Food For Thought Fridays – Quotable Quotes!

It’s Friday again! After a long week I decided to relax by looking up some fun, inspirational quotes that I thought were enjoyable enough to share. Hope you like them!

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”
― Albert Einstein

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
― H. Jackson Brown Jr.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right … and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
― Marilyn Monroe

“If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.”
― Malcolm X

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
― Mother Teresa

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
― Anaïs Nin

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”
― Douglas Adams

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”
― William Shakespeare

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
― J.K. Rowling

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
― Mother Teresa

“Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can’t get any better, it can.”
― Nicholas Sparks

And of course,

Live Life Beautifully.”
― Ember Rusco, Ember Cove

What quotes do you like? This is just a few of mine. I have a bunch of funny quotes I really like too but I figured I’d save that for another Friday. :) Hope you guys enjoyed these!

Coffee, Coffee, Wash That Body!

Ember Cove – Breakfast Soap

Many of us wake up to coffee in the morning, and a lot keep drinking it through the entire day. At Ember Cove, we want you to wake up to it a different way – using it on your body! Yes, you read that correctly. I want you to wash with coffee! Along with waking you up in the morning, coffee can also wake up your skin.

I wanted a soap that provided a bright, beautiful complexion, and after some research, came up with my Breakfast Soap recipe which is exclusive to Ember Cove. (It was also one of my very first recipes that got me started). The soaps contain two primary ingredients to make them special: Oatmeal, which we learned a couple posts back is extremely beneficial for your skin, and coffee. A bit odd, but coffee is actually extremely healthy for your skin, and rich in anti-oxidants. I try make products that compliment each other, and above all – benefit your skin. My Breakfast Soaps definitely will.

Not only can it destroy tough odors like fish, coffee has a number of benefits for your skin. From treating redness and inflammation, to reducing the appearance of under-eye circles, to getting rid of cellulite, caffeine really has all its bases covered. By incorporating caffeine into your skin care routine, you can reveal evenly toned, smooth skin all over your body. Because of its high levels of anti-oxidants, caffeine can help soothe and heal eczema, acne, and other skin diseases. It also contains phytosterols, which promote moisture retention and provide chemical-free sun protection. (To add to that, new studies are showing caffeine on skin may even prevent skin cancer).

Caffeine has potent anti-inflammatory properties that make it perfect for reducing inflammation and redness in your skin. According to Livestrong, In a 1981 study performed at the Seoul National University, researchers found that caffeine is able to reduce inflammation almost as well as aspirin! In a 1978 study performed at the University of Tennessee, researchers found that adding caffeine to anti-inflammatory creams significantly increased their effectiveness. Overall, use of skin care products containing caffeine will reduce and prevent inflammation and redness, leaving you with a beautiful, even skin tone. I just had to incorporate it into my soap, it was perfect!

I know we’ve all been there, waking up looking like a raccoon after a rough night’s sleep. These dark circles or bags under our eyes are caused by a number of things which include dehydration, lack of sleep or even allergies. By applying caffeine under your eyes with my Breakfast Soaps, it will help reduce the puffiness and inflammation which will make your skin have a more alert appearance. Caffeine also reduces the build-up of blood under your eyes which makes them have dark shadows.

For acne, caffeine again works like a charm while making your skin have a smoother, more radiant appearance. While soothing irritation and redness, it will also help heal wounds. It works as a gentle exfoliant, removing dead skin cells while allowing healthy regeneration of new ones. Caffeine is a vasodilator, which means that it constricts blood cells. While this sounds intense, it actually just means that it will reduce inflammation and firm and tighten your skin. This leads to reducing the appearance of cellulite. Quoted from Livestrong, In a 2008 study performed at the University of São Paulo, researchers found that an application of skin cream containing caffeine to cellulite reduced the size of cellulite fat cells by 17 percent. In addition, a 2007 study performed at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro found that caffeine cream applied to cellulite decreased the hip’s diameter in almost 70 percent of participants. While I’m not sure if Ember Cove Breakfast Soaps are that powerful, a nice coffee scrub in a wonderful bar of goat milk soap might just help!

What about you? Do you benefit from drinking coffee in the morning? It has some pretty decent health benefits internally as well, but I like to focus on the ones that apply to skin care. Personally I drink 2-3 cups a day, which has run in my family for decades. It’s more of a relaxing thing, and it really is nice and refreshing to wash my face with in the morning. I’d love to hear about some coffee stories, please feel free to share!

I love this disclaimer: Remember – I am not a doctor and I will never claim to be one. My posts are not here to replace any medical advice given to you by any professional. If you experience any kind of irritation you need to stop use of the product immediately and consult an actual physician or dermatologist. Everyone is unique and only you are responsible to know what is beneficial and healthy for your skin.

A thank you to some other sources: HubPages, Ezine Articles, CoffeeForums.com, Revitalize Your Health, Food Technology, Inside Cosmeceuticals, eHow, MedicineNet, Beyond Jane,

The Healthiest Oil On Earth – Coconut Oil

Before my old blog vanished without a trace, I had written a nice long post about the benefits of coconut oil. In doing my research on it, I became fascinated with everything that this oil had to offer for not only the body and skin, but for your hair, stress relief, immunity, bone strength and more. Since none of my bath products are ever meant to be ingested, I’m going to focus on explaining some of the benefits for the outside of your body.

I created Ember Cove because I want everyone to look their best and have the healthiest skin possible regardless of their situation. Coconut oil has been quoted as “the healthiest oil on Earth” and is the base of choice for my soap and a great moisturizing addition to my lotions and lip balms. Its natural cures have benefited people worldwide for centuries. Wonderful and hypoallergenic, coconut oil contains many beneficial properties that make it an outstanding choice for any skin type. (It also produces a wonderful thick lather in my soap). The oil is unique to any other and I will explain the exact reason I chose it for my recipes.

First, we have its Saturated Fats. These are Triglycerides that keep your skin smooth to the touch by retaining moisture content, preventing it from drying out and making coconut oil a really powerful moisturizer. This has been known to delay wrinkles and help maintain a youthful appearance. By keeping your skin moisturized, it keeps it from peeling or flaking which may cause painful cracking and bleeding. Second, are more beneficial saturated fats – Capric Acid/Caprylic Acid/Lauric Acid. These three fatty acids have strong disinfectant and anti-microbial properties. When coconut oil is applied on skin infections, it forms a thin chemical layer which protects the area from external dust, fungi, bacteria and viruses. By using coconut oil as a base in my soaps, you can be sure to be providing any infected area with a clean wash as well as an amount of protection. Next we have Vitamin-E. The benefits of vitamin-E on skin are well known. It is essential for healthy skin growth, repair of scars and stretch marks, keeping skin smooth and preventing aging. Finally the proteins. Coconut oil is rich with wonderful proteins that help keep skin healthy and rejuvenated.

These powerful properties that make up Coconut Oil are so beneficial that I couldn’t pass up including them in my products. Like most of my ingredients, coconut oil also helps treat a vast amount of skin conditions and irritations such as eczema, dermatitis, dry skin, burns, infections, lice, rashes, wounds, topical effects of psoriasis – just to list a few. The antibacterial and soothing qualities make it a perfect addition to a soap for those struggling with acne as well. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil also kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis and more. To add to this, it is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause ringworm, athlete’s foot and diaper rash. Coconut oil is even effective on bruises as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.

Not only is this an amazing alternative to some pharmacy medications*, it smells amazing – and even more amazing when added to my bath products!

I do not make any hair products, but I know some people use my soap in their hair which contains coconut oil. Coconut oil is very nutritious for hair. Its essential proteins help in hair growth and re-growth of damaged follicles. This nourishes your hair while giving it a healthy and shiny complexion. It also helps ensure your head is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. If you don’t want to wash your head with a bar of soap (which most people don’t), I strongly suggest finding a shampoo and conditioner with all natural coconut oil. I might try my hand at making a shampoo and conditioner combo some day with coconut oil, but I’m not going to worry about it at this moment.

I’d be interested to hear about anyone’s experiences with coconut oil on their skin as well as the benefits internally. (please don’t ingest my products, I mean if you’ve ever had coconut oil in a food or drink). I don’t really care for the taste unless it’s mixed with something else, but I know it’s extremely healthy. What product would you be interested in trying if I made another with coconut oil?. Feel free to share! :)

*Remember – I am not a doctor and I will never claim to be one. My posts are not here to replace any medical advice given to you by any professional. If you experience any kind of irritation you need to stop use of the product immediately and consult an actual physician or dermatologist. Everyone is unique and only you are responsible to know what is beneficial and healthy for your skin.

A special thank you to some sources: Organic Facts, Care2, Coconut Connections, Earth Clinic, Acne.org,

Food For Thought Friday – Inner Beauty!

Along with staying beautiful on the outside, your inner beauty is what makes you truly radiant. If you have beautiful skin, wear amazing clothes, have outstanding hair but an ugly outlook on life or a hideous personality – you’re not going to impress anyone or keep many friends.

I have an acquaintance who fits this description perfectly. She is very beautiful, wears clothing that would make anyone want to shop where she does, and she has hair that never looks bad. But yep! You guessed it, she has a less than favorable personality. She’s pretty judgmental and its not so fun to be around her.

I have a friend who’s choice of clothing is questionable, doesn’t wear makeup, has an…odd attraction to becoming a mortician, and doesn’t go out of her way to impress anyone. But! She has the most loveable personality because she absolutely loves life and doesn’t judge anyone around her. So out of these two…guess who’s happier? If you guessed my friend with the odd style, you’d guess right! She’s also all around healthier, has more friends, and is doing way better in life.

So, have a positive outlook on life! Your inner beauty is what makes you stand out and what draws people to you. If you want people to think you’re beautiful, you need to change what’s inside first.

Along the same lines of inner beauty, you need to stay healthy as well. When you’re unhealthy you feel miserable…trust me, I’ve been there too. It’s very hard to maintain a positive outlook when you’re feeling your worst. Eat right, exercise, go on walks and drink plenty of water. You’ll be on your way to living life beautifully in no time – you probably already are! :)

Do you have any friends or family members who could benefit from fixing their inner beauty? I have a few but I have no idea how to go about letting them know. Any thoughts would be awesome, as it could fix some family problems too!

The Healthy Benefits of Oatmeal

Oatmeal is another breakfast food that is amazing. It is healthy as a food by being a great source of fiber and known to lower cholesterol levels as well as boost your immune system. Even though it has a rather bland taste to a lot of people, a healthy diet that includes oatmeal is strongly recommended and may even help burn body fat more quickly. Researchers have actually found that oatmeal can help increase endurance when eaten a few hours before you work out.

But why do I add it to my soap? Oatmeal contains many beneficial qualities that make it the perfect all-around skin irritation remedy. Known to nourish your skin, it is the perfect ingredient to mix with goat milk and honey to make you look absolutely radiant! Oatmeal contains something called “polysaccharides” which is quite a mouthful but is actually a complex carbohydrate. When mixed with water, a gel forms that softens and moisturizes the skin which protects it from drying out even after the oatmeal is washed off. It has long been used to promote healthy, rejuvenated and beautiful skin. Gentle enough for babies and your pets, it is strongly recommended to soothe and heal dry, itching or cracked skin, sunburns, poisonous plant irritations, eczema, chickenpox, bug bites and reducing inflammation.

Your skin is a natural barrier against harmful pollutants, and oatmeal helps strengthen this barrier which keeps not only your skin healthy, but you healthy as well. The natural fats contained in oatmeal keep your skin moisturized which helps soften and repair damaged tissue. Oatmeal naturally makes removal of surface dirt easier by naturally absorbing and removing it. This makes it a perfect wash for acne and blackheads as it gives a deep natural cleanse that heals your skin and opens your pores while protecting it with its natural gel barrier.

Oatmeal naturally and gently exfoliates your skin as you wash. It effectively removes dead skin and leaves behind softer, smoother looking skin. After washing with an oatmeal soap you’ll see a noticeable glow to your skin! (If you’ve never washed with oatmeal soap, try it – you’ll see the glow too!) Exfoliating is an important step to ensuring your skin is looking as healthy and radiant as possible, and using an oatmeal soap is by far one of the most pleasing and relaxing ways to do it with noticeable benefits right away!

When making my oatmeal soap, I make sure that the oats are completely cooked in the mixture so the benefits are completely infused. Even after the oats are all gone, the soap continues to provide your skin with the luxurious qualities the oatmeal provided. Try this relaxing soap today, with satisfaction guaranteed there’s no going wrong!

Remember, if you have an allergy to nuts please be careful when using any kind of oatmeal product. Every skin type is different and it’s up to you to know if it will irritate you. If your skin is irritated at all by any product or any ingredient, discontinue use of it immediately and consider consulting a dermatologist before testing something else.

As an added bonus –

My Mom’s Oatmeal Quick Cookie Recipe:

What you’ll need for part 1:

– 1/4 cup cocoa
– 2 cups sugar
– 1/2 cup milk
– 1/2 cup butter

Have pre-measured out for part 2:

– 1/4 cup peanut butter
– 3 cups oatmeal
– 1 tsp vanilla

Part 1:

Mix everything from part 1 in a pot and take it to a boil. Make sure it’s on a full roaring boil then time for 1 minute.

Part 2:

After it boils for one minute, take it off the heat and add 1/4 cup peanut butter, 3 cups of oatmeal, and 1 tsp of vanilla immediately. Mix thoroughly. Spoon onto wax paper or foil, let cool and enjoy!

Be sure to let me know what you think if you use this recipe, and I’ll pass the good word on to my mom! :D

Take a Goat Milk Bath!

Ember Cove soap is made with goat milk. A lot of you may think, “that’s kind of gross” but some of you who have tried goat’s milk soap will be thinking, “that’s wonderful! You must have an amazing product!” which you’ll discover, I do. So what is so special about goat milk that makes it an amazing ingredient to add to my soap? I like to focus on making products that have beneficial results on all types of skin, from perfect to irritated to extremely sensitive skin that breaks out at almost anything. I take pride in making goat’s milk soap because I have helped so many customers already with their skin conditions because of it. My specialty goat milk soap – famous for its healing properties, has helped my customers heal their sunburns, acne, rosacea, dry skin, effects of psoriasis and more.

Goat milk contains these healing properties naturally. Unlike cow milk, goat milk is already homogenized. Its molecules are smaller, making it easier for your skin to absorb the benefits. Since ancient times, goat milk has been used as a cleanser and skin rejuvenating product. Cleopatra herself is rumored to have kept her beauty through taking milk baths! It is considered one of the finest moisturizers and has amazing emollient properties. Goat milk contains Vitamin A which is known to help repair damaged tissue and maintain healthy skin, as well as several beneficial B Vitamins. (Several medical studies have shown that Vitamin A can reduce lines and wrinkles, control acne and provide relief from psoriasis).

The rich butterfat contained in the milk softens and moisturizes, and it is believed that the alpha-hydroxy acids that goat milk contains have rejuvenating effects on skin cells. These hydroxy acids exfoliate gently which stimulates the skin while healthy cells are regenerated. This anti-aging effect creates smoother, softer skin with less discoloration and visibly smoother wrinkles. Washing with goat milk soap greatly benefits acne as well because dead skin cells are exfoliated which opens the pores. Using my hand made soaps also ensures that no harmful chemicals were added, so you know that you’ll just be getting the benefits of goat milk with no negative side effects.

Another common rumor about goat milk being good for washing with is because it has a pH similar to our skin. Even though this is true, the pH similarity or difference has no beneficial or negative effect on the skin as many people think. Human skin has a natural barrier on it called the “acid mantle”. Regardless of how high or low pH is, even simple water will disrupt this acid mantle and the pH of your skin. Your skin naturally replaces the acid mantle quickly over the period of a couple hours, so the pH of any soap you use is a non issue and more of a marketing misconception. Even a low pH cleanser will disrupt your acid mantle as much as a high pH cleanser will. Even though goat milk soap is naturally close to the same pH as skin, this doesn’t offer any extra benefits but it’s still an amazing soap to use and I highly recommend it over any type of soap on the market.

All soap needs a liquid in order to be made into “soap”. Most soaps are created with water, but the liquid I chose for Ember Cove is goat’s milk for a variety of reasons. Goat milk soap will not dry out your skin. This makes it the perfect soap to use year-round, and is gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin types.  Goat milk allows your skin to easily absorb not only calcium, but the moisturizing effects of the milk and glycerin as well. This is extremely beneficial because it acts like an all natural topical medication for a wide variety of skin conditions. Many of my customers who suffer from serious skin allergies have used Ember Cove goat milk soap to their benefit. It reduces skin inflammation and provides relief to dry, damaged or irritated skin.

Read through my testimonials to get an idea of how well Ember Cove goat milk soaps work!