So where do I began to tell the story of organic coconut oil? I will choose here: Have you ever been anointed with fresh oil? Fresh oil would be organic, first pressed, cold pressed, unadulterated, and unrefined. I am not speaking in the spiritual sense here, though the physical. I had an experience this past year that confirmed my every conviction concerning Organic Coconut Oil (OCO). I ended up with a spot on my eyelid that was not going away, rather the opposite, it was growing. I had my husband pray for it and we put organic coconut oil on it. Within 24 hours it was gone! Completely gone and never to return! That was after a month of watching and fretting about it:(.  

So often I am a slow learner. OCO when applying it topically first works externally then penetrates and works internally as well. It is loaded with medium chain fatty acids (MCFA). These are extremely antimicrobial. This was a huge consideration in formulating a natural lotion. It has lauric acid as the primary MCFA. This is the same acid that is in human breast milk and protects our babes from tons of bacteria. It is very antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and high in antioxidants. Do you see a pattern? I love this stuff.

OCO repairs and protects skin from destructive free radicals. It is very moisturizing and hydrating for dry skin.OCO melts in your hands as well as mouth :). It melts above 78 degrees and solidifies below 78 degrees. This amazing fat gives our lotion that sensation of silk! Who doesn’t want that on your skin? It helps to exfoliate dead skin cells and reveals fresh, youthful cells. You will love this one. OCO helps to prevent liver spots. As we age we can get theses brown spots that happen when free radicals deteriorate the lipids (fats) in our skin when it is over exposed to the sun. Amazing! OCO helps connective tissues stay stronger. This in turn keeps our skin from sagging and wrinkling. If this is not all enough, OCO also heals psoriasis, eczema, dandruff, acne and dry damaged skin. Wow, this is why I chose OCO in our goat milk lotion, goat milk body butter, goat milk lotion bar as well as our goat milk soap. So why not try it today, you will be convinced as well of the miracle God gave us in OCO. Join me next week as we continue the story of organic shea butter in blog post number 6. Until then blessings upon you!

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. Proverbs 27:9

Olives are one of the oldest foods known. Dated back to biblical times olives have provided food, oil, fuel, timber as well as medicinal benefits. We still enjoy the oil from olives today. The benefits are far reaching whether you ingest extra virgin olive oil or it is applied topically on your skin. I love to use what was given from God in His infinite wisdom and love. He always gives us gifts for healing, joy and nutrition.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is derived from the first cold pressing of the olives. It has been proven that EVOO has many more anti-inflammatory benefits over later pressed olive oil. It also contains the highest amount of anti-oxidants. Such as vitamin E and A and polyphenols that are abundant in EVOO are known to neutralize free radicals. EVOO feeds the skin and aids in repairing damaged dry skin. This in turn helps to fight the free radicals that cause skin cancer.

Olive oil has been proven to develop less skin cancer after exposure to UV light. Because EVOO fat composition is similar to human skin, it rarely causes an allergic reaction, making it an excellent choice for sensitive skin. It is also very good for hands and nails, as you will note when using Anderson Family Farm’s Goat Milk Lotion. Remember what you put on your body ends up in your body! Next week we will look at some of my favorite butters: Organic Coconut Oil and Organic Shea Butter in post number 5.

 This week we will finish the water phase of our goat milk lotion, and then move onto the oil phase. Our next ingredient is my very favorite in the lotion! Can you guess what that is? Perfect, you’re right; KINDER GOAT MILK! Pure, pasteurized, unadulterated white perfection! This is really the queen ingredient in our lotion formula. Without our special milk it would be just like many other lotions on the market.

It begins in the cool of the morning when the maidens of the farm head out to the white barn. Here is Mary Beth {affectionately called Joyful} milking our Kinder goat, Faline. She truly looks like Bambi’s sweetheart, only here at the farm she is our sweetheart!

Our milk is hand milked and then brought into the farm house. The milk that is used in the lotions and body butter is then pasteurized and iced quickly down to 40 degrees. Then it is batched into lotion in small handmade portions. All in the same day, the milk from our Kinder goats is in your lotion by the afternoon! How fresh is that?

The benefits to the skin are many, and quickly absorbed. Some of those benefits you may not be aware of. For example goat milk is very high in vitamin A, vitamin B, such as riboflavin and niacin.  These all help to nourish the skin.

Goat milk has many minerals, acids and enzymes that feed and revive dehydrated skin.

Goat milk has many nutrients that include proteins, hormones {naturally found in the milk, not synthetically added} and good fats! Our Kinder milk has high butterfat with natural cream and small fat globules that allow fast absorption into the skin.

Goat milk has alpha-hydroxy acids found naturally in the milk. Unlike the way this popular ingredient is added into commercial products.  It greatly aids in neutralizing free radicals, sloughs off dead cells allowing new cell growth and reconstruction of collagen fibers. Wow!

Goat milk has a pH close to human skin, therefore allowing the skin to benefit from all the blessings of the milk naturally. Our God is an AWESOME God!!! 7.0 is the power of hydrogen {pH} of goat milk! Mmmm, I love perfection!

Please check out our Kinder Goat Milk post to read about added benefits.

Now onto glycerin our last ingredient in the water phase. Glycerin attracts moisture into the skin and fills the microscopic voids in the surface of dry skin, thus protecting the skin from heat, cold, wind and pollution. This enables the dry skin to heal and restore health and moisture. For these reasons I have chosen glycerin to be number 4 in my line up of essential ingredients in our Goat Milk Lotion.

Next week join me in Goat Milk Lotion post #3 where we will enter the oil phase, oooh!

Sometimes it is very beneficial to think outside of the box.  Over the next seven weeks I will be taking you there with posts on the ingredients in our goat milk lotion. We will be taking a close look at ingredients and the end result of all those decisions. It has always been our family’s goal to watch what we put into our bodies as well as what we put on topically. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and what you put on it enters your blood stream within minutes. This has led me to the challenge of creating a product with the purest ingredients possible, incorporating organic standards as well as organic ingredients whenever possible. It is by God’s pure grace upon us in bringing you the final result of all the research, testing and final formulas. So please join me as we take a deeper look into our goat milk lotion.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 Here at Anderson Family Farm we take God’s word very seriously. We love all the many promises throughout the word of God just waiting for us to take hold of and run with. So here is where I chose to begin asking, seeking and knocking; then came the listening. Lotion is made up of three phases: water, oil and additives.  Let’s start with the water phase.  We chose the purest form of aloe vera concentrate we could find. I love the benefits for the skin! Aloe vera helps to rebuild healthy living cells. It aids in healing burns and reduces scarring. It is anti-inflammatory thus aiding in any skin condition that is swollen. We felt it was a great choice that would have many wonderful benefits. Our next ingredient is distilled water.  Your body is made up of 75% water. Therefore in a lotion it is an essential ingredient! This will be absorbed and bless your thirsty skin.

Please join me next week for post #2 on Goat Milk Lotion.

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.

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.