My new love affair

I recently spent the weekend with a childhood sister-friend. I’m so proud of her for all she has accomplished over the last two years in spite of her Father passing away and having to pretty much look after her Mom and relatives by herself.

She just finished renovations on an amazing pre-war apartment in the Bronx. It’s a lavish 1200s.f. two bedroom with formal dining room and a newly installed gas fireplace. You go Girl!

Since our hectic schedules often keep us from spending quality girl power time, like we used to when we were kids we make sure to talk about the most important things in life, family, friends, men and beauty secrets.

The two of us are always on a quest to discover the best hair and skin care regimens. Well, I’m surprised to say that my dear friend has been a little ahead of the game when it comes to at home natural skin care tricks.

As I washed my face in her gorgeous pedestal sink I couldn’t help but look down at the almost empty bag of cornmeal on her shelf. “Cornmeal?”, I asked myself. As I quickly dried my face with a facial tissue (no towel, too much bacteria), I rushed out of the bathroom door into the kitchen to ask what the bag of cornmeal was for. I was expecting her to say she used it to replace cat litter when she ran out but I was amazed when she said, “oh, that’s what I wash my face with”. She proudly admitted that she no longer used soap on her face. I was astonished! Granted, her skin has never looked better, but I wouldn’t have believed that it was because she threw out the detergent! Here I was on my 3rd facial wash/scrub, unsatisfied but determined to make it work all the while ignoring the best kept secret that sat in the door of my refrigerator.

She explained that face wash with soap dries out our skins natural luster, which can cause periodic break outs if used too often. When I thought about it it all came together. I had been using quite a bit of soap on my face over the last few months but couldn’t figure out why I had white heads and tiny break outs here and there. It was because I was drying out my skin.

When I returned home I couldn’t wait to transfer some of my already opened Goya cornmeal out of it’s big clear bag and into a small cosmetic jar that resembled one that an expensive eye cream would come in. For three days straight I dipped two wet figures into that jar and lightly massaged cornmeal onto my dripping wet face with the palms of my hands.

What an invigorating experience! There’s nothing like applying a successful all natural beauty product to your weekly regimen without it costing more than $2. When I arrived to the office I received immediate approval.
“Wow, you’re glowing!”. “Why thank ya”, I replied. “I’ve been using cornmeal.”. Ha! Too hilarious, I’ve fallen in love, with cornmeal!
Here’s the shtick, scrubbing everyday just isn’t the best, especially if you have sensitive skin, but if you scrub with cornmeal about 3-4 times a week, you’re golden, literally.

Next up, a cornmeal peppermint & honey goats milk foot scrub by our new brand MyPalmSpa. Look out for it. You’ll love it! Until then,….

Keep your skin soft.

Luv,

Keba

Releasing some of my control

I recently decided to reach out to a close friend for help with expanding the Butter By Keba brand. Since I began this journey, almost 4 years ago, I have done it all on my own, and alone. I mean ALL, designing the website and marketing materials; formulating, producing and packaging the product; maintaining the books (the best way I can); scouting trunk shows and vendor opportunities, as well as working all of them. I’ve done all of this up to this past summer, and it’s been a world wind of way too much goings on for just one person.

Well, I am releasing!! I have given into my necessity to control every detail, and instead I am proudly partnering and delegating. As of June 2012, I have hired 6 interns, two sales people and brought on a full fledged fabulous partner. What a relief! I no longer feel isolated, over whelmed, frustrated and limited. You know why? Because I am not only pulling from my own unlimited supply of energy but I am benefitting from their’s as well. I have been blessed with some amazingly talented human beings and I am ever so grateful.

In the midst of this new transformation I am learning how to let go of fears of lack and insufficiency. I have become less critical and more accepting and appreciative of someone else’s capabilities, even if I disagree or think it should be done differently. I am essentially opening up the flood gates of possibility by accepting help and sharing in the success of something I created.

To all of those who read this blog, I am humbly grateful to you. Please, listen to your life. Listen for areas if your life where you feel exhausted or defeated, and just let go. If there is an area where care and attention is critical and the situation is way more than you can handle, ask for or seek help. Whether it’s a relative, spouse, friend , co-worker, minister or counselor, never be ashamed to ask.

Until next time, keep your skin soft.

Luv,

Keba

www.butterbykeba.com

Why recycling your personal care containers is important.

Why recycling your personal care product packaging is important.

Recycling is the process of taking materials and restructuring them with a
process that allows the recycling industry to use their matter for the
purpose of redesigning and remanufacturing a new product.

It is important to recycle because it relieves some of the burden of storing
waste matter. It’s important to recycle because it decreases the level of
carbon atoms that are emitted into the atmosphere due to burning garbage.

After a study conducted by the Oberlin College
Recycling Program of
Ohio, the following data was gathered:

* Every year our United States plastics industry makes enough plastic
film to shrink-wrap Texas.

* Americans go through 2.5 million plastic bottles a year.

* 26 recycled PET bottles can make a polyester suite.

In 1988 we used 2 billion pounds of HDPE just to make bottles for household
products (this includes personal care products). That’s about the weight of
90,000 Honda Civics.

* If every American household recycled just one out of every ten HDPE
bottles they used, we’d keep 200 million pounds of plastic out of landfills
every year.

* Each of us uses approximately one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in
paper and wood products per year. (EPA,

2008)

* More than 56 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. during 2007 was
recovered for recycling – an all-time high. This impressive figure equals
nearly 360 pounds of paper for each man, woman, and child in America. (Paper
Industry
Association Council, 2007)

* More than 400 paper mills in the United States use at least some
recovered materials in their manufacturing processes, and more than 200 of
those mills use recovered fiber exclusively. (EPA,
2008)

* Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of
water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil, and 4,100
kilowatt-hours of electricity – enough energy to power the average American
home for five months. (EPA,

2008)

* Recycling paper instead of making it from new material generates 74
percent less air pollution and uses 50 percent less water. (EPA,

2008)

* Americans throw away enough glass bottles and jars every two weeks to
fill the 1.350-foot towers of the former World Trade Center.

* Most bottles and jars contain at least 25% recycled glass.

* Glass never wears out — it can be recycled forever. We save over a
ton of resources for every ton of glass recycled — 1,330 pounds of sand,
433 pounds of soda ash, 433 pounds of limestone, and 151 pounds of feldspar.

* States with bottle deposit laws have 35-40% less litter by volume.

* The steel industry’s annual recycling saves the equivalent energy to
electrically power about 18 million households for a year. Every time a ton
of steel is recycled, 2500 pounds of iron ore, 1000 pounds of coal and 40
pounds of limestone is preserved.

* Every day Americans use enough steel and tin cans to make a steel pipe
running from Los Angeles to New York… and back. If we only recycle
one-tenth of the cans we now throw away, we’d save about 3.2 billion of them
every year.

So, what is our excuse for not being more conscious of recycling our waste?

Perhaps it’s not that we don’t want to recycle but rather whether it’s
convenient to recycle. Or, whether we are knowledgeable about what
materials can be recycled.

To bring further clarity around recyclable materials, we have outlined a
breakdown of some of the most commonly used materials in our household and
personal care product packaging. The information below is provided by
Sks.com, a well know distributor of containers and source of some of Butter
By Keba’s product packaging.

Plastics

There are six basic types of plastics used today across a vast range of
manufacturing industries, PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP and PS. The most
commonly used plastic material compounds of our household and personal care
products are PET, HDPE and PVC.

PET or Polyethylene Terephthalate
is generally clear, tough and a good barrier to gas and moisture. PET also
has a good resistance to heat. It is typically used for personal care
product packaging, beverage packaging and a host of other daily household
products.

PET can be identified easily by locating its recycling code symbol . It is
often recycled into many other products besides bottles and jars. Other
recycled PET products include ski coat fibers, fleece vest as well as
sleeping bag lining. PET has been used for more then just bottles throughout
the years. During WWII it was used as a coating for underwater cables. PET
lightweight nature made it a great material to use to insulate radars, which
helped to reduce the weight of the radars.

HDPE or High Density Polyethylene
is a high density version of polyethylene (PE). It is harder and stronger as
well slightly heavier then LDPE and PE.

It is used for many packaging applications because it has excellent moisture
barrier properties as well it is lightweight and flexible. HDPE plastic has
good resistance to chemicals which is why it is commonly used to package
many household and industrial cleaning products including detergents,
bleaches, and acids.

HDPE is found in many forms such as film, blow molded bottles, and injection
molding. In film form HDPE is used in snack food packaging as well as cereal
box liners. In blow molded bottle form, HDPE is used for milk and
non-carbonated beverage bottles. In injection molded tub form HDPE is used
to produce packaging for margarine, whipped toppings and deli foods.

HDPE plastics are also recyclable and are usually stamped with a recycle
symbol with the number 2 in the middle.

PVC(Polyvinyl Chloride) is a
transparent material with chemical resistance, long-term stability and good
stable electrical properties. Flexible PVC is used for such items as wire,
cable sheathing insulation, film, floor covering, synthetic leathers and
medical tubing.

Natural Glass- Unlike plastic
glass was not invented but rather has advanced over time. Although most of
the glass we find is manmade, glass can still be found in nature. Natural
glass is the result of certain types of rocks being heated to a high
temperature by way of lighting, meteorites, or volcanic eruptions and then
cooling rapidly without the formation of crystals. Obsidian is a volcanic
glass that may be clear, black, brown or even green in color. Obsidian is
formed by rapidly cooled lava. The earliest use of obsidian was for knives,
spear tips and jewelry. The history of glass
can be traced back to at
least 12,000 BC where glass coated object have been found. (www.sks.com
)

Glass is a mixture of sand, soda and lime, heated to a high temperature
until the materials become a liquid, known as molten. Once the materials are
combined in a liquid molten the mixture is then cooled to a ridged condition
without crystallization.

Glass is often described as an amorphous solid; a solid is a ridged material
that does not flow when subjected to moderate forces. A material is
amorphous when its molecules have no regularity in their arrangement on a
scale larger then a few times the size of the molecular constituents.

Once again, as stated earlier by the Oberlin College Recycling Program,
glass never wears out — it can be recycled forever. We save over a ton of
resources for every ton of glass recycled — 1,330 pounds of sand, 433
pounds of soda ash, 433 pounds of limestone, and 151 pounds of feldspar.

How to recycle your personal care products?

Recycle is a very simple daily task. It’s as easy as throwing waste into a
trash can. Only with recycling, you are throwing reusables into a separate
bin or large container to be separated and distributed through a recycling
process.

Recycle your plastics and personal care product containers. Create a
separate place to recycle your lotion, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream
and fragrance bottles. They are all recyclable too.

PLASTIC – Oberlin University
(http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html#glass)

*Every year we make enough plastic film to shrink-wrap Texas.

*Americans go through 2.5 million plastic bottles every year.

*26 recycled PET bottles equals a polyester suit. 5 recycled PET bottles
make enough fiberfill to stuff a ski jacket.

*In 1988 we used 2 billion pounds of HDPE just to make bottles for household
products. That’s about the weight of 90,000 Honda Civics.

*If every American household recycled just one out of every ten HDPE bottles
they used, we’d keep 200 million pounds of the plastic out of landfills
every year.

STEEL

*The steel industry’s annual recycling saves the equivalent energy to
electrically power about 18 million households for a year. Every time a ton
of steel is recycled, 2500 pounds of iron ore, 1000 pounds of coal and 40
pounds of limestone is preserved.

*Every day Americans use enough steel and tin cans to make a steel pipe
running from Los Angeles to New York… and back. If we only recycle
one-tenth of the cans we now throw away, we’d save about 3.2 billion of them
every year.

*The average American throws out about 61 lbs. of tin cans every month.

*About 70% of all metal used just once and is discarded. The remaining 30%
is recycled. After 5 cycles, one-fourth of 1% of the metal remains in
circulation.

GLASS

*Americans throw away enough glass bottles and jars every two weeks to fill
the 1.350-foot towers of the former World Trade Center.

*Most bottles and jars contain at least 25% recycled glass.

*Glass never wears out — it can be recycled forever. We save over a ton of
resources for every ton of glass recycled — 1,330 pounds of sand, 433
pounds of soda ash, 433 pounds of limestone, and 151 pounds of feldspar.

*States with bottle deposit laws have 35-40% less litter by volume.

*If all the glass bottles and jars collected through recycling in the U.S.
in 94 were laid end to end, they’d reach the moon and half way back to
earth.

PAPER

*Each of us uses approximately one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper
and wood products per year. (EPA,

2008)

*More than 56 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. during 2007 was
recovered for recycling – an all-time high. This impressive figure equals
nearly 360 pounds of paper for each man, woman, and child in America. (Paper
Industry
Association Council, 2007)

*More than 400 paper mills in the United States use at least some recovered
materials in their manufacturing processes, and more than 200 of those mills
use recovered fiber exclusively. (EPA, 2008
)

Savings: Energy, Water, etc.

*De-inked paper fiber is the most efficient source of fiber for the
manufacturing of new paper products; one ton of de-inked pulp saves over
7000 gallons of water, 390 gallons of oil, and reduces air emissions by 60
lbs compared to traditional virgin fiber processes. (Abitibi Consolidated,
2005)

*Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 3
cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil, and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of
electricity – enough energy to power the average American home for five
months. (EPA,

2008)

*Recycling paper instead of making it from new material generates 74 percent
less air pollution and uses 50 percent less water. (EPA,

2008)

*Producing recycled paper requires about 60 percent of the energy used to
make paper from virgin wood pulp. (EPA,

2008)

Uses of Recycled Paper

*Just over 48% of office paper is recovered for recycling. This becomes raw
material for paperboard, tissue, and printing and writing papers. (Keep
America Beautiful,
2006)

*Over 73% of all newspapers are recovered for recycling. Almost a third goes
back into making more newsprint. The remainder is used to make paperboard,
tissue, and insulation, or exported. (Keep America
Beautiful, 2006)

*Approximately 1.5 million tons of construction products are made each year
from paper, including insulation, gypsum wallboard, roofing paper, flooring,
padding and sound-absorbing materials. (American
Forest and Paper Association, 2002)

*Recycled paper can also be made into paper towels, notebook paper,
envelopes, copy paper and other paper products, as well as boxes,
hydro-mulch, molded packaging, compost, and even kitty litter. (EPA,

2008)

Did you know that

- The average American individual consumes 120 pounds of natural
resources every day, and
- throws away 3 and 1/2 pounds of trash per day.

A Recycling Revolution

http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html

Plastic Recycling Facts

BulletTo produce each week’s Sunday newspapers, 500,000 trees must be cut
down.

BulletRecycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000
trees.

BulletIf all our newspaper was recycled, we could save about 250,000,000
trees each year!

BulletIf every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we
would save about 25,000,000 trees a year.

BulletIf you had a 15-year-old tree and made it into paper grocery bags,
you’d get about 700 of them. A supermarket could use all of them in under an
hour! This means in one year, one supermarket goes through 60,500,000 paper
bags! Imagine how many supermarkets there are in the U.S.!!!

BulletThe average American uses seven trees a year in paper, wood, and other
products made from trees. This amounts to about 2,000,000,000 trees per
year!

BulletThe amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat
50,000,000 homes for 20 years.

BulletApproximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every
year in the U.S.

BulletAmericans use 85,000,000 tons of paper a year; about 680 pounds per
person.

BulletThe average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each
year. Most is packaging and junk mail.

BulletIn 1993, U.S. paper recovery saved more than 90,000,000 cubic yards of
landfill space.

BulletEach ton (2000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380
gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of
energy, and 7000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a
58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution!

BulletThe 17 trees saved (above) can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon
dioxide from the air each year. Burning that same ton of paper would create
1500 pounds of carbon dioxide.

BulletThe construction costs of a paper mill designed to use waste paper is
50 to 80% less than the cost of a mill using new pulp.

Glass Recycling Facts

BulletEvery month, we throw out enough glass bottles and jars to fill up a
giant skyscraper. All of these jars are recyclable!

BulletThe energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt
light bulb for four hours. It also causes 20% less air pollution and 50%
less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials.

BulletA modern glass bottle would take 4000 years or more to decompose –
and even longer if it’s in the landfill.

BulletMining and transporting raw materials for glass produces about 385
pounds of waste for every ton of glass that is made. If recycled glass is
substituted for half of the raw materials, the waste is cut by more than
80%.

We we break out- for the teens…and adults

Why we break out…and what we can do about it.

Clogged pores
prevent the skin from breathing while forcing oil and dirt from beneath the
skin to push its way out onto the surface, often causing apimple, white head
or black head.

Over active sebaceous glands can stimulate more
oil within the epidermal layers causing a build-up of oil beneath the skin’s
surface which then pushes its way out by way of the pimple.

What are sebaceous glands?  Sebaceous glands create sebum or skin oils that
keep our skin hydrated and supple.

There are several ways these skin oil producing glands can become over
active.  For example, if our skin becomes overly dry, it will send a signal
to these glands that it needs moisture. However, our sebaceous glands don’t
know how much oil to produce.  They just produce oil and can often produce
too much, causing a pimple at the same time.

If we scrub our skin too much we can irritate and stimulate our sebaceous
glands making them active when our skin simply does not need them to
be…not a very good look.

Poor Diet
A poor diet, lacking in plenty of H2O (water), fresh fruits and vegetables
and a clean digestive track, can certainly cause unnecessary break outs.
What we put in our bodies is just as important as the fly gear we put on our
bodies.  Drinking at least 8 full glasses of water per day is absolutely a
key factor in maintaining a glowing coat of skin.  For those of you who have
yet to acquire a true love for the taste of water, squeezing a little lemon
or adding a couple of drops of juice to a full water glass can add some
flavor, making water even more enjoyable to drink.  Remember, just a couple
of drops of juice in a FULL glass of
water.

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables daily gives our bodies’ cells the dose of
anti-oxidants they need to fight off free-radicals that can often cause all
kinds of health issues…as well as acne.

A clean digestive system is something no one likes to speak in depth
about…and we all know why.  The subject just isn’t very attractive
classroom conversation.  But, it is a very important aspect to maintaining
a healthy body, as well as clear skin.  Drinking plenty of water and getting
regular exercise are ways to make sure your digestive track is working
properly and relieving itself by getting rid of waste daily.  A digestive
track that is backed up is simply jacked up…bottom line.

Too many hair and skin products

Ladies…and gents, but I’m really addressing this segment to my girls.
Please keep your beauty regimen simple, and if at all possible, natural.  I know it’s hard but it is so important if you care to keep your skin clean.  I love beauty care productsjust as much as anyone…I make them for goodness sake.  But, I stick to asimple regimen for my hair and skin.  Why?  Because I know for a fact that using too many different kinds of products at once can confuse your skin’s
cells causing surprise break-outs even when you’re following all the ‘clear
skin’ rules I’ve listed above.  When you find a good face wash, moisturizer
and toner that you love…stick with it no matter what.  Switching up your
routine with all types of products you may have bought on sale, is simply a
no-no.  This rule also applies to hair care products.  A clean head of hair
is a clean coat of skin’s best friend.

Keeping your skin clean

Now I shouldn’t have to remind all of you how important it
is to wash your face every morning before leaving the house and after returning home before going to bed.  However, just in case some of you fabulous folks are just wiping the buggers out the corners of your eyes…please take it to the next level by adding water and face wash.  And, for those who have yet to add the face washing routine to your nightly regiment before hitting the sheets… please do.  Our bodies pick up all kinds of toxins, dirt and muck throughout the course of the day and our facial skin gets the brunt of it all.

Oh, and just two last skin cleaning tips.  #1- Unless you have the luxury of
a fresh hand towel for every face wash try drying your skin with paper towels or tissue.  #2 – Change your pillow cases at least once a week. Bacteria can build up in over used hand towels and pillow cases, which can
also cause break-outs.

DO NOT PICK

I can not stress this tip enough even though I myself have a hard time following it.  If you become a victim of an unfortunate break-out, please do not
pick at it.  Do not squeeze it, do not press it…do not touch it!  Simply wash your face, follow-up with toner, lightly moisturize or apply a small amount of your favorite acne cream and leave it alone.  A pimple needs no help from your figures.  It will eventually dry up on its own…trust me!

Manage and Reduce Stress

During these times we can all find so many reasons to be stressed out.  But,
it is to our benefit to shy away from stress whenever we can.  The best way
to do this is to incorporate more preparation in our daily routines so
that we are not handling our daily tasks in a rush and under the gun.  When
you receive a huge homework assignment, start your research right away.
Don’t wait until the last minute.  Even if you don’t begin putting the
assignment together until a week before it is due, prepare your research
materials early so that you at least know where your information is coming
from.  This can make finishing the assignment a whole lot easier and
less stressful.

If you’ve fallen in love with a special someone who has just broken your
heart?  Breath…take big deep breaths as much as possible, whether you have a broken heart or not.  Deep breathing will balance your emotional state and make getting over the person a bit easier. Writing down your feelings in a personal journal will help as well.  I have learned all of these tips over
the course of my young adult life and I am sharing them with you because I
know how important having a clear complexion can boost confidence and build
self-esteem.  If only I knew half of these things, I would have saved tons of
money and time in the mirror.

To those of you who are struggling with acne…I feel your pain and
understand your frustration.  My suggestion to you first and foremost is to
change your diet, eat healthy.  It may or may not work right away but it will certainly make you feel better and feeling good is always good for the
skin.  Second, try natural products with little or no chemicals.  Over my 15
years of battling sporadic acne, I tried everything under the sun, including
Acutane, Retinol-A, microdermabrasion, and a host of chemically based
topical solutions.  Very few of them worked, the rest were just too
expensive to keep up with.  It was when I began my learning career and
experimentation with natural essential oils and aromatherapy that my skin
began to clear.  Now, I wouldn’t recommend that you go out and purchase a
bunch of essential oils to experiment with.  These oils are very powerful
and should only be handled by those who have learned how to use them first.
Lucky for you gals and guys, I have done the leg work for you and will
suggest a basic formula that does wonders for balancing the skin and
protecting it from nasty unwanted break-outs.  I’ve been using this formula
for the past 4 years and it has relieved a lot of my oiliness and irritation issues.
Clary Sage, Geranium, Cedarwood and Lavender essential oils
when used intheir appropriate percentages and diluted in distilled water or
high quality carrier oils are an amazing sebaceous gland balancer.  These
oils have anti-bacterial properties that are very beneficial to the skin.
On June 1stButter By Keba-  http://www.butter/> www.butterbykeba .com, will make available this awesome skin balancing formula, Clear Face
Balancer http://www.butterbykeba.com/> to anyone who logs on.

I hope I’ve shed some light on the mysteries of our skin and it ups and
downs.  Please feel free to email me should you have questions, concerns or
comments, keba@butterbykeba.com or post a comment on our blog
www.butterbykeba.wordpress.com <http://www.butterbykeba.wordpress.com/>  .
It was great sharing with you and I look forward to sharing with you again.

Keep your skin
soft.

Luv,

Keba

Tuna tartar…and stuff

I’m not a fan of raw tuna cubes well seasoned with garnish but tonight I set my limitations aside for my new friend Chef Kwame’ s tasting, Mangez Avec Coterie! It was delicious! As I’m standing in a sea of beautiful and gregarious multi- hue woman and men I couldn’t help but notice the number of those who gobbled up the tartar but put their hand up to shoo away the red meat. What? Have we reached a new higher level of food awareness and consciousness? Almost 35% of this gorgeous group vehemently proclaimed “Meat? Oh no, I don’t eat red meat. I barely eat chicken.”. Well! I must say, I was impressed. Here I was among a number of twenty-somethings who were in control of their diets. It was refreshing, inspiring and made me wonder. Why? Why this movement among young people of color?

Peering through the crowd I felt as if everyone had just stepped off of a page from Ebony mag, a Palmers ad to be exact. The various tones and textures of skin and hair were astonishing. Could it be …the diet?
It seems as though a vast majority of educated well-dressed millennials have declared that food and environmental consciousness is key. Not only because it is right for our planet and our future but because it will also make us feel and look a hell of a whole lot better.

Is this it?

I was in Whole Foods Market yesterday searching for an addition to my newly acquired natural hair care product collection. You see, I’ve recently become obsessed with all things natural or organic since I decided, for a third try, to grow my relaxer out.
Although I’ve had a great love affair with my silky chemically treated locks, I just can’t do it any longer. Like most relationships that look great on the outside but are secretly suffering on the inside, the one between my hair and the mild Hawiian Silky relaxer cream I’ve been proudly courting for years, just has to end.

Any who, now where was I? Oh right, so as I combed the isles of Whole Food’s personal care section, all the while meticulously searching for a virgin coconut and Shea butter hair lotion by Alaffia, I couldn’t help but notice the various types, fragrances and textures of body and shea butters. It seems as though a new line comes out every quarter. A new artisan of the sorts has crossed the threshold of mixology into the world of commercial beauty. I say bravo! There can never be too many types of body butter. Body butter should have its own section called “just body butter”. There is a blend for everyone, milky lotion, whipped mouse, thick fruity smoothie, and simply buttery butter. Our blend falls in the category of “buttery butter”. We melt our Shea
down to its oily liquid form and then add more natural oils like rice bran, grapeseed and sunflower with a touch of flower wax. The texture is sooo yummy, just like homemade butter that absorbs right into a freshly baked muffin. All ya need is a smear and your muffin, I mean your skin is totally transformed and not at all greasy.

When I finally located my hair lotion, my hands were still soaking up the 5 different butters I had sampled moments before. Each blend was of the thick smoothie or whipped mouse genre. That’s when I realized that we are doing Whole Food shoppers a great disservice by not making our buttery butters available in their stores.

Is this it? Should this be our moment?

Until tomorrow, keep your skin soft.

Luv,
Keba

It’s been a minute!

OMG, I’m so embarassed of how long it’s been since i’ve posted. Shame on my beautiful buttery behind! I was having the highlight conversation of my day with the most fabulous food conceirge service, FreshFoodBike.com, when I was reminded of my neglected blog. Thank you Tohid for waking me up!

Well, it certainly didn’t take long for me to get back on the train. This past 2011 has been an amazing ride but I’m not ready to get off just yet.

Butter By Keba has some exciting things happening. We have a great virtual intership program which has brought on 10 interns this Summer and Fall in total.
We have a new hand care product launching in January 2012. And, we are preparing to make a move back to Harlem, hopefully by next Fall 2012.

In the interim we’re co-hosting one of many trunkshows in a series call Bangles Blouses & Butter, your mobile taxi boutique. Details to follow.

Until tomorrow my Butter Babes , please…keep your skin soft.

Luv,

Keba

Bangles Blouses & Butter

The mobile taxi trunkshow!!

VACAY IN THE CITY

What to do this summer on a finite budget?   That’s what I’ll be thinking.  Being an entrepreneur and small business owner is no easy task.  It calls for long hours, plenty of work and  extremely disciplined spending habits.  (Certainly no easy task for me.)  So, what’s a girl or guy to do when you’re absolutely excited for Summer to hit but your bank account screams…chill!  Well, I’ve learned over the last several months that New York City is beyond the best place to take a stay-cation.  There is an infinite list of things to do and they all can be done on a finite budget.

My first suggestion, before doing anything, is to invest more time in your PERSONAL CARE REGIMEN.  We often forget to recognize how important this quality time is.  Even if it’s designated to a weekend Saturday in your own bathroom.  Order the bath salt scrub sample travel set and mix all four aromatic blends  together.  I do it all the time and the experience never fails to transport my mind to a far away island somewhere.  TRUST ME…the stuff is real.

www.butterbykeba.com

Once you’re all bathed up and smelling scrumptious, your Big Fun in the City can begin.  You won’t miss those long airport lines and the scrutinizing baggage and body check before the gate.

For instance, a few weeks ago I went on a Chelsea Gallery hop with my home-girl E and her BBFF B. (Please don’t ask what this acronym stands for cause I’m really not sure myself.)  It had been quite some time since I frolicked around that part of town on the hunt for a visual head trip.  There were lots of massively huge scaled art work exposing all sorts of beauty, mania, architecture and kink!  There was one particular work of a chic condominium residence with a 1960′s mod facade.   Each apartment window revealed an intense life scene or incident of some kind.  Some sexual, several unnecessarily violent and the rest…a bit perverted.  This piece was probably the one we stood in front of the longest…too many windows.

The others, however, were shear beauty, immense color, joy, sorrow and wonder.  I managed to grab catalog cards for three of them.  The first, Anne Neely’s exhibit, Where There’s Water, a collection of abstract landscapes.

Where There's Water

The second, Liz Markus’s Hot Nights At The Regal Beagle. This is the piece I felt sorrow for.  Doesn’t her make-up look  an absolute mess??  No definition, no structure…just a blotch of what seems to be a beautiful woman.   Perhaps she’s happy, perhaps she’s sad.  Who knows??   Oh…right…it’s hot at the regal beagle, so her make-up melted…of course.

Hot Nights At The Regal Beagle

The last, and my absolute favorite, Ruud van Empel’s Dawn, Souvenir, World, Moon. Now I must warn you.  Some of the work will have you wondering if my boy Ruud has pedophilia.   Empel’s work is sublime beauty and vivid nature.  The children, adorable and innocent, which is what makes me wonder from where Mr. Empel pulls his inspiration.  My guess is he loves children as much I do, or anyone else for that matter.  NOTE: Just because an adult loves, admires and cares for young people that are not his/her own, DOES NOT make them a pedophile.  Any who, take a look at his work.  It’s amazingly tropical, surprisingly and probably inappropriately exotic, and will certainly transport you, if only for a brief moment.

Ruud van Empel

Ruud van Empel

Ruud van Empel

Best Regards,

Oh and do keep your skin soft.

Luv,

Keba

www.butterbykeba.com

Egypt Tour 2009

Great Pyramid in Giza

Hello Everyone,

Enjoying the beginning hints and scents of Spring in the air?   Well, I’d like to share with you one of the most treasured and enlightning trips I’ve taken in my 35 years on this earth…Egypt.  It is where I came and revitalized my spirit, learned of ancient truths and became familiar with a more sacred way of living.

Dr. Clinton Crawford is one of the most informed Egyptologists, scholars and historians of our day.  Following the footsteps of Dr. Ben and our beloved Dr. Clarke, he makes a yearly two week pilgrimage to Egypt where he shares his knowledge and expertise on the way of life that this brilliant African civilization cultivated some 4000 plus years ago.

The inspiration that I experienced upon my return home is inexplicable.  It is what I drew from to create and complete Butter By Keba.

I realize that we are in tough economic times at this historic moment.  However, if you have saved for a rainy day and would like to invest in an experience that is sure to change your life, visit Dr. Clinton site www.sankofaworldpublishers.com for details on this year’s tour.  Below are a few links that will provide detailed information as well.

http://www.sankofaworldpublishers.com/sankofawp-egyptstudytour2007.htm

http://www.sankofaworldpublishers.com/Egypt%20Brochure%202009%20color%20(3-panel).pdf

http://www.sankofaworldpublishers.com/index.html

Keep your skin soft.

Luv,

Keba

www.butterbykeba.com