Papaya + Banana and Amaranth Gentle Spring Scrub!!

This is a delicious, vitamin and mineral packed scrub perfect for celebrating the Spring Equinox and one of the recipes from last nights 'RAW food for the Skin' class at the Green Home Center in SF.

p.s. Don't worry about over-using this scrub. It's perfect for every day use and provides the skin with everything it needs all in one shot!!

Be sure to store the finished goods in the fridge....treat it like fresh food!

The Recipe:

1/2 papaya, seedless

1 banana, broke into pieces

1 tsp of amaranth (a grain found in most bulk sections at the store)

1/2 honey dew or other melon

1 tsp of almond meal (or grind your own almonds)

* a tsp of honey is optional and will help preserve the scrub so it lasts longer*

Place everything in a food processor or blender and mix thoroughly, then store in a glass jar.

Massage gently on to damp skin and rinse.

You could also massage it on the entire body...hey, why not??

For dry skin: add a tsp of your favorite oil ( i like almond, shea and jojoba)

For oily skin: squeeze a tsp of grapefruit, orange, lemon or citrus of choice.

Peace + Love,

Kelsey

Uplifting Cold and Flu Bath Oil

After teaching a Yoga + Spa Pampering Workshop yesterday, in which several students were 'under the weather', i thought it would be appropriate to do a recipe for a lovely bath oil that treats colds and flus!

So, here it is:

3/4 Tbsp of either Jojoba, Almond or Shea Oil

3 drops EACH of the following essential oils:

-Roman Chamomile

-Peppermint

-Rosemary Verbenon

-Juniper

-Eucalyptus

Combine all ingredients and stir vigorously, add a few teaspoons to your bath or massage on the bottom of your feet. enjoy!

* A great resource for sustainable, organic ingredients to make your products is Mountain Rose Herbs. They are a ZERO waste company/farm based out of Oregon and have an online store!

peace,

kelsey

Organic Pure Cane Sugar + Mint & Cacao Scrub

Yesterday we did a very special and delicious workshop in San Francisco, which infused yoga, chocolate (www.apothecarychocolates.com) and a body care making class at Acupuncture Kitchen.

We focused on sensuality and chocolate as medicine. It was truly the most divine & decadent workshop to date!!

I would like to share the scrub we made!!

But first...a few things about the ingredients:

1.) Pure Cane Sugar: This differs from Beet sugar or refined sugar. it is the actual cane of the plant and is slightly brown in color. It is a natural source of glycolic acid and much less drying and abrasive than salt, yet it exfoliates and smoothes the skin!

2.) Mint: There are many variations of mint....peppermint, spearmint, bergamot mint.

All are very cooling and therapeutic for the skin. You could use fresh mint and mince it or buy dry mint in bulk from your local co-op.

3.) Raw Cacao Powder: This comes from the Cacao Tree. It is the bean from the tree, which is ground into a powder. Chocolate in it's pure form like this (before the milk and refined sugars are added) is a more powerful antioxidant than blueberries, red wine, black tea and green tea!!

Polyphenol, found in cacao, prevents premature aging....an added bonus for sure.

The Recipe: Organic Pure Cane + Mint & Cacao Powder Scrub

-Fill jar of choice almost full with pure cane sugar, leaving about a 1/4 inch on top

-Mix in 1 tsp of mint, 1 tsp cacao powder

-Stir in 3-4 tbsp of your favorite oil (almond, shea and joboba work great for this one)

* if using fresh mint, store scrub in the fridge so it will last longer.

* Massage on entire body. Especially great for elbows, knees and feet.

Peace + Enjoy,

Kelsey

Organic Banana + Avocado Mask

As we slowly move away from winter and start to see little signs of spring, i thought it would be a lovely time to bring some freshness to the skin and provide one of my favorite mask recipes!!

Here it goes: (using organic ingredients is better for you and the earth!)

1/2 Banana

1/2 Avocado

1 tsp Almond Meal

1 tsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Honey

Either mix all ingredients by hand or in a blender/food processor and apply to a clean face.

Leave the mask on until it becomes hard and then gently begin to wash off using small circular motions around the face. This will help create blood flow and bring more oxygen to the skin.

Peace + Love,

Kelsey

Owner/Handcrafter

NAYA Organics

"All Things Honey" : A tribute to Honey Bee

Buzzz........

NAYA Organics Online Shop! Sugar....Oh honey honey!! In honor of our lil' yellow and black buddies and all they do, we will be dedicating the theme of the next class to 'honey'. In addition to making several yummy honey based treats for the skin, we will also have a local urban bee keeper talk to us about the importance of bees, as well as how to get started on our own hives + the resources to do so!! how cool is that? and as always, there will be honey for sampling + a few added surprises. Honey Bees play an important role in pollinating flowering plants and are the major type of pollinator in ecosystems that contain flowering plants. Bees either focus on gathering nectar or on gathering pollen depending on demand, especially in social species. Bees gathering nectar may accomplish pollination, but bees that are deliberately gathering pollen are more efficient pollinators! It is estimated that one third of the human food supply depends on insect pollination, most of which is accomplished by bees, especially honey bees!! Come join us on February 10th from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Green Home Center in San Francisco for a night of sampling honey, learning about hives + bees from a local urban bee keeper and making delicious body care products made with honey, beeswax and more!! call or email kelsey to register: 415.306.6008 kelsey@nayaorganics.com much peace, Kelsey Lynn Riley owner/designer: NAYA Organics www.nayaorganics.com "All things Honey" Class Details Wednesday, February 10th 6:30-8:30pm The Green Home Center 1812 Polk Street San Francisco, CA $35-$45 per person, sliding scale

Once in a Blue Moon........

As the New Year falls upon us, so does the Blue Moon.

It's not every day we we have these sweet, simple, yet powerful opportunities to pause and recognize something bigger than us.......

It's also not ever day that we choose to devout a sunday after noon to paying homage to our feet!

That's right...I said FEET!!

But the times they are a changin'...

So, on January 24th, from 1-3:30pm I invite you to join us and pay your respects to that lovely pair down there and pamper away.

We will be soaking our toes in Organic Bath Salts from the NAYA line + creating a mini take home scrub/salt of your own. Designed just for your liking with a plethora of scents and herbs to choose from like Organic peppermint, grapefruit, bergamot, sandalwood, lavender, orange peel and so on.

After soaking and creating, the fabulous SF Yoga Teacher, KK Ledford, will be leading us through a 'foot focused' yoga session.

In yoga our feet are our roots and the base of our alignment, so we will get in touch and feel the benefits threw out the rest of our spine.

For more details or to join the email list, email me!

kelsey@nayaorganics.com

much peace, as always....

kelsey

New Year, New Blog

As we move out of 2009 and in to double digits, it seems appropriate timing for me to create a clean fresh new blog from the mess that is the old one!

So, as an offering and manifestation for the New Year and also the New Moon (signifying New Beginnings), which just led us in to the Solstice......may we enter 2010 with a new eco-conscious dedicated to serving ourselves and the earth with integrity and mindfulness.

May we collectively contribute to the creation of a healthier planet and may we start to cleanse it from the damage we've done by planting trees, saving water, using less chemicals on our plants and lawns, as well as on our skin.

Let's plant gardens and cool the earth a bit and create the heaven on earth i believe is possible, it just takes a little intention and follow through.

This involves taking a seat and RE-evaluating our day to day practices, thinking beyond the foreground and more deeply to what is actually going in to the ground!

At NAYA Organics we will continue to dedicate our practices to 'less is more' in all realms in order to bring to you sustainable body care products that you can feel good about.

much peace + love + sustainability,

Kelsey Lynn Riley

owner/handcrafter

www.nayaorganics.com