Sensatia Botanicals | Newsletter

May - June 2007 Newsletter \| Sensatia Botanicals Inc.
Welcome to the May - June 2007 edition of Sensatia Botanicals Bi-monthly Newsletter. In this issue you will find a short bio with Bali crew director, I Nengah Riadi, a dear friend & natural born leader. Then in, day in the life, we fight with fire to bring in the bali new year. Be sure to look in botanical files for a glimpse at "The healthiest oil on Earth."		Then have a look in fresh produce to find out whether nature is actually male or female. But please start by having a read through whats HOT to find out the simple truth to supple, great-looking, baby skin. And last but not least please remember to have fun, its natural!!! We hope you enjoy and look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you.

whats HOT | The simple truth to supple, great-looking, baby skin.

The cosmetics industry has truly gone mad! Never has a few very simple idea's gotten so lost in all the fluff of today's cosmetic mumbo-jumbo as it has now.

I suppose, Sensatia included, I mean who really needs sensual honey for your bathtub anyway? But I like to think of Sensatia as more of a less-fluff, more-function kind of company dedicated to providing the basics for maintaining great, healthy-looking skin above all.

Okay, so you might find a little fluff thrown in from time to time but the basic, natural premise for healthy skin always supercedes any fluff-factor.

The reality of it all, is that you only need a few things to keep your skin looking it's best; 1. a natural daily cleanser, 2. a natural daily moisturizer and depending on the season or climate, 3. a weekly deep moisturizing treatment or 4. weekly deep cleanser/ exfoliant or de-toxifying treatment. This of course coupled with at least one good sweat inducing workout a day, a healthy lifestyle with fresh foods, plenty of fresh, cool water & a daily awe-inspiring moment gazing to the sea, the mountain or the forest.

1. Daily Cleansers
For body (and face) I would recommend any of our 100% natural handmade soaps. Many people tell us they also use our soaps to wash their hair as a natural alternative to the highly synthetic commercial shampoos out there. For more gentle sensitive skin I would recommend either our SB30 Series of soaps for daily facial (& body) cleansing and/ or our soapless facial cleanser for the most delicate skin types.

For more info on Sensatia soaps see Fresh Produce from our March/ April newsletter.

2. Daily Moisturizers
An excellently-aromatic choice for daily body moisturizing is our herbal body oils, designed to be used immediately after bathing while skin is still moist & supple. Sensatia body oils leave your skin luxuriously-soft without feeling greasy. Another daily moisturizing choice for the body is the utterly incredible after-sun dream cream. Though perfect, I suggest this cream for people with dry skin, during the dry winter months, after sun exposure or as a intense weekly hydrating therapy.

It is quite rich and concentrated and a little goes a long way. Then for daily facial moisturizing I certainly can't say enough about the incredible blossom facial dream cream, simply a dream, just get it! We do offer another alternative especially convenient for the non-stop traveler or avid gym go-er, Sensatia facial hydrates, just 3 to 6 drops of this concentrated botanical wonder gently massaged into the face after bathing leaves your face perfectly-soft and glowing without feeling greasy. Perfect for hydrating before applying make-up.

3. Weekly deep moisturizing treatments
I generally recommend weekly deep moisturizing, but this depends on the kind of skin you have, how active you are, and in what climate you reside. Generally speaking during the cold, dry winter months you should perform a weekly deep moisturizing routine. The best, most soothing ritual is to go into your bathroom, draw yourself a hot bath, while the tub is filling up, and the bathroom is filled with steam, get naked as to allow the steam to open your skin's pores. Then rub either; the incredibly rich & soothing after-sun dream cream, any of the luscious botanical body balms, the

healing nutrient-rich shea butter basics, or if your with your partner, any of the sensual massage blends directly into the body. Allow the product to deeply penetrate rubbing in more where needed, paying special attention to elbows, knees and cuticles of both hands & feet. Then after about 15-20 minutes submerge your whole supple body into the bath tub and continue to soak in this amazingly aromatic, moisturizing bath. You will feel like a million bucks!!!

4. Weekly deep cleansing/ exfoliant or de-toxifying treatments
This weekly regiment is almost the opposite of the above deep moisturizing treatment. The purpose of this treatment is to stimulate & draw toxins from the skin, clean deep into the pores, and loosen & remove dead skins cells encouraging the growth of newer, younger looking skin. This should be done once a week but may be avoided entirely during the dry winter months unless performed before a deep moisturizing treatment.

Most people will find this treatment most beneficial during the summer months when you are most active and demand the most from your skin. You will also most likely want to follow this treatment with your daily moisturizer of choice.

Here are my suggestions: for the body Traditional Balinese Herbal Lulur as an excellent polishing treatment for the entire body, hair/ scalp & face. A good way to use this is in conjunction with either Sensatia botanical bath salts, bath salt basics, or herbal bath powders. You would use the Herbal Lulur as directed, while the lulur is drying on your body you would prepare yourself a warm sea salt bath, then submerge your entire "lulur-ed" body into the bath allowing this marinade to continue to soothe your body.

Then for the ultimate weekly facial treatment turn your bathroom into your own home spa. Here we go:

1. Cleanse thoroughly with Sensatia's soapless facial cleanser - a mild way to cleanse your face without soap. Repeat if necessary and blot dry with a clean towel.

2. Then spray a few full pumps of either neroli OR sandalwood facial toner depending on your skin type. Toners remove any traces of cleanser and the tap water used to wash off the cleanser helping your skin's pH return to a normal level. Blot dry.

3. Follow with coconut & vanilla bean facial scrub as a mild, natural exfoliant to loosen and slough off dead, stubborn skin cells that cause clogging creating undesirable whiteheads & blackheads. Prevention is the best medicine here.

4. Then, a light facial massage is recommended before the masque treatment. For this we recommend using one of the daily botanical facial hydrates but rather than the recommended daily usage amount of 3-6 drops you will use about 1/4 teaspoon and gently massage entire face. End the massage by rubbing your hands quickly together until they are hot, then lightly place them over your eyes, repeat this a few times.

5. Prepare the sandalwood facial masque and apply enjoying the soothing aroma.
Relax, let dry completely; later remove by rinsing with plenty of fresh water.

6. And as the icing on the cake finish your home spa facial treatment with about 1/2 desert spoon of the incredible Blossom facial dream cream rubbed generously into face.

After this treatment it is normal for your skin to initially show evidence of the toxins working themselves out. This is only temporary as your skin "cleans house", when it re balances itself you are left with finer, more gorgeous, healthy, younger-looking skin.

Sensatia Botanicals takes the Truth in Labeling Pledge.

The Natural Ingredient Resource Center was founded to help consumers, manufacturers and retailers, focusing on natural personal care products for the home and family, to learn more about the natural ingredients in the products they buy, make or sell. To encourage and provide an opportunity for manufacturers of these products to voluntarily show that they support "truth in labeling" and to provide a resource for education about natural ingredients.

Visit our Pledge Members Links page for the best in products containing natural ingredients. Because natural matters!

Check them out NIRC at www.naturalingredient.org

fresh produce | Nature? feminine or masculine? that is the question...

Would you say any particular home cooked meal is any more likely to be for a man or woman? or to appreciate a high tundra meadow stippled with wild flowers is more specifically for one sex or the other? Is cabbage particularly male or female? Would a bouquet of carrots be better for some men (or some woman) instead of a bouquet of flowers?

Yet for some reason over the course of time we have developed this idea that certain aromatics are particularly male or female. I have to disagree!

Working among pure plant essential oils on a day to day basis and having developed a great appreciation and knowledge for these natural essences (that & a keen nose) I honestly can't say with any justifiable cause that I find any natural essence particularly specific to one sex or the other. I find these amazing aromatics to be god-sent and to be truly appreciated for what they are, without judgment and/ or classification. If I were a smart business man I might tell you otherwise.

I am certainly not saying, gentlemen, to go out & buy woman's perfume but rather am trying to make a point. Nature in it's purest form is neither masculine nor feminine, it is everything and nothing. Most perfume's and "girly" or "manly" products are of synthetic nature. Man (or woman) creates these scents (that could kill a horse) in a laboratory synthetically with chemicals. It is these chemical companies that unfortunately set the

precedence, albeit misleading, for what is man and what is woman (well that and millions of dollars in advertising and market conditioning from birth.)

Take for example, perhaps one of the most "feminine" aromatics, the rose. Do this simple experiment; get either a fresh rose or true rose essential oil or absolute, take a deep breathe. Isn't that gorgeous? Isn't it amazing that nature created this aroma in order to perpetuate the existence of the plant? Virtually without fail, these aromatic oils promote the plant's growth, attract the "right" kind of insects who play a necessary role in the plants reproduction, repel the "wrong" kind of insects & protect the plant from disease. It is thought that plants communicate through these natural, chemical, aromatic signals. Click to read more about essential oils or botanical blends here.

Then try the same experiment with a particularly "masculine" botanical, like cinnamon. Go on, take a deep breathe of freshly ground cinnamon and tell me that is not an amazing botanical that shouldn't be enjoyed by both sexes. See my point? It is nature, & amazing!

Some of you may have gotten the wrong impression via bad experiences, but I encourage you to try the natural versions of the perhaps synthetic versions you have grown to hate.

Like for example I have never liked citronella, but come to find out it was the highly synthetic nature of the "picnic" products I encountered as a child that i didn't like. Fresh Citronella oil from the pungent, herbal grass is truly a wonder of nature.

I hope this brief argument has opened up a few eyes (and noses) to the fact that true essences are neither man nor woman, but rather, naturally neutral. Whether you are the most "manly man", the most "womanly woman" (or somewhere in between) we hope that you find Sensatia products satisfying & naturally delectable. And as always we look forward to hearing from you with any questions or comments you may have.

botanical files | Coconut (Cocos nucifera) the Healthiest Oil on Earth!

Thud! That's the sound a 5 pound coconut makes when it drops 15 metres out of a tree. Followed then by a mini shock wave; rippling out from ground zero; created by the impact of the heavy coconut plummeting into the moist, volcanic, Bali soil.

Then as if this mini shock wave is something to fear, everyone within an earshot of the fallen coconut jumps up and races to claim the prize.

In Bali there is an understood rule that if a coconut falls out of the tree whomever gets there first has the right to make claim as the proud new owner & with great reason.

The Balinese (and probably most pacific islanders) have been using every part of the coconut tree for thousands of years. The coconut husks are dried and used as fuel to cook fresh fish, heat water, etc. The coconut meat is grated and used in cooking and can be found in almost every meal. The coconut meat is also used to make coconut oil and coconut cream. Even the waste material from making coconut cream is massaged into the hair & scalp both by men & woman and left on as to allow the sun to ignite the coconut's incredible nourishing properties. The coconut tree is used for wood and makes great looking coconut posts when milled. The coconut palm fronds are often weaved and make great matting and shades from the harsh tropical sun. They are also used as roof

thatching and provide a virtually impenetrable barrier from heavy tropical rains when layed correctly. From what I have seen in Bali I would say, among the island communities worldwide there is probably zero waste from a coconut tree.

Not only that, but there is new evidence that shows "Coconut Oil is the Healthiest Oil on Earth!" says Alternative-Healthzine.com. Please also have a look at Dr. Mercola's website and see why coconut oil can give you incredible benefits like: Promoting heart health, Promoting weight loss when and if you need it, Supporting your immune system health, Supporting a healthy metabolism, Providing an immediate energy source, Helping to keep your skin healthy and youthful looking & Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland. Tons of incredible information. The Weston A. Price foundation also takes an in depth look into the amazing life-giving benefits of coconut oil. Then if that is not enough to convince you well there are a plethora of books about this very such topic at www.coconut-connections.com, and tons of research found at www.coconutoil.com

It's no wonder the Pacific Islander's look so darn good. They have great healthy looking hair & skin, are lean, fit & smile all the time; it must be the coconut oil, they're happy, they're healthy!

So perhaps the next time you hear a "Thud" you too should jump off the couch, run outside and grab that coconut, it could improve the quality of your life.

These Sensatia Products contain locally harvested and made Virgin Coconut Oil:

Soap - all 9 flavors in the Original Series
Soap - all 6 flavors in the Tea Tree Series
Soap - all 5 flavors in the 230gr BIG Series
Soap - all 6 flavors in the SB 30 Series

day in the life | Fire-fight scares away evil spirits for the new year!

If you happen to be cruising down the street of this otherwise serene, quaint, coastal village, on bali's Saka calendar's new year's eve, you are in for quite a surprise.

You might assume a political upheaval, or local disagreement turn sour; but the fact remains there is a full-blown, all-out fire-fight right before your eyes.

Relax, It's only about 1000+ Balinese people hurling tethered palm fronds set ablaze at one another. Typical right? Well hopefully not! But, this exhibition is not intended to harm their

neighbour, but rather to protect the community as a whole. You see, the fire-fighting itself is actually meant to wake the evil spirits and scare them from Bali.

The festivities begin about 30 minutes before sunset. This time of day holds great magic for the Balinese, it's when day falls to night. The entire villages main road is blocked off and protected with full police barricades. FYI, scaring away ghosts should always involve the police (But, I think we should also have a day dedicated to inviting the ghosts to scare away the police ;-)

Anyway, the ritual begins with a symbolic walk/ run around the perimeter of the village. When the high priests, children (and whomever else wants to join in) make it to the beach, they pray. The prayer and the offerings have been specially created for the evil spirits. The intent is to fulfill and pacify these spirits so they don't disturb us.

In fact, I once asked a high priest, why does it seem like alot of the ritual & offerings in Bali focus on the evil? (Though later found out it is as balanced as Yin & Yang) He said very slowly but with the utmost of confidence; "Evil sprits are like your electricity bill, if you don't pay it they will turn the electricity off." I figured at that point it would be best I leave it at that. (making a mental note to pay my electricity bill on time.)

You see its not the fact that the Balinese are dwelling on the evil but rather respecting evil as a fact of nature, absolutely not denying evil exists, more often than not, standing right beside good.

So then after praying at the beach the entire procession makes their way back to the village. By now, the crowd has been waiting, is fidgety and ready for some action. It is at this time, that any evil spirits that made the mistake of following anyone back to the village from the beach will promptly be bombarded with fire.

The fighting continues with the most southerly group marching forward only to be confronted by the next group, north, waiting their arrival. The flaming brawl continues until it makes it to the farthest temple in the north of the village.

After the smoke clears everyone spends the nite cruising around, visiting with friends and family, because the next day is dedicated to isolation and meditation.

Nyepi is the Balinese new year and almost always falls during the spring equinox. It is observed as a complete day of stillness, silent retreat, prayer and meditation. In fact it would be impossible that your plane would arrive on this day; the airport is closed, there are no ferries & you wouldn't even be allowed out of your house or hotel room. You cannot use fire, electricity, make any noise; for all intent and purpose you are only allowed to hide and be unseen.

Hide from what you ask? Well the demons of course. You see the whole point of last nights craziness was to awaken, fulfill,

then scare away the evil from Bali. So now everyone on the island of Bali's 2,175 square miles, must hide out for the entire new year's day, in hopes that the evil spirits will assume Bali is devoid of life, and move onto other locations. Not a bad plan really.

To see that the stillness of the community is preserved, male members of the village keep silent watch at points along the roads and alleyways. No one is allowed out and unless you have a real good excuse the fine is one sack of rice. That's 100 kilos of rice donated to the village in your name, for being the dummy not following the rules, thus jeopardizing Bali's demon count!

I think every country should have Nyepi. It forces you to slow down & face your family. Btw, there are 210 days in a bali year and it is now officially 1929 (believe me, sometimes it really feels like it!)

the crew | I Nengah Riadi - A dear friend & natural born leader.

Nengah Riadi grew up dirt poor; the second of 4 kids to a fisherman of the lowest caste in Bali.

For what Nengah unknowingly lacks in material goods he replaces with an amazing, light-heart that seems to be able to overcome anything the world can throw at him. In fact if you grew up like Nengah you too, could probably laugh in the face of just about anything. To him nothing is really that bad, because it's already been as bad as it can get!

I met Nengah about 10 years ago when his older brother, Koyo, brought me to their little quaint village about 3 hours from Bali's capital (now only 1.5 hours by

highway.) Koyo insisted I stay at their family compound. Initially I refused as I didn't want to intrude on the small, balinese family dynamics. I was also a little nervous actually. My every move was already scrutinized by just being in this small, rather isolated village. Friends and family members would come out to have a long, deep stare at the foreign guest. At that time, if someone came into the village, the locals would peacefully-storm them and ask what they were doing there, what do they want and where are they going? But this also is why small children could easily be hours and sometimes days away from their parents and no one would worry. It was a bizarre time & space in Bali, one that will never be able to be repeated again.

Since there were no hotels/ motels or bungalows anywhere to be found I agreed to stay at Koyo's house. Koyo gracefully offered his brother, Nengah's bedroom. What? I said no way, I didn't want to evict Nengah from his room. Koyo's reply was Nengah never even sleep's there. Huh? He never sleeps in his own room? Well come to find out it's true. You see even at night in Bali, the temperature rarely drops below 80 degrees, so unmarried guys pretty much sleep wherever they happen to land come sleep time. So there I was the black sheep of the family living in Nengah's bedroom.

Even as a 17 year old surf punk, Nengah has always had this natural air of royalty about him, like a re-incarnated king whose followers act without question. Never pompous only confident in a subtle, humble way. As if to say, I am here, now, and nothing can make me forget from where I have come. Now 27 years old and husband to a wonderful, stability-giving wife, and father of a gorgeous little sweetheart, Iluh Dina, Nengah exudes even more love than ever before.

Perhaps a surfer can understand this best, but to watch Nengah surf is to understand Nengah's soul. He is exacting & calculating, confident and present, powerful yet patient, a perfectionist shackled to his gemini nature.

He has an uncanny way of drawing energy from the sea. It's as if she accepts his request & joins him in his respectful watery-dance. His fluidity creates speculation that him & the ocean are in cahoots.

After living with Nengah's family for about 2 years I bought the piece of land down the road, near the beach, that would eventually be home to Sensatia. Observing Nengah as a person with that little extra something I knew he would make a great chief to the tribe. Actually, I wasn't the only one who thought this. In most village's in Bali there are youth organization's for each section of a village. They help with ceremonies, fund raising and any manpower the village may need. Before Nengah married about 2 years ago he was elected head of his youth group. This election is not one that he pursued but rather was appointed to by his peers.

It was with Nengah's chieftain competence that him and I worked together to create CV. Pak Bina's Minyak Kelapa, a profit-sharing company which would be the producer of Sensatia Botanicals products. Born, really, as a way to pay back the community for their undying

acceptance and excitement for me and my ways (and I theirs.) Especially, Nengah, Koyo and their family for all their unconditional love through the trials & tribulations

of being a foreigner in a foreign land. (Believe me, foreign it was!)

In a place where little kids used to hide if they saw a white man, Nengah's family accepted me for who I am and took me in like a long lost brother/ son 15,000 miles from home.

When asked if Sensatia is a fair trade company, I chuckle inside, and reply, no, Sensatia is a family owned & operated company.

I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction of my dear friend and our natural born leader, I Nengah Riadi, Director of CV. Pak Bina's Minyak Kelapa. In the next issue of our bi-monthly newsletter we will continue with the Bali crew, production-house soap guru and gamelan master, I Ketut Puja.

Thank you for your continued interest and support of Sensatia Botanicals and once again please feel free to contact us anytime with any questions or concerns you may have. From all of us at Sensatia, we wish you the very best.

Sincerely,
Michael R. Lorenti Jr.