New handmade thank you notes for customers:
What I did to the ugly, smelly, musty drawers of the antique desk I bought during my studio redesign:
One of my most popular new lip balms:
Tag Archives: new products
An Update from the Shop
This is a busy, busy time, both in the shop, and in my life. With my new job and night classes, I haven’t had as much time to keep up with the shop as I want to, but that’s slowly changing. I’m establishing some new routines and getting some stuff done just in time for the holidays. So what’s going on?? Well….
The jojoba dilemma
The only bad news is that there is a major shortage of organic jojoba oil going on right now. My supplier has indefinitely suspended the availability of bulk quantities of this oil and has tripled the price of the non-bulk organic jojoba oil. This is common when it comes to organic natural ingredients – organic still isn’t the industry standard, which means suppliers aren’t as plentiful. When they run out, we all run out.
I’ve been pretty bummed about this because this organic jojoba oil is one of the main oils I use in the Five Seed line, and people LOVE it. It’s so smooth and absorbs perfectly without any greasy feeling. However, these are the bumps that come when you work with certified organic, natural products. You have to ride the waves of supply and demand.
In order to adapt to this little snafu, I’ve decided to change the recipes of some products (including Coconut Vanilla Bean Balm). I had been working on getting all the nut oils out of the shop to accommodate those who have nut allergies, but I’m going to have to shelf that goal for a while. After a lot of consideration, I’ve chosen organic macadamia nut oil as a replacement for the organic jojoba. The reasoning behind this is simple: The properties of macadamia nut oil are very similar to those of jojoba. It is rich, yet absorbs well without a lot of grease.
So for those of you with nut allergies, please forgive the new addition of another nut oil to the Five Seed family. I do plan to go back to jojoba oil once it is available again. Further, if you love CVBB or other products that will soon contain macadamia nut oil, and you have nut allergies, you can request a non-nut version of the products!
New perfume packaging
It’s finally here – the new perfume packaging! In the very near future, I’ll be debuting the new perfume line. Many of you have been asking for perfumes that don’t require application using your fingers – well, you’ve got it! The new perfumes will be liquid in a glass container with an orifice reducer. This means you can apply it to your wrists, elbows, knees, etc. without getting it on your fingers (unless you want to)! And they are still small enough to carry in your purse or keep in your desk. I’ll have new blends as well as some of the old classics.
New name…sort of
Etsy has finally allowed us to change our shop names. Hallelujah! As some of you know, I started out as 5 Seed. As time went on, I realized I preferred to use the word, not the number, and I became Five Seed. Unfortunately, I’d already named my Etsy shop 5seed! Oops. Well, as of Oct. 18th, I have become FiveSeed. Yay! The new URL is http://fiveseed.etsy.com. I changed my Twitter name, as well, from @5seed to @five5seed (unfortunately, someone else snagged @fiveseed). Now I have a little more consistency in the shop name around the web, which is wonderful!
Sample, sample, sample
And last but not least, the news I’m most excited about: I’ll soon be offering almost the entire Five Seed line in sample sizes!!! I’ve had so many people begging me to offer sample-sized perfumes – something I really needed to do – and finally, finally, finally, it’s time! I’ll have sample-sized perfumes as well as sample-sized balms and salves so you can try everything before buying the full-sized versions. Another yay!
Sample perfume glass vials!
Keep an eye out at the store. The perfumes and sample sizes will become available over the next two months. I’m very excited!
New Product: Soothe
Have a headache? Kick it to the curb with this wonderful massage oil blend.
This blend of oils is the perfect remedy for headaches. Lavender oil is extremely relaxing. The scent alone helps people release tension and anxiety. Lavender is considered by herbalists to be a “nervine relaxant.” This means that it calms the body and is beneficial to the nervous system.
Peppermint essential oil helps clear the mind with its stimulating scent. It is also especially useful for sinus headaches. Some herbalists say that peppermint is a more potent remedy for headaches than over-the-counter painkillers.
When you have a headache, or simply need to clear your mind and relax, rub a few drops of this oil onto your hands. Apply some to your temples, the back of your neck, and, if you like, to your forehead, and chest. Place your open palms in front of your face and take a few moments to inhale the aroma.
This can be used on its own, or as a complement to allopathic remedies. If you really want to kick your headache in the gut, sit down with a cup of peppermint or skullcap tea after you have applied this oil. Take deep, long breaths while you drink, and in many cases, your headache will be gone by the time you finish your tea.
Please click here for more information on essential oils.
This is a massage oil for topical use, only. Use only a few drops for each use.
Ingredients: Organic sweet almond oil, organic lavender essential oil, organic peppermint essential oil.
This item ships PRIORITY MAIL, and at this time, only ships to U.S. customers.
Herbal Aromatherapy Perfume: Butterfly
I’m so excited about this fragrance. It is my absolute favorite. A mix of ylang ylang and vanilla – perfect scent mates.
This Herbal Aromatherapy Perfume (formerly known as Sankalpa Scents) is named after Julia Butterfly Hill, who, in the late nineties, spent 738 days living in a 180-foot tall, 1,500-year-old California Redwood tree in order to save it from being cut down. Hill has become an environmental icon since then, inspiring others to stand up for what they believe in with compassion and gentle fortitude.
Butterfly contains organic ylang ylang essential oil and organic vanilla absolute oil. These two scents blend seamlessly into the most delicate, feminine fragrance. Not surprisingly, both these oils have similar aromatherapy properties. They are extremely soothing, allowing you to breathe deeply and relax. They are even used to help people fall asleep. Additionally, both are prized for their aphrodisiacal properties, and their ability to make people feel buoyant and cheerful.
The beauty of this blend is that each scent completely merges into the other. You can’t tell where one ends and one begins. And as the hours pass, the scent transforms, with the ylang ylang fading ever so slightly to let the vanilla take center stage. It is one of the best fragrance blends I have ever experienced.
Check out this wonderful, short clip of Hill from the Omega Institute.
Don’t forget to read this important information about essential oils before making a purchase.
Chemical-based breath mints or natural breath freshener?
Breath mints and chewing gum are good at freshening the breath. Unfortunately, they come in the form of a potentially hazardous chemical mixture of dyes, preservatives, flavorings, and artificial sweeteners. Polyvinyl acetate is found in gum, and its “parent substance,” vinyl acetate, was poised to make it onto the list of banned toxins in Canada two years ago, due to its potential link with cancer in lab rats. The regulators backed down under intense pressure from gum manufacturers.
Chewing gum and mints also often contain other suspected carcinogens, and other suspected disease-causing chemicals including aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K, and butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA). Click here for more information.
Further, because of its chemical composition, gum is non-biodegradable. And don’t forget the waste generated by the gum wrappers thrown away every day. It may not seem like much, but imagine how many wrappers and chewed-up gum wads are left in trashcans, on sidewalks, and along the roadside every single day. It all adds up.
How can you freshen your breath in a manner that’s healthy for you and Mother Earth? Carminative seeds are the answer. I have been using carminative seeds as a breath freshener for two years now and can’t imagine going back to the artificial flavor of breath mints, or the jaw pain from chewing gum for hours.
Kiss Eat Exhale is a mixture of organic fennel seeds and organic caraway seeds. Simply grab a pinch from the tin, chew, and swallow. The taste – sweet, earthy, and licorice-y. Fennel tastes a bit like black licorice, by itself, while caraway seeds have a fresh, distinctive flavor. If you have ever had rye bread, then you have encountered the delicious flavor of caraway seeds before.
Here’s the best part about these seeds: Their health properties extend far beyond just freshening the breath. They aid in digestion, prevent bloating, and relieve intestinal gas. (Be sure to have these handy on your next date!) Additionally, fennel and caraway seeds can help ease respiratory ailments including asthma and bronchitis, and other health problems, including IBS.
So go ahead. Kiss. Eat. Exhale.
Please note this information is not intended to diagnose or treat any ailment. It is for educational purposes only.
Herbal Aromatherapy Perfume: Jane
Okay, technically, THIS blend was the first to be developed for the Herbal Aromatherapy Perfume line (formerly known as Sankalpa Scents). After all, it is named for Jane Goodall, the recipient of 5% of our profits. Hopefully, having a Jane and a Janie won’t be too confusing! 
At the young age of 22, Jane Goodall became the assistant of paleontologist and archaelogist, Louis Leakey in the jungles of Tanzania – a very unusual profession of a young woman living in 1957! She famously observed chimps eating meat, when they had previously been thought to be vegetarians. Further, she discovered that they used “tools” (grass stems, branches, etc.) to extract termites from their homes. This observation turned the anthropological world upside down, as it had always been believed that humans were the only ones who made and used tools. As Leakey said, in response to this discovery: “Now we must redefine ‘tool,’ redefine ‘man’ or accept chimpanzees as humans.”
During her subsequent education and observations, Goodall refused to refer to chimps by numbers, as most scientists did. She always named them, and maintained that we are closely related by bonds that extend far beyond genetic makeup.
In the years since her fieldwork, Goodall has established the Jane Goodall Institute (to which we donate 5% of our profits), and the youth-oriented Roots & Shoots. Goodall lectures around the country, sharing her stories of the deep connections between humans and the inhabitants of the jungles and forests. I was privileged to attend one of her lectures a few years ago, and was brought to tears by her words and her vibrant energy. She is truly a mother goddess protecting all the creatures (human or not) of this beautiful planet. (Read more about our donations, and JGI here. Or click here if you want to help JGI.)
Jane contains the organic essential oils of patchouli, ylang ylang, and a touch of lemongrass. It is the ultimate down-to-earth blend. The patchouli is a strong, grounding base, while the ylang ylang gives it a feminine note, and the lemongrass a touch of the exotic. This scent will help keep you focused, and allow you to open your eyes to the world around you. It can help you in situations in which you need sharp observational skills, or when you simply need patience, and a bit of a lift. And believe it or not, lemongrass and patchouli oils are often used as natural insect repellents! So if you really are going out into the jungle, this is the perfect blend for you! 
Please remember that essential oils are potent plant substances. Please click here to read important information.
(Photo credit: CBS/Landov.)
Herbal Aromatherapy Perfume: Janie
Welcome the first member of our Herbal Aromatherapy Perfume family (formerly known as Sankalpa Scents). Janie was named after Janie Crawford, the heroine of Zora Neale Hurston’s classic novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. I read this novel twice: the first time, in my 18th year, during my first term in college, and the second, when I was about 26, and had gone back to college after a long break. Both times, Janie’s relationship with nature made a major impression on me (as is true for most readers). She is genuinely in love with her environment, and connects to other living beings in a very primal way. At a young age, she correlates the relationship between bees and flowers with romantic/sexual love:
[Janie] was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun and the panting breath of the breeze when the inaudible voice of it all came to her. She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom; the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing with delight. So this was a marriage! She had been summoned to behold a revelation… Oh to be a pear tree – any tree in bloom! With kissing bees singing of the beginning of the world!
Five Seed‘s Janie blend contains the organic essential oils of lavender, sweet orange, and ylang ylang. It is earthy, floral, sweet, and sensual. It is meant to help you open your senses to the world around. It will aid you in feeling connected with other living beings, bring out your inner vibrancy, and remind you of the sensuality of your inner Earth Goddess. It’s safe to say that you’ll be walking barefoot in the grass before the day is over, if you wear this feminine, earthy blend.
Please remember that essential oils are potent plant substances. Please click here to read important information.
Top picture collage: Herbal Aromatherapy Perfume: Janie, Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God (Harper Classics), Halle Berry as Janie (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
New Product: Sankalpa Scents
Our two debut scents: Jane & Janie. Yeah, we know – confusing!
There are two things I have wanted to primarily focus on here at 5 Seed: natural remedies (if only I could figure out how to ship liquids without getting in trouble), and aromatherapy products. These are two of my passions. With the help of some creative friends, I decided to create solid aromatherapy balms – which not only keeps me on the good side of the USPS, but it makes this item perfect for traveling, or just keeping in your desk or purse.
My sister (and her brilliant unborn baby) came up with the idea for the name (Sankalpa Scents). I was reluctant, at first, simply because I don’t wish to capitalize on the whole “yoga gimmick” movement. But I decided to go for it, and hope that my customers will trust that further commercializing yoga is not my sankalpa.
To back track a bit, sankalpa is Sanskrit for resolve, intention, will, purpose, and/or determination. According to Yoga Journal:
To make a sankalpa is to set an intention—it’s like a New Year’s resolution with a yogic twist. While a resolution often zeros in on a perceived negative aspect of ourselves…, a sankalpa explores what’s behind the thought or feeling… A sankalpa also praises the nobility of the effort rather than focusing on what you are doing wrong.
This description might give you an understanding of why I decided to use this name. Each one is meant to help you shift your internal focus to where you want it to be. Some are invigorating, some are motivating, and some are calming. They are meant to be used with strong intentions – a vision of the quality you wish to experience. Confidence. Peace. Joy. Love. Energy.
Each scent is named after a woman – real or fictional – who embodies the qualities that are enlivened and enhanced by the essential oil blends. We will list specific aromatherapy information for each blend here on the blog, and on the corresponding product pages.
The beauty of Sankalpa Scents is that you don’t have to believe in aromatherapy to use them. They can be used simply as solid perfume, rubbed on at your pulse points. The scents are always light and natural – never overpowering and artificial like commercial perfumes.
For those of you who wish to take advantage of the benefits of aromatherapy, you can not only use these as perfume, but can keep them in your purse or desk so they are available when you need to recenter, recharge, and rejuvenate. Simply rub a pea-sized amount into your palms, creating warmth which will enliven the scents in the blend you’ve chosen. Open your hands in front of your face and take a few moments to breathe the scent in, meditating on the quality you need at that moment (tranquility, energy, patience, etc.). You can also rub small amounts of this perfume balm into your temples or at the back of your neck to relieve headaches. When you’re done, simply wipe off your hands, or give them a quick rinse in the sink.
Having said all that, I do want to make sure you understand the potency of essential oils. They aren’t potentially toxic, chemically derived fragrances, but they are extremely potent natural substances. First of all, please click here to read more about this. Secondly, please be aware of your allergies. We cannot stress this enough. Essential oils are plant materials, so if you’re allergic to, say, oranges, then you will want to avoid all Sankalpa blends containing citrus oils, just to be safe.
Finally, if you are pregnant, the safest thing to do is to consult your doctor before using ANY product from any bath & body business containing essential oils. There are multiple reasons for this, but I’ll leave the explanations to the professionals. This doesn’t mean that essential oils are harmful or dangerous – it is simply wise to inform yourself about anything you use on your skin during pregnancy.
Please remember that all information here is for educational purposes only. This information is not intended to diagnose any illness, nor dowe make any medical claims or guarantees about our products’ ability to treat or cure any disease. Remember, if you are pregnant, or are suffering from a disease or illness, please consult your physician before using products containing essential oils. We do not recommend use of Sankalpa Scents on children.
New Product: Lime Cocoa Lip Balm
We have been working very hard to perfect our lip balm formulas, and we are thrilled with our new Lime Cocoa Lip Balms! The all-natural scent is sunny, fresh, and will put a smile on your face.
It is as rich as our other formulas, with a heavy dose of organic and fair trade cocoa butter. The organic sweet almond oil adds yet more moisture to your lips, while the beeswax seals it all in.
This is an absolute perfect cure for the winter blues. It not only gives your lips much-needed moisture, but smells so sweet and sunny that you will forget all about the snow outside your window! In aromatherapy, lime gives you a mental boost, refreshes the mind, and inspires happy thoughts.
If you want to read more about why we use tins, and our commitment to reduce (and ultimately eliminate) our use of plastic, click here.
*Please beware of prolonged exposure to the sun when using this product. Some essential oils from the citrus family can cause photo-sensitivity in some individuals. Additionally, if you are pregnant, it is best to consult with your physician before using essential oils of any kind.
