The humble Sunflower is an example of a miraculous botanical that could use a little more appreciation, so we're shining a spotlight today.  We consider Sunflower Seed oil to be one of the unsung heroes of natural skincare for some very good reasons.

Sunflower Seed oil is not an expensive or "precious" natural skincare oil largely because sunflowers are super easy to grow. They aren't finicky and they produce a huge head of seeds that are rich with oil. Sometimes the abundance of something can make it easy to overlook the true value, though.

Read on to discover more about this powerhouse plant and what its special seeds can do for sensitive skin.

Often for a product to do just one thing really well is enough.  Trying to do too much often ends up with a product that slacks in some area.  Beauty editors and minimalists (and people on a budget) are perpetually looking for multitasking beauty products, though.  It seems like a great idea to be able to do several things with only one investment.  

Our wonder cream Lavish Loving Recovery Beta-glucan Mask defies the odds by multitasking like a champ.  We initially developed it as a recipe to deeply hydrate post-treatment or very irritated skin.  It had to be super calming to be used on skin that was already inflamed.  We've seen it promptly quench allergic reactions that were occurring from other products.  Redness and burning? Gone after a good soak in its soothing powers.  Lavish can combat environmental irritants and pollutants as well.

So, of course you know from it's name that it's a mask, but it can do SO much more.  This multitasking beauty product is going to earn its spot on your shelf.

Click through to read three more things you can do with this hydrating, natural miracle cream.

While sugar is the centerpiece for most holidays and family traditions it has been found recently to be more addictive than cocaine.  We might find it comforting to have around there is a price to be paid for consuming refined sugars.  Is the emotional tie and physical addiction worth the consequences? Is regulating sugar our best solution?

You can apply all the best skincare products but eating the wrong foods can jeopardize your beauty results. Keep reading to find out more about how sugar is affecting your body and the quality of your skin health.

Cannabis’s medicinal benefits have been known to relieve chronic pain, ease anxiety, and offer an insomniac a decent night’s rest. No longer widely stigmatized, cannabis is reaching mainstream markets in the form of chocolates and sprays. One time-honored variety of cannabis is the hemp plant which lacks psychoactive compounds. Hemp seeds produce a valuable oil that is an ideal addition to natural skincare products.

Click through to read more about how hemp seed oil can benefit your skin.

Keep reading for more details about how you can end animal testing of cosmetics.

Reishi Mushrooms

Known as the “Mushroom of Immortality”, reishi has been embraced for its potent medicinal qualities for the last 2,000 years. 

Reishi contains a powerful supply of Beta-glucans, which can help  to calm dry, itchy skin. Beta-glucans are special sugars from mushrooms that have the ability to modulate the immune system. They are also capable of penetrating deeply through multiple layers of skin which means healing results in places other ingredients may not reach. 

Provide your dry, stressed and inflamed skin with penetrating hydration; add reishi mushrooms into your skincare routine.  Click to keep reading about the benefits of Reishi mushrooms.

The Truth about Animal Testing 

Estée Lauder, Mary Kay, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Aveeno, Kiehl’s and Covergirl are just a few of the popular, mainstream brands that still test their products on animals. 

Household products & cosmetics are regularly tested for their efficacy and safety. Unfortunately, bunnies, guinea pigs, and rats are commonly abused in order to complete these tests. Testing on animals is not only cruel, but it is also ineffective and unnecessary. Alternative methods of testing, such as testing on cell cultures or digital models, are often cheaper, quicker,  and more accurate. 

The needless violence of animal testing can be avoided. Hundreds of companies produce safe and effective products without harming animals in the process. As consumers, we can eliminate animal testing by choosing to buy only cruelty free products. 

Are your cosmetics messing with your hormones?

You can find hormone altering chemicals littered throughout your home. The most common endocrine disruptors found in your cosmetics and perfumes are phthalates, which can absorb into the skin and move into the bloodstream. Phthalate exposure has been linked to various health concerns including thyroid issues, hormone changes, obesity, diabetes and lower sperm count. 

With the influx of research regarding endocrine disruptors, the need for conscious consumerism is crucial. By simply reading your cosmetic labels, you can help to limit your exposure to phthalates. 

Protect your health and enhance your skin by investing in clean, phthalate free beauty products. 

We've worked for months on renovating our new space - the *only* space in St. Louis devoted to high performance, authentically natural, plant-strong, organic, and cruelty-free beauty products. Our talented staff has spent months testing the best brands in natural makeup, haircare, and nontoxic nail polish. We are NOW OPEN weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM to serve you in an intimate, luxurious, bohemian loft style setting. We specialize in education and giving you a great service experience in learning about how to make your beauty routine more nontoxic, eco-friendly, and effective.

You may be an occasional wearer of lip gloss and nothing more, or a polished professional who likes her look "just so" or perhaps a funky fan of electric blue eyeshadow.... Whatever your aesthetics we've got options for you that meet or exceed performance of conventional cosmetics. The best news for you is that it's all healthy for your skin (so your foundation won't ruin all the good things you're doing with your facial care routine) and guilt free for your health and even sustainable for the planet.

Even better yet, you'll be supporting independent businesses that are largely woman-owned and who are doing the right thing for clients, the environment, and their staff. Ethics and sustainability are gorgeous! Supporting conscious businesses lets your inner beauty shine.

Click through to read more about the fantastic natural beauty brands we are stocking to help you make your whole routine green.

We love getting up every day and working to make the world a better place. Sure, we make super pure, herbal products that outperform conventional brands but there is SO much more to love about what we do and how we do it. At least 64 more reasons to love us to be exact...

Blissoma products do not use:

1. Hormone disrupting chemicals
2. Petrochemicals
3. Ethoxylated surfactant chemicals like polysorbates
4. Ingredients tainted by 1,4 dioxane
5. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) ingredients
6. Irradiated ingredients
7. Synthetic preservatives
8. Synthetic fragrances
9. Pthalates
10. Strong acids
11. Retinols
12. Triclosan or Triclocarban
13. Animal ingredients
14. Animal testing

Click through to read all the other amazing reasons we are a vital force in the green beauty world.

Blissoma founder Julie Longyear appeared on Show Me St. Louis on Friday to discuss timely tips to help your skin survive the winter in happy, hydrated condition. The products you use in your morning skincare routine can make a big difference in your skin's hydration all day long. Use these 3 natural skincare tips and you'll be happy even when cold winds are howling.

1. Pay attention to Ph when cleansing.

Using a soap-based cleanser can throw off skin's Ph and leave it feeling dry and aggravated. Skin has a natural Ph of around 5.5 which is acidic. Soap is alkaline at a Ph of approximately 9 or 10 usually. Instead of soap use a natural, non-soap based cleanser like Free Rejuvenating Herbal Gel Cleanser or Fresh Mild Rice Cleanser which has an acidic Ph like skin. This leaves the skin's acid mantle intact. Disruption of the acid mantle can cause problems including dehydration and even acne for some people. You'll notice less tightness and discomfort to the skin when you use a natural, Ph correct cleanser.

Read the rest of our dry skin tips and see the video by clicking through to the full post.

Dear clients and friends,

Blissoma has our headquarters and production studio in St. Louis City. Since August of this year civil unrest has rocked our community. Ferguson is located just 15 minutes down highway 70 from our production studio in North City. Friends and business associates have been closely affected by the struggle our community has faced. Some live and work in the Ferguson area, some have given up work time to protest or volunteer with repair efforts, and everyone in St. Louis has been emotionally riveted and strained by the history-making civil rights struggles and legal events.

While discussion continues about details, positions, and legal processes what is crystal clear is that our community has a lot of healing to do. Bridging divides requires generosity and venues where citizens can work hand in hand to create understanding. People also have immediate and urgent needs due to loss of income from their businesses being destroyed, looted, or having sales impacted by the unfolding events.

7 years ago when searching for a studio location I purposefully chose a distressed urban neighborhood in North St. Louis City because I believe in personally working towards restoration of our city's economic fabric and commmunity strength. Since then I have done everything I can to bring prosperity and progress to our neighborhood. Every dollar spent at Blissoma helps us create more fair wage jobs in St. Louis City, improve our historic building, and solidify a brighter future for Hyde Park. We know we are doing what we can every day to make our community better. However, we would like to do more this month.

We were fortunate that our building has been safe and intact and our staff has been able to work consistently through the Ferguson unrest. Because we are still in a position of strength we want to use that strength to help two organizations that are in a prime position to help make real progress with short and long term solutions for the Ferguson community.

Read more about how you can help us help Ferguson by clicking through to the full post.

Want to know what others are saying about Blissoma's new toxin-free natural deodorants before you decide? Our aluminum-free sprays and Scentless Stick product all perform differently using unique ingredients, so each has its fans. Getting the scoop from bloggers may help you decide which product would be the best natural deodorant for you.

Check out the reviews that are stacking up from green beauty bloggers:

Chickweed and Blush

Beautiful with Brains

EcoCult

EatDrinkShrink's

Blooming in Bedlam

Exposure to UVA and UVB rays prompts a host of results to skin including cell damage and death, increases in inflammatory response, increases in skin's free radical content, and increased activity of collagenases which are enzymes that degrade collagen structures. The typical recommendation from dermatologists is to wear sunscreen, but chemical sunscreens are especially fraught with complications including allergic reactions, hormonal disruption, and the fact that they can actually increase the free radical production in sun exposed skin!

A wholly different approach to prevention of skin aging is to use nutrients like antioxidants to boost the natural damage resistance of the skin.

Read more by clicking through to our complete article on how you can boost your natural sun damage resistance with pomegranate antioxidants.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch covered the business revival of the historic Hyde Park neighborhood for the front page of the business section. Independent entrepreneurs Julie Longyear of Blissoma, the Ulmers of Cornerstone Cafe, the mission-based Sun Cafe team and Vanity Gee of the Rebuild Foundation were all interviewed, quoted, and featured for our work bringing life back to this challenged urban landscape.

"Vanity Gee, program manager for Rebuild Foundation and Art House, said Hyde Park has plenty of misconceptions. 'A lot of people who don’t live here have misinformed beliefs about what this neighborhood is like,' she said. 'That could deter some businesses from opening here.'"

Blissoma was honored to be included in this exceptional piece of writing that offers a kinder, more accurate depiction of our often maligned neighborhood. We're proud to be a change-maker, job creator, and active, positive resident of this misunderstood area. There is hope for Hyde Park and it is in every person who chooses to believe in something better and offer their time and effort to make it so.

H.R. 4148 prohibits animal testing for cosmetics manufactured or sold in the U.S., ending painful tests that rabbits, mice, rats, and guinea pigs endure to assess the safety of cosmetics. The Humane Society of the USA is working with 133 companies and Representative Jim Moran from Northern Virginia to pass a bill that would make animal testing for cosmetics in the United States illegal. It is unnecessary as a wealth of ingredients have already been established as safe. Animals do not need to suffer for the sake of "beauty".

Blissoma is joining the other business supporters of Be Cruelty Free to champion a cause that we have always believed in.

Read more about what you can do to help end animal suffering by clicking through to the full post.

Organic Spa Magazine covers the best natural, spa quality skincare and in April 2014 Blissoma received a feature for our use of medicinal mushrooms in Lavish Loving Recovery Beta-glucan mask. Writer Celia Shatzman says, "Now, thanks to the meteoric rise of green cosmeceuticals, there are plenty of options that incorporate potent natural ingredients to deliver powerful results."

"Packed with vitamin D, selenium, and antioxidants, mushrooms safeguard skin from discoloration and their anti-inflammatory properties help with rosacea, acne and eczema."

Blissoma's herbal chemist Julie Longyear was quoted on the benefits of Beta-glucans, which are complex, immune stimulating polysaccharides found in mushrooms.

Vegan Cuts has curated Blissoma's Awake Morning Firming Moisture into this special box that contains over $100 worth of natural, cruelty-free beauty for just $39. It includes products from leading, kind companies like Crazy Rumors, Dr. Bronner's, Beauty Without Cruelty, Aubrey Organics, Schmidt's and more. The box makes a perfect gift for a family member or friend that you'd like to introduce to kind beauty practices and the proceeds from the box benefit the Humane Society of the US. Support a policy of no animal testing for skincare and beauty products and go cruelty-free!

Is touching your face really a bad thing like so many beauty sites say? Learn why touching your face is fantastic in this tutorial video featuring our new Blissoma staff esthetician, Lauren.

Learn the technique to give yourself a facial massage from a trained esthetician. Massage is a natural way to improve blood flow, relax muscles, and prevent acne, blackheads, and dull skin tone by helping relieve skin congestion. How to make your skin look younger, more bouncy and bright in just minutes each day and it doesn't cost anything but time. Results can be like a natural face lift when this is done regularly. Use skincare products you have on hand already like your favorite natural facial cleanser or facial oil. We demonstrate the facial massage technique using Blissoma's Restore Deep Healing Oil serum.

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for lots more beauty tips and natural lifestyle information.

Featuring: Julie Longyear, Herbal Chemist for Blissoma Holistic Skincare and Lauren Staebell, Blissoma Staff Esthetician

Blissoma's Tone Adaptive Energy Tonique has won Best Facial Toner in the 5th Annual Beauty with a Conscience Awards from Natural Solutions Magazine.

2013 was a great year for Blissoma in natural skincare. We became an editor favorite with many top blogs and publications including Natural Solutions. They rated our cold brewed, raw nutrient based toner recipe as Best Facial Toner of 2013. The recipe includes adaptogenic and collagen building herbs like organic Holy Basil, Calendula, and Rhodiola to calm skin and simultaneously stimulate repair. You can read all the details about this healing herbal skincare recipe with a full ingredients list on the page for Tone Adaptive Energy Tonique.

Blissoma's Bright Eye Vitalizing Nutrient Complex won runner up placement in the 5th Annual Beauty with a Conscience Awards from Natural Solutions Magazine.

We are so proud that this amazing recipe got a mention next to many much bigger brands. Our clients agree too, as it continues to improve fine lines and help under eye darkness for many people. The time-release, stabilized Vitamin C is a proven effective anti-aging skincare ingredient, and the organic herb base and nutritious oils make the total recipe certainly worthy of mention. You can read all the details about this healing herbal skincare recipe with a full ingredients list on the page for Bright Eye Vitalizing Nutrient Serum.

Well Beauty Blog reviewed Blissoma's Smooth A+ Perfecting Serum and Amend Facial Solar Repair Serum this summer. She loved them both and had plenty to say about the formulations and how they worked for her.

About Smooth A+ Perfecting Serum she says this...

And about our Amend Facial Solar Repair Anti-Aging Serum she is equally happy...

Beauty pageant winner and natural skincare lover Jody Liu won both the title of Miss Singapore Global and Miss Global International in summer 2013. With all the time spent with heavy makeup on her skin sometimes suffers breakouts. She uses Blissoma's Smooth A+ Serum and Refine Clay Renewal Treatment to tame her acne and get her skin back to happy.