingredients.

"For years, Blue Sage Naturals has been committed to distributing products that help people take care of their skin naturally," said Phariss. "The addition of the NOP Certificate for the Organic Sea Buckthorn to our line of ingredients means more people will enjoy healthy, organic skin care. It's 100% pure, 100% organic and 100% good."

Blue Sage Naturals

Blue Sage Naturals is the leading distributor of NOP certified organic CO2 sea buckthorn berry and seed oils, and manufacturer of salves used for eczema, inflammation and rosacea. From Seabuckthorn Soap to Sea Buckthorn shampoo that encourages hair growth, Blue Sage Naturals uses quality ingredients with no chemicals other than the tiny quantities needed to preserve lotions and shampoos. More information is available here: http://www.BlueSageNaturals.com/seabuckthorn.php

Branding from the Corporations

2008-01-07T13:16:00.001-07:00

The days of branding have changed drastically. What worked before is NOT working now for the corporate companies. Lately Unilever has been promoting one product with negative self imaging for those that use it, while promoting another product, Dove, with great self images.

Most, if not all of the huge conglomerates are faceless entities. They have no feelings, no heart, no soul.

This is another area where Blue Sage Naturals completely diverges from what 'mainstream' companies do. We, as the company, have feelings, we have faces, we talk with you, we spend time with you, we pray with you. Tell me, what other companies do that?

Blue Sage Naturals is not an invisible entity, we do not broadcast contradictory messages. We are a green company, we are natural.

A question has been posed:
"Will companies have to be branded as well? One corporate mission and value statement that governs all of their brands"?

This begs the question...companies will have to be honest, aboveboard. No longer will large corporations be allowed to get away with being hypocrites, liars and deceivers. People are becoming more educated on ingredients. We are all wanting products and goods that are good for us and those we love.

As each month and year progresses, 'we the people' will force more corporations to be honest in their dealings with us, or we will find one that is. Consumers are much more aware and educated these days regarding ingredients, labels, fire retardants and WE THE PEOPLE are fed up with the lies, scams and detriments to our health, faceless entities foist on us. People are at last thinking for themselves for the most part.

Blue Sage Naturals has always been a 'green' company. We have been herbal and healthy since the beginning, back in 1991. We were green and herbal when being green was NOT cool. Blue Sage Naturals has been formulating and producing products for the health of people, not for the health of their pocketbooks. Blue Sage Naturals is run by people who care. People who take the time on email or phone to listen and answer questions not answered on their website.

Just as the best places to work are those that recognize people are human, whether they are employees or customers, so the best companies to do business with are those that wear their values on their sleeves, that don't compromise, that stand for what is good and helpful.

Blue Sage Naturals is branded as a company that not only is GREEN, it also has heart, soul and cares about their customers. It's not hard for us to make sure all our brand values are consistent. It's who we are. It's our core values.

That's the difference between faceless entities and Blue Sage Naturals.

Core Values.

What do you think?

NOP certification for Blue Sage Naturals Seabuckthorn!

2008-01-02T15:07:00.001-07:00

Well folks, once again, Blue Sage Naturals has a FIRST! We are the only company to have NOP certified organic seabuckthorn products. From seabuckthorn seed oil to sea buckthorn berry oil to sea buckthorn juice powder to sbt capsules.

What does it mean and why is this important you ask?

NOP is the National Organic Program that was finalized in 2004. The NOP came into being so we as consumers, would have a definite standard set of rules governing what does and does not make something certified organic.
It takes three years to become NOP certified organic.

While Blue Sage Naturals has always had certified organic seabuckthorn oils, they have only been approved certified organic Outside The United States. Which resulted in the 'OTUS' symbol throughout our website.

Organic manufacturers particularly want to be able to put all organic ingredients in their products. Many manufacturers purchase their CO2 seabuckthorn oils from Blue Sage Naturals. For most of our customers, the fact it is certified organic for Australia, Mexico, Canada and so on, was enough for them.

However, having our oils NOP certified organic means you can now put Blue Sage Naturals seabuckthorn oils in your products and the manufacturers or consumers that may have been a little leery, no longer have to be.

Having NOP certified organic sbt oils means manufacturers can now add it to the label as 'certified organic', instead of it taking up the precious 5% room of other ingredients.

It's a big deal for us because we can now cater to ALL avenues of purchasers of our seabuckthorn oils. It's a great feeling being FIRST!

Blue Sage Naturals brought seabuckthorn SEED oil to the United States. We were the first company selling seabuckthorn oils online. We are now first again in having CO2 sea buckthorn NOP certified organic products!

Blue Sage Naturals set the standard for CO2 extracted Seabuckthorn oils.
Aubrey called for our oil, however they decided to go with a 'lower carotene, less price' sbt berry oil. Only $8 difference folks! Blue Sage Naturals does
not dilute our CO2 seabuckthorn oils sold online. In the future we may
dilute seabuckthorn oils sold in stores with an organic ingestible oil, however we will never dilute them and sell them on the website.

NOP certification. Exciting, renewable, healthy, Certified!

Dec 5, '07 updates

2007-12-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't been too wordy lately. We've been busy.
I took down the forum. It was basically a place where reviews
were posted, no one really talked there. And it was too much for
me, so I kept the reviews and will put them on the page link off
this blog. I think I will put all the reviews on that one page. Unless it
proves too unwieldy for me, which I suspect will happen.

I have made a change to the wholesale policies page. It now includes distributors. I have to work the price sheet for the distributors now.

I will be selling Steves Stuff twice a year in 4 oz jars only. I need to
cut back on what I do, however I can't take off products people have
come to rely on to heal whatever problem they are using it for.

For a limited time, I will have Seabuckthorn Body Lotion available in 8 oz jars. I will see how well it sells. I will have unscented, and perhaps two
other scents. Rose Geranium and Lime. I'll have to see what I come up with.

This blog is a great place for you to leave comments and reviews of products. It's a great place to chat.

I also have IM available, my name is bluesagenaturals on yahoo
messenger. I'm not on there a lot. But you can chat with me when I am.

Til next time,

Janine Marie

Product news

2007-11-12T23:18:00.002-07:00

Well, it's almost the middle of November and I still don't have the gift page up. I will do that tomorrow, 11/13/07. I've been trying to figure out how to do upc codes and just all the behind the scenes stuff it takes to run a successful business!

I have taken Comfrey Ointment off the site and I am trying to reduce, again, the numbers of products I am making.
Gone are the seabuckthorn blends. I figure those that purchase those can just purchase the separate oils and make their own blends.

I've taken the SnuggleKisses soap off the site. I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep it as a brand.

And we are doing our best to get a sale going for the gift giving season.

Steve's back is better, now he has to catch up on shipping.

The weather here is beautiful. Warm during the day and cool at nite. My persian lilac is still blooming, the freesias are up. [what ARE they doing??], the butterfly bush has set it's butterfly seeds, the grapes are dying back,
the pomegranate bushes are still sort of in between actually blooming out and just sitting there with blooms waiting to blossom. weird.

The seabuckthorn trees are mostly pulled now, as we need to erect a shed
to hold business supplies. We still have some babies coming along which we'll keep. We've found using the sbt leaf extract is really excellent in the facial serums and other products. I've also taken to grinding them up and putting it in yogurt and other foodstuffs. The protein in the leaves is quite high, as is flavinoids, vitamins, amino acids, etc.

We have seabuckthorn juice powder here, that I still can't figure out how to get it on the site, as a marketable product, that I add something too. Those are the rules of insurance. Personally, I add it to grape juice or other sweet juice and it's wonderful and I know I'm getting a powerhouse of vitamins and flavinoids. But I can't sell it that way. Maybe I'll steam my face with it and see how that is. Then I can sell it as a facial steam. What you do with it is up to you!

Til the next time,

Janine Marie