So at TerraNova, we’ve decided to put together a special edition gift set of Oceana Spa products to help raise money for the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund.  We’ll donate $10.00 of every set sold to the fund which helps communities affected by the spill and will set aside money to clean up our treasured coast.

We thought the Oceana line was perfectly fitting since it features the ocean’s bounty with its Vital Sea Mineral Complex of 7 active sea nutrients that replenishes the skin of vital minerals, trace elements and vitamins.  And its refreshing marine scent invigorates with a touch of salt, violet, cyclamen and sensual a musk.

For $35.00 (retail value is $50), this set will get your body ready for the Summer.  It contains a Detox Pumice Buff which polishes away flaky, dead skin with natural volcanic pumice, and a Cellular Renewal Lotion that penetrates deeply to hydrate and promote cell regeneration.  Your skin will be like new, resilient, youthful and silky-soft.

I’ve been using these products for years, and love to use the pumice on my feet too to scrub away flaky skin.  When we developed the line exclusively for spas, we took a lot of time with the fragrance since we wanted to make it just right so that it captured the beauty, power and vitality of the ocean, and I think we did a pretty good job!  It’s a really wonderful scent that’s invigorating and gorgeous to wear too.

So I hope you will help us raise money for an important cause, and don’t forget, you’ll get pampered in the process!  You can purchase and see more information about this limited edition set on our website storeterranovabody.com

Have a beautiful day.

Kathy

She loved to invent scents and spawned an entire genre of non-traditional scents that are clean and  fresh, allowing the personality of its wearer to shine though.   We all still love classic Rain, China Musk, China Rain and China Lily, and they remain just as current now as they were in the 70s!

Jane also loved Hawaii, where she could float in Pacific ocean and hunt for smooth sea shells.  The lush islands inspired  her to create the most authentic tropical scents possible, which is why, to this day, we have an incredibly loyal following throughout Hawaii.  Favorites include Pikake, the exquisite Jasmine wedding flower; Plumeria, the rich, buttery lei flower;  White Ginger‘s spicy fresh blossoms,;the heady aroma of Tuberose, and the classic, sensual Gardenia.

Jane was a great mom.  Though her business took up lots of her time, she always involved us in her travels, her decisions and, of course, we always had jobs (and so did our friends).  Our friends thought she was the coolest mom in Berkeley (no small feat in the 70s).

If you knew Jane and would like to post your favorite memories of her or those of your own mom, please include them here!  We love to hear from you!

In appreciation of you and your moms, we are offering beautiful gift sets at a special value this Mother’s Day–May 9th!  Check out www.storeterranovabody.com  There is still time to order. 

Kathy Saunders

Parabens have become a hot issue in body care products and consumers are concerned. We respect our customers and their desire to have non-paraben preservatives in their bath and body products, and we have reformulated many of our TerraNova formulations to be paraben free!!!

TRUTH and BEAUTY is our core principle, and there are a lot of misconceptions about the safety of parabens as preservatives. Though we removed parabens where possible, we also do believe that parabens are safe and highly effective in guarding against microorganisms in body care products. In some formulas they are the only preservatives that are truly effective in guarding against dangerous contamination!

Parabens do occur naturally in plant sources such as barley, strawberries, black currants, peaches, carrots, onions, cocoa-beans, vanilla; in foods prepared from fruit such as grapes and fruit juices, yeast extract, wine vinegar and also in cheeses. The have an anti-microbial effect in these foods too!

The paraben controversy began with a very small study done in England in 2004. The study looked at the paraben level in 20 cancerous tumors. The study did NOT prove that parabens cause cancer or that they are harmful in any way, and the study did NOT look at possible paraben levels in normal tissue. In addition, although parabens can act similarly to estrogen, they have been shown to have much less estrogenic activity than the body’s naturally occurring estrogen; one of the benefits of parabens is that they are effective at very low levels in cosmetics.

So “buyers beware”! With the internet’s ability to spread information, marketing and lobbying groups are able to spread false rumors very quickly. In addition, many companies (including some of the natural brands that we want to trust) use false information to differentiate their products and create consumer demand.

Our primary concern is public safety. Consumers are well aware of problems in their food supply with dangerous outbreaks of e coli and salmonella. These problems are found in the mass food supply, as well as specialty and organic foods. Body care products can get contaminated too.

Our products are made in California, USA and in our sanitary environment, but when products are used at home they can easily be contaminated and the preservative system must be able to prevent microorganism growth. For example, think about the amount of times a hand is introduced into a jar of cream! Natural bacteria are even on clean hands. Water contains many microorganisms and it is easy for products that are used in the shower or sink to have water enter a bottle. Body care products that contain many food type ingredients i.e. honey, oatmeal, and milk are not only food for the body but also food for bacteria. They can spoil, just as your food does. Remember, even food kept in the refrigerator can grow mold or go sour!

Preservatives allow a body care product to be have a reasonable shelf life and remain safe, therefore they are a critical part of the formula. Preservatives such as grapefruit seed extract when used alone are not effective. Enzyme preservatives can break down over time. Most preservatives must be used in combination i.e. a preservative cocktail, so that we can effectively guard against different contaminants such as bacteria and mold.

For more information check out the following link from the American Cancer Society, as it provides excellent information!  Also, check out our new store at www.storeterranovabody.com

Thanks for reading…
Kathy Saunders

February is my favorite month.  My birthday is in February and so is my sister’s–so we have a great celebration with our family and in the office.  Also, I love Valentine’s day!   My mother, our founder Jane Saunders, always made a big deal out of Valentine’s day, and we could always count on beautiful cards from her, no matter how old we were. 

This year we have so much to celebrate at TerraNova.  We have a new ecommerce store where our loyal fans can purchase our wonderful products.  Check out www.store.terranovabody.com  Of course we have may wonderful etailers that continue to support our products including www.ebubbles.com  and www.uncommonscents.com  Plus, there is always www.amazon.com  We are happy our customers have so many great places to shop.  Also, if you are looking for a shop in your neighborhood, please do not hestate to call us at (800) 966-3457!

More celebrations!!!! 

Check out our new packaging for our classic, favorite scent Rain!  Beautiful brustrokes of teal and peach, designed by Sandra Murray of Spotted Dog graphics and inspired by the French expressionist Raoul Dufy and my favorite Madeleine books (I have never forgotten the magical watercolor illustration of Madeleine’s roses that her father sent her when she was in a Paris hospital).  If you have not tried Rain, you MUST!  It is a classic, created in the early 70s in our tiny shop on Berkeley’s Telegraph Avenue.  It is a crystalline scent of dewy clover and spring lilies surrounded by a veil of sheer musk.  It is delicate and sensual; it is a wonderful scent for a woman who wants something fresh and clean.  It is a bit different on everyone’s skin and really becomes your very own personal scent.  http://www.storeterranovabody.com/category-s/1.htm

Our next exciting announcement is our newest fragrance collection, Peony Bliss.  It inspires romance, happiness and confidence–so perfect for this season of love!!!  It is a modern bouquet of velvety peony, delicate violet leaf , wild tuscan iris and mouthwatering honey crisp apple!  Have you ever tasted a honeycrisp apple?  They are amazing!  I had my first one on a recent trip to Washington state.  When you bite into the Honeycrisp, the flavor is at once fruity and floral with the sweetness of honey and exquisityly juicy!!!  This flavor just had to be a part of our newest scent! http://www.storeterranovabody.com/category-s/48.htm

Check out all these exciting additions at www.storeterranovabody.com

We would love to hear from you.  Feel free to post a note!

Kathy Saunders

We are happy to see that the green movement is back. For us it was always here.  Our founder and my mother, Jane Saunders, invented the idea of refilling bottles to save on plastic!  Shea also was one of the first to use essential oils in products–patchouli, sandalwood, orange, lemon, peppermint and lavender all were essential (no pun intended) ingredients in the 70s!  She was also the first to use natural specialty oils such as Jojoba oil, which was purchased through the chief of an Arizona Indian reservation!

So moving forward, we are now blogging–sooo modern!!!  We have always loved getting the truth out to our customers and, believe me, the internet has spawned a lot of unneccessary concern about the safety of ingredients and the body care products that make us feel so good to use.  In our blog we hope to alleviate some fears and educate.  Plus, we aim to keep you posted on trends, fun ideas about bath and body products,  and information on our products.

We would love to hear from you too and welcome your posts!

Kathy Saunders

Ann, Jane & Kathy (1995)