Smoke Signals

CBD Dosing 3 main things to consider; The concentration of CBD Your body chemistry Your WHY - are you taking it There isn’t a “one size fits all” dosage and there will be some trial and error while gauging your proper dosage. Also keep in mind, one’s physiology will change while using CBD, as your receptors interact within your Endocannabinoid System this will create shifts in one’s optimal dose. So how do I begin? Concentration Know the amount of CBD in your product. If your product is not disclosing this information, this is a red flag. I always suggest starting small and increasing gradually. You will find many saying start with body weight but I have found this to be hogwash. I believe it is more about how your Endocannabinoid system is to begin with and some are especially sensitive to it while others require much more and this doesn’t seem to have anything to do with one's size or body weight. See, I am one of those 'sensitive types...

Recently I had a customer who was not happy with her shampoo bar. (｡•́︿•̀｡) This is why it took me so long to formulate one.  Honestly, using natural products altogether can be a bit of a learning curve as most of us are just so use to the way mainstream products seemingly leave our hair & skin. I blogged a bit about shampoo & conditioners here while I was trying to decide whether or not I wanted to offer them for sale.  As we moved forward my thoughts were this; 1.) I do not want my customers to be dissatisfied with their purchase. 2.) Yet I do want folks to go all natural, for the sake of their health, for the sake of holism.   3.) However, a shampoo bar may not be for everyone. After my first dissatisfied customer I quickly realized, 4.) Education is the answer here. So onto the point of this blog post.  Hopefully it addresses all of the above. What is the difference between a soap bar and a shampoo bar? Soap bars have skin ...

photo credit theleafonline.com So now that the 80 year ban on industrial hemp has FINALLY been lifted      (._.)ƪ(‘-‘ ƪ)(ʃ ‘-‘)ʃ (/._.)/   why would you care? Well we have long been supporters of this civil liberty because; 1.) If natural, Creator given plants are illegal than we are NOT living in a free country.  2.) Hemp is beneficial to us. 3.) Hemp is beneficial to our economy. 4.) Hemp is beneficial to the environment! Today we are going to focus on its benefits to our health. So by now you may have heard that we actually have an endo cannabinoid system.  This is a real biological system within us just like our digestive, lymphatic/immune, endocrine, exocrine, respiratory, renal, nervous, reproductive, cardiovascular, muscular, & sensory systems.   Endo means " originating within the body ".  When studying the Cannabis plant in the 60's, researchers discovered a web of receptors, enzym...

We are continuing our series of blog posts on FDA approved chemicals that may increase aging. If you missed #1 you can find it here .  Yeah, it's true.    As you are selecting these products to aid your skin, they may in fact be the thing that is making you feel and look older.    FDA APPROVED INGREDIENT #2  Paraben Parabens are a class of widely used preservatives in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Chemically, they are a series of parahydroxybenzoates or esters of parahydroxybenzoic acid. These CHEAP preservatives are commonly used to increase the shelf life of a product. They keep products looking and smelling great for longer space (than is natural). First introduced in the 1950s, parabens were to keep the product from spoiling by preventing it from being able to grow mold and or bacteria. Today, however, we have remembered to appreciate mold and bacteria.  And we know that all are not bad.  In fact if it ...

FDA APPROVED INGREDIENT #1 Sulfates Sulfate is a salt that forms when sulfuric acid reacts with another chemical. It's a broader term for other synthetic sulfate -based chemicals you may be concerned about, such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). Introduced in the 1930’s, sulfates revolutionized the health and beauty industry.  Sulfates were powerful, inexpensive and easy to acquire. Best of all, they were responsible for the foaming lather we’ve come to associate with being clean.  The effectiveness lies within their ability to lift the grease and grime off of skin and hair, dissolve (emulsify) it and then rinse everything down the drain. picture courtesy of beautybyearth.com Sulfates are powerful, cheap and everywhere  – not just in lathering shampoos, body washes, face cleansers and toothpastes, but also in household cleaners, laundry detergents and dish soaps. In fact, because they are so effective, sulfa...

We are still getting bouts of snow flurries but on the opposing days I can feel the sun warming and delight in it brightening our rooms. And with the excitement to plant a few of us including myself already have poison from clearing the field. Isn't fascinating, how plant life can make their own food?!  And to me it is even more dynamic that we in turn can thrive off of them.  What a wonderful design, the symbiotic relationship this whole realm is, no? Thus, I enjoy teaching photosynthesis, often, to our children because this process is just that cool.     _へ__(‾◡◝ )>  (My little girls brought me these the other day, you should have seen how enthusiastic they were.) ꒰˘̩̩̩⌣˘̩̩̩๑꒱♡   The sun for a lot of people however is something to avoid, when we are talking about skin that is.  I'm not sure when it happened but at some point the sun went from being worshiped to being demonized. I can remember my grandmother con...

Black Beauty is the most concentrated activated charcoal bar soap we offer. Completely black, this is a very popular item when we are at the market, as activated charcoal has been getting a lot of publicity lately in mainstream media. Known for its natural detoxifying ability, activated charcoal is used in many personal care products found in even the most notorious shopping stores such as Wal-Mart. Why all the rage? Many of our customers report that it is the only thing that helps with their dry skin and acne. In my post, “ Is your skin trying to tell you something ?” I go into some of the reasons this detoxing ingredient, activated charcoal works, especially today. And I get to the why this ingredient may be of help to so many even though the root cause can be varied from individual to individual. What sets our activated charcoal bar soaps apart from the rest are the additional ingredients found in our formulation of each activated charcoal soap bar. It's not only t...

Shampoo, no-poo, or co-washing?!? What does all this mean and what is the best natural hair care method? Do we really need shampoo? What about just using conditioner? All those plastic bottles not only contribute to the waste epidemic but what about all the money wrapped up in this one simple daily practice? Do you think I can write this entire post in questions? My opinion ( which has not been evaluated by the food and drug administration, I assure you ) is this; Shampoo as infrequently as possible. -No I'm not kidding.- Even the mildest shampoo strips oils, that's what it is formulated to do. Therefore one who has dry hair, doesn't need more drying. And if you tend toward oily hair, frequent shampooing creates a cycle in which the scalp increases production of oils (Sebaceous glands secrete an oily or waxy matter, called sebum.) in response to every washing away of it. Subsequently this leads you to believe that you should be washing y...

What is holistic living? Yeah, it sounds “woo-woo”.  And quite frankly I'm super skeptical about the latest trendy catchphrase, often rolling my eyes.  Yet holistic living best describes our tribe and the essence of life itself. The slogan can simply be stated as bringing harmony and balance to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual realm of all living things, beyond the self.  Simply stated, perhaps.  Simply achieved, not so much.  Especially in our convenient, instant gratification, indulgent world. Plainly said, the current state of the world is in consequences of this divergence from wholism.  As few of us are taught how to live a fulfilling, nourishing life outside of making money and just getting by. Holistic Living can be achieved when one has an understanding and respect that all things are interconnected.  Healing often takes place here.  It's about taking responsibility for our actions and choi...

Saponification is as Natural as Nature itself! Once we started selling our soap, we quickly began to understand how much the process of making soap and LYE are seriously misunderstood.  So, lets cover the basics of saponification, soap, and lye. What is Saponification?  " Saponification is a process that produces soap , usually from fats and lye ."  ( Source )  Tallow is the name used in the soap making process for animal fats.  Yes, it is the norm to use animal fat to make soap, in fact many are still made with Tallow.  Tallow goes rancid!  Tribal Mama uses NO Tallow, all products are Vegan Safe, they all are 100% Tallow Free.  Many people believe the soap they use is tallow free but most are not.  One example is Dove by Unilever.  Look at the ingredients on the plastic wrapping (not the box), "Sodium Tallowate" is um, tallow.  The screenshot below is from Dove's Website. Soap Making:  There are only 2 b...

Over the course of formulating natural personal care products, I began crafting a line of True Soap for our tribe that I could feel good about using daily and actually like it. I enjoyed learning about oils and butters (a.k.a. ~fats~ and how we need them!), essential oils, and lastly (still learning) all the many wonderful herbs we are blessed with. As time would have it friends and family began “ordering” soap too and retailing the products became a reality. Just when I thought my journey had lost some of its "newness", I discovered an amazing thing taking place; people began asking me what kind of soap to use for this ailment or that. And then others were sharing their skin issues and health problems and looking for answers. As well as letting me know what products were working for them, to my pleasure and excitement. While I fully disclose that I have NO credentials in any kind of health care, it is humbling to know that so many are experiencing the same kind of is...