Hint: the man was raised in Louisiana and lived most of his life in Harlem, New York.

To win this week, be the first to state the name of the man and his cosmetics company and win a bar of handmade herbal Rosemary Soap from Sunflower Soaps & Sundries. Bonus prize is an additional bar of soap from Sunflower ... get ready for your spring garden with their Gardener's Handsoap with cornmeal and essential oils of lemongrass and cedarwood. Smells delish!!

Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry.

While time does not permit me to respond personally to all entrants, the winner will be notified by email and their name posted at the link above.

As you know, I always like to let you know when HBN members and their luscious handmade products are featured in major beauty and health magazines. You can check out features from previous issues at these links: http://www.handmadebeauty.com/hbcn/arc2000/20001105.asp http://www.handmadebeauty.com/hbcn/arc2000/20001029.asp

This week, you can page over to page 36 of Heart & Soul's March 2001 issue to see a reference to a popular Harlem spa that uses HBN member Vienna's Herbal Compounds' (Harlem, NY) products on their clients. The Cynergy Spa's most popular Vienna item is their Sweet Feet foot powder, along with the entire foot package which includes Rejuvenating Foot Soak, Refreshing Foot Cream and other great feet treats and accessories.

You can find more about Vienna's Herbal Compounds at HBN's Online Member Directory.

Last September, I taped a segment for the Discovery Channel's Home Matters with hosts Susan Powell and Chris McWatt. They tell me it will air on February 27 at 1:00pm Eastern and Pacific. If you're by the tube at that time, I hope you'll tune in to watch us make a few skincare treats using fresh fruits and other natural goodies, like honey, whipping cream, grape and pineapple juice, sour cream, kiwi fruit and other natural yummies. We'll also spread my Strawberry Face Frappe all over Chris' face! As always, air dates and times are subject to unexpected programming changes.

This week's recipe combats the brutal cold of winter!

I'm not sure whether it's colder and/or drier than normal on the east coast this year, or whether it's just the fact that this winter has been extremely stressful for me. Whatever the case, my skin has been especially dry and scaly. I think a big part of the problem stems from the fact that my busy winter schedule has made it quite challenging for me to whip up my own fresh skincare concoctions. So this week, I decided to return to the "freshies" in my fridge and see if it made a difference. I used this product night and day from Monday to Saturday this week almost without exception and it has made a big difference in the way my skin feels. The grapefruit aroma makes me smile and the feel of soothing, natural ingredients cleanse and pamper my skin, plus I made it in a snap so there's no excuse for not treating my skin the way it should be treated.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons whipping cream (my favorite!) or whole milk
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons ground oats (I like mine not too finely ground)
2 drops grapefruit essential oil (optional)

Blending Instructions & Use

Warm cream or milk in microwave for 20 seconds. Remove from microwave and add honey. Stir well to dissolve all honey. Add oats and stir to make a creamy paste. Apply to face and neck in gentle sweeping strokes. (You can rest with a light layer on your skin for about 5 minutes if you have time, but if you do this, you may wish to substitute lavender oil for the grapefruit if you plan to go outside soon after washing. Citrus oils can cause burning if used prior to exposure to sunlight.) For light, twice daily facial applications, this recipe should last 3 or 4 days. But if you love the way it feels as much as I do, you'll use it quite generously and not just on your face. In that case, you'll want to make a bigger batch and store it in the fridge between uses. You can use it from the fridge for a pick-me-up cleanser or let it cool to room temperature.

Our Handmade Beauty Product Review will return next week with a review of a really luscious handmade lotion!

If you have a suggested recipe or trivia question you'd like to share, send it to Jenn@HandmadeBeauty.com. If we use either in an upcoming issue, we'll credit you!!