Hemp Products

The Following informative article was acquired from www.Rawganique.com

What is hemp and what's so special about it?

What is so special about hemp products that I should pay more for them than conventional cotton products (although stores like Rawganique.com is rapidly closing the gap on conventional cotton and hemp prices--in many cases our designer organic cotton and hemp clothing and footwear are even cheaper than what you'd find on Main Street, USA!)?

Hemp is special in so many ways. It's arguably the strongest and most versatile fiber we know for consumer goods and industrial uses. It has been used to make durable and stylish clothing, footwear, paper, and home accessories for thousands of years in China and many other countries; in the US, it had been in use and cultivation up until the 1940's, when it was banned due to its association with its distant cousin plant, marijuana. Now, thanks to visionaries like Jack Herer, hemp is back! If you haven't seen or touched hemp clothing lately, you'll be surprised how far the industry has come in terms of quality (our hemp clothing is really soft and cozy, unlike the burlap-y hemp of the early days), style, economy, variety, and craftsmanship.

The hemp plant also yields one of the most nutritious foods you can eat (industrial hemp grown for fiber and food contain virtually no THC, the psychoactive substance in marijuana--our hemp food products are made from hulled hemp seeds, and so contain no THC, which is found in infinitesimal amounts only in the hulls).

While hemp's many uses in the clothing and food industry are well-known, little is known of the fact that you can make plastic, cement, gasoline, and so much more out of hemp! There really is no more need to cut down trees for paper or make bags out of conventional plastic or fill your car up with petroleum-based gasoline!

The hemp plant itself is a marvel of nature. It grows easily in temperate climates (it's a "weed" after all), with roots that penetrate deep into the ground, bringing much-needed minerals and nutrients that other plants can use to the top layers of the soil. It dislikes chemicals and fertilizers and hence lends itself easily to organic farming, as opposed to conventional cotton, which requires massive uses of water, chemicals, pesticides, bleaches, and many other toxic substances for its cultivation and production.

The hemp fiber is anti-fungal and so is great especially for footwear; it also wicks away moisture and has a natural sheen that is water-resistant, making it the fiber of choice for natural outdoors people everywhere. The fiber itself is durable and will easily outlast cotton 6-to-1. It's also much thicker than cotton and hence contains a lot more air space than cotton, thereby facilitating free air circulation, making it warmer in winter and cooler in summer than cotton. You can also really abuse your hemp clothing and still get at least three to four times the mileage you can get out of your cotton clothing. Products made of hemp are naturally beautiful, humble, and mindful of this fragile planet of ours.

Now, on to the question of price. Hemp is more expensive than cotton up front, but if you add up long-term costs to our environment from cotton production and the massive use value of hemp products, you'll easily find that hemp is much lighter on your pocket and on the planet in the long run. Also, if hemp farming were legalized in the US, as it is in many of the countries in the western world such as Germany and Canada, then the prices will come tumbling down in a hurry. And you can do your part in making this happen by supporting this wonder plant anyway you can. Wear hemp, eat hemp, walk on hemp, write on hemp! For a better future for us and our planet, so that we and our children can actually have a future to look forward to! The more widespread and mainstream hemp becomes, the more reasonable the prices of hemp products and the more likelihood that its cultivation will be legalized in the US.

(excerpted from Hemp Horizons by John Roulac)

Candles and Your Health

What can be more relaxing and uplifting, than the soothing flicker of candlelight? So many people decorate, and warm their homes with scented, and unscented candles, but many still don’t know of the dangers that lurk behind this simple little object. Most conventional candles on the market are made using Petroleum Based Paraffin, Synthetic Fragrances, Chemically Treated Wicks, and Metal Wick Cores, that in some cases contain toxic metals that can release harmful fumes when in use.

Being a product of the oil industry, paraffin is not a renewable resource, and like other petroleum based products, processing, as well as the burning of the final product releases green house gasses into the environment. Paraffin contains at least 11 carcinogenic compounds that are a direct threat to your health and well being. Synthetic fragrances can cause allergic reactions, headaches, and nausea, and some can release toxins when burned. In addition, conventional candle wicks are often bleached with chlorine, giving them their crisp white color, which also releases toxins when burned

Ingredients are not required to be listed on candle products, therefore candle labels can easily describe the product as a “healthy” aromatherapy candle, when, in reality it is packed with petrochemicals and synthetic fragrances that are meant to be “soothing”.

The good news is that a well informed individual can make healthy candle burning choices. There is a growing availability of soy and palm vegetable based candles that come from renewable resources, and burn clean, without releasing harmful chemicals into your home. In addition, these candles are safe for the environment because they are biodegradable, and even burn longer than paraffin wax candles. When buying candles, it is key to make sure that scented candles are only made using 100% Essential Oils for added fragrance. Essential oils are a smart choice for those who want to add fragrance to their environments without the risk of allergic reactions, and toxic fumes. Whenever possible, choose cotton or hemp wicks, as synthetic fibers also release toxic chemicals. Avoid metal or lead wick cores!

Benefits of Soy Wax

• Soy candles do not release harmful carcinogens.
• Soy candles do not produce black soot-leaving residue on furnishings
• Soy candles burn substantially longer and more uniform that their paraffin counterparts.
• Soy candles promote the care of our environment by utilizing plants that are not depleted.
• Soy candles are water soluble for easy cleanup and biodegradable, reducing landfill.
• Soy candles are non-toxic, and do not contain any pesticides or herbicides.
• Soy candles contribute to the reduction of our dependency on crude oil.
• Soy candles support soybean farmers in the United States.

Blissoma Candles - Votives

Blissoma Soy Candles are handmade with safe, all natural ingredients, which include soybean wax, pure plant based essential oils, and 100% cotton wicks! These decadent candles are clean burning, and have longer burn times than conventional paraffin based candles. Choose from a wide variety of scents that will surely awaken your senses!

Set of three soy votives with a fifteen hour burn time for each candle!

World Candles

"This is the only world we should be warming!!!" These beautiful, hand-poured, and hand-painted glass Earth candle is made of eco-friendly soy wax, biodegradable scents, and a lead-free, unbleached cotton wick!! It burns 150+ Hours!! It comes in an array of scents. We will pick one for you but, if you are looking for a specific scent, please give us a call, we would love to accommodate for you!!