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Rose Season in Maine

Posted by Claire Weinberg · June 12, 2016

The roses are starting to bloom on the mainland. They will be a little later out on Gotts Island and this is always such a sweet time of year.

Rose petal rich, skin loving Dulse & Rugosa products.

At Dulse & Rugosa we use some form of rose in just about every product we make, but some products are especially rich in Maine roses. The roses we use are the Rugosa Rose. While not native to Maine and perhaps like the beloved lupine considered invasive, the "beach rose" is part of the seashore in Maine. Starting with the scented petals of deep pink and white by fall the rose hips provide much needed Vitamin C for anyone facing a Maine winter. Rose hips are nutritious and delicious in teas and jams.

Essential oils and rose petals to help whisk tension away.

One major benefit of roses is their scent. It is such a natural, sweet but not cloying scent and no matter the weather evokes a sunny day by the ocean. Carly has created a rose petal rich roll on perfume oil designed to help calm and relieve tension. The base is Calendula infused sweet almond oil enriched with lavender and peppermint essential oils and sweetened with rose and chamomile petals. One of the benefits of being "skincare chefs" is mixing up wholesome goodies for your skin. Headache oil is aromatherapy for you, not the room.

Our Island Face Scrub is also rich in handpicked Maine island roses. Our gentle face scrub is beneficial to all skin types but especially helpful for breakouts. Roses have an anti-bacterial property that can help calm irritated skin. When you combine the power of rose petals with the magic of Maine seaweeds you have a gentle yet effective combination of natural ingredients to keep your face clear and happy. Natural ingredients are a more effective and safer way to fight pimples then using weird chemical that have the potential to be harmful.

Another way we utilize the benefits of rose petals in in our Rose Witch Hazel. This is an infusion of rose petals into witch hazel and the results are divine with a heavenly scent. Witch hazel is another wonderful product for acne prone skin. Try our Rose Petal Witch Hazel to spot treat an annoying pimple, as a face toner after a hot, sticky day or dab on irritated skin.

Our Rose Petal Witch Hazel is the base for our Rose Petal Creme which is a great creme for faces that need a bit of moisture but not too much. It's light, creamy with a dreamy rose scent.

Treat yourself and your skin to the gift of rose petals.

Bees are loving sweet Maine roses.

As always, we want to thank you for supporting our small business. Reading our blog, following us on social media and especially purchasing our products keeps our small business in business.

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Healthy Maine Seaweed

Posted by Claire Weinberg · May 29, 2016

Seaweeds are beautiful and so much more. Seaweeds happen to be the oldest family of plants and are an integral part of a healthy marine ecosystem. Seaweeds are not just good for the planet- seaweeds happen to be very good for you.

Seaweeds are a great source of essential vitamins, minerals and fiber. Try adding seaweeds to soups, salads and even baked goods. At Dulse and Rugosa, we have two seaweed infused desserts. Dulse brownies are the traditional brownie with an ocean twist. Our “True Love” cake is perfect for a special occasion. I happen to love recipes that include an unusual ingredient which adds a health benefit and a taste twist.

A quick and easy way to get seaweed into your diet is to purchase Maine Coast Sea Vegetables Dulse flakes. The dark purple flakes look almost like coarse ground black pepper. Sprinkle on potatoes, pasta or add to a bowl of Raimen. Carly makes a “wicked good” Raimen bowl by replacing the flavor packet with dulse flakes and spices.

I’ve been reading quite a bit about Furikake (pronounced foo-ree-kak-kay). This seasoning originates from Japan as is used the way we use salt and pepper. It’s toasted sesame seeds, nori and sea salt blended together. I think with a bit of nutritional yeast this would taste great on popcorn

I’ve put in some great links to help you add seaweed to your diet. Your body, especially your taste buds will be thanking you.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/08/09/homemade-furikake-japanese-rice-seasoning/

http://www.blisstree.com/2013/03/08/food/seaweed-recipes

http://vibrantwellnessjournal.com/2013/03/08/what-do-you-do-with-seaweed/

https://www.seaveg.com/

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Seaweed Brownies, Moist, Delicious and Nutritious

Posted by Claire Weinberg · April 25, 2016

When we think of eating seaweed we think sushi or salad. But adding seaweed to baked goods like pizza crust, breads, muffins and brownies adds nutrition and a rich "umami" flavor. Plus the seaweed helps keep your baked goods moist.

Seaweed adds depth to chocolate recipes.

Our dulse rich brownies are also known as “Pirate Brownie” because the dulse is soaked in dark rum adding a unique flavor to the mix. In my opinion, when you combine dulse and chocolate you get a “moorish” mix that stays moist and has a nice yet subtle oceanic/salty kick.

Replace vanilla with dulse and dark rum- Yum!

Ingredients

1 T Dulse soaked in 2 T dark rum

1 stick butter

½ cup cocoa

1 cup sugar

2-4 eggs, if you have chickens use 4

1 cup flour

½ t baking powder

½ cup nuts or other goodies including chopped dry cherries, chocolate chips, dark chocolate bar chopped into small pieces, etc.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs then flour and baking soda. Stir in nuts. Spoon into greased pans. Bake 350 until the brownies look almost done. You actually want to take your brownies out of the oven before they are all cooked. Let them sit in the pan for awhile and they will finish cooking.

It’s so fun to have everyone try and guess the secret ingredient. “You put seaweed in brownies?”

Inspiration for this brownie recipe came from Prannie Rhatigan’s Irish Seaweed Kitchen cookbook. She has great recipes and information on the benefits of adding seaweed to your diet. I ordered the book direct from her website as the book was discounted and even paying for postage it worked out to be cheaper than Amazon. Plus, I got to get a package from Ireland!

http://www.prannie.com

Seaweeds from Maine are the best. Our cold mineral rich water makes for a nutrient rich and natural seaweed.

America's best- Maine seaweed.

"For most American consumers, there hasn't been an awareness that their seaweed salad is full of blue dye No. 1 and yellow dye No. 5 and that it may come from waters of questionable pedigree," said Paul Dobbins of Maine's Ocean Approved. For more about the future of Maine seaweeds

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/just-1-word-for-maine-s-future-seaweed/

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Maine Made for Mother's Day

Posted by Claire Weinberg · April 18, 2016

Opening a jar of Dulse & Rugosa skincare transports you to summer in Maine and makes the perfect gift for Mom.

Claire's personal favorite is our Sweet Island Face Oil.

"I use it every night as my face cleanser. What I love is how it's a mini facial and stress reliever. It moisturizes my face while removing dirt and make up. I don't get that dry, wrinkly feeling that many face cleanser leave. It helps my older skin stay smooth and radiant."

Carly loves our Island Facial Scrub.

"I still struggle with breakouts even though I haven't been a teenager for awhile. I keep our Maine seaweed rich face scrub in the shower and use every other day. It keeps my face calm and happy."

Rose loves the Calendula Night Creme.

"This is a rich nourishing creme which keeps my face hydrated and moist."

Dulse and Rugosa is celebrating Mother's Day with our "Queen Mum Giveaway". It's full of lovely Dulse & Rugosa skincare and a handcrafted Royal Blue Sea Glass Tiara. Join our mailing list to enter.

Click here to enter

http://eepurl.com/G5Maf

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Exfoliate for Balance and Beauty

Posted by Claire Weinberg · March 26, 2016

Whenever I feel stressed, tired or overwhelmed I like to give myself the treat of a deep detoxing exfoliation. Besides getting rid of dead skin, feeling super clean and refreshed taking the time to exfoliate helps restore my balance.

Dulse and Rugosa scrubs contain nourishing Maine seaweed.

I started using scrubs as a way to feel better after stressful events. If I have a tough appointment or meeting I look forward to giving myself a gentle replenishing facial at the end of the day. We originally designed our Island Face Scrub to help with breakouts. But I discovered the gentle mix of Maine roses and seaweeds helps restore my balance. It might be because seaweeds contain trace minerals and vitamins that need to be replenished after a stressful event. I think it also helps to take a few minutes devoted to myself. We have a trial size Island Face Scrub for only $5.00 which used once a week will last for about a month- a little seaweed goes a long way!

Dulse and Rugosa gentle seaweed rich face scrub.

Traveling is another great time to add scrubs into your routine. There is so much going on when you travel especially by plane. When I'm off my regular routine I struggle with staying balanced. I find it's easy for me to get dehydrated especially as it is hard to travel with my favorite Lavender tea. Healthy eating can also be tricky. By the time I get to my destination I feel downright yucky and a full body scrub is just what I need. Our blend of hand harvested Maine seaweeds and lovely flower petals leave me feeling happy.

Dulse and Rugosa's Gardner's Scrub has bits of our cleansing seaweed rich soap.

Our scrubs are hand mixed with simple, effective ingredients. Seaweed to help draw out toxins and keep your skin hydrated. Salt or sugar to slough away dead skin and smooth rough patches and hand picked flower petals for beauty and scent.

Dulse and Rugosa scrubs are hand mixed with Maine island grown flowers and seaweeds.

If you haven't exfoliated in awhile, now is the time. Celebrate the end of winter and the arrival of spring by detoxing and replenishing with one of our nourishing scrubs.

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