Vegan Beauty Review: Strawberry Hedgehog continues to blow me away

A lil' about me...

My name is Sunny Subramanian and I've been vegan since 2000. I owe it all to my furry felines at home: Towane, Spirulina, Kaduki and Conan. The reason I'm vegan is because I love animals and would never want to contribute to the pain and suffering of any living being. I'm a member of the LA based animal rights group The Vegan Vixens.
I'm trying to help break the stereotype that all vegans are stinky, hairy earth babies. I want the world to know that you can be vegan and still be uber girlie and relish new and exciting beauty products that are vegan, cruelty-free and free of nasty chemicals and preservatives.
If you would like to have your vegan product reviewed on www.veganbeautyreview.com, please e-mail me at sunbundelicious@yahoo.com

A few good reasons to go vegan:

• You'll save lives
• You'll live a lot longer
• You'll have more energy
• You'll reduce your risk of cancer
• You'll reduce your risk of heart disease
• You'll have lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• You'll get better nutrition
• You'll lower your chances of getting food poisoning
• You won't be ingesting growth hormones and antibiotics
• You'll get sick less often
• You'll fit into your old jeans
• You'll give your body a spring cleaning
• You'll have healthier skin
• You'll make a strong political statement
• You'll reduce waste and air pollution
• You'll earn good karma points
• You'll save money
• You'll help save the planet

Famous Animal Friendly Quotes

"Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends."

~George Bernard Shaw

"You put a baby in a crib with an apple and a rabbit. If it eats the rabbit and plays with the apple, I'll buy you a new car."

~Harvey Diamond

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."

~Immanuel Kant

"I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being."

~Abraham Lincoln

"To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana."

~Buddha

"To consider yourself an environmentalist and still eat meat is like saying you're a philanthropist who doesn't give to charity"

~Howard Lyman

Recipe for Vegan Lip Balm

Lip balm is surprisingly easy to make using the easiest/quickest/laziest way possible that involves all common household tools.

What you'll need:

-lip balm base or waxes+oils+extras

-essential or flavor oil(s)

-pipettes (one for each flavor)

-microwave or double-boiler

-glass measuring cup with pouring spout

-spoons or spatulas

-lip balm tube holder

-lip balm tubes, jars, pots, lids, bottle caps, etc.---any container that you would like to use for your lip balm

-shrink bands for sealing containers

-newspaper or craft paper to cover your counters

-towels for cleaning up

The Fastest Way

Step 1: Preparation

(a) Buy your supplies.

(b) Set up all the supplies you'll need on a counter top covered in newsprint or craft paper. You'll be glad you did this because lip balm can be hard to clean up if you make a mess. It's recommended to work in the kitchen as close to the microwave as possible, since you'll be using it a lot, if you're following this method. Be sure you have all your supplies ready, including the containers you'll be pouring into. Once the mixture is melted, you'll need to work quickly, but steadily, so the mixture doesn't harden before it has been poured.

(c) Put on your favorite apron/lab coat, if you feel so inclined.

Step 2: Scooping

Scoop out your base into a glass measuring cup that has a spout.

Step 3: Melting

Melt the base in the microwave. Take out every 30-45 seconds and stir, so that the base is heated evenly.

Step 4: Flavoring

After the base has melted completely and has cooled very slightly, use a pipette to drop in the appropriate amount of flavor or essential oils. Use a different pipette for each flavor/scent that you use, so as not to cross-contaminate. 2-4% is a good rule-of-thumb for flavor. Essential oils need less, about 0.3-1.5%. The oils you choose may recommend different proportions, so check before you get started. Stir just until mixed.

It is important that you add your flavor/essential oil after you melt the base. If you add the flavor before you melt the base, it will lose its potentcy in the heating process.

Step 5: Pouring

Using the very same measuring cup that you melted the base in, pour your mixed and melted concoction into your tubes or jars or what have you. That's why the spout is so handy. If you're using tubes, fill only to the top of the inside screw. Once the mixture has cooled, finish filling the tube. Pour almost all the way to the top, for that professional and rounded look. This process avoids the risk of cracking that can occur when filling the tube in one go. If you're using jars or lids, just pour all the way to the top in one pour.

Don't be discouraged if you make a mess when you first start pouring. After a few tries, you'll be a pro. It's all in the wrist.

Step 6: Labeling

Make some sweet labels.

Below are some examples of recycled containers for lip balm.

Step 7: Sell your lovely lip balm or give it to all your friends!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Strawberry Hedgehog continues to blow me away

Tracy Perkins of Strawberry Hedgehog is one of the most creative people I know. She's like an organic magician when it comes to her earthy potions and concoctions. Her soaps, body butters, lip balms and basically everything else she creates are true masterpieces of geniosity. Can you tell I'm a fan? Not only are her products vegan, but she's vegan as well and you can read all about her vegan recipes and crafts on her blog.

Strawberry Hedgehog Products I dig:

Pure Lemon Whipped Body Créme ($12): The is a perfect springtime scent. It smells wonderfully fresh and kind of desserty. It's decadently creamy and feels amazing on the skin after a nice bath. It's scent is uplifting, refreshing and energizing. It comes in a cute 6oz. jar (you can order it in a 17oz jar as well) which Tracy encourages everyone to reuse or recycle.

Fair Trade Organic Unrefined Grapefruit Ylang-Ylang Shea Butter ($12): First off, I would like to say this is one hell of a deal. This product is thick and I can tell it is going to last me a very long time. A little bit goes a long way. Now let's talk about this ridiculously yummy scent! It's a mix of foody and moody. The grapefruit aspect makes you want to eat it up. It's scent is energizing and fresh. The Ylang-Ylang gives this body butter a sensual, romantic flair. I think this particular shea butter might make for a great massage for that special someone. Shea butter does wonders for the skin. It's packed with Vitamins A&E and has amazing healing properties so use it frequently.

For all you dudes out there, here's a manly scented soap, Smudge ($8): This soap combines cedar and white sage with undertones of of lapsang souchong tea, ginger and pepper. It's also a two toned gray bar of soap, so it's dudely in every way possible. It has a very sexy scent to it. I'm going to insist my husband start bathing with this a.s.a.p.
Tracy of Strawberry Hedgehog does a wonderful job of incorporating aromatherapy into all of her products and she labels them accordingly on their packaging. That way, if you're shopping for someone who's stuck in the doldrums, you can pick a cheery product that will put a smile on his/her face.
I also got a chance to try two of Tracy's Charity Soaps: Fresh Lemon-Rosemary (for St. Baldrick's Childhood Cancer) and Pink Grapefruit-Peppermint (Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer) - they are not only super pretty to look and inspire a cheerful mood, they help support amazing cancer research foundations (50% of all charity soap purchases go toward these organizations).

Lip Balms (Lemon-Mint Kiss, Lavender-Tangerine, Grapefruit-Rosemary) ($3): These are some of the best lip balms I have ever tried. They are sleek and creamy, smooth and nourishing, perfectly moisturizing and smell heavenly to boot. I love the slender tubes they come in. They fit perfectly in my purse or in my pocket. It's kind of hard to find amazing vegan lip balm. It's actually hard to fiind vegan lip balm, period. You will be so stoked when you give these a try. They are only $3 each so try them all!

For more info: Strawberry Hedgehog
Previous reviews on Vegan Beauty Review