| |
March - April 2008 Newsletter | Sensatia Botanicals Inc. |
| Welcome to the March - April 2008 edition of Sensatia Botanicals Bi-monthly Newsletter. In this issue you will find a short bio with Bali crew packaging manager, I Komang Parwata; Heart of Gold, friend for life. Then in, day in the life, we learn a valuable lesson from Marko & the dragon with the golden scales. Be sure to look in botanical files for a report on Aloe Barbadensis Miller, the miracle plant. |
|
Then have a look in fresh produce to get an update of the difficulties for small producers worldwide & the tough regulations of the EPA. But please start by having a read through whats HOT to see what we have been up to for the past few months. 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 | Dr. Christine Farlow calls Sensatia "impeccably pure." |
 |
|
Dr. Christine H. Farlow, D.C. "The Ingredients Investigator." and author of Dying to Look Good - The disturbing truth about's what really in your cosmetics... recently referred to Sensatia products in a Dying to Look Good newsletter as "impeccably pure..."
Dr. Farlow has been investigating and researching the safety of ingredients used in food, cosmetics and personal care products since 1991. She is committed to finding the truth about these chemicals, many not adequately tested and used far too often, by manufacturers in products we put in & on our bodies.
In Latin, doctor means teacher. Dr. Farlow takes this seriously. She is dedicated to getting her message out and teaching people about how the choices we make |
Sensatia donates to WaterKeeper Alliance to help protect Bali's water. |
Can you imagine living in a world where we can't freely swim in the oceans, the lakes or rivers this great green Earth has to offer?
More and more everyday in the name of big industry our worlds water supply is getting more and more polluted; all roads lead to the ocean; if the ocean dies so do we.
This is why this years 1% for the Planet donation Sensatia decided to donate to the Waterkeeper Alliance organization with special instructions to direct our donation |
|
 |
to the Waterkeeper program that will soon begin in Bali. The greatest challenge is education. Once that has been accomplished we believe great change will take effect.
The Mission of Waterkeeper Alliance is to connect and support local Waterkeeper programs to provide a voice for waterways and their communities worldwide. To champion clean water and strong communities, Waterkeeper Alliance:
1. Supports and empowers member Waterkeeper organizations to protect communities, ecosystems and water quality;
2. Promotes the Waterkeeper model for watershed protection worldwide; and
3. Advocates for issues common to Waterkeeper programs.
|
 |
|
Each Waterkeeper program reflects the needs of the waterbody and community it represents. The common thread for each Waterkeeper program is a full-time person who serves as the Waterkeeper, the public advocate for that body of water. Waterkeepers are part investigator, scientist, lawyer, and advocate. Think of a Waterkeeper's "clients" as all the users of the watershed for which the Waterkeeper advocates. A successful advocate has a diverse bag of tools that allows her or him as the Waterkeeper to get the job done. All Waterkeepers also have a boat ranging in size from canoes to research vessels, but sometimes a pair of hip boots is more important than a boat. Sometimes a legal brief is more important than either. Each waterbody has its own unique challenges requiring a distinct and well-defined strategy.
A Waterkeeper program advocates compliance with environmental laws, responds to citizen complaints, identifies problems which affect the program's identified body of water and devises appropriate remedies to address the problems. |
We are proud to support Waterkeeper in their efforts, look forward to a greater donation next year and encourage everyone to please have a good look at the Waterkeeper Alliance website http://waterkeeper.org/ Oh ya, did we mention Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was once the president of Waterkeeper Alliance and now serves as active Chairman. |
Sensatia Botanicals now offers professional-use, bulk spa supply products. |
Now get the same great, 100% natural handmade body care products from Sensatia, for your spa or salon.
We are proud to offer Sensatia products now in bulk by the kilo. You may find this program useful if you own a spa, gym, fitness club or hotel that caters to the relaxation and well-being of your client.
We can imagine a situation where the spa owner would use Sensatia's professional products for treatments and rejuvenation. Then perhaps, furthers |
|
the marketability of these wonderful healing products by then decanting the same bulk product into smaller containers for retail purchase in their gift shop etc.
If you find this new opportunity interesting please feel free to email us any time with any questions or comments you may have. We would be happy to supply you with our current price list for review.
Please <click here> to email us now regarding this new program. |
Sensatia builds an additional office to house internet stock & packaging. |
Keeping up with our steady growth and excellent response from our internet sales, we recently completed the second office/ storeroom (on the left in the photo.)
(On the right,) 2nd floor is the office where I am now typing this newsletter. The bottom floor is a cold storage room that houses all of our essential oils, carrier oils and raw materials that must be kept cold which is very necessary for producing excellently-fresh product. |
|
 |
It is such a relief to have added this additional space in order to keep our internet ready-stock organized and able to ship in a moments notice. On the bottom of the new building, houses all of the labels and packaging supplies neatly racked. It makes it a breeze to check stock levels by the packaging crew. The top floor of the new building is air-conditioned to keep the internet product fresh for your pleasure. We created a ventilation system which sends cool, dry-air to the bottom floor and brings warm air up to the top to be re-cooled, thus creating 2 floors of approximately the same temperature with only one cooling unit to conserve energy. This helps keep all of the packaging material, boxes, labels etc., free from the high humidity of the tropics.
|
 |
|
Our next building project will begin soon. We will be building a new, more efficient, better organized, soap pouring production studio 2.5 times the size of the current pouring room. We anticipate this new space to be ready within 3 months after the start date which should begin within the next few weeks.
Good, sterile, effective production space is priority number one at the moment and we are excited to continue the step by step expansion of our production facility. |
We will be happy to keep you updated on our progress and remind you to please feel free to visit us if you happen to be in Bali. Thank you. |
fresh produce | Botanical Bug-Off is regretfully pulled in the USA. |
 |
|
Those of you frequently visiting our website may have noticed quite a few months ago, our Botanical Bug-Off product page to contain a "NOTE." The note read "Currently not available in the United States until approved or found to be exempt under US EPA regulation. Sorry for the inconvenience."
Well, the sad day has come to inform you that this awesome, 100% natural product will most definitely never be available in the USA again.
Here is why: (you have to read it to believe it!!!)
After many emails exchanged with the EPA directly I finally gave up on their short answered, not always so helpful responses. It was as if I were a |
mosquito buzzing in their ear. Understandably so, not like the EPA doesn't have enough of their own problems to deal with at the moment.
Anyway, I thought I would ask for some help from a lawyer friend of the family. He dove in head first and tried to get to the bottom of this using the obvious decorum I was lacking. We both ended up at the very bottom indeed. This is what he had to say:
"Are you sitting down? Good.
Let me give you the executive summary first, then the details:
Cost of EPA insect repellent registration: between $70,000 and $130,000
Time of EPA insect repellant registration: three years
I know, good thing you were sitting down...
You will be heartened to know that because the EPA--benevolent folks that they are--realized the growing benefits of natural pesticides (meaning all-natural insect repellents) they took steps to reduce the cost of registering those products. Therefore, where the average cost of registering a pesticide used to be $2,000,000, it is now much less. Feel better now? (That explains why the EPA regularly & willingly provides a long list of registration "consultants." Who wouldn't want a slice of a $2 million pie?)
Then, If Bug-Off does, in fact, repel bugs, you have to prove it to the EPA via scientific test results. Then, as an official biopesticide, Bug-Off will have to be registered with each individual state."
|
My question folks, Is all this really necessary for more or less a natural salad dressing for your skin, that repels mosquitoes??? I am completely & utterly flabbergasted and thoroughly disgusted by the system regarding this new information recently attained.
One of the main reasons I am so disgusted (well besides the ridiculously exorbitant amount of money) is the fact that we have many other products (and so do many other producers) that have the same exact natural ingredients, that are not called "repellents" and those ingredients are not a problem with either the EPA or the FDA. All of our products are are already listed, and active with the US FDA including this product.
|
|
 |
My point is that this product is 100% natural, does not contain any harsh synthetic chemicals (which definitely should be regulated by the EPA, i.e., DEET & other water pollutants, etc.) and are the same basic natural ingredients as any other natural product out there. Just the word "repellent" makes them different?
If the point of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is to protect our environment, water supply etc., etc. from chemical leeching etc., etc. then shouldn't every single cosmetic and/ or product on earth be registered with the EPA? Not just the ones that claim to "repel" insects. Every single consumer product out there has the potential to pollute and be destructive to the environment. Not just those using 100% natural raw materials in their formulation, those are the least of anybody's worries.
In the end we have obviously decided to simply pull this wonderful product, that people really, really love, (& bugs hate) because for the very first time, I have felt this process to be so very UN-American it makes me sick. This draws a very clear, deep, dark line between the "have's" and the "have-not's." Those that can't pay upwards of $200,000 for product registration, (after testing etc.,) need not apply.
We are considering starting a petition in which we will present to the EPA. This petition will not only clearly define the argument, but it will also encompass the demands that we would like to see the EPA consider for revision. We intend on gathering support from concerned individuals and other small natural product companies like us. The fact is that there are thousands of natural insect repellents out there currently in violation of the EPA's current regulations. Let's change that, let's make all these wonderful handmade products legal. For most of these natural repellents, including ours, there is no single or combined ingredient that warrants necessary regulation. We hope to be effective in our search for balance on this issue and we will keep you informed.
PS: Where's Dr. Bronner when you need him to stand up to the EPA and put things back in their unmistakable natural order??? ;-) |
botanical files | Aloe barbadensis miller - nature's miracle plant.
|
 |
|
We recently stumbled upon an incredible, did I say incredible, source for a pure and delicious Aloe Vera Juice Extract. I found this wonderful, 100% natural material being sold in the local-Bali, well-being market as a health drink originating from Java. I decided to contact the company.
They were very happy to supply us with this awesome raw material in bulk, and we were very happy they accepted. Simply put, it is the incredible gel-like substance
or meat found within the aloe plant.
Harvested fresh in Java, this material is preserved with Potassium Sorbate and does not contain any water. Potassium Sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, a naturally occurring organic acid that has been used extensively as a mold inhibitor for foods. It is a white crystalline powder, with basically no noticeable flavor or aroma. |
Aloe Vera belongs to the lily family and is cactus-like in appearance. It is a semi-tropical plant filled with a thick, gel-like liquid whose purpose is to provide nourishment to the plant even in extended dry climates. Kind of the same reason why camels have humps.
This Gel substance is loaded with over 75 nutrients and various essential ingredients such as enzymes, salicylic acid, amino acids, saponins and lignin, minerals such as copper, potassium, iron, sodium and magnesium and vitamins such as vitamins B12, vitamins C, A and E.
Aloe has been used for thousands of years. It is even suggested to be used in the Bible; Cleopatra used this plant as part of her skin care regiment; and Alexander the Great used Aloe Vera for its medicinal properties to treat his soldiers wounds.
A great amount of research has been preformed on the Aloe Vera
plant and all reports conclude that Aloe is a very effective & significant treatment for many skin conditions. Researchers found Aloe to contain a white crystalline oxidation substance which stimulates healthy cell regeneration and offers various other curing properties.
Some of Aloe's greatest attributes include its antiseptic properties, which is great for abrasions and cuts, and will not only protect the damaged area from infection but will also speed up the healing process; for burns & frostbite, whereas the soothing, healing effects are almost felt instantly; Aloe also has the same soothing, healing effect on other skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, blisters, allergic reactions & acne.
|
| Aloe is a super-hydrating agent which actually penetrates your skin quicker than water. It is absorbed deeper into the tissue and keeps skin smooth, soft and moisturized. It helps the scalp to produce soft, shiny & lustrous hair. Aloe is also anti-fungal, anti-viral, antibacterial and is a great remedy for athletes' foot and body odor. It helps to reduce scarring, decreases itching & swelling, increases skins flexibility, accelerates curing, removes dead skin cells, and performs like a natural cleanser because of the presence of saponin |
|
 |
(a natural soap-like substance.) It also helps to decrease dark spots and pigmentation on the face, and generally leaves your skin soft, healthy, smooth & glowing.
Aloe Barbadensis Miller is truly a miracle plant. You will see it appear in more & more Sensatia products. As of the moment, we are running tests with this incredible raw material to be featured in our Soapless Facial Cleanser as well as both of our Facial Toners. We intend on using it to create a healthy detoxifying masque, a soothing, cooling scrub, a leave-on facial acne gel, a deodorant and a toothpaste. Please look for those products up and coming. We will be happy to inform you of their release. |
day in the life | A life lesson from the dragon with the golden scales. |
|
|
It was dead calm, completely dark with the exception of one candle flame we were all huddled around, not a single sound in the whole village. It was midnite on Nyepi day.
Nyepi is the Hindu holiday where the entire island shuts down. Even the airport does not allow a flight in or out. All the tourists are confined to their hotel rooms and their is not a stir in the streets. We are hiding from ghosts to protect Bali from evil. |
Generally, this is one day of the year I can count on the dear Balinese friends I have made over the years to come together and hang out at my house in complete repose. We cant go anywhere, so we make sure we have plenty of beer, plenty of food and hunker down for the day.
At the end of the nite, everyone was already passed out. Myself and one other of the boys sat around a highly oxygenated candle and told stories from our highly contrasting cultures. Marko Rokok, a 22 year old fisherman was most entertaining and put a very interesting twist on a concept us westerners battle with daily.
|
He told me that when he was 10 years old he came home late in the evening and asked his father for what was a few pennies. His father said, I am sorry we do not have any money. Marko Rokok at age 10 was completely frustrated by the fact that even a neatly folded banana leaf with a few sugary rice treats were out of his grasp. So he did what any 10 year old would do. He burned down the cow's shed.
His father being the typical patient balinese man that he is, slowly took the cows out of the burning shed and herded them to shelter. Then calmly lit a cigarette and watched the cows shed burn down the rest of the way.
The following day Marko Rokok's father said to him, do you really want to be rich? And again, he did what any 10 year old would do and said yes. His father said come with me. They walked for miles and miles to the top of Mount |
|
 |
Agung, they finally reached the summit at about dusk. Marko Rokok asking his father for the first time during the silent walk, what are we doing here? His father said I want to show you something. They sat together cross-legged on the ground overlooking the rice terraces to the sea.
His father starting to chant and ask in a very old sacred language (Sanskrit) for a visitor to arrive. After a brief spell the visitor finally arrived. A huge dragon, with huge arms and large wings. Marko Rokok was obviously dumbfounded. The dragon asked his father, what is it that you want that you are brave enough to disturb me? Marko's father said, my son wants to be rich. The dragon looked at Marko Rokok lifted up one of his arms and shed 5 huge scales. The scales drifted lightly to the ground, but when they hit the ground they turned to gold. The dragon said, have those golden scales. If you take them you will be rich, but beware, the moment your riches from these scales are gone you will die. The choice is up to you.
Marko Rokok promptly asked his father to go home.... without the gold scales in hand. Marko Rokok (and his dad) have lived peacefully to this day, without a penny in their pockets and Marko, without ever burning down the cow's shed again ;-) |
the crew | I Komang Parwata - Heart of gold, friend for life or longer. |
 |
|
When I first met Komang (affectionately nicknamed Podol, Balinese for "stubby") he was 16, that was 8 years ago. I was amazed at his happy-go-lucky, eternally energetic, carefree attitude. I would have never of thought in a million years that Podol's father had recently gone blind with double cataracts and could no longer provide for his family.
Komang's mother had a difficult time just keeping the household chores in check as well as taking care of her husband, let alone scurrying around looking for ways to make money to provide the family with simple daily necessities, like rice etc., etc.
As a westerner, living in Bali almost 3 years at that time, it is a difficult situation to accept and properly deal with. Podol had to drop out of school, not only because they couldn't pay for it, but also to assume the position of the family's new breadwinner. He took care of a few cow's, that when were finally |
ready to take to market, end up making them only a few dollars above what they had already invested into the cow. Of course not taking into account all the time & hard work involved in finding enough grass to feed the cows on a daily basis.
I couldn't let this sit as it was. I had to do something. At age 16, I practically invented a job for Podol, just so I had an excuse to pay him a wage. It is difficult in Bali to just give people money, the line would be endless, but when you can provide work you empower them to strive to do better for themselves through dedication and responsibility. Those troubled times have long since faded into history. Sensatia was in its infancy at that moment and Podol came onboard as the 3rd employee of the current, 25 Balinese staff working hard to hand produce all of Sensatia's products.
|
Podol is now in charge of the packaging crew and is very good at what he does. He has excellent leadership and organization skills and when he tells his crew to jump, they jump... high.
I have had many, many excellent times with Podol from early morning surf sessions to late night party's, to being almost in tears laughing, when I saw the look on his face the first time he hesitantly set foot on an escalator. But no time more memorable than this one supernatural, highly telepathic experience I have had with Podol.
|
|
 |
I will never forget this 30 seconds for the rest of my life. Bali is a very special, mystical place, and even more so then. Strange, unexplainable things have happened to me on a number of occasions, and all triggered by the inhabitants. When a whole entire culture believes something, that something becomes reality, no questions asked.
After a long, hot, sunburned day of surfing with a group of the boys, we had all just finished eating dinner. We came together outside to hang out, chat some more, laugh some more. A simple, comfortable normalcy in this part of the world. It was suddenly at one moment I had this strange sensation someone has entered my head as if I had the bluetooth function to my brain turned on. Then had decided to rummage through my thoughts and ideas as if in neatly organized boxes of my mind. I had never felt such a |
 |
|
ludicrous sensation in my life nor did I believe what was happening. It was then at one point where the mental invader could be recognized. I darted over and looked at Podol. At the same time I looked at him, he turned away with a knowing-what-he-did smile on his face. We were both quite aware of what had just happened. I was quite taken by that interesting display of the unexplainable. But then I thought, I am a westerner, we are generally quite private people and to be able to look at someone's thoughts is quite forbidden. They don't see it |
that way. They have lived for hundreds of years in more-or-less an extended family tribe. They know everything about everyone else and they have nothing to hide, nor do they seem particularly troubled if anyone does know every private detail about them. They don't really care much about trivial things, it just is what it is. They have many more lives to live and strive to correct any mistakes made in this life or lives prior.
It still doesn't change the fact that Podol had a good look into my mind even though a few of those organized boxes had padlocks on them. hahahaha. A strange & vulnerable feeling indeed, but quite okay at the same time. It was interesting that he felt comfortable enough with himself & accepting enough of me, this foreigner in this strange land, to freely walk into my mind, have a look & shut the door on his way out.
|
I am sorry if this all sounds too strange, but I am just relaying the incident to you as it happened.
When you have this kind of strange, inexplicable connection with the people around you, you can't help but think it is certainly, by no mistake that I stand here at 115 degrees east & 9 degrees south of the equator. It is surely all just part of the masterplan. A very interesting character, Podol, a very engaging experience and a dear friend with a heart of gold. |
|
 |
I hope you enjoyed my view and experiences of 3rd in command, I Komang Parwata, head of Packaging. In the next issue of our bi-monthly newsletter we will continue with the Bali crew, production-house production staff member, and highly boisterous character , I Komang Santa, also known as Jacky Blacky Chan.
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.
 |
|
