Grandpa Knew Best

18th Century Men Shaved With a Brush

Using a shaving brush, that icon of maleness, not only links us to our forefathers but provides the most satisfactory shave short of a visit to your barber, that is if you can find one who still practices the ancient art.

The beginning of each new day is a fragile time. And yet this is when many of us, bleary-eyed, our brain firing on one cylinder, wield a razor to sheer off thousands of hairs. “Clean shaven” has an upbeat sound to it but for many the reality can be uncomfortable, painful and even bloody. [Read more]

Rosacea and Me - A Personal Saga

This is a personal saga about a bit of luck which lead to a cure for my rosacea. Hopefully, it will help you or a friend.

I had rosacea for about five years when I happened on an article which suggested that rosacea is caused by a bacteria or a fungus. Barclay Crocker carries the essential oil of French Lavender which purports to be antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral and antiseptic. Why not give it a try? If it didn’t work, at least I would smell good.

I applied Lavender directly from the bottle (neat - no carrier oil) to the red areas in the morning and before going to bed. It stung slightly and had a very strong lavender fragrance. I’m not sure how long I kept up this regimen as I never really expected it to work but it must have been two or three weeks. After perhaps a week, I think I noticed a slight improvement but it must have a couple of weeks more that a real improvement was obvious. It’s been several years since those first attempts and the redness has long since completely disappeared and I find I no longer need to use Lavender. A number of customers with Rosacea have experienced the same success. We have not had any reports of side effects except that a few didn’t like the lavender fragrance. If you want to begin slowly, just apply the lavender to a small area to make sure you are comfortable with it. [Read more]

A Scent to Unstress and to Heal

Lavender wins the Mother Nature Triple Crown for essential oils: it is one of the most popular floral fragrances, it is a natural “Bacteria Buster” (antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal) and it has the power to sooth and relax.Here are some comments on using Lavender based on our own experiences and feedback from our customers… [Read more]

Dominica Bay Rum

Bay Rum

“I put Dominica Bay Rum everywhere! It’s been great for my skin and my disposition. And it keeps me right regular, too.”
-Grandma Hayes

Dominica. Nature Island of the Caribbean

The most luxuriant Island in the Caribbean is Dominica. Here’s nature’s unique combination of climate and volcanic soil, virtually unchanged for thousands of years, produces the world’s choicest bay leaves. A master blending of the oils pressed from these bay leaves with the purest of alcohol has created Dominica Double Distilled Bay Rum. Since 1907 it has represented the very finest of the traditional West Indian bay rum bath, body, massage, and after shave lotions. [Read more]