Without a federal regulation of the commonly used word natural, we wanted to find a way to communicate clearly what we mean by natural. So we set our sights on certification from the NPA, an independent organization that regulates the use of word natural in personal care products. Over the course of the last year we worked directly with the NPA to create body wash & shampoo formulas that were efficacious and without potentially harmful chemicals. The result was Bath Therapy Naturals. The line provides something for the whole family, including two washes specially formulated for children, and two specially formulated for babies. Now with the Natural Products Association’s Natural Seal you can rest assured these are quality products and that we at Belcam have the health of you and your family in our best interest.

Bath Therapy 96.8% Natural Body Wash & Shampoo:

Invigorating Mint & Rosemary
The scent of peppermint, orange, spearmint, and rosemary natural essential oils make this Body Wash & Shampoo fresh and invigorating. The formula is 96.8% Natural. It was created to cleanse and moisturize skin and hair without harsh chemical additives.

Relaxing Lavender Spa
The scent of lavender, bergamot, balsam and coriander natural essential oils make this Body Wash & Shampoo calming and relaxing. The formula is 96.8% Natural. It was created to cleanse and moisturize skin and hair without harsh chemical additives.

Calming Smooth Lavender
Specially formulated for children, this formula is 96.8% Natural and Tear Free. It was created to cleanse and moisturize skin and hair without harsh chemical additives. The soft scent is a blend of calming natural lavender and clary sage. It is perfect for the bedtime bath.

Refreshing Orange & Mint
Specially formulated for children, this formula is 96.8% Natural and Tear Free. It was created to cleanse and moisturize skin and hair without harsh chemical additives. The soft scent is a refreshing blend of citrus and mint essential oils. The scent of this Body Wash & Shampoo is perfect to help distract a cranky child.

Soothing Sweet Davana
For baby’s delicate skin, hair and eyes we have made this formula 96.8% Natural and Tear Free. It was created to cleanse and moisturize baby’s delicate skin and hair without harsh chemical additives. The soft scent is a blend of soothing natural essential oils. It is perfect for the bedtime bath.

Fragrance Free
For baby’s delicate skin, hair and eyes, this Body Wash & Shampoo contains no fragrance. The formula is 96.8% Natural, Tear Free and Hypoallergenic. It was created to cleanse and moisturize baby’s delicate skin and hair without harsh chemical additives.

As always all of Bath Therapy Naturals are available on our website www.belcamshop.com.

For more information on the Natural Products Association and the Natural Products Association’s Natural Seal visit the NPA’s website www.npainfo.org.

These four floral scents will be available on our website, www.BelcamShop.com, in a 16.9 fl Oz. (500 mL) container for $5.50, starting next week.

Want to hear an advanced review of the floral scents? We sent some samples to Karen Francis of Associated Content to get her opinion and she just loved them!
Check out Karen’s video review: “Belcam Inc.’s New Floral Body Wash Line, Luxury from head to toe”

Video: Rubber ‘yuckies’ harbor filth

-RyanNY

Lavender Naturals is a line of bath and body care products that we have formulated without parabens, sulfates, propylene glycol, phthalates, artificial fragrance nor color to provide a healthy choice. Since the skin absorbs up to 60% of any substance applied, we have chosen to eliminate these unnecessary ingredients in order to decrease the toxic load on the body.

Lavender Naturals formulas are vegan and gluten-free. The natural products contain no animal byproducts. They are also gluten-free making them safe for those sensitive to gluten.

Lavender Naturals products are calming, refreshing, soothing and purifying. Their formulas contain a blend of 10 natural essential oils that provide aromatherapy and skin care benefits. The essential oil blend used includes lavender, lavandin, bergamot, benzoin, coriander, germanium, labdanum, patchouli, vetiver and frankincense.

Lavender Naturals Bath Salts

Lavender Naturals Bath Salts contain salts from the Dead Sea to help purify the skin and relax tired muscles. The scent is a blend of 10 natural essential oils that provide aromatherapy and skin care benefits. The essential oil blend includes lavender, lavandin, bergamot, coriander , geranium, labdanum, patchouli, vetivert, benzoin and frankincense. For a relaxing bath add a handful of salts under the running water, soak and enjoy. Formulated without Parabens, Sulfates, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, Artificial Fragrance nor Color to provide a healthy choice.

Lavender Naturals Body Cream

Lavender Naturals Body Cream is a light and effective moisturiser for use after the shower or bath. After bathing, massage cream gently into damp skin for a healthy glow. The scent is a blend of 10 natural essential oils that provide aromatherapy and skin care benefits. The essential oil blend includes lavender, lavandin, bergamot, coriander , geranium, labdanum, patchouli, vetivert, benzoin and frankincense. Formulated without Parabens, Sulfates, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, Artificial Fragrance nor Color to provide a healthy choice.

Lavender Naturals Body Mist

Lavender Naturals Body Mist is a gentle mist that can be used anytime of the day to refresh. The scent is a blend of 10 natural essential oils that provide aromatherapy and skin care benefits. The essential oil blend includes lavender, lavandin, bergamot, coriander , geranium, labdanum, patchouli, vetivert, benzoin and frankincense. Spray all over your body after bathing or anytime of the day to refresh. Formulated without Parabens, Sulfates, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, Artificial Fragrance nor Color to provide a healthy choice.

Lavender Naturals Salt Body Scrub

Lavender Naturals Salt Body Scrub contains Dead Sea salts and canola oil to gently exfoliate and polish the skin. The scent is a blend of 10 natural essential oils that provide aromatherapy and skin care benefits. The essential oil blend includes lavender, lavandin, bergamot, coriander , geranium, labdanum, patchouli, vetivert, benzoin and frankincense. It contains no Parabens, Sulfates, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, Artificial Fragrance nor Color. It is also Vegan, Gluten free and biodegradable. In the shower or bath, massage a small amount of scrub all-over your body and rinse well. Excercise caution as the bottom of the tub or shower will become slippery.

Lavender Naturals Shower Gel

Lavender Naturals Shower Gel is a gentle gel with a pH that is skin compatible. It is refreshing and soothing in the shower or bath. The scent is a blend of 10 natural essential oils that provide aromatherapy and skin care benefits. The essential oil blend includes lavender, lavandin, bergamot, coriander , geranium, labdanum, patchouli, vetivert, benzoin and frankincense. The formula contains no Parabens, Sulfates, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, Artificial Fragrance nor Color. It is also Vegan, Gluten free and biodegradable.

Right now, the any Lavender Naturals product for 25% off the regular price at BelcamShop.com (for a limited time only).

-RyanNY

Here’s my exciting news!  We all know how hot tattoo art is and we can find it on just about any product these days.  But our 4 NEW Slant Tip Tweezers are the first metal grooming tools to feature this kind of art.

We are so, so lucky to have a very talented artist on our staff and when I told her our idea for putting some original tattoo art on tweezers, she came through with the most amazing designs.  Of course, we decided that we’d use high quality stainless steel tweezers from Italy as a base for the art.  They feature extra fine tips – the kind that grab the hair every time, not cut it off at the base.  They’re great for shaping eyebrows and for general tweezing, but best of all, they’re just SO COOL to look at.  I pulled one out in front of my friends the other day and they totally freaked out – and these girls aren’t hard core tattoo fans or anything.  Well, one might be.  ;)

I promised this would be short ,so I’ll stop myself and just say that we’re all REALLY excited here and hope you all like the tweezers too.  Check them out below and if you want to buy some, you can get them at our online shop BelcamShop.com.

PS  My boss is letting me give a dollar off these tweezers when you use promo code “KIMROCKS” at checkout.  No, just kidding, you don’t need a promo code – we’re automatically giving everyone $1.00 Off.  But if you really want to type Kim Rocks! you can leave a comment to that effect below!  :)

-Kim

NEW Denco Tattoo Tweezers!

Bath Therapy dee-lish Gingerbread 3-in-1 Body Wash, Bubble Bath, and Shampoo

If you’re like me and LOVE foaming hand soap you’re sure to have a foaming soap pump dispenser around (yes, it’s different than other pumps). You can take any kind of body wash or liquid soap, water it down and put it in this dispenser and it will come out as foam (see Foaming Hand Soap). Just make sure you dilute it about 3 parts soap to 7 parts water, about 1/4 soap and the rest water. Mix it up well, warmer water works best for this. Each dispenser is different so you may have to try it out and add more water.

Recently I brought home some of our new Dee-Lish Holiday Scent 3-in-1 Body Wash, Bubble Bath and Shampoo to try out, and I just love the scent, Gingerbread! Suddenly I got the bright idea to mix up some for foaming hand soap in the house! I tried it and it’s so great. It really helps add a little holiday cheer! Every time somebody washes their hands the smell of fresh gingerbread radiates through the room. So much fun! The Bath Therapy Dee-Lish Holiday Scents are really great as a 3-in-1 Body Wash, Bubble Bath and Shampoo, and also come in Apple Pie scent, and Orange Truffle! You could have a different scent for each sink in the house! They’re also on sale on our new website right now for just $3.99 for a 500 mL bottle. Check it out, and happy holidays!

-RyanNY

Moving right along… It’s about the time of year when we’re thinking about holiday gift giving, or more precisely, we’re wondering how it’s already Thanksgiving – and stressing about how we still have people to buy for and no idea what to get them.

So, I thought that making a list of beauty tool suggestions would be in keeping with the holiday spirit of giving and helping others. And, truthfully, I really wanted to have a list named “Kim’s Holiday Picks”. I’m convinced that Ryan is secretly thinking I’m an egomaniac for doing this, but his gift to me is to keep quiet.

Anyway, here is this list – I hope it helps you in your search for the perfect high quality (and affordable) gift of beauty for everyone on your list!

Kim’s Holiday Picks!
(insert fanfare here)

• For the Sophisticated Woman on your List
Aero Tweeze Slant Tip Tweezers These tweezers are made in Italy of high quality stainless steel and are available in 4 fun colors (purple is our best seller). The tips are ultra-fine and will tweeze even the shortest, finest hair the first time. No more struggling, no more slipping and no more cutting your eyebrow hair at the skin line with sharp tweezer tips… leaving that irritating and unsightly black “dot” of unreachable hair. If you’re wondering why anyone in their right mind would pay $18.99 for tweezers, you owe it to yourself to buy these. You’ll love them, your friends will love them and you’ll never need to ask yourself that nagging question again!

• For that Special Girl (who will lose the $18.99 tweezers and you’ll hold it against her forever)
Fiesta Tweezers – Slant Tip These tweezers are also made in Italy of stainless steel. They are available in 4 shimmering colors (the most popular, again, is purple). The tips are very good for eyebrows and general tweezing and their quality is far superior to the mass/retail tweezers you see from the “big boys”. At $6.50, they’re also super-affordable and perfect for teenage girls or slightly flaky friends who tend to lose things.

• For the Manly Man
Mustache Scissors & Comb OK, here’s the inside scoop on this product. Do NOT be misled by the Mustache part. These scissors are made in Italy (noticing a trend?) and feature thin, precise tips and a smooth cutting action. While they’re great for mustaches and beards, and don’t rely on batteries or electricity, they are also perfect for nose hair, ear hair and trimming any “mad scientist” eyebrows that tend to crop up. Oh, and they’re ideal for evening out sideburns or trimming any other unwanted body hair (read: they’ll get a LOT of use!).

• For the Hip Guy
Professional Toenail Clippers These toenail clippers are stainless steel, made in Japan and just super-cool. They have a slight wave-design and a high end brushed finish. Ideal for both toenails and fingernails, any guy would be proud to pull these out of his bathroom drawer. And the best part is that the super-sharp blades cut cleanly and leave nails smooth and burr-free. These clippers even boast a removable clipping catcher so you’re not accidentally impaling your poor, bare foot in the middle of the night on a razor sharp clipping that wasn’t picked up from the bathroom floor! I’m not pointing any fingers here, but some men just let those toenails fly, so the catcher is a good idea.

Well, that does it. If you’re wondering why I haven’t put anything in here for the younger kids on your list, shame on you. What self-respecting kid wants a grooming product for the holidays?! I mean, really.

Montgomery Street Pier, March 10, 2009, just across the street from Belcam. Photograph by Ryan Wilson

So I mention every now and then that I work for Belcam. We make bath and body care products, and beauty tools. All of our products are made in a small village in the most northeast corner of New York state, Rouses Point. Well, they all at least pass through here (ie. tweezers from Italy, blades from Germany). If you look at us on a map you’ll see we’re just on the border of Vermont and Quebec. It’s a small, picturesque village nestled on the west coast of Lake Champlain. You can find out more about Rouses Point at www.rousespointny.com. The pictures you’ll see on this site are pretty much the view as we walk out the door! Kind of like this one I took last March as I was walking to work. Isn’t it nice to know that these products that keep you clean, beautiful and healthy come from a beautiful place, and not some ugly industrial wasteland somewhere?!

Denco Easy Grip® Heavy Duty Foot Smoother

Have you tried the “as seen on TV” Ped Egg? A lot of people have experienced problems with it, leaving mixed reviews. Just look at some of the customer reviews online and you’ll see tons of complaints: shavings fall on floor anyway, too small file area, hard to handle, and even drew blood! Well, what do you expect from one of those infomercial products?!

I use our Denco Easy Grip® Heavy Duty Foot Smoother regularly to keep my feet soft and smooth. It can be used wet or dry, so I just keep it in the shower as a reminder to use it regularly. Plus, if I use it in the shower the filings just go right down the drain. It’s got an ergonomic, rubber grip that’s easy to hold, and the angle allows you to easily reach all sides of your feet, kind of like a tooth brush. Best of all, there are no blades, so it can’t cut you. The abrasive surface has a coarse grit that never wears, rinses easily, and works in any direction. It quickly smoothes tough calluses and deep cracks, but it’s safe and gentle on non-callused skin too. Keeping the smoother in my shower and using it once a week is a great way to keep my feet nice and healthy, and convenient! A little foot balm afterwards is a good idea too. Even though I like to use mine in the shower, I know several people who like using it on their dry feet, without any water. They say it works great that way, so whether you prefer smoothing your feet while wet or dry, you should really give this foot smoother a try.

Denco Easy Grip® Heavy Duty Foot Smoother is also the number one customer rated foot smoother on Amazon.com, with an average five star rating! You can get it directly from BelcamShop.com.

-RyanNY

“Ten years and $2.5 billion in research have found no cures from alternative medicine.”

The companies say they’re offering a service that is in high demand though. More people are wanting services like acupuncture for pain, high blood pressure, and insomnia. Robin Downey, head of product development for Aetna, an insurer that let sellers advertise supplements to members, says:

”’We have members who come to us and ask us for these services. When we can get a discount for them, that’s something we are able to pass on,’ although Aetna also recommends that members talk with their primary doctors about anything they plan to try, she said.”

Most people I know that use alternative remedies, do so because it works for them. This article insists that alternative remedies are unproven. Sometimes they say the remedies need more studies. Perhaps they just haven’t been proven yet. Perhaps the business of medicine is preventing that. Or perhaps alternative remedies are just about personal preference, and insurers are responding to that. What do you think?

Read the article More Insurers Are Paying for Alternative Remedies here.

-RyanNY