LotusBody.com is going to be undergoing some reconstruction in the coming weeks, the store will remain open in it’s present form until the reconstruction is complete and I will announce the grand re-opening! Some items to look forward to are a podcast/videocast, monthly sales and promotions, all of our new products fully featured and all of your wonderful testimonials! Stay tuned for our first videocast where I will eat some of my Body Butter spread on toast!

I am often asked how Lotus Body products differ from all of the other products out there labeled natural and or organic. This can be a complicated question to answer because there is a lot of deception in the marketplace because the competition is heavy. The deception begins with the FDA, who does not police the health and beauty product market at all. This means that people can say whatever they want on their labels with impunity. There are varying degrees of deception.

The first is the lie of omission. They just don’t tell you what they preserve with so it appears that they don’t use any toxic preservatives. But you have to remember that oil and water don’t mix and that water unpreserved will grow mold in 2 to 3 days. Vitamin E, essential oils and rosemary oleoresin are oil-based so they can only preserve the oil portion of the emulsion. You have to also preserve the water portion (water content can be aloe vera, flower waters, milks…) this can only be done with a formaldehyde or phenol based preservative. Grapefruit seed extract will buy you some time but not a lot and they are finding that it is not the grapefruit seed that is actually responsible for the preservation but the parabens that they use to preserve the grapefruit seed extract! So if you are reading a label and there is no listed preservative, assume there is something scary lurking within.

The second lie is “paraben-free” on the label. Parabens are a formaldehyde-based preservative that have been used for years in body care products as well as food. They are also known as methyl-, propyl-, ethyl- and butyl-paraben and have become a big deal lately because they have been found in cancerous breast tumors. People are recognizing that parabens are not a good thing and the big companies are exploiting that for their own gain. Sure there may be no “parabens” in their products but what did they replace it with? If it needed a paraben before and there is nothing listed as a preservative now…what do you think is going on? I will discuss preservatives in depth in a later article.

The third area of deception is in essential oils. As many of you know this is a huge area of contention for me as an aromatherapist who is trained in the use of genuine and authentic medicinal-grade essential oils. All essential oils are NOT created equal, especially in America. I say that because once again this is an unregulated area and there is such an enormous lack of understanding of the healing effects of essential oils in this country that it is almost impossible to tell what is real and what is not. Any company can call any oil a natural or real essential oil even if it is made in a lab and is synthetic. Yes, this is true. I will say that 99.9% of all of the rose and jasmine and neroli and Melissa oils on the market today are synthetic. That is why so many people feel nauseas after smelling rose oil, it is not real. And to make it worse, all synthetic fragrances are formaldehyde based! Now, isn’t that nice. Honestly, if you see any of those oils for sale for less that $100.00 for 5 mls, it is a fake, period.

So, back to the original question, what makes Lotus Body products different from everything else out there? Honesty, integrity and a pit bull attitude regarding labeling. I will never use a synthetic essential oil, I will never use a toxic preservative and I will always tell you exactly what is in my products and to prove to you how pure they are, I will eat them in front of you! How many other companies out there will do that for you?

Peace.

Maria

It was Easter 2000 when Bob and I were driving to his parents for brunch when we saw a scared little pit bull sitting on the median in the highway. She pulled us to her and we instinctively stopped to see if we could help. She was scared but very sweet, we picked her up and put her in the car and proceeded to brunch. We named her Sunday and she was a loyal and devoted little lover of a dog. It was evident that her history was not pleasant. She had scars and cuts on her face and head and an indent on her back that was the size of a pipe. We knew that she had been used either as a fighting dog or a bait dog. We don't know if she had been dumped on the highway or if she had escaped. Either way, she was ours. We worked with her for 6 months, training, healing, loving. As time passed, the scars that she bore, both physical and emotional began to take their toll on her. She became increasingly aggressive toward anyone who came into our home and toward our cat and our other beloved dog, Jack. When she lunged at a newborn infant, we knew that the most loving(albeit heartbreaking) choice was to let her go back to spirit. Sunday died in my arms in 2001.

When I see the faces of the dogs rescued from Michael Vick's property, I see my Sunday and I take it personally. If you have ever loved a dog or any animal, you should, too.

This type of behavior is reprehensible and is indicative of a deeper disease in our society that needs to be dealt with.
The NFL and Hollywood are dealing with this issue at best by ignoring it, at worst, glorifying it by allowing it to permeate films, media and music.

We support with our dollars every time we buy music, go to a movie or buy products that are endorsed by such athletes, musicians and actors who endorse and participate in dog fighting. Our ignorance does not release us from responsibility.

We need to become aware of the money trail and shut it down.

Here is a list of Vick's corporate sponsors:

• Nike: http://niketown.nike.com/niketown/info/privacy.jsp?item=privacy

• EA Sports: http://www.info.ea.com/company/company_prlist.php

• Hasbro: http://hasbro.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/hasbro.cfg/php/enduser/

• Rawlings: http://www.rawlings.com/

• Kraft: http://www.kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?m=contact_us/cu_form1

• Coca-Cola and Powerade (owned by CocaCola): http://www.coca-cola.com/template1/index.jsp?locale=en_US(click on contact us)

Contact the Atlanta Falcons and let them know that you will be turning them off if Vick is allowed to play.

• http://www.atlantafalcons.com/About/Contact_Us.asp

Contact the NFL and tell Commissioner Roger Goodell that not only should Vick be suspended but that when he is found guilty, banned from professional football for life. Both PETA and the Humane Society have active petitions.

• http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/petition_dog_fighting
• https://community.hsus.org/campaign/US_2007_dogfighting_nfl2?qp_source=gaba6w

Please join me in protecting dogs and all animals from abuse and neglect.

Our collective love can transform this barbaric and tragic situation and provide a safer world for all of us to coexist. For all of the "Sunday's" in this world.

Peace and Light,
Maria

Hello again

It was just brought to my attention again, the annoying and obnoxious habit of our wonderful government to suppress and make illegal that which will heal our world the most.

This time it is Hemp. It is illegal to grow hemp in the go ole US of A because, well they want you to believe that it is because of it's cousin mary jane but it is really because it would put the tree killers and the monsanto sanctioned chemical laden cotton growers out of business. Not to mention the fact that if we all consumed a bit of hemp a day, we would all be a lot healthier.

Ruth at Ruth's Hemp Foods has created a Hemp Bar to support the cause of 2 farmers in North Dakota who have filed a lawsuit against the DEA so they can legally grow hemp in the US. 100% of the profits from the sales of this bar are going to the cause until Oct. 4 and then 20% thereafter for the life of the bar. This is a cause worth supporting! Check it out at http://www.ruthshempfoods.com/votehemp

You can get more information about the cause at http://www.votehemp.com

Lotus Body has been proudly using organic hemp oil in our lip balms and sore muscle salve from the beginning and will be joining the crusade in the near future...stay tuned for details!

Peace, Light and Hemp!
Maria

After a 6 month labor of love, the toothpaste you have been waiting for is here!

Lotus Body Botanicals has teamed with Dr. Tereau Pearson of Holistic Dental and Wellness Center to create the ultimate toothpaste. Simple, clean and vibrationally powerful, this toothpaste will rock your world!

There is nothing like it on the market today because we are the only company that cares enough to use genuine and authentic medicinal-grade essential oils to heal you body, mouth and soul.

Not only for your mouth...

The benefits that I have received from using the clove toothpaste for just 2 weeks are amazing. A healing detoxification began at around 10 days and continues even into the second week. I didn't even think that I had anything going on...

The base is clean...

Baking soda to cleanse and deodorize
Xylitol to fight cavities and sweeten
Vegetable glycerine to sweeten and bring it all together

The flavors are vibrationally potent...

Peppermint
Peppermint Ginger
Clove
Lavender Tea Tree and Sandalwood
Cinnamon Myrrh
Juicy Orange

Custom Blends...

With a consultation, Dr. Pearson can design a personalized blend just for you and your specific needs!

Unique, Pure and Vibrant.

Check it out today! Call for more information. 1-866-lotusbody.

Peace and Light,
Maria

Greetings!

We are proud and excited to announce that we have changed our formulation for our Rashy Rump Butter! This change has occurred for 2 reasons:

1. The Shea Butter that we have been using just didn't have a long enough shelf life for this product. It was going rancid in 6 to 8 months. This was not long enough and we will not preserve with anything harsher than vitamin E so the Shea had to go!

2. We found something better. We loved the moisturizing qualities of the shea butter, it made the skin nice and soft but what we found offers that and more! Extra Virgin Coconut Oil!

Not only does it have a very extended shelf life, but it is a fully saturated oil that makes it a solid at room temperature. This makes it a perfect consistency for a salve/butter. It is highly moisturizing, loaded with antioxidants and it has lauric acid which is an antiseptic.

This is a perfect fit for rashy bottoms.

We will have a full profile of the healing benefits of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in the March newsletter, sign up now if you aren't already on board!

Check out the new and improved Rashy Rump Butter, your child's butt will thank you.

Peace and Light,
Maria

Hello everyone

We hope that this winter is treating everyone well and that you are all keeping warm and dry! We are currently buried under 3 plus feet of snow here in SW Michigan, oh how I wish that I would have bought those snow shoes!

We have some exciting news we would like to share with you. We have just received 3 new endorsements!

1. We have joined and been approved for membership in Coop America! This has always been a dream of mine and now we are a part of this amazing group of forward thinking green businesses! Yeah! I wanted this so much that the membership fee was my Christmas present!

2. We have gotten the PETA seal of approval for all of our products being cruelty-free! This is kinda funny to me because you have to pick a date that you certify that you have done no animal testing of any kind...As if I ever did ANY animal testing at all!

3. We have joined and been approved for the Green Products Alliance. This another cool organization of like minded businesses that care about and steward the Earth.

We are really proud to be a part of all 3 of these important and forward thinking organizations. Check back soon so see our seals displayed proudly at the web store!

Peace and Light,
Maria, Bob and Sofia

We would like to extend an invitation to everyone in the area to come to our Holiday Open House!

Saturday December 9th from Noon until 6 pm

There will be food and beverages as well as thoughtful and heartfelt handmade gifts for the entire family.

So come over, have some great food and enjoy a calm and peaceful holiday shopping experience!

We look forward to meeting you!

1817 Brown School Rd
Saint Joseph, MI

269-932-4551

Peace and Light,

Maria, Bob and Sofia

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I will be out of town until November 25th. I can still be reached at my toll free number 866-lotusbody (568-8726) and I will still be checking my e mail. Please leave a message and we will get back to you!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Peace and Light,

Maria, Bob and Sofia

Most of us are pretty conscious when it comes to what foods we choose to put into our mouths. We like to think that we usually make the best choice with the occasional not so healthy snack. But how much thought do any of us give to what we take into our bodies via our skin? The skin is our largest organ and it is responsible for many functions.

1. Protection of underlying organs and tissues from mechanical damage.
2. Excretion of excess salts, water and urea from the body.
3. Temperature regulation.
4. Maintenance of body shape. The elasticity of skin restores the shape when joints are used during movement.
5. Protection against excessive loss of water from the body by evaporation.
6. Protection against entry of harmful organisms.
7. Storage of nutrients.
8. Detection of stimuli such as temperature, pain and touch and the relay of this information to the nervous system. And last but most important:
9. Absorption.

In fact, we absorb 70% of what our skin comes into contact with both indirectly through the environment and directly through application to the skin of various lotions, cosmetics and medications. 70%! That is a lot especially when you consider the pathway. When we eat and drink, the foods we take in have to go through the gastrointestinal tract before entering our bloodstream to reach the entire body. What this means is that your food is in contact with digestive enzymes, stomach acids and other substances that break down and help to digest and process it. If there are any toxic or un-needed elements they are often whisked away to the liver and kidneys for processing and excretion.

This doesn’t mean that there are no ill effects from eating things that are not good for us; it just means that our foods get broken down and partially processed. In contrast, when we put a substance on our skin, it gets absorbed and into the bloodstream without the benefit of processing and filtering.

This is how trans-dermal patches work for nicotine, pain killers like morphine and hormones for HRT. The fat-soluble medications are absorbed through the fat layer and into the bloodstream to the entire body, instantly. Then there are the medicated creams and lotions on the market for sore muscles and arthritis. These ingredients, salicylates/aspirins and hot pepper (capsaicin) preparations are water-soluble so they need help getting through the fatty tissue to get into the bloodstream. That is where the other various ingredients come into play, the ones that we usually cannot pronounce. The most popular transport agent is propylene glycol. It is responsible for vasodilation (opening up your blood vessels) and dilating your pores so that the medicine can get through.

There are a few problems with this method that you need to be aware of.

1. Propylene glycol is a petroleum by product.
2. It is an ingredient in anti-freeze and other industrial agents.
3. The FDA considers it so toxic that it requires its workers to wear full body protection when cleaning up a spill, yet it is the most common ingredient in all cosmetics.
4. When the propylene glycol opens the door for the medicine, everything else follows.

What that means is that all of the delightful formaldehyde based preservatives, petroleum, synthetic fragrances and Goddess knows what else, are escorted right into your bloodstream for quick distribution.

Isn’t that nice? And we haven’t even talked about cosmetics yet!

Read the ingredient label on any random body product and then ask yourself,

“Would I feed this to my child?” “Would I eat this myself?” Yes, with your mouth.

If you cringe, then maybe you need to rethink what you are slathering on your children and your own body everyday because that is exactly what you are doing. You are eating all the formaldehyde, all of the petroleum, all of the propylene glycol, all of the dyes and synthetic fragrances, all of the ingredients that you cannot pronounce, all of it. YUCK!

And I am sorry to say that many of the products labeled as “organic” are not much better. Remember, if the scent of a product lasts on your skin for more than 20 minutes, it is synthetic. It is not real. The exception to this is resinous oils like frankincense and patchouli etc.
In light of this information we are considering starting a new slogan, Lotus Body Botanicals, Good Enough to Eat! Check out our entire line of edible skin care/healing products, (except of course the Honey Bubbles)!

Peace and Light,
Maria