Sunday, August 11, 2013

ALL NATURAL SOY WOOD WICKED CANDLES

Our highly fragrant wood wicked candles are made from all natural soy wax. Soy wax is non-toxic and burns clean with no petrol-carbon soot and no toxic carcinogens commonly found in commercially produced paraffin candles. Derived from soybeans, a renewable resource, soy wax is very environmentally friendly and is naturally biodegradable. 


By using soy wax candles you are not only choosing to support the environment, but you are also helping to create important economic growth for the agricultural sector of the US economy since soy beans are grown in American fields and are processed in the USA.

Our handcrafted artisan candles use all natural wood wicks making them chemical and lead free to give a healthier natural burn. Compared to conventional Paraffin candles, our soy Wood Wicked Soy Candles burn longer, at a cooler temperature, will not blacken your container with dark soot, and will impart a stronger scent. Each fragrance is the highest of quality and has been picked for its unique qualities and rich lasting aromas.


While there are many options for candle containers, we choose to use Tin for its several unique benefits. These tins will not break like glass containers will, and they are 100% recyclable making them a great environmentally conscious and sustainable option.

Our BOSSANOVA all natural soy wood wicked candles are simply better for the mind, body, and ecosystem.


Tuesday, June 18, 2013

EFFERVESCENT BATH BOMBS

Ever wonder what a BOSSANOVA Bath Bomb is?

Beautiful BOSSANOVA Bath Bombs
Our Bath bombs are refreshing and rejuvenating solid balls of salts and minerals that react vigorously when dissolved in water to release carbon dioxide in a characteristic fizzing over a period of several minutes.  This occurs because two of the main ingredients, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and citric acid, react with each other when they encounter water.

Not only are bath bombs fun, but our BOSSANOVA Bath Bombs are packed with various Salts Clays and Oils as well as a generous helping of fragrance and essential oils to help melt your tensions away.  The Salts and Clays will detoxify your skin by neutralizing toxins while also acting to draw toxins out of your pores.  As your skin becomes rejuvenated by these salts and clays, therapeutic oils within our Bath Bombs will leave your skin feeling soft and nourished.   

PEPPERMINT ICE BOMB, VANILLA BUTTERBALL, NAG CHAMPA DELIGHT
Bottom line? Throw a BOSSANOVA Bath Bomb in to your next bath and they will fizz to release not only many beneficial ingredients to the bath water, but also a wonderful relaxing aroma into the air.  Listed below are some short descriptions of the wonderful ingredients that make up our Bath Bombs.

CITRIC ACID
Citric acid is an alpha hydroxy acid and is a very powerful antioxidant that stimulates collagen production and helps neutralize skin damaging free radicals.

SODIUM BICARBONATE
Commonly known as baking soda, Sodium Bicarbonate not only softens the water to make your bath feel silky smooth, but is also an effective detoxifier to leave you feeling refreshed and awakened.

CLAYS
Clays purify and detoxify the skin and the underlying tissues to help your skin stay healthy and radiant.

EPSOM SALTS
Epsom Salts, also known as Magnesium Sulfate, are readily absorbed through the skin to combat hypertension and promote relaxation. Magnesium plays a number of roles in the body including regulating the activity of over 325 enzymes, reducing inflammation, helping muscle and nerve function and helping to prevent artery hardening. Sulfates help improve the absorption of nutrients, flush toxins and help ease headaches.

OTHER SALTS
Other Salts such as Mediterranean Sea Salt, Dead Sea Salt, and Himalayan Salt are naturally rich in nourishing and skin-replenishing minerals to give a truly a renewing and therapeutic experience for your mind and body.

OILS
Many oils such as Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, and Cocoa Butter will make your bath an even more pleasant and relaxing experience by nourishing and softening your skin.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

The Joys of Activated Charcoal

One of the most purifying and detoxifying natural compound for your skin is Activated Charcoal.  Dating back to as early as 1550BC, activated charcoal has been used across the globe by many different cultures for use in treating various skin conditions and ailments.   
Activated Charcoal from Bramble Berry
Activated charcoal has high absorptive powers, which means that it draws other elements into itself. Regular use can help to eliminate acne, bumps, and blackheads by cleaning skin deeply by clearing pores while improving the texture of the skin by removing dry patches. 

BLACK SALT
Our activated charcoal powder comes from bamboo wood (a renewable resource), and is activated through exposure heat and steam. This process causes the carbon to form enlarged "pores" on its surface, that literally trap toxins and contaminants removing them your skin through a process is known as adsorption.

PEPPERMINT CHARCOAL w/ CLAY
Your skin is a living organ that can allow chemicals and toxins to pass both into and out of your body. Using Activated Charcoal on the skin will purify away and prevent many of these toxins from entering your body to leave you with fresher and cleaner skin.  

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

SUSTAINABLE PINE SOAP DISHES

An often overlooked part of using handmade natural soap is the importance of keeping it dry between uses.  Since natural soap is very high in Glycerin, a by product of the soap making process, they are more water soluble in comparison to commercial soaps.  This is mainly because commercial soaps have their Glycerin removed and replaced with synthetic bar hardeners and detergents.  Glycerin in soap is wonderful, and the lifetime of this type of natural soap can be significantly extended with the use of a soap dish that allows for complete water drainage and the bar to completely dry out between uses.  

SOAP DISH
In addition to keeping our soap dry, being Eco-conscious is central to the work we here at BOSSANOVA, and because of this our Fire Branded soap dishes are sourced from 100% sustainable wood to ensure that they are environmentally friendly.  The Earth’s forests are home to an incredibly complex biodiversity, some of which has been lost forever. Astoundingly, about 80% of our forests have been destroyed or significantly degraded; over half of which has occurred in the last 30 years.  What remains of these forests today is home to two thirds of all existing animal and plant species on land.  Further complicating matters is the fact that only about 8 % of the world’s remaining forest is currently protected from further destruction.   

While avoiding the use of certain types of wood like Mahogany and Teak are important, it is still only part of the solution.  The timber industry is big business and our insatiable demand for wood is fed largely with unsustainable deforestation throughout the world.  Like the Pinewood that our soap dishes are made from, it is important that as much wood as possible be harvested from sustainable plantations. Pinewood is particularly nice in this regard because its high rate of growth make it one of the more sustainable woods.  Growing anywhere from 10-15 feet per year, a Pine tree will mature and can be harvested in as little as 10 years. 

SOAP DISHES
The forests are the lungs of the planet and home to a lush biodiversity. We only have one planet, and we feel we should do what we can to take care of it. 

Monday, May 20, 2013

Nourish And Hydrate with Dead Sea Mud Soap

One of our favorite ingredients is Dead Sea Mud, but don't let the name fool you, the Dead Sea mud in this soap will not get you dirty; it will instead will feed your skin with essential minerals and nutrients to leave your skin feeling youthful and fresh.



Located in a valley surrounded by the West Bank, Jordan and Israel, the Dead Sea is one of the most amazing natural wonders of the world.  Sitting more than1300 feet below sea level, its shores are the lowest dry point on Earth making this mud highly enriched with 26 different Dead Sea salts and minerals; such as Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium, natural tars, and many silicon compounds.  In addition, the warm desert air evaporates the waters of the Dead Sea to leave a high concentration of salts and minerals in the mud.

Dead Sea Mud
We also love that this soap has fine grains of Dead Sea mud that lightly exfoliate and cleanse the skin to remove dirt, and toxins, and gently peel away dead skin cells to reveal a more youthful, healthier skin.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Aleppo Soap & the Syrian Civil War

Many people are aware that there is a civil war going on in Syria, but what many people are not aware of is that some of the first soap making in the world originated here.  Aleppo, located in northern Syria, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and its soap is widely considered to be the first soap ever made.  With the intense fighting business has ground to a halt and the future of soap making in this ancient city is uncertain.  

The BBC has shed some light on the consequences this war has had on the Aleppo soap making industry:
One of Nabil Andoura's earliest memories is making soap with his grandmother.
She was from a family of traditional Aleppo soap-makers and she handed down a closely-guarded recipe that hadn't changed for generations - "not for centuries" Andoura says proudly.

Made from mixing oil from laurel (bay) trees with olive oil and soda, Aleppo soap uses no chemicals or other additives.

First introduced to Europe by the Crusaders in the 11th Century, demand for the intensely moisturising, all-natural product has soared internationally in the last 10 years.

But last month, after two years of fighting in Syria, Andoura was forced to flee.  "It was a difficult decision to leave, very difficult. But it was simply too dangerous to stay," he says.
We can only hope that this conflict has a speedy and peaceful resolution so all involved can rebuild their lives.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Eucalyptus Oils Are Mighty Fine

Native of Australia and Tasmania, Eucalyptus has been used for centuries by the Aborigines in topical applications to treat general skin problems.  It has many wonderful properties and is a great natural antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal.  Also, the camphorous nature makes it a great decongestant that can be used to treat respiratory distress and congestion. 


For our BOSSANOVA Eucalyptus soaps, we generate a stock of highly concentrated Eucalyptus infused Olive Oil for use in making these spectacular soaps.  We extract these sharp refreshing Eucalyptus Oils from freshly collected Red Ironbark and Narrow-leaved peppermint Eucalyptus trees by adding heated Olive Oil to the chopped leaves.  This infusion is left to marinate for a minimum of two weeks, and once strained, a distinctly green Olive Oil loaded with Eucalyptus Oils is the result.