Last but not least! In this 7^th lotion post we will cover the 7 additives in the goat milk lotion. I will first cover our simple yet controversial preservative. I believe your lotion is only as good as your preservative! Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) is a byproduct of the seeds and pulp of grapefruit. It acts as a natural antibacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal and antiviral inhibitor. I want to look at the word natural for a moment before going on. Some years ago I heard it said, “He who defines your terms forms your theology.” I have never forgotten that nugget. As I am sure you have found there are many definitions for the word “natural”. In the Webster’s 1828 dictionary it states: …natural, pertaining to nature; produced or affected by nature, or by the laws of growth… Rick and I believe natural would and should be void of any chemicals, free of synthetic parabens and simple in nature. Therefore it was our desire to formulate a lotion that would be preserved naturally. However in the past few years there has been much controversy over GSE as a preservative for cosmetics. Some have stated that the by product is chemically changed through the process of extraction. That the reason it has antibacterial properties is because of the ammonium compounds left as well the synthetic compound benzethonium chloride and acts as an antimicrobial agent.

We take our research very seriously here at AFF, and that’s the reason when looking for a supplier we wanted to make sure they had lab work on the GSE they were selling. I love our supplier; they have been in business for decades. They also make spec sheets available to us on their lab work, stating that our GSE does not use any artificial or chemical additives. Our GSE is GMO-free. This product uses water and glycerin to extract from the citric rind. Our GSE does NOT contain benzethonium chloride. It is also a food grade product, and contains no known allergens.  One thing our microbiologist shared with me in the beginning of formulating was that our goal should be that our product could be eaten. While I don’t recommend this, all parts are edible.:} GSE is useful in preserving the product line as well as protecting the skin from bacterial infections. Thus proving very beneficial in the treatment of acne, rashes, athlete’s feet, eczema, bug bits and so on. It has tests results effective against more than 800 bacterial and viral organisms and 100 strains of fungus, amazing! GSE contains a very high level of antioxidant strength and is very rich in vitamins and minerals, vitamin C being very high. GSE is biodegradable and does not pollute the environment.

It is non toxic as well. Studies have shown the GSE is a wonderful alternative to conventional antibiotics in a diluted form to treat fungal and minor bacterial infections as well as candida diaper rashes caused from antibiotics. It was important to us at AFF to have our products tested. We are proud and very grateful to tell you that Dr. Michael Donaldson does our testing on our products that have our fresh pasteurized goat milk in them. Michael has a PhD in microbiology from Cornell U. We maintain continued testing and are delighted to say the proof here is in the pudding, or shall we say goat milk lotion. Our formula is very stable and your vegetables and fruits from the market have more of a bacteria load than our lotion. With this in mind I will conclude that Rick and I have come down on the side of GSE being a very effective natural way to preserve our goat milk lotion without resorting to conventional chemical preservatives. This I believe is a great benefit to you, the consumer.

We will move onto the other 6 additives. {Note that the additives are not presented in order of ingredients on the bottle}

• Stearic Acid: This is produced from vegetable fats and oils and has been triple pressed. It helps to thicken our goat milk lotion.

• Emulsifying Wax: This raw product is a mix of nonparaben waxes used to hold oils and water together. It is very gentle to skin and NF approved. {National Formulary}

• Vitamin E: {tocopherol} This is a natural antioxidant that  helps to slow down the oxidation, keeping the oils from going rancid. Vitamin E sooths the skin and prevents wrinkles.

• Vinegar: This contributes to balancing my ph naturally.

• Sodium Bicarbonate: This also contributes to balancing my ph naturally.

• Essential Oils (EO): We use maximum therapeutic grade oils. Lavender EO is from France, Peppermint EO is from France, Rose Geranium EO is from France, Bergamot EO is from Italy, Lemon EO is from Argentina, and Rosemary EO is from France. Our Vanilla Bean is a fragrance oil in which I formulate it at a very small percentage of the recommendation. Each of these EO has many benefits which I will cover in a later post.

One thing you need to know about me {just in case you haven’t picked up on it yet:} is that I am a detail nut! I love a challenge and believe me the goat milk lotion was a challenge! I love to tweak, and tweak again until might I say we come to a place I call perfection.:} I am fastidious about sterilization. Meaning I start sterile, so the product will end sterile! This is a great bonus to you the consumer as well! So if you are looking for a natural alternative to commercial lotions that are green, eco friendly and made in the USA; and if you like the idea of an artisan goat milk lotion that is hand milked, hand formulated, hand bottled, hand labeled, and hand shipped with love from our farm to your home, we think you will be delighted with our goat milk lotion! Why not try a bottle today?  You can review them all that this link. Blessings upon you, and thank you for joining me in our 7 goat milk lotion posts that took a wee bit {as Grace would say:} more than 7 weeks.

In answer to the question you were just about to ask… I’m not going to talk about Starbuck’s Christmas Blend coffee{although it is quite fantastic} Today I’m going to tell you about our limited edition of seasonal lotion. It’s called Christmas Blend. For this special blend we added to our rich, silky formula three essential oils. Orange oil, Balsam Fir oil, and Frankincense oil. All these essential oils are full of beneficial qualities. Orange oil is uplifting, stimulating and it prevents inflammation. Balsam Fir oil is an excellent stimulant, causing your mind to be more alert and aware. Frankincense oil is rich in history and healing qualities. It was one of the gifts of the Magi, all those thousands of years ago, to the infant Jesus. Frankincense is healing for the nervous and respiratory system. It is also has powerful antiseptic and disinfecting properties.

Each of these essential oils has a fresh beautiful scent, but when combined they whisper Christmas in your ear. Your first impression of this lotion is the bright orange scent. Thoughts of Christmas baking come to mind…then the richer, fuller scents of the Balsam Fir and Frankincense greet your senses. Snow covered forests appear in your mind’s eye. Finally, the peaceful Frankincense; the scene of Christ’s birth when He left the glory of Heaven to become a man on earth. When God gave the greatest gift of all. The gift of Love. Forgiveness. Undeserved, unmerited grace. A gift we couldn’t buy. We couldn’t earn. That is what brings the joy, hope; the warmth to Christmas. Consider our Christmas Blend lotion as the perfect gift for someone special.

Originally Posted on January 5, 2015 - One of the most popular posts!

The beautiful dance floor and both buildings were exquisitely decorated by a team of my sisters, niece, brother in law, daughters, sons, darlings from Idaho and more friends!...

It’s already time for our limited edition of Lavender Rose lotion! With January receding and February fast upon us it’s the perfect time for the pairing of two beautiful essential oils into one rich lotion.

Lavender essential oil is powerfully antiseptic, antidepressant, antibacterial, and anti-fungal. The Latin name for Lavender is Lavare which means “to wash.” These qualities make lavender perfect for keeping your skin clear and clean. Lavender is also soothing and calming making it a powerful aid to help insomnia and unbalanced nervous systems. Rose essential oil is also antiseptic, and antidepressant. It is a wonderful balance for your skin health, keeping it not too dry or too oily. This oil also helps to balances your nervous system and your hormones. It’s a wonderful astringent and it clears and cleans clogged skin. These two oils work together, making a lotion that is healing, soothing, and refreshing to your skin and body. With the purchase of one of our 8 oz. Lavender Rose lotions, you will receive a complimentary 2 oz. heart-shaped soap, made with the same essential oils.

This Valentine’s Day, consider our Lavender Rose lotion for the perfect gift for someone you love.

Larry Birger, Jr., MD, is our guest blogger.  He has received no renumeration for this post, but has used our lotion for the past 8 months.

I work as a physician, and wash my hands easily 50 times a day. Thus, maintaining skin integrity has always been a challenge for me. For 12 years I used Kiss My Face Olive and Aloe lotion as the best option I could find, until I discovered the Anderson Family Farms products. I keep a bottle of their goat’s milk lotion on my desk, and my hands are better this winter than they’ve ever been. Additionally, the purity of ingredients is superior to any product of which I'm aware (a quick label comparison of other "natural" products confirms this). In my practice I have many patients -- such as diabetics (especially their feet) -- for whom good skin care is essential, and I am recommending the Anderson Family Farm line – and I’ve gotten very positive feedback. Additionally, I believe the purity of their ingredients makes these products an attractive option for people with very sensitive skin, or sensitivity to chemicals and perfumes, and I recommend them on that level as well. Larry Birger, Jr., MD.

 Dr. Birger practices Internal Medicine with a focus on cardiology patients.

We received some wonderful news from our friend Dr. Michael Donaldson, who has a PhD in microbiology from Cornell University. For the past two years, he  has carefully and methodically tested our products, while we pay him for his testing services, this mail was sent on his own volition, and without compensation. Please read his comments below:

-----Original Message----- From: Michael Donaldson Sent: Monday, March 25, 2013 12:18 PM To: Rick Anderson Subject: Hand Lotion Testing   Rick and Kimberly, It was good to see you again last week. I tested your 4 samples of hand lotion that you sent to me in January. Three of the pump samples were marked 1-15-12, meaning they were a year old. The other bottle, a 2 oz Rose Geranium sample with a flip top that was only partially filled was also tested. Usually, at a 200X dilution, for a food sample, you would see tons of red dots on the Petri films.  Under 1,000 cfu/gram is uncommon.  I only saw 2 red dots on the Pure lotion, and 1 red dot on the Lavender lotion sample. These dots could even be random, due to environmental contamination during testing, rather than coming from the lotion themselves.  These lotions are basically as aseptic as my 0.1% peptone that I make in the sterilizer. You have exceptional product stability with these creams, with a microbiological shelf life clearly over 1 year.  I have some old samples that I initially tested for you, and there is still no obvious growth inside the lotion bottles, and the cream still smells good.  Those samples are from the summer of 2011. Congratulations on an excellent product.  May God bless and expand your business and ministry. Michael

.... Thank you Michael!  While we do not recommend that you keep any of our natural products beyond 6 to 8 months, our testing is showing a longer shelf life than we had hoped!  We package our lotions in 8 ounce bottles for that reason also. We thank the Lord for His kindness in allowing us to have a safe and stable line of products that are not only nourishing for your skin, but healthy too! With Mother's Day quickly approaching, please consider a gift from Anderson Family Farm for all of the mothers in your life! We carry a special Mother's Day lotion blend. It's a delightful mix of lavender and rose. Fresh and beautiful, perfect for our dear Mothers. Order it here!