Winter Skincare Survival Guide

It's that time of year again when cold rides in and brings its friends chapped lips and dry skin along for the ride.  But when the brisk winds blow and the cool, dry air starts to take its toll, look no further than to our natural moisturizing skin care and body products to stave off the skin dehydrating effects of winter!

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Remedy for chapped, cracked or dried lips:

Seasonal Lip Balm 3 Pack $14.50

The Grapeseed Company signature lip balm formula will infuse a veil of delicate moisture into you lips without ever feeling waxy or heavy.  Natural flavors top a rich base blend of organic oils and butters to bring back those soft lips that the cold of winter takes away. Seasonal Lip Balms individually retail in various scents for $4.99 each or come in the value 3 Pack (pictured above) with a reusable hemp pouch for $14.50!

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Sweet Lips SPF 15 Lip Balm $6.00

 If winter is your season and you're active out in the cold and sun, say on the ski slopes, then our SPF 15 protective lip balms are a perfect choice to not only moisturize but also prevent sun damage to your precious kissers. Choose from Coconut, Almond Cream or Sweet Lips (vanilla mint).

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Key to preventing or recovering dry, irritated facial skin:

Cali Vine Face Cream $26.00

Our signature skin care line is full of hydrating goodies that will keep your skin dewy despite wintry or dry weather. The superfood rich formula in ultra hydrating Cali Vine Decadently Rich Face Cream is a perfect solution for shielding your skin with moisture and providing vitamins and nutrients to keep a happy, healthy complexion.

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Avocado Grapeseed Facial Oil $18.00

The latest addition to our Grapeseed Facial Oil line, Avocado Grapeseed Facial Oil is especially great for thirsty skin as avocado oil is naturally humectant, meaning it actually helps to hold in and retain natural skin moisture, a feature that comes in handy with rehydrating severely dry skin. Paired with jojoba and grapeseed oils, this facial oil is a surefire way to battle the drying effects of winter. 

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Vino Crush Face + Body Polish $16.00

If the weather has turned your skin into a dry, flaky dead zone, the best way to combat further dryness begins with shedding that top layer and starting again. Vino Crush Face + Body Polish is specially formulated brown sugar scrub with no added essential oil fragrances that gently exfoliates away the top layer of dried, dead skin and leaves a layer of moisturizing oils in its wake to hydrate the freshly exposed skin. Follow this scrub treatment with one of the above moisturizers for a full system of face moisturizing reboot!

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Treatment for ashy elbows, knees and overworked hands:

Sunshine Day Sugar Body Scrub $11.99 4oz, $19.99 8oz

The same concept of removing dead skin to expose and moisturize underlying new skin on your face, as mentioned above, also applies to your body. Sunshine Day Sugar Body Scrub will cleanse and exfoliate dead skin away wherever you are dry and leave behind a shield of natural moisture all with an awakening scent of sweet orange and vanilla to brighten your day.  Other scents available in Sugar Body Scrub: Vanilla Almond Cinnamon, Lemon Cake.

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Pinot Dreams Whipped Body Butter $14.00

In addition to renewing skin through a sugar scrub treatment, our Whipped Grapeseed and Shea Body Butters are the favorite choice for chasing away dry skin winter woes. 100% natural formula of pure oils and butters whipped until they create a decadent cream that will massage easily into any moisture-lacking area of the skin and continue to soothe for hours after application. Available in four vineyard blends: Pinot Dreams, Summer Crisp Chardonnay, Rosevine and unscented Spa'Vignon Blanc. 

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Grapeseed Lotion Signature Scent 6 Pack $16.99

In need of moisture and don't have time to wait for it to absorb before getting back to business? Acquaint yourself with our Vinotherapy water-free lotions! Our aloe juice, grapeseed and coconut oil based formula readily absorbs into dry skin and won't leave any oily residue behind, making it the ideal lotion for those who need moisture on-the-go. Featured above in our Grapeseed Signature Scent 6 Pack, these handy travel sized lotions are each in 1.2 oz bottles that stash easily into pockets, purses, backpacks, fanny packs, travel bags, glove compartments, diaper bags, etc. so you can access the moisture you need, whenever and wherever you need it, with no fuss.  
This pack also is a great way to familiarize yourself with the six signature scents featured in our normal body care line so you know exactly which essential oil blend tickles your fancy when you go to buy larger sized products!

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The Grapeseed Company wishes you a hydrated and healthy winter! Find all these great products and more here.

NEW RELEASE // Avocado Grapeseed Facial Oil 2.3oz

NEW RELEASE // Avocado Grapeseed Facial Oil $18.00

Announcing another fantastic addition to our family of grapeseed facial oils! 

Why avocado oil, you ask?

California is known for its avocados; in fact, a festival to celebrate this native fruit occurs just south of Santa Barbara annually. Avocado oil is rich in omega fatty acids and vitamins A, E & D. In addition, avocado oil is a natural humectant, or an ingredient that prevents loss of moisture thus helping to keep your skin's natural hydration, rendering it highly effective as a moisturizer for normal to very dry skin types.

Blended here with antioxidant packed grapeseed and jojoba oils plus lightly scented with pure essential oils of jasmine, rose & sandalwood, this hydrating, rejuvenative facial oil will soothe and soften even the driest complexion.

Experience radiant moisture from two of California's most famous and nutrient packed crops for just $18!

Features
100% natural expeller pressed grapeseed oil

2.3 fl oz recyclable cobalt glass packaging

TSA approved for travel with carry on luggage

made with love in CA

nut, gluten, paraben, phthalate & sulfate free

vegan formula, tested on people!

ingredient spotlight: avocado

When I think AVOCADOS, I think LOCAL.

Did you know 95% of all avocados grown in the USA come from California?! Carpinteria, California is a laid back beach town just South of Santa Barbara, where we recently opened The Grapeseed Co. store #2 and warehouse. We have been loving it here for many reasons, including that it is chock full of avocado groves and happens to be home to the wonderful California Avocado Festival each fall! Avocados are an amazing fruit loaded with omegas and vitamins, native to our area. The Grapeseed Company incorporates local ingredients in all of our formulas, and one of our most recent additions to make your skin healthy and happy is the AVOCADO! Here's why it's great for your skin...
botanical name: (or how we are required by FDA to list "avocado"on the label)   
Persea Gratissima oil
botanical benefits in skin care:
Avocados are a superfood that are sometimes known as "fruit with fat" because they're so meaty and moisturizing. Avocados are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin e which makes them an excellent anti~aging ingredient. Avocado oil easily penetrates and absorbs into the skin. It has a reputation of helping psoriasis and eczema, as well as acneic, mature and aging skin conditions... which means (like grapeseed oil) it's great for just about any skin type.
find it in...
  Cali Vine Decadently Rich Face Cream

feature ingredient: acai~ an ecologically sound antioxidant

Acai (INCI name: Euterpe Olerace) is a dark purplish hued berry that is native to South America. It's produced by a species of palm tree commonly found in Brazil. Acai is considered a superfruit due to its high antioxidant content, particularly for the flavanoids which help prevent oxidation caused by free radicals. Acai is touted for having even higher antioxidant content than many other superfruits like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries or cranberries. It's popping up in everything from drinks to energy bars to (you guessed it) skin care!

In addition to being rich in antioxidants, acai is an ecologically sound ingredient and renewable resource, much like the grape seed. Greenpeace states that harvesting acai berries is an "alternative to logging" and has produced multi-millions per year in revenue for the Amazon rainforest without chopping down trees.

I've been experimenting with acai in our formulations for a few years. It's a perfect compliment to our namesake grape seed to boost antioxidant levels even higher in formulations.

find it in:
whipped grapeseed & shea body butters
vine eyes anti-aging cream with eyebright

other ways to use acai:
~create your own facial treatment with acai with our Fresh from your Kitchen DIY beauty recipe
~check out Acai: eco beauty in a bracelet to see alternative ways the ecologically sound berry is being used.

Grandma's Melt in Your Mouth Blueberry Cake

This week, I'm sharing a yummy dessert recipe from my grandma that brings me back to childhood. I grew up spending my summers at Squam Lake in NH. Depending on your age, you may remember the movie "On Golden Pond" which was filmed here. My grandparents built a house here when I was a young child. I have not had the chance to spend a full week up here in over a decade, so my siblings and cousins have been on a throw-back to childhood kick, from going on our favorite hikes, to making delish recipes we grew up on.

Yesterday, my mom, sister, husband and I took our boat over to Blueberry Island (not the real name of the island, but what we've always called it) so we could pick native blueberries and make a favorite summer dessert, appropriately named Melt in Your Mouth Blueberry Cake

I ate my fair share of berries during the picking process! My mom by far out-picked the rest of us (look at that technique!) We came back with a couple pounds of sweet, ripe blueberries to whip up this recipe for dessert. While I usually do not eat much dessert, blueberries are a superfood chock full of antioxidants and vitamins- justification enough for dessert on vacation! It's so delicious, I ended up having a little for breakfast too! Grandma and grandpa arrive this afternoon, so we saved a few slices for them :)

Grandma's Melt in Your Mouth Blueberry Cake
1 1/2 C flour
1t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/3 C milk
2 eggs, separated
1/2 C shortening
1 C sugar
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 C blueberries
sprinkles of cinnamon & sugar mixed

Cream shortening with sugar. Add beaten yolks. Add alternately sifted dry ingredients, then milk. Fold in beaten egg whites, vanilla, then lightly floured blueberries. Bake 30-40 min at 350. Sprinkle top with cinnamon and sugar before baking.

Enjoy!

beauty foods: walnut rainbow chard saute

Beauty Foods are delicious, nutrient rich recipes to eat your way to healthy skin. Beauty Foods is a spin off on Fresh From Your Kitchen, bringing you the same format from our delectable DIY spa recipes to delicious food recipes that will lead to glowing, healthy skin from the inside out!

We made this over the weekend with the first pick of fresh rainbow chard from our urban garden! It makes a beautiful side dish- it's also mighty tasty on veggie burgers, calzones, sandwiches... get creative! Easy, rich in vitamins and SO DELISH! 
 Enjoy,

walnut rainbow chard saute
ingredients
 1 bunch rainbow chard per 2 adults (believe me on this one, it really cooks down)
1 large clove garlic
1T dry white wine
walnut oil
S&P

simple steps

1. prepare chard by washing like lettuce, trim ends and chop into 3-4 in strips, it really cooks down so don't worry too much about chopping!
2. Coat a pan with walnut oil, toss in chard and chopped garlic, saute over medium heat.
3. When the chard has reduced to about 1/2 size, add white wine and saute for about 2 min. longer.
4. Season with S&P.

Why it's healthy for your skin and body
Rainbow chard is in the rich leafy greens family with relatives such as spinach, kale, mustard or collard greens. It's chock full of vitamin K, A, C, E, multiple B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, iron, fiber! The plentiful vitamins and antioxidants are recommended for promoting skin, bone, lung, cardiovascular, colon health and more.

Walnuts are chock full of those amazing omega 3s and are a staple in the heart and skin healthy Mediterranean diet. We're lucky in Santa Barbara, there's this guy at the farmer's market that makes the most insanely delicious walnut oil. You should be able to find roasted walnut oil in specialty/health grocers.

beauty foods: spinach walnut salad

Beauty Foods are delicious, nutrient rich recipes to eat your way to healthy skin. Beauty Foods is a spin off on Fresh From Your Kitchen, bringing you the same format from our delectable DIY spa recipes to delicious food recipes that will lead to glowing, healthy skin from the inside out!

spinach walnut salad
ingredients
organic baby spinach
1 crisp pear
1/3 C walnuts, broken into pieces
1/4 C crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
1T roasted walnut oil
1T champagne vinegar
S&P

directions
~put 2 clean handfuls of spinach in a salad bowl
~add chopped apple or pear, cheese and broken walnuts
~toss with roasted walnut oil, champagne vinegar and S & P

makes 2 salads

Why it's healthy for your skin and body
Spinach is full of phytonutrients and flavinoids that have been linked in medical research to prevent and treat cancer cells. It's loaded with antioxidants and vitamins B, K,E, A & C, these vitamins are all known to help keep your skin and hair healthy. Learn more about the health benefits of spinach here.
Pears are rich in copper which helps fight free radical damage.
Walnuts are chock full of those amazing omega 3s and are a staple in the heart and skin healthy Mediterranean diet. We're lucky in Santa Barbara, there's this guy at the farmer's market that makes the most insanely delicious walnut oil. You should be able to find roasted walnut oil in specialty/health grocers.

A healthy complexion isn't rocket science. It comes from
a combination of what you put in your body
and what you put on your body.

Check out:
Fresh From Your Kitchen: DIY Spa Recipes feature here
Previous Beauty Foods features:
Creamy Tomato Bisque

Beauty Foods: Creamy Tomato Bisque

Fresh From Your Kitchen, my features on green DIY spa recipes you can easily whip up right at home, put GreenSkincareBlog.com on the map & gained popularity for it's usefulness, educational value and results. Beauty Foods is a spin off on Fresh From Your Kitchen, bringing you the same format to delicious food recipes that will lead to glowing, healthy skin from the inside out!

Beauty Foods: CREAMY TOMATO BISQUE
This is a recipe I adapted that my friend Patti gave to me a few years back. I absolutely adore the creamy, rich texture the tofu and rice brings to the bisque without the heaviness of a cream, plus the added protein that makes it a real meal.

ingredients
2T EVOO
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
20 oz free range/organic chicken broth (veggies can use veggie broth instead)
2 C water
2 x 28 oz can crushed or diced organic tomatoes- roasted ones give it a fabulous flavor
1/2 softer texture organic tofu, cubed
1/4 C basmati rice
1 T rice vinegar

directions
Heat oil in large soup pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and stir about 3-5 min.
Stir in broth, water and rice, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, stir occasionally until rice is tender 15-20 min.
stir in tomatoes, tofu & vinegar. Remove from heat and puree in batches in blender. Be careful pureeing hot liquids, do not overfill!
Return soup to pot and reheat over medium high- season with salt & pepper if desired.

I like to top mine off with a wholegrain crostini and melted mozzarella or Parmesan

Why it's healthy for your skin and body
Tomatoes are a powerful superfood that contain cancer fighting lycopene. Garlic is packed with antioxidants like Vitamin E and coenzyme Q10, which help halt damaging effects of free radicals. Tofu provides protein and is important to look for organic or non-GMO tofu... it's worth the extra $0.40-.50! Here's a list of non-GMO soy product companies

A healthy complexion isn't rocket science. It comes from a combination of what you put in your body and what you put on your body. Check out the most recent Fresh From Your Kitchen: DIY Spa Recipes feature here.