Lavender fields

It may be late fall in Minnesota but I can't help but look at this picture of beautiful Lavender . It's a refreshing sight as everything around Minneapolis is a shade of gold and brown and right now. Hopefully we get snow soon to pretty it up around here!

Top 10 reason to go organic!

Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Go Organic – This list is thanks to the good people at the Organic Trade Association. Help support organic farmers across the US – and buy organic!

1. Organic products meet stringent standards

- Organic certification is the public’s assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without persistent toxic chemical inputs.

2. Organic food tastes great!

- It’s common sense – well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals.

3. Organic production reduces health risks

- Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.

4. Organic farms respect our water resources

- The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources.

5. Organic farmers build healthy soil

- Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils.

6. Organic farmers work in harmony with nature

- Organic agricultural respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.

7. Organic producers are leaders in innovative research

- Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing agriculture’s impact on the environment.

8. Organic producers strive to preserve diversity

- The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is one of the most pressing environmental concerns. The good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for decades.

9. Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy

- Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops.

10. Organic abundance – Foods and non-foods alike!

- Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown organically – even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown this way.

Avoid artificial fragrances

(NaturalNews) We live in a world where we are bombarded with artificially scented products. The chemicals that are often used to formulate these fragrances are toxic to the human body over time.

There are many people who are allergic to heavy scents. This is because these often contain chemicals that cause irritation to the nose, eyes and throat. These chemicals are found in artificially scented air fresheners, soaps, detergents and cleaners, deodorants, lotions, perfumes and other common products.

Many of the chemicals used to formulate certain aromas are actually petrochemicals. Petrochemicals are derived from natural gas and petroleum. Benzene, toluene, xylenes, and methanol are some of the common petrochemicals used in these aromatic concoctions.

It is estimated that 95% of the synthetic fragrances on the market today are derived from petroleum by-products. Trademarked scent is protected by the law as a "trade secret". These types of protected fragrances are not required to list the concoction of chemicals on the product label. They are only required to list the term "fragrance".

Petrochemicals are like many of the other ingredients in synthetic fragrance in that they build in the body over time. Petroleum by-products are used in pesticides, plastics, detergents, soaps, and much more. Repeated exposure has been linked to endocrine disruption and several types of cancer.

Chemicals from the phthalate family are also commonly found in synthetic fragrances. They go by the names Di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and Benzyl butyl phthalate.

Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors and suspected carcinogens. They are often used in perfumes and body care products such as scented lotions. They are inhaled as well as absorbed through the skin. The chemicals enter the blood stream and are absorbed into the body via the lungs.

One study linked Di-ethyl phthalate to developmental abnormalities in the fetuses of exposed mothers. It has also been linked to later learning disabilities in children of exposed mothers.

Other studies have shown that repeated use of synthetically fragranced air fresheners, cleaners and detergents produce toxic chemical interactions. The air can be contaminated by the interactions of these types of products.

A recent news story drives this point home. An elderly woman lost her life after a toxic blend of cleaning chemicals was used in the bathroom of a fast food restaurant. Several others exposed were hospitalized.

The process by which some of the synthetic fragrances on the market are made also produces unintended toxic chemical offspring. Often times toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, dioxin and other volatile chemicals are produced from their interaction.

The human sense of smell is powerful. Consumers love a product that transports their senses elsewhere or evokes certain emotions. Companies that produce consumer products know this. They capitalize on the emotions that go with smell. The production of artificially scented products has increased substantially just over the past few decades.

With this increase we've also seen a leap in allergies. This is not surprising considering thousands of chemicals are used to make these synthetic scents. Common symptoms of exposure include ear, nose and throat irritation, nausea and headaches.

Read the labels of the products you buy. If you see any of the mentioned chemicals, then try going for a natural alternative. If something is heavily scented, it is probably wise to avoid it. Also avoid products where the list of ingredients is a mile long and contains multiple unrecognizable chemical names.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033634_fragrance_chemicals.html#ixzz1Z6EplxQ4

DEET known to cause brain damage

(NaturalNews) If you insist on using chemical laden insect repellents containing DEET, you may be getting more than you bargained for -- including damage to your central nervous system. In fact, scientists writing in the open access journalBMC Biologydon't just say that more studies should be done to confirm DEET's potential neurotoxicity to humans. The researchers are calling for more investigations of the chemical to be conducted on an urgent basis. The reason? They suspect that the potential brain cell damaging effects of DEET could be particularly harmful if used in combination with other neurotoxic insecticides. And that's exactly the way DEET is normally used in products applied to both adults and kids in order to prevent mosquito bites.

French scientist Vincent Corbel from the Institut de Recherche pour le Developement in Montpellier and Bruno Lapied from the University of Angers headed a team of researchers who studied the mode of action and toxicity of DEET, also known by the chemical nameN,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide. "We've found that DEET is not simply a behavior-modifying chemical but also inhibits the activity of a key central nervous system enzyme, acetycholinesterase, in both insects and mammals," Corbel said in a statement to the media.

DEET has been in use since its discover in l953 and is now the most common ingredient found in insect repellent preparations. It is primarily hyped as a way to keep mosquitos at bay and doctors and insect repellant manufacturers promote DEET's use through scare tactics, suggesting you are likely to get West Nile fever from mosquito bites unless you use the chemical.

Of course, not every mosquito bite spreads any kind of infection and West Nile fever is not always serious. What's more, a host of natural strategies, from wearing long sleeves and pants in areas plagued by mosquitoes to using a variety of herbal extracts and essential oils topically, can help you avoid bug bites and stings without chemicals. Yet DEET remains promoted by the mainstream media and medical establishment astheingredient that protects adequately against mosquito bites and disease.

Consider this worrisome statistic: each year approximately one-third of all Americans spray and slather on insect repellents containing central nervous system toxin DEET. And this is in spite of the fact that previous studies have warned of DEET's dangers. For example, earlier research by Duke University Medical Center pharmacologist Mohamed Abou-Donia, who has spent 30 years studying the effects of pesticides, found that prolonged exposure to DEET can impair functioning in parts of the brain and could result in problems with muscle coordination, muscle weakness, walking or even memory and cognition.

In the new study, Corbel and his colleagues discovered that DEET inhibits the acetylcholinesterase enzyme. This is the exact effect organophosphate and carbamate insecticides have on the body, too. Alarmingly, these insecticides are often combined in products with DEET -- and the scientists found that DEET interacts especially well with carbamate insecticides, magnifying their toxicity. "These findings question the safety of DEET, particularly in combination with other chemicals, and they highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the development of safer insect repellents for use in public health," Corbel stated.

Another study published earlier this summer in theJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, showed that a natural substance, cinnamon oil, shows promise as a great-smelling, environmentally friendly pesticide, with the ability to kill mosquito larvae. The researchers also believe that cinnamon oil could be a good mosquito repellant, though they have not yet tested it against adult mosquitoes. Historically, however, cinnamon oil has been used by natural health practitioners and traditional healers to repel mosquitoes and prevent their bites.


We pride ourselves on being DEET free at Hippy Elixir and hope you will try our formula and save yourself a little brain damage in the process.

Summer is officially here!

Hippy Elixir is officially launched for business as of June 2011. You are now able to order from this blog and also from our Etsy site. We are currently working on getting our bug repelling herbal elixer into local stores in the Minnesota and Wisconsin areas. Follow us on Facebook for the most up to date information on where you can find our products. 

It's proving to be a buggy season in Minnesota and Wisconsin with all of the recent rain fall and the warm weather that FINALLY got around to us.  Last weekend we put Hippy Elixir bug spray to the test at the lake and once again it didn't fail us. We also didn't feel the need to take a shower after covering ourselves from head to toe with the stuff at the nightly bon fires.

We've been busy!

We've been busy mixing Hippy Elixir bug spray, printing packaging, and getting product photos taken.  You will be able to order through our Etsy page early next week! 

Last weekend proved to be a buggy one in the Minnesota northwoods, but it was no match for our bug spray. We came home bug bite free :) 

Latest Happenings

We will soon have ordering information, product photos and more on our blog. Find us on Facebook and become a fan!

Thank you for being patient while we build our blog and various online sites.

What we've been up to

Hippy Elixir is currently working on packaging and a new label design. Please check back with us soon for photos and more information about ordering!

How we started

Hippy Elixir bug spray is a natural alternative when it comes to protecting yourself from the pests of nature, allowing you to enjoy more time outdoors. I have spent a lot of time tweaking and testing Hippy Elixir bug spray on family, friends and pets through the summer of 2010. I have personally been on a mission to rid my life of toxic personal care products. Living in Minnesota, bug repellent always seemed like a necessary evil. That's when our natural formula was born. Since the first bottle was made, I've had friends with pets and small children asking me to make it for them. That's when I knew I was onto something great.

Our formula consists of a special blend of USDA certified organic, therapeutic grade essential oils blended in a soothing witch hazel base. It has a pleasant aroma, it's fast drying, and non-sticky. The witch hazel is a skin conditioner with astringent and styptic qualities, which can sooth the bites you may already have.