Skin care is an important part of our daily lives. Our skin is the largest organ of our body, and proper care ensures it stays healthy and feels healthy. To that end, I firmly believe Mother Nature knew what she was doing when she gave us all the wonderful, and natural, ingredients for skin care. Available to us is a bounty of ingredients such as herbs, essential oils, vegetable and nut oils and butters, and more. And let's not forget other natural, non-plant materials such as clays, honey and milk.

The best thing you can do for your skin is to use products beneficial to it. This may mean using products that are not 100% natural. People with sensitive skin, or with certain skin conditions, may benefit more from non-soap cleansers. People with oily skin will benefit more from oil-free products, some of which will require either synthetic and/or naturally-derived ingredients, such as thickeners or gellers, in order to produce the desired result. While beeswax and borax is a traditional, 100% natural emulsification system, it is unstable and tends to have a waxy drag and feel to it. Newer, naturally derived emulsification systems are more stable, and impart a more luxurious feel to lotions, creams and other products.

Many products must have a preservative in order to prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and fungi, insuring product quality and customer safety. I care about my customers' health, and will not use any ingredient I am not completely confident in, both in terms of its performance, and in terms of my customers' safety.

Read about the preservatives I use here.

Here at Dragon's Pearls, many of my products are 100% natural, and I use as many organic and wildcrafted ingredients as I can. I also have many products that are a combination of natural and naturally derived ingredients. Those products that do contain a synthetic (such as colorant and/or fragrance) are noted and labeled as such.

The bottom line: I formulate products with specific skin care benefits and qualities in mind, then research, test and source the finest and highest quality ingredients I can find. I want to be sure every ingredient I use in my products is safe and effective, and results in the desired benefit. And unlike the big companies, my products are not massed produced, are made fresh when ordered, and handcrafted for you with loving care.

Because I cannot possibly formulate and offer every possible product for every type of skin, I offer Custom Formulation. If you don't see the product you're looking for, please consider contacting me for a custom formulated product. Read more about Custom Formulation here.

A Note About the Use of Unrefined Refined Vegetable Oils & Butters:

I do not use, and do not recommend the use of, unrefined vegetable oils and butters in products such as lotions, creams, balms, ointments, etc unless the ingredients have been heated to and held at a temperature that will effectively kill any organisms present. While unrefined vegetable oils and butters are nutrient rich, they can also contain organisms that can cause infections and other problems when applied to the skin. My customers' health and safety are a primary concern when I formulate products, and I will always take care to use only ingredients that I know are safe.