April 22, 2012 (one month after visit to the emergency room)
So, I introduced my readers to what happened to me and why I ventured into a new skin care line to breathe life back into my home-based business. I continue with my story here today, introducing my "comeback" product while waiting to take additional photos to post with my online stores to start selling (jpeg only....). The above photo of my left hand is one month to the date of my initial visit to the ER and treatment plan implemented. As I write, sometimes I look to see if its really "all gone." I know I'm going to have to be careful when gardening this year, so I started a project I need to finish; yes, I'll be posting that here, too as it applies to what I do and the drive I have to share with my readers.
Barbi's Beauty Basics was born out of a wake up call to a pretty hefty allergic reaction, coupled with my pursuit to create, indulge in, and ultimately, share with consumers the passion I have for natural ingredients bath and body (beauty, if you prefer) products. I had originally started my business exploration due in part to becoming a new mom and wanting to make sure what I fed my new baby and what I used to keep him clean were not loaded with chemicals, preservatives, additives, and questionable ingredients. I made soap for him (which will come back to the table for consumer availability), breastfed him, handmilled organic foods for him to eat, and read labels like I had OCD. With the soap creation, I ventured further into natural ingredients products for the body, created several different bars of soap, sold at local farmer's markets, and enjoyed my exploration and steady climb into the area of running my own business. Then, choosing to have another child, I was yoked with morning sickness and fatigue that grounded my ambitions for 9 mos. After Zachary was born, I had my hands full with him & Tristan, so I had to box my venture in hopes of possibly going back to the drawing board and picking up where I left off. Goals, dreams, and ambition is great to have, but when you need to (and constantly redirected) prioritize how you navigate life, you have to start one step at a time, much like how children learn to walk. Wobble into a standing position, do the sofa and/or coffee table shuffle, and when the moment is right, take that first step into the world of possibilities. And that's just how its come to happen for me.
"My father always used to say, 'Smile & you'll always be happy.'"
My grandmother (mom's mom) is such an inspiration in my life. She helped teach me how to drive, she taught me how to make bread from scratch (over the phone, as I was living 1500 miles away @ the time), counseled us all at the kitchen table, loved us unconditionally, always told us she loved us, there was always a hug (and usually coupled with a goose), and never let any of us (her children , grandchildren, & great-grandchildren old enough to understand) give up on what we believe in. After a seven month battle with pancreatic cancer, she let go and went home on April 22, 2011. I miss her dearly, as do all her family and anyone who knew her in the small town she lived in (and the surrounding towns as well). In honor of the strength and endurance she relied on to navigate life (and she bestowed this ability on several of us as well), I dedicate my lauch product in her name.
From left to right: Astringent, Cleansing Grains, Goat's Milk/oatmeal soap, lotion bar, castille shampoo, and maple/oatmeal conditioner.
So, I leave you with this: if you wouldn't eat it, why are you putting it on your skin? Your skin is the largest organ in regards to the human body. Pores open with an increase in temperature, making almost like little mouths (yeah, I had to think about that one, too). Thus, whatever soaps, lotions, cleansing products, bug sprays, etc..that you put on your skin is absorbed into your body. So, what are you eating? What is your skin drinking in?
