About
¡Hola! I'm Elizabeth, creator of Rosa y Fruta. It is my loving intention to bring your the very best, most nourishing, beautifying, and high vibration skin care!
Grooming and beautifying has been superficialized and misdirected in mainstream culture. This ritual of the skin can actually be a loving, healing, and shamanic act. Synthetics and toxins on the skin can have a negative impact on not only the surface skin, but the body as a whole, as well as our consciousness, which in turn cthrough our actions can create a synthetic toxic world. On the other hand, if you loving apply, for example, certified organic White Camellia and Pomegrante oils to the skin, with fragrant oil of Rose and Orange Blossom,prepare for your senses to be seduced and enchanted to the beauty that is within and all around, while your skin is deeply nourished.
It is my experience and that of my clients that high vibration plant essences that nourish and beautify the skin also further awaken the potential of our hearts to nurture and cultivate a more loving earth. I know that is a lot to ask of a skin care line, but I truly believe in the power of high vibration plant sentience to inform and transform our consciousness. You are precious. You are the temple from which existence emerges. Treat and massage your being with beautifying nectars from this rich earth as an act of with devotion, love, and kindness.
Sourcing rare and beautifying ingredients and formulating with the intention of the highest love is a true alchemical merging of many fields. It has connected me to the world and inner understanding in ways I never imagined as well lead me to some of the
most fascinating experiences, places, and dimensions. It is an exciting art form because it requires not just imaginative blends and ingredients, but real life application...it has to be safe on the skin, give results, evoke the imagination, and awaken the heart further.
I have a true passion for blending and sourcing unique and exceptional skin care ingredients- I trust that this love is felt in the collection! All my best to you…Enjoy!
ABOUT SKIN & HEALTH:
The skin is the largest organ of our body, and it matters what we put on it. Many ingredients (natural or synthetic) can have a negative effect on the skin by being irritating, creating free radical damage, and/or carcinogenic. Many ingredients can also be absorbed by the skin into the blood stream (this is why transdermal patches work). Most skin care companies, even those found at health food stores, use a slough of toxic chemicals and irritants such as Methyl, Propyl, Butyl, and Ethyl Paraben, Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, synthetic colors and fragrances. Even baby care products have shown to contain cancer-causing chemicals:
http://www.breastcancerfund.org/site/pp.asp?c=kwKXLdPaE&b=2483603
We need safer alternatives and Rosa y Fruta is committed to bringing you the best and safest natural skin and spa products. For our skin and well being and that of the planet!
PLANT SENTIENCE
Each formulation I make has a higher purpose. For example the Ambrosia de Rosa beauty nectar helps to bring love in and all around, the Aqua Exotica evokes the water/dream element of mystery and seduction, the Floresta de Fruta cream infuses us calming nourishment and joy, the Lustre cleansing milk gently purifies- helping us let go of that which no longer serves us and inviting the new. The path to higher awareness is many fold: from within, the relationship with our God, nature etc... There are plant gifts on this earth that help enhance our path. Certain plants in specific synergies have this ability. Think of how eating the right foods, changes your internal chemistry. Some foods help stabilize blood sugar and nourish, while other spike blood sugar and do little for nourishment. This has a great effect on our mood, mental clarity, and physical stamina. Topical application of plant essence is another way to nourish oneself. On a level purely of chemistry, some plants help protect the skin while others can harm it: plant lipids from camellia, grape, etc help moisturize the skin while poison ivy flares up a severe poisoned reaction. I go a step further and say, topical application of plant essence can help inform and transform our awareness. It's almost as if the plant carries with it a holographic matrix of its being and interacts with our emotions, intelligence, imagination, and physical well being. I did not believe anything of the sort when I first started out with making skin care. My belief in this has come after years of working and applying some of the most extraordinary plant essences in the world. Whether my experience is simply the poetry of my imagination inspired by the sensory input of, for example, the scent and feel of a particular ingredient, or if there is actually an energetic and/or physical basis, the impact on my life is equally profound. Many of my clients have experienced the same phenomena. Go ahead, I dare you to apply Indian Rose Bourbonia, hydro-distilled in silica crystal quartz glass using water from a deep volcanic spring in the Sacred Iao Valley on Maui, and not be changed just a little!
WHY ORGANIC:
Since the ingredients in Rosa y Fruta are gourmet food quality versus refined cosmetic synthetics, choosing organic is more than skin deep. The following reasons are from:
Organic Times, Spring 1992
Excerpted from an article by Sylvia Tawse
Alfalfa's Markets, Boulder, CO
Protect Future Generations
Children receive four times the exposure than an adult to at least eight widely used cancer-causing pesticides in food. The food choice you make now will impact your child's health in the future.
Build Soil
The Soil Conservation Service estimates that more than three billion tons of topsoil are eroded from the United States croplands each year. That means soil is eroding seven times faster than it is built up naturally. Soil is the foundation of the food chain in organic farming. But in conventional farming the soil is used more as a medium for holding plants in a vertical position so they can be chemically fertilized. As a result, American farms are suffering from the worst soil erosion in history.
Protect Water Quality
Water makes up two-third of our body mass and covers three-fourths of the planet. Despite its importance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), estimates pesticides (some cancer causing) contaminate the ground water in 38 states, polluting the primary source of drinking water for more than half the country's population.
Save Energy
American farms have changed drastically in the last three generations, from the family based small businesses dependent on human energy to large scale factory farms highly dependent on fossil fuels. Modern farming uses more petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12 percent of the country's total energy supply. More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilizers than to till, cultivate, and harvest all the crops in the United States. Organic farming is still mainly based on labor-intensive practices such as weeding by hand and using green manures and crop covers rather than synthetic inputs. Organic produce also tends to travel a shorter distance from the farm to your plate.
Reduce Health Risk
Many pesticides approved for use by the EPA were registered before extensive research linking these chemicals to cancer and other diseases had been established. Now the EPA considers that 60 percent of all herbicides, 90 percent of all fungicides and 30 percent of all insecticides are carcinogenic. A 1987 National Academy of Sciences report estimated that pesticides might cause an extras 1.4 million cancer cases among Americans over their lifetimes. The bottom line is that pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms, and can also be harmful to humans. In addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated in birth defects, nerve damage and genetic mutation.
Protect Farm Workers
A Natural Cancer Institute study found that farmers exposed to herbicides had a greater risk, by a factor of six, than non-farmers of contracting cancer. In California, reported pesticide poisonings among farm workers have risen an average of 14 percent a year since 1973, and doubled between 1975 and 1985. Field workers suffer the highest rates of occupational illness in the state. Farm worker health also is a serious problem in developing nations, where pesticide use can be poorly regulated. An estimated 1 million people are poisoned annually by pesticides. Several of the pesticides banned from use in the United States are still manufactured here for export to other countries.
Help Family Farms
Although more and more large scale farms are making the conversion to organic practices, most organic farms are small independently owned and operated family farms of less than 100 acres. It's estimated that the United States has lost more than 650,000 family farms in the past decade. And with the US Department of Agriculture predicting that half of this country's farm production will come from 1 percent of farms by the year 2000, organic farming could become one of the few hopes left for family farms.
Support a True Economy
Although organic foods might seem more expensive than conventional foods, conventional food prices do not reflect hidden cost borne by taxpayers, including nearly $74 billion in federal subsidies in 1988. Other hidden costs include pesticide regulation and testing, hazardous waste disposal and clean up, and environmental damage.
Promote Biodiversity
Mono cropping is the practice of planting large plots of land with the same crop year after year. While this approach tripled farm production between 1950 and 1970, the lack of natural diversity of plant life has left the soil lacking in natural minerals and nutrients. To replace the nutrients, chemical fertilizers are used, often in increasing amounts.
Great Taste
There's a good reason many chef's use organic foods in their recipes. They taste better. Organic farming starts with the nutrients of the soil which eventually leads to the nourishment of the plant and ultimately our palates.
Did You Know?
It takes approximately 3,000 years for nature to produce 6 inches of topsoil. Every 28 years, 1 inch of topsoil is lost as a result of current farming practices. Organic biointensive farming can produce 6 inches of topsoil in as little as 50 years-60 times faster than the rate in nature. Source: Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, 1999, in "Our food, our future," by Donella H. Meadows, in Organic Gardening, September/October 2000.
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ABOUT ESSENTIAL OILS (Not to be confused with carrier oils):
Some essential oils can be therapeutic and beneficial for the skin when used occasionally and in the proper ratio to a carrier oil. EO's impart a lovely scent making the product a wonderful experience. They are also safer and more tolerated then synthetic fragrances. However, research shows that daily use of essential oils can create sensitivities and contact dermatitis in many individuals. Massage therapists have reported many cases. Essential oils should never be used on pregnant mothers, as essential oil may effect hormones (some exception apply but one should see a qualified aromatherapist/doctor). Daily use of lavender oil on children has been flagged because it effects hormone development of children. However, lavender can be beneficial in many cases (again it's about dosage, frequency, and specific application). To be on the safe side, Rosa y Fruta does not believe essential oils regarded safe for use on the skin should be used daily; rather skin safe essential oils should be used only 1-3 times a week (eg in a facial mask, body treatment, or bath soak). There is one exception that I know of- a special hydro-distilled rose bourbonia extract. This special very gentle oil is an extract not an essential oil and in the right ratio can be used nightly with excellent results and is exceptionally soothing to the skin.
Our shampoo and conditioner is EO free, and it will be up to our clients to decide whether to add essential oils to them or not.
OTHER NATURAL INGREDIENTS NOT USED:
Clearly harmful synthetic ingredients are avoided, however there are also some natural ingredients not used or used very specifically:
Natural Vitamin E oil: many know to avoid synthetic vitamin E, but did you know that natural vitamin E is derived form Wheat, Corn, and Soy (mainly Soy). These are common allergens for many people. Companies claim that there is little if any protein in the oil (which is what causes the allergy), but they cannot guarantee it.
Titanium Dioxide: please refer to my FAQ page about sunscreen and blocks.
Zinc Oxide: please refer to my FAQ page about sunscreen and blocks.
Citrus Essential Oils: cold pressed citrus essential oil in your skin care routine, such as sweet orange, tangerine, and mandarin (avoid bergamot) are okay in small amounts and very occasionally, but can cause irritation and make the skin photosensitive (sensitive to the sun) if used daily and in larger amounts. They smell lovely, but are not good for daily skin care use. Orange Blossom (neroli) is not a citrus oil and can be used more frequently. Steam-distilled citrus oils are safe and do not contain the components that cause photosensitivity.
Algae extract: there are various algae extracts, such as carrageen (thickener made from algae). Although algae have a soothing effect on the skin it is highly comedogenic- meaning it can clog pores.
Jojoba Oil: jojoba dissolves human sebum, which some say is good for clogged pores, however, this may not be what you want if you have normal sebum production, because it can trick your skin in to stopping its own sebum production. Many clients with sensitive skin respond exceptionally well to jojoba, but there are also clients who are sensitive to jojoba. Jojoba works very nicely in hair care products or combined in skin care emulsions.
Coconut and Cocoa butter: both are very nourishing for the body, and coconut oil makes a great hair oil. However, both can potentially clog pores on the face in those that are susceptible. Coconut oil is cooling to the body, so definitely use it on the body and hair during the summer time!
Aloe Vera Gel: usually thickened with carrageen, a known to be comedogenic (pore clogging). Aloe vera juice is good (unless one have an allergy to aloe vera).
Grapefruit Seed Extract: there is a lot of controversy about this ingredient. Many natural skin care companies use it as a preservative, but tests show that it is ineffective. Where it did act as a preservative it contained synthetic parabens preservatives.
Refined Stale Oil: Rosa y Fruta has sampled hundreds of ingredients and source is absolutely essential! Cosmetic grade oil, which is inexpensive and found in over 90% of skin care is cheaply extracted and is refined and usually stale. This not only does little for the skin, but it can actually contribute to free radical formation on the skin. It is very important to use the highest quality and freshest possible ingredients! Rosa y Fruta seek out only the highest quality, freshest, and safest certified organic ingredients that are deeply nourishing and beneficial to the skin.
FAIR BUSINESS PRACTICES:
Business should be a fair trade and benefit as many people as possible. Business does not have to justifying unethical means for a profitable end. Business can instead help financially supporting livelihoods, justly and ethically, benefiting the planet and all those involved. Rosa y Fruta strongly supports fair-trade and ecological practices.
BEAUTY & IMAGE:
We all want to feel and look beautiful. However, Rosa y Fruta believes the beauty industry is way out of line by preying on women's insecurities and unrealistic ideals. "Aging" is a beautiful and natural part of life. Young is wonderful but so is maturity. Healthy skin has character and vibrancy. Rosa y Fruta ingredients work by deeply nourishing the skin to bring out it's health, vitality, and beauty at any age!
ROSA Y FRUTA'S COMMITMENT:
You have Rosa y Fruta's commitment to quality skin care, social responsibility, and service. Buying certified organic means you are investing in your beauty, health, and well being and that of the planet. Round of applause for you! Now that's beautiful!
BEAUTIFUL FROM HEAD TO TOE, FROM EARTH TO SOUL!
