A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 6, Issue 34
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1. IBN Member Update: Welcome New & Renewing IBN Members!
2. Happy Birthday Members!
3. Handmade Beauty Recipe: Don't Hate Me Travel Spritz
4. Handmade Beauty Trivia Question: win some handmade soap!
5. Featured Article: Aroma and the Family Road Trip
6. Handmade Beauty Benefit of the Week: Discounted Button Ad Design Services

Happy virtual birthday to members born in August! Go eat cake!!

8/1 - Mary Falcon Schell, Heartfelt Naturals
8/3 - Susan Deegan, Moon Goddess
8/4 - Sylvia Oberry, Sylvan Lane Bath, Body and More
8/5 - Sylvia Colbet, Soap By Sylvia's Hands
8/6 - Juliana Lipe, Essencia
8/7 - Ghita D. Heidt, Dragonfly Herbals
8/7 - Denise G. Jacob, Afusion Skin Care
8/8 - Lori Green, Country Scents Milk Soap Company
8/11 - Edwina Wright, Sheer Nature
8/12 - Marilyn Thompson Victoria's Lavender
8/14 - Marla Russo, Bella PR
8/15 - Jen Denslow, Blooming Lotus
8/15 - Brenda Sievers, Oak Court Creations, Inc.
8/15 - Deena Brock, Deena Brock, Rose Petals
8/15 - Donna Lang, The Aromatic Way
8/16 - Valerie Y. Yates, Essence of Esther
8/17 - Lori Kott, Via Botanica Body Care
8/18 - Judy Michaelis, Sunrise Soap Company
8/19 - Debra Chaffins, 5th Element Products, LLC
8/20 - Lauri Strain, Hawaiian Pleasures
8/21 - Patti Eder,Patti Elder, Patti's Prisms & Potions
8/24 - Paula Plascjak, Sweet River Soap Company
8/25 - Joan Pikas, The Enterprising Kitchen
8/25 - Jennifer Doughty, Paper Paw Soap Company
8/28 - Anya Stagakis, Supple Skin Care
8/28 - Janet C. Matherly, Meadowyck, Artistic Body Essentials
8/30 - Kelly Norman, Coconut Cottage

Don't Hate Me Travel Spritz is the perfect helper to keep you refreshed and revived during a long trip on the road. I'm taking some with me next month when me and my family take our first long road trip. Hopefully, it will keep me refreshed, smiling and living everyone even when we all want nothing more than several feet of space between us! I think we'll need it to keep mom sane -- if mom's not sane, nobody's sane, right?!

When you visit MakeYourCosmetics.com, it's easy to buy the ingredients you need by clicking on our Selected Supplier links:

Essential Wholesale: pure essential oils, over 200 cosmetic bases, hundreds of carrier/fixed oils such as meadowfoam, cranberry, jojoba and shea butter plus a new Short Run Private Labeling Program!

Bramble Berry, Inc.: over 105 different fragrance and essential oils (including their exclusive "Energy" and "Relaxing"), all soap tested, soap molds and unscented soap bases!

SunRose Aromatics: pure essential oils (many organic), carrier oils and other aromatherapy products, each carefully selected for quality. Check out their new Perfumer's Emporium.

The Scent Shack: fragrance oils and soap supplies. Fragrance oils are pre-tested in cold process, melt & pour soap, and candles, and test results are listed at the Web site. Scents tested by soapers for soapers!

From Nature With Love: over 1,600 ingredients and supplies, including cosmetic ingredients, spa supplies, bath accessories and packaging supplies!

Last Week's Question: I am an internationally acclaimed photographer, known for my beautiful photographs of babies tucked in pea pods, folded into rose buds and wrapped in bunny and bear costumes. I have two daughters of my own and most recently created a book, DVD and CD collection created with a world famous pop singer to honor precious little ones around the world. To win this week, state my name.

Last Week's Answer: Anne Geddes

This Week's Question: According to AAA (formerly the American Automobile Association, the highest gas prices can be found in California at $2.758 a gallon! To win this week, state what they say the average gallon of gas costs in the US today.

Be the first to correctly answer this week's question and win some win some soap!

Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry. Put "TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWER" in the subject line or your answer will not be considered.

While time does not permit me to respond personally to all entrants, the winner's name will be announced in the next newsletter!

In case you haven't heard, the price of gas has risen once again -- and just in time for the summer vacation travel season. There was a time when you could save several hundred dollars by driving to your destination. This was great because it meant you had money to spend on things like souvenirs, local hang outs and meals. Today, it may cost nearly as much to drive as to fly. Today, with all the inexpensive flights around, it may be cheaper to fly, especially if you are traveling alone and can wait to the last minute and catch a special. Whether you find yourself headed to your summer vacation destination on a plane or in a car, you can use essential oils and other natural ingredients to help you stay refreshed and have the best possible time.

Disinfecting & Freshening.
I always carry a small spritzer bottle of lemon scented tea tree oil suspended in an alcohol base of 50%. I do not use this on my body (and you shouldn't either), but it's wonderful to spray it around the minute I walk into my hotel room. It's the first thing I reach for and I spray it all over the bathroom, on the bedspread and on things I know I'll be touching a lot, such as the remote control, light switches and the shower curtain. I also spray it on the soles of my shoes so I can walk around my room for a while making the carpet smell fresh. I carry baby wipes with me on trips, so after spraying the mixture on the toilet and bath fixtures, I swab everything down using the wipes and then spray again. Call me odd, but I cannot use the toilet or take a shower until after I've done these things. It's an inexpensive and effective way to make the room smell fresh and clean. It's great to have this mix in places like shopping malls and any other place you find yourself in need of the facilities and can't wait until you get home.

Personal Revival.
No matter where you are on your vacation -- the beginning, the end or somewhere in the middle -- you'll find that you can use essential oils to help you make the most of it. Whether you need a pick-me-up or whether you need to calm down and relieve stress, the right combination of essential oils can work for you. I recently returned from a trip across the country and I took a roll-on essential oil blends with me. I didn't have time to make several for different purposes so I chose to make one to help keep me revived. It was just the ticket since I traveled across two time zones and really needed it for the jet lag. I made a blend with rosemary, spearmint, grapefruit, ginger and bergamot. The rosemary serves to enhance alertness while the grapefruit and bergamot offer uplift. The ginger helps to prevent fatigue. Each of these oils acts to introduce pep and verve into the day, and they will encourage deep breathing which helps promote relaxation. I suspended the oil blend in some jojoba oil in a roll-on bottle and off I went! I returned home able to spend quality time with my family without falling out on them.

Make New Friends.
So long as you use your essential oil blends discretely, I can almost guarantee you it will help you make new friends on your trip. Whether you're in a restaurant, airplane, hotel lobby, night club, souvenirs store or on the beach, if you add just enough blend to your personal space to suit you, other people will benefit as well and someone is likely to ask you what you are using. Not only is this a sales opportunity if you're in the business, but it's a chance to educate someone else and perhaps make a new friend.

If you're planning a trip with friends and/or family and you expect to find yourself in close quarters (like traveling long distances in a car), try making some of my Don't Hate Me Travel Spritz before you go. Use it liberally to help everyone stay happy and upbeat, and minimize the impact of any squabbles.

Have A Great Week!!
Donna Maria
Editor, The Handmade Beauty Connection
The Indie Beauty Network | www.handmadebeauty.com

Copyright (c) 2000 - 2005 by The Indie Beauty Network (IBN) and Donna Maria. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized distribution or reproduction is prohibited. IBN does not necessarily endorse any product, event or ideology featured in The Handmade Beauty Connection (HBC) or on IBN's website. All information is provided on an "as is" basis and no express or implied warranties are given. Any use of the information contained in the HBC or on IBN's Web site, including Recipes, is solely at your own risk. IBN and Donna Maria disclaim any liability in connection with the use of all recipes, products reviewed and other information. Except for sponsorships, HBC refuses compensation from companies to feature or mention their names or products. Opinions expressed in any Product Review are personally those of the reviewer and do not represent the views of IBN, Donna Maria (unless she is the reviewer) or any other person or company.