My shop and the new Etsy policy update

I normally post a Wordless Wednesday post featuring a single image from my photography. But this Wednesday in lieu I require words. I need to stress how the recent Etsy policy changes are affecting myself and many other Etsy sellers. While I only speak for myself I know many of us that sell handmade bath & body product, herbs/herbal, cosmetics, teas even jewelry/stone sellers, have been contacted recently from Etsy. And what do they have to say to little old me and others that want to spread a little all natural love to the world, you wonder? Well the private email they sent me is all hush hush since it ends by stating that it is private conversation and  to respect this confidentiality and refrain from distributing this communication without permission from them. So I will not directly share it but it is no secret, not really. 

Basically it is telling me any of my listings that make medical claims have to be removed or I need go through and remove any wording that they count as a medical claim. Just to make it common knowledge I will share this with all of you. 

• I have never claimed to heal or cure anyone.
• My product are intended to aid well being
• I always post a disclaimer
• I always share all ingredients and there uses in my products

Here is the policy change on Etsy that is effect me

Drugs, medical drug claims about an item, drug paraphernalia: We have clarified the previous language from “drug-like substances” to now be “medical drug claims about an item.” A medical drug claim makes a correlation between a product and the cure or relief of a health condition or illness. In many cases, an item itself is not problematic, but the way it is presented with certain language is against this policy. With this update, we’re also reinforcing our standards regarding drug paraphernalia. This includes, but is not limited to, items such as pipes with carburetors, water pipes, bubblers, oil domes, hash skillets, vaporizers, and ash catchers. (Note: Tobacco pipes that do not have carburetors are still allowed, as long as they otherwise meet Etsy’s marketplace criteria.)

Quoted from my forum post on Etsy "So the product is fine I just can't say what it is used for, lol. I know that is not exactly what it says but it is feeling that way to me. So now I need to change near a quarter of my listings or remove them. And will I get reimburse for the 55 listings if I remove them.... it looks like a big fat NO. So yes it is only 10 or 11 bucks but still it burns me. This is really frustrating because how am I going explain the use of a salve or even an aromatherapy eye pillow with out making the claim that it aids in healing wounds(for the salve) or it helps relax and helps relieve from migraines(the aromatherapy eye pillows)? " 

Even things like stress relieving lavender, anti-aging products(since when did aging become a medical condition?), historical references of herbs and stones will be braking this new policy change. You would think that listing all the ingredients and supplying a disclaimer would be enough.... no no no. With this new policy they are wiping out tons of listing because how are sellers going to describe an aromatherapy bunny that is made to gently soothing your baby at nap time? if you can not post in your listing that it naturally relaxes and helps to calm stress? And the presents of a disclaimer means nothing to them. 

So here is a break down

• No medical claims but most of the product are fine to sell
• you can not list traditional or historical uses 
• anti-aging products are not allowed
• and yes they are lumping drug paraphernalia along side with salve, lotions, creams and other healing and/or traditional herbal remedies.

I am at a loss, Etsy sprang this upon us so quickly that I have had to do a 360 back around all the info or lack of info. They gave us no time to prepare and then expect us to do the changes immediately.  They have been so vague that I feel as though I need to ask them if this word is OK or can I write this statement or that. I feel like the kid in the front of the class that doesn't know the right answer and Etsy is the Teacher staring at me with that you should know the answer look even though the class never covered the subject.

Product that I have in my shop that will mostly be either removed or need a big overhaul in it's description. 

• Aromatherapy products like my solid perfumes and eye pillows.
• All my healing salve Comfrey & Tea Tree Salve, Tea Tree Salve and Nail & Cuticle Salve
• My eye and face cream since both are intended not only to moisturize but to aid in anti aging.
• My flex seed heat packs for both hot and cold therapy.
• My blemish free balm
• My mineral soaks
• My foot & body powders 

I am sure that there is a few I am missing. I have spent years research and testing these items, I have countless hours involved in product branding, product listing, product and label design etc... Just so without notice it has to be undone or done over. Yes I sell at other venues and very successfully for a small batch seller that is fairly new. But I have made Etsy my home store directing traffic to my shop there. I feel let down by this handmade venue that seems to be discouraging handmade bath & body and basic well being products. So please do not hold it against me if I sound a tad bit spiteful. Understand that this is my day job. It is like being hired for a full time position but then only getting part time hours. But that is just my view on this issue.

What's The Difference Between Essential Oils & Fragrance Oils

Chamomile a common plant and
essential oil used for its benefits for
stress, anxiety and depression.
Photo courtesy of
freeherbpictures.com

Not all scents are created equal! In some ways essential oils and fragrance oils are similar, but the base of these two vary greatly.


Essential Oils- True 100% essential oils are made by distillation of herbs, roots, flowers and resins. They are  not cut with any carrier oils. Essential oils can be expensive but they are potent in medicinal benefits and fragrance. A few of these benefits are tension relief, migraine relief, over all well being, lessening anxiety and many positive skin care benefits. The plants and the essential oils made from them contain allelochemicals (chemicals released into the environment by plants). These chemicals have affects on the human body. depending on the plant these affect can be good or bad. Because of this it important to fully understand each plant and oils used and the affects it has on your body. Essential oils allows you to make scents and products truly all natural and with some wonderful benefits. An allergic reaction to 100% pure essential oils is rare, more people are allergic to the synthetic fragrances that are meant to mimic essential oils.

A few 100% essential oils essential oils from my lotions & potions cupboard 

A few drawbacks from using 100% essential oils.

•  Some are really expensive! I know the two most expensive I use are Rose Otto(around $64 for 1/8 an oz) and Blue Chamomile (around $20 for .17 oz). 
• Not all essential oils that have pleasant and sot after scents are good to be in contact with. This can limit what product you can make with them.
• The potency can vary from batch to batch. Just like any plant materials many factors cause a plant to vary in quality.

Fragrance Oils- Most fragrance oils are synthetic oils. I have seen essential oils that have been cut with base oils sold as flagrance oils as well. The synthetic fragrance oils offer only aromatherapy benefits since they contain no plant ingredients. All the health and medicinal benefits you get from 100% essential oils  aren't there. But you can use scents that aren't found in essential oils. You can also use scents that in essential oils might be harmful to be in contact with. Fragrance oils can be an afford alternative to some of the more expensive essential oils. Fragrance oils that are essential oils cut with base oils are more or less ready to use on your skin or in a oil warmer. Most essential oils are to potent to use directly on your body so being cut with a base oil allows you to directly use it. These cut oils are normally to diluted to use in making products like soap, lotions and creams.

A few drawbacks of synthetic fragrance.

• Fragrance oils are mainly made of petroleum products like benzene, toluene and formaldehyde. many of which have been linked to cancer, birth defects and nervous system disorders.
• Some fragrance oils with these petroleum products in them cause allergic reactions, skin conditions (like psoriasis & eczema) and can cause thyroid disorders.
• Fragrance can trigger asthma attacks and other respiratory problem.

My final thoughts 

Two product from my shop The Happy Hippie
Lotion and The happy Hippie Solid
 Perfume Balm. Both made with Organic Hempseed
 oil andPatchouli essential oil! My favorite scent.

With my sensitive skin, allergies and asthma I only use 100% essential oils in my products, on my skin and for my family. The bad out weights the good of fragrance oils in my opinion. Yes there is a big variety of scents in fragrance oils that are not available in essential oils and fragrance oils are in some cases a lot cheaper. But the value of my family, customers and my own health is worth more then the price saved for using synthetic ingredients. Keep an eye on those labels when shopping even some "natural" products are not as natural as you think. Learn what the ingredients are and why they are in the products you use.

Please do remember that not all essential oils are safe. Just like in all of nature some things are beneficial and some things are poisonous. I strongly suggest you always research a new plant, herb or essential oils before experimenting with it. Keep in mind that essential oils are potent and concentrated. They need to be cut with base oils before use on your body. A little goes a long way.  

4 reason I use only all natural skin care products

All Natural Hemp & Cocoa ButterBody Cream

Have you ever wondered what the big deal is with using all natural products on your skin? Here are a few reasons I started making and using all natural bath & body products.

1. I came to an understanding that my skin absorbs everything I put on it. At some point in my early twenties my mother was using "the patch" to help quit smoking. This simple chemical filled bandage(more or less) made me realize how sensitive our skin really is to what it comes in contact with. If medications and hormone(the birth control patch) can effectively be administered by contact what else is my skin coming into contact with? What is my body absorbing without me even thinking about it? What happens to all those chemicals in your body? Your body tries to filter them out effecting your liver among other things.
2. The use of  artificial fragrance. Most of the fragrances used in lotions and body products are made of synthetic compounds derived from petroleum this includes known toxins that your skin is absorbing and are often the cause of allergic reactions.
3. Parabens a group of chemicals often used as a preservative in body product it is listed under names like Methylparaben, Propylparaben, llsoparaben, Butylparaben. The EPA has reported that some of these parabens display estrogenic activity in some test. They are similar to estrogen and estrogen can stimulate breast cancer. This is more so dangerous since chemicals absorbed through the body can be up to 10 times more concentrated then if taken orally. 
4. Some colorants that are commonly used are irritants, allergens and are known carcinogens. Many are derived from petroleum(there is petroleum again!), acetone and tar. Look for these on your label - colorant, D&C, FD&C,blue lake(or any of the lake), yellow # 1...  and so on.  

All Natural Body Lotions

There are so many chemicals in many of bath & body product on the shelves today that I gave up on trying to find products I could use on my sensitive skin. I started making my own ALL NATURAL products so I could feel good about what I put on my skin, my family's skin and my friends. Between synthetic fragrances, artificial colorants and preservatives it is no wonder are bodies get sick. But on a happy note more and more all natural products are on the market now, making it easy for you to make healthy choices.

All Natural Nail & Cuticle Salve

All of my Chrissy-jo's All Natural Lotions & Potion are handmade in small batches to ensure quality and freshness. They are made 100% petroleum free, no added artificial fragrances, colorants or preservatives!
I only use top quality oils, herbs, minerals, bee's wax, and essential oils. I also can make your own special lotions, creams and salves. Customized to care for your skin type, aromatherapy, or other benefits you might be looking for from all natural oils, herbs and essential oils.

Why Buy Hand Made Cold Process Soap?

Ever wonder "Why buy Natural soap, When there are so many selections at the store with there pretty packaging and scents?" Next time you stroll down the soap aisle check out the labels many of the products on the shelf don't say 'soap' on their labels. They might be called body bars, moisturizing bars, or lotion bars, but not soap. That's because these bars are not actually soap and can't legally claim to be; they're detergents. The manufacturers have removed most of the 'good' stuff that occurs in the soap making process, and replaced it with synthetic lathering agents and harsh chemicals. These cheap, plentiful detergent bars are not only bad for your skin, but they're also bad for the planet, too.

What makes these non soaps so bad? Most commercial companies remove the glycerin during the soap making process. Then sell it to other companies that make lotions and other moisturizers. That your now dried out skin needs since from using these harsh non soap detergent products. Most of these bar contain synthetic ingredients, artificial  colorants and many other unpronounceable chemicals you just do not need.

Skin is porous and absorbent. It absorbs whatever it comes in contact with.Using to many product with and abunant amount chemicals will cause the body to store the chemicals in the body. With enough accumulations of toxins in the body, illness can occur.

So what can you do about it? Look for a good all natural soap! But still not all hand made soaps are created equal. With handmade soaps, just like with commercially manufactured bars, you need to read the labels. You want to find soaps that use only pure oils or fats. Avoid any bars that use artificial colors or fragrances. These are synthetic chemicals and you don't want them on your skin or going down your drain. If you want a colored or scented soap bar, look for one that uses pure essential oils and natural colorants. Just because it's handmade doesn't mean it's good for you,it is a good idea to have some understanding of the different kinds of handmade soaps. Here are three basic ways soap is made.

Melt & Pour- There are even melt and pour kits you can buy to make cute soap shapes with your kids. These are generally glycerine based transparent soaps. They're normally not as harmful  as the commercial bars, but still not the great for you. 

Hot process & Cold process -The hot process method uses heat after the saponification process. The cold process method does not. The cold process method takes the most time and undoubtedly produces the highest quality soaps. Cold process soap bars are made using a combination of oils or fats and lye and often essential oils and other natural ingredients like herbs and flower petals. Lye sounds a little scary, but all the caustic qualities of the lye are removed during the saponification process. When the lye interacts with the oils or fats, it creates glycerine. The type of oils and fats used make a difference in how hard or soft the soap bar ends up being, and how well it lathers.

All of my soaps are hand crafted cold process soaps made with top quality oils and natural ingredients. I suggest buying all natural hand crafted soap no matter where you chose to purchase it your skin will thank you!

Now available in my shop.....

All Natural Lavender Hearts
 Cold Process Soap

All Natural Comfrey and Tea Tree
 Oil Cold Process Soap

All Natural Doggie Bar
Cold Process Soap

Soon to come in my shop......

The Pure Essential 100% pure olive oil  Castile Soap Cold Process

andUplifting Sweet Orange Cold Process Soap