Top AVNS Products For Pregnant Mamas

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I am not sure what is in the water at the moment but with so many expecting mamas right now, I thought it would be a perfect time to highlight some of the best AVNS has to offer to help expecting mamas feel their best during this special season. If you have ever had the time to sit down and chat with a pregnant mama or have been or are currently pregnant yourself, you will know that there are so many changed your body will experience in 9 short months. Their bodies need as much help as they can get wether that is extra hydration, relaxation, or pain management. Let’s dive right in shall we?

1. Natural Lip Balm

The running theme throughout these products is moisturizing power! There is nothing worse than going to sleep at night and waking up with chapped and dry lips or doing throughout your day with cracked lips. Meet your lips new best friend – the AVNS Natural Lip Balm!

With multiple variations of luxurious lip balm to nourish and heal lips, we have something for everyone! Let’s start with smooth, silky, creamy, rich, buttery goodness for your lips. The following two lip balms are made with organic virgin argan oil, nature’s “liquid gold,” organic virgin jojoba, organic virgin cocoa butter, organic virgin coconut oil, unrefined beeswax, organic olive oil and vitamin E (from Non-GMO Sunflower oil) to keep your lips soft, supple, healthy, and glowing.

  • Lanolin Intensive Lip Therapy: This lip balm was developed for lips in serious need of serious help. Chock full of lanolin, one of nature’s ultimate moisturizers, lanolin not only drenches your lips in rich moisture it also locks it in for the toughest winter days.
  • Vanilla Bean: Made with the addition of an organic Vanilla Co2 extract which is made from Madagascar vanilla beans, this lip balm not only smells wonderful, but also has medicinal benefits from the vanilla bean. The aroma is warm, creamy and sweet. 

Now for the fabulous four! These lip balms are made with organic jojoba, organic cocoa butter, organic coconut oil, unrefined beeswax, organic olive oil and vitamin E (from Non-GMO sunflower oil). Plus we’ve added in a few other surprises to add some yummy love, all the while keeping your lips soft, supple, healthy, and glowing. What is this yummy love? Part one, Stevia! This adds a light sweetness to each lip balm while the other ingredients nourish and revitalize your lips. Part two, amazing ALL natural flavors!

  • Black Cherry: In addition to the base ingredients, this yummy lip balm is made with stevia and black cherry flavoring, which as you may have guessed, comes only from black cherries! A favorite for sure for both young and old alike!
  • Vanilla Latte: Like coffee? Then you truly will LOVE this one! With a hint of warmth from the vanilla (made from vanilla beans), coffee essential oil and then the slight sweetness that stevia brings, it’s really a lip smacking treat!
  • Sugar Cookie: What’s not to like? The name says it all! A taste of almond (from almonds), sweet warmth of vanilla (vanilla beans) and stevia to top it off and you’ll keep coming back for more. Plus you can feel good about letting the little ones layer it on.
  • Peppermint: Do you like a tingle on your lips? Then you’ll love this lip balm! With the added essential oils of Peppermint, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus, this lip balm can help nourish, soothe, and cool your lips.

2. Organic Virgin Jojoba Oil

Moisturizing in its purest form! Unrefined Organic Virgin Jojoba Oil is a multi-purpose product. It makes the perfect belly oil, a hydrating oil for your hair to keep it shiny and healthy throughout your pregnancy, a whole body moisturizer, and the perfect oil for your partner to massage into your feet, legs, or shoulders after a long day.

Looking for an all natural body lotion that will leave your skin luminous and softly scented? Our pure, organic jojoba is the most natural way to moisturize both skin and hair. The benefits of jojoba are numerous and unparalleled. Jojoba is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, moisturizing and easily absorbed into the skin, leaving no oily residue, making it the perfect massage oil. It is used to maintain skin elasticity and leaves skin literally glowing. You can use jojoba to remove makeup, combat conditions like athlete’s foot, dandruff, eczema, skin bacteria and other skin infections. It improves hair quality and stimulates hair growth. We offer both an Unscented version and a Relax version which has the addition of lavender, benzoin (smells like vanilla), mandarin, geranium, sweet marjoram, frankincense, palmarosa and ylang ylang essential oils.

3. Symphony AVNS Signature Soap

Fall in love with this all natural soap which is made to retain all the natural glycerin from the natural oils & butters. A bar that gently cleanses while nourishing & rejuvenating hair, face & body. Beautifully scented, beautiful variations of natural colors & beautiful packaging, what’s not to love? Made with the moisturizing organic butters of Babassu and Shea, this is the perfect soap to revitalize hair & skin health. 

Discover the joy and beauty of natural skin & hair care! From the captivating fresh scent and nourishing ingredients, to the beautiful variations of color, we hope our Symphony Signature Shampoo & Body Bar will remind you that beautiful things come in small packages, and that the simple pleasures are all you need. After many test runs we came up with this amazing shampoo & body bar; a bar that creates a symphony all on its own, with beautiful colors, moisturizing natural ingredients & an uplifting scent, all components harmonize beautifully. Symphony also gives a nod back to the business that Marianne started when her journey in natural skin & hair care began, Symphony Naturals.

4. Arnica Muscle Rub & Pain Relief Salve

The aches and pains of pregnancy and a changing, growing body are no joke! And at the end of a long day (or let’s be real, at any point throughout the day) mamas are looking for something, anything, to help take the edge off. With most painkillers and medications being out of the question during pregnancy, natural remedies it is! Let me introduce you to our Arnica Muscle Rub & Pain Relief Salve.

Crafted with certified organic extra virgin olive oil infused with certified organic or wildcrafted arnica flowers—along with the addition of certified organic menthol crystals and essential oils of eucalyptus, peppermint, camphor, and clove, this incredible salve is the perfect follow-up to a good work out, and an amazing foundation for the perfect massage! Arnica is known for reducing discoloration from bruising, treating muscle soreness (professional athletes love arnica!) and providing temporary relief from pain. Arnica is also great for sprains, soreness, and swelling and for the relief of arthritis, muscle, and joint pain. If you’re struggling with tight or sore muscles, this is a great salve to help relieve and release strain and tension.

Also, because of the addition of menthol crystals and the specific blend of essential oils, this salve also makes a terrific chest rub to alleviate the discomfort of congestion. It leaves a soothing, cooling sensation on the skin that penetrates into the tissues comfortingly. So if you are struggling with pregnancy congestion and a stuffed nose, just a little bit of our Arnica Muscle Rub & Pain Relief Salve will work wonders.

PLEASE NOTE: All of the products mentioned in this blog post are naturally and ethically sourced and made, however you should still consult with a trusted natural doctor, OB-GYN, or midwife before using these products is you are pregnant.

5. Whipped Body Butter

Body Butter is a MUST for expecting mamas! Not only is it perfect for the growing bump, it is a prefect baby safe moisturizer for your little one as well. Pregnancy can be very dehydrating, so having super hydrating and moisturizing products as a part of your daily routine. Enter, AVNS Whipped Body Butter!

Moisturize and nourish even the most sensitive of skin with our Lavender Vanilla Baby Butter. We’ve used only organic ingredients packed full of healing properties. Safe and effective for our little ones, as well as the young at heart. We’ve included ingredients such as Organic Shea Butter which has a high content fatty acids which gives it the ability to deeply moisturize and retain the elasticity of the skin. And Organic Jojoba Oil which closely resembles human sebum, an oily substance naturally produced by the oil glands below the skin surface, so it is an amazing moisturizer. Jojoba is packed with almost all of the vitamins and minerals needed for healthy skin.

Our body butters are natural, gentle and safe for every type of skin. Please note that just a little bit goes a long way, so use sparingly!

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the summer temperatures and the nature of the body butter to, well, melt. So we have temporarily suspended shipping of the Whipped Body Butters for the season, and resume again in late Sept. early Oct. However, if you live locally in Minnesota, you can stop by our AVNS Boutique in Eagan to shop all of our Whipped Body Butters and Moisturizers.

Are you currently an expecting mama or have you tired any of these products before during your pregnancy? Also, what other products did you use and love during your pregnancy? Let us know what you thought in the comments below and let’s start a conversation.

If you found this post interesting, learned something new, or think of someone who might enjoy reading it too, please share this blog post with your family and friends. It means the world to us! You can also leave us a comment to let us know what you learned or share one of your favorite hair care or skin care tips with us. We would love to hear from you!

All my love and have a happy week,

Amanda

Castor Oil: What Is It? The History & Benefits of Castor Oil

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What Is Castor Oil?

Another week, another blog! Welcome back everyone, this week we will be diving into the world of castor oil. You have probably heard of castor oil at least once in your life but wether you are a regular user of castor oil or a newbie, this blog is for you!

What is castor oil anyway? Well, according to the National Institute of Health “castor oil is a [thick] vegetable oil made from the Ricinus Communis [the castor bean or castor oil plant], a plant common in the Eastern areas of the world.” Castor oil is a thick and mostly odorless oil but due to how thick it is, it is very tough to get out of clothing and can leave a dark, wet-looking stain. However, castor oil has been used for centuries for many different things such as (and most commonly) a natural laxative, to encourage birth in 40+ week pregnant women, hair and skin care, and so much more.

The History Of Castor Oil

Castor oil’s “first recorded medicinal use goes back to the time of the Ebers papyrus, an ancient Egyptian medical treatise… A traditional name for the plant is “Palma Christi” because of its supposed resemblance to the hand of Christ and its widely-reputed healing power.” “Castor Oil has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to 4,000 B.C. Evidence of its cultivation was discovered circa 500 B.C. in central Egypt where it was used in cosmetics, medicines and as a lamp oil. Castor oil is mentioned in the Ebers papyrus in recipes intended to treat numerous health conditions and ailments.” Castor oil has been used for hair and skin treatments, medicinal purposes, to cure leather, and oil lamps (although we can imagine that would not have smelled very nice) among other things. It was used in Egypt and all over the continent of Africa as well as in China, India and Brazil. Castor beans were brought to America and cultivated as early as the late 1600’s.

The MANY Uses For Castor Oil

We have a few of the benefits and uses of Castor Oil listed on our website:

Castor oil’s benefits for hair & body are many, here are the highlights

  • It is reputed to be good for repairing hair, softening skin, and easing aches and pains.  
  • Rich in fatty acids, as well as antioxidants.
  • Contains anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties make it effective for treating acne-prone skin, as it penetrates the skin easily without clogging pores or aggravating the skin condition.
  • Stimulates circulation to boost hair growth and locks in moisture.
  • Anti-fungal properties can treat scalp infections by eliminating the bacteria and microorganisms that can cause hair loss, dandruff, and infection. 
  • For mature skin types, it may delay the signs of aging by deeply moisturizing, softening and soothing the skin, boosting elasticity, and stimulating collagen production.
  • Restores the skin’s hydration and reduces the appearance of unwanted blemishes and scars when applied regularly.

Medicinally

  • Soothes skin inflammation caused by dry skin, acne, sunburns.
  • Relieves the discomfort of sore muscles and joint pain, especially for those who suffer from arthritis.
  • Antimicrobial properties help it work effectively as a disinfectant for wounds, minor cuts, and scrapes. 
  • Breaking up adhesions or scar tissue.
  • Strengthening the immune system
  • Increases relaxation and improves sleep quality
  • Improving lymphatic drainage
  • Reducing headaches
  • Detoxifying internal organs
  • Reducing menstrual cramps

Castor oil is a highly absorbent oil so if you put it on your skin, it will penetrate deeply and work quickly. It can be used with a Castor Oil Pack to help to break up blockages, inflammation, and bone spurs and growths under the skin. You can also put a little in your belly button with a small piece of organic cotton for better sleep, to relieve constipation, and improve overall health. Use the castor oil with a castor oil pack on your liver, kidneys, or thyroid* to help with detoxification. Use on your stomach and digestive system to improve inflammation, digestion and gut health. It has been said that castor oil can help with fertility in women. It can also be used both externally and internally to induce labor in 40+ week pregnant women. It has been used for centuries to induce labor because castor oil is a natural uterine contractor (which is why it is not recommended for use during pregnancy.)

*Please note that you should talk with a trusted natural doctor or specialist before you use a castor oil pack for detoxification and be aware of the side effects of the detoxification process. You might not feel your best for a day or two during detoxification as your body has to clean out and flush all of that crap (pun intended) from your body. When using a castor oil pack, start with only 20 minutes at a time a couple of times a week for a couple of weeks or so and slowly increase the time and frequency as your body is able. Eventually you will be able to wear your castor oil pack overnight.

Why the Quality Of Your Castor Oil Matters

As with most things, the quality of the product you use matters. As mentioned earlier, castor oil is a highly absorbent oil so if you put it on your skin, it will penetrate deeply and work quickly. If you are putting something onto your skin that will be quickly absorbed deeply into your body, wouldn’t you want to make sure is it the best of the best? If you are getting castor oil for any topical or internal uses, make sure that it is first and foremost Organic. This means we don’t need to worry about it the castor bean plant having been sprayed with chemicals and pesticides or grown with the use of GMO’s. Next you want to make sure it is Cold Pressed and Expeller Pressed, this means it is not heated while going through the extraction process so none of the goodness and healing benefits of the castor oil have been lost or “cooked out” of the oil. And finally you want to make sure your castor oil is Hexane Free. You might be asking, what in the world is hexane? Great question, according to Toxic-Free Future, “Hexane is a solvent widely used as an industrial cleaner and degreaser and is an ingredient in many consumer products. Easily inhaled or absorbed through the skin, hexane has been recognized for more than 40 years to cause long-lasting and even permanent nerve damage in feet, legs, hands, and arm.” Do you want that in your castor oil to be absorbed into your body and organs? Yeah, I didn’t think so. A castor oil this pure can be tough to find but don’t worry! We have an amazing organic, expeller and cold pressed, hexane free castor oil just for you on our website, or if you are a Minnesota local, you can stop by the AVNS Boutique to pick up a bottle.

Organic Cold Pressed Castor Oil | Expeller Pressed, Hexane Free Castor Oil

A beauty staple for centuries, this unrefined (virgin), certified organic, cold pressed castor oil is a nutrient-rich, moisturizing and conditioning oil for hair, skin & nails. Soothe, soften, and promote healing with our rich, nourishing, hexane free Castor Oil.

Use alone, or with a Castor Oil Pack for cleansing internal organs, helping sore joints, & reducing inflammation. Our Organic Castor Oil is thick and undiluted and is packaged in a 16 ounce amber glass bottle.

(Please note that this product is not intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease. Castor oil may stain clothing or other fabrics. Keep out of the reach of children. For topical use only, do not use on open wounds, and do not use if pregnant.)

How To Use A Castor Oil Pack

What You’ll Need:

1. Unrefined (virgin), certified organic, cold pressed castor oil

2. Select your desired Castor Oil Pack (or all of them)

3. A heating pad or hot water bottle if desired. (A heating pad or hot water bottle is recommended if you are only wearing the castor oil pack for a short period of time, it is not necessary if you are wearing it overnight.)

4. A glass container with a lid to store the oil soaked pack in-between uses. A glass mason jar or glass food storage container would both be great options.

5. Old clothes and towels – as mentioned above, castor oil stains so it is best to wear old clothes that you don’t mind having oil stains. And you’ll want to put an old towel down where you are planning to sit or sleep to protect your furniture from the oil.

6. A place to relax that you will be comfortable.

Directions:

1. Choose your relaxing spot and place the towel down to protect the furniture from oil. And wear old clothes you don’t mind getting oil stains.

2. Have your book, TV show, or music and snack or tea ready to go. (Making this an enjoyable experience is important!)

3. Have your hot water bottle or heating pad ready to go where you will be laying.

4. Drizzle your Castor Oil Pack with about 1 Tablespoon of Castor Oil

5. Place the Castor Oil Pack on where you want it (most commonly over your liver or kidney’s, thyroid, stomach/digestive system, etc.)

6. Get into your relaxing spot and put the heating pad or hot water bottle over the pack.

7. Lay back and relax for 20 minutes to an hour. If you have a pack with ties and you’ve gotten used to using the pack, you can go about your day wearing it or sleep with it on.

8. When it is time to remove the pack, gently take it off and wipe off the excess oil with an old towel or rub the excess oil into your skin. Place the pack into your glass container and put the clothes and towels you used into the wash. (Make sure you don’t put your Castor Oil Pack into the washing machine.)

Personal Castor Oil Testimony

I personally have used castor oil regularly and for many things for almost a year now. I was first introduces to Castor Oil and Castor Oil Packs when my doctor recommended it to help with liver detoxification. I used castor oil packs on my liver primarily for many months and then when I started to deal with inflammation in my abdomen and digestive issues, I used the castor oil packs on my abdomen overnight. I also used castor oil in my belly button overnight with a small piece of organic cotton to help with sleep and to fight against inflammation. During this time I have done lots of research on castor oil and its many benefits. I have personally seen the healing benefits of castor oil and have recommended it to family and friends. I have also used castor oil to help fight against dryness and irritation in my ears from years of being a competitive swimmer, countless ear infections, and antibiotic ear drops. During 2023 I was dealing with some health issues and I would get inflamed lymph nodes and adrenal glands frequently, so I would apply castor oil to them to help with drainage and decrease inflammation. A high quality castor oil is an amazing tool to have in your self care collection and I couldn’t recommend it enough!

If you found this post interesting, learned something new, or think of someone who might enjoy reading it too, please share this blog post with your family and friends. It means the world to us! You can also leave us a comment to let us know what you learned or share one of your favorite skin care tips with us. We would love to hear from you!

All my love and have happy week,

Amanda Pehrson

Sources:

The National Institute of Health – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551626/

Health First Network – https://healthfirstnetwork.ca/blog/why-castor-oil-has-been-around-for-centuries/

Qhemet Biologics – https://qhemetbiologics.com/blogs/news/the-history-benefits-of-castor-oil#:~:text=Castor%20Oil%20has%20been%20found,and%20as%20a%20lamp%20oil.

Apple Valley Natural Soap – https://www.applevalleynaturalsoap.com/organic-cold-pressed-castor-oil-expeller-pressed-hexane-free-castor-oil/