The Grito de Dolores (better known as El Grito, the Cry for independence) celebrated every year on the night between September 15th and 16th is a Mexican holiday par excellence, it is the night when all citizens of Mexico celebrate their independence from the Spanish conquerors.

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Since the arrival of Hernán Cortés in 1521 and the conquest of the area, what is now Mexico was called New Spain.

Influenced by the concepts established by French philosophers like Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu and the USA’s War of Independence, the Criollos (Spanish descendants born in America) who were treated as second-class subjects, decided to start an uprising.

At 5:00 am on September 16, 1810, the Priest Miguel Hidalgo, accompanied by several other co-conspirators, Ignacio Allende, Doña Josefina Ortiz de Domínguez, rang the bells of his small church in the town now called Dolores Hidalgo, calling everyone to fight for freedom, which is known as “El Grito de Dolores” (the announcement, or cry, of Dolores). One of the crucial moments in Mexican history.

It is celebrated every year at town squares (plaza or zócalo) of all major cities in the country. With two days of traditional Mexican fiesta y with fireworks, parades, games, speeches, all kinds of Mexican food and lots of fun for both locals and visitors.

September is the month of Mexico and streets are decorated across the country with paper flags (or plastic) and colorful garlands, which is locally called “papel picado”. On each corner, there are vendors with an eye-catching assortment of flags, balloons, hats, and pinwheels, in white, red, and green, the National colors. There are flags on the houses and all government buildings and town squares.

It all starts on the afternoon of September 15th, when mexicans start to gather on the square and surrounding streets, leaving almost no room to move, so they can witness and participate in the grito. The town mayor, whoever it is at the time, repeats, like a mantra, the same words that the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla proclaimed over 200 years ago.

The last “VIVA” is chanted with great patriotism by all those present. the bell is rung and the flag is waved. Then everyone solemnly sings the national anthem and then the party starts!

The heavens are lit by a multitude of fireworks that brighten everyone present and fill them with pride, knowing that they now live in a free and independent country.

Celebrate with us! Receive a bag full of candy and a mini candle, with all your purchases over $75. Valid through September or while supplies last.

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Because of its main components, this essential oil has a soothing, cooling vapor. These effects make Eucalyptus ideal for a soothing and relaxing experience. The benefits of Eucalyptus can be easily obtained through inhaling and diffusing.

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Aromatically, the compounds of Eucalyptus oil can promote feelings of a clear mind and relaxation. Eucalyptus oil also contains strong purifying properties that are advantageous for the skin and can be used to cleanse surfaces and the air. Due to its cleansing properties, Eucalyptus is found in mouth rinses to freshen breath and promote oral health.

Aromatherapy, also known as essential oil therapy, is a type of holistic healing treatment that uses extracted plant oils to improve the health of the mind, body and spirit. One of the most popular plants used in aromatherapy treatments is eucalyptus as it works to clear airways and mental fog.

Other ideas to relax with Eucalyptus:

Make your shower experience even more relaxing.

Spray some of our Peppermint & Eucalyptus Pillow Mist directly onto the bathroom while you are showering. The steam from the water will create a natural diffuser for the Eucalyptus oil, leaving you with a clear, invigorated feeling.

Relax after a long day

After a long day, let your tense feelings go with the help of Eucalyptus. Spray some Peppermint & Eucalyptus Pillow Mist directly on your pillow. The aroma of Eucalyptus oil will promote feelings of relaxation, preparing you for a better night’s sleep.

Relieve Tension

If you are feeling tension but have little time to relax, spray a few drops of Peppermint & Eucalyptus Pillow Mist oil into your hands, cup your hands over your nose, and inhale deeply. This simple and quick process will give you a calming yet energizing boost.

Taking time to cherish yourself by nurturing your body, skin and mind is an important part of relieving stress and improving overall health!

Come back to our Blog soon to learn about the benefits of Peppermint.

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Conventional body-care products can be overloaded with harsh chemicals, synthetic fragrances, or parabens, preservatives, microbeads and other dubious ingredients.

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Body Butters are a natural alternative that contains mild plant-based ingredients, essential oils and nourishing plant and nut oils that moisturize, nurture and protect your skin in a gentle way.

Natural Body Butters are thicker and richer than body creams and they are suitable for sensitive and dry skin. They can contain high amount of natural butters from shea, cocoa or mango butter to natural oils like almond, jojoba, grape seed or coconut to protect your skin.

There are some beauty hacks for you how to be creative with body butters in many ways:

Use it as an all over body moisturizer

The best time is after your daily shower or bath when your skin is still moist. Apply a bit of butter using broad massaging strokes. – Be careful not to use too much or your skin could get greasy.

Revitalize your hair!

A natural body butter can be also used for dry and stressed hair. Take a small amount of the butter let it melt from the warmth of your hand before applying to the tip of your hair. Just wash it with warm water, dry it and enjoy silky and fragrant hair.

Remove a sticky make-up

Apply a tiny bit of body butter to a moisten cotton pad and enjoy how easy it is to dissolve the day’s makeup from your skin. It can even remove waterproof mascara but avoid getting it in your eye.

Body butters are perfect for dry patches on your elbow and knees

Keep a small pot of it in your bag, in the drawer at work and even in the bedside cabinet you can reach it easily any time to sooth your skin. Tip: It is worth applying a second layer on problem areas.

Soothing hand cream

Anyone with green fingers knows how your hands feels after a couple of hours of gardening. Using a rich body butter after thoroughly washing the dirt off your hands is a wonderful feeling. Imagine soft digits instead of cracked knuckles and dry palms.

The ultimate cuticle saver

You don’t necessarily need an extra product for your cuticles. You can have instant results with using natural body butter as well. Simply massage a tiny amount into each cuticle and admire your newly scented and hydrated fingertips.

Apply body butter on your hands and feet

Use body butter just before going to sleep to help soften your skin. Apply cotton socks and/or gloves overnight for a better result. When you wake up your skin will be super-smooth.

I hope these tips and tricks will make your everyday beauty ritual easier while enjoying the wonderful benefits of using Areli’s Soy Candles All Natural Body Butters too!

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This essential oil comes from the stems and leaves of a perennial grass called Cymbopogon nardus. Citronella oil is an all-natural product used as an insect repellant (as it has been for more than half a century, notes the EPA), providing a safer alternative to chemical bug repellants. This oil is only a repellant, not an insecticide; it doesn’t kill or otherwise harm bugs. It is effective against a wide variety of pests, including but not limited to flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. Its distinctive odor drives away some insects, while preventing others from identifying a host.

Candles made of Citronella oil work effectively to repel mosquitoes and insects when burned in the immediate area.

The scent of the citronella oil in the candles when heated releases the odors into the air and acts as a smoke screen to disguise the human scent as a host to the insects. In order for the citronella candles to be an effective insect repellent for an outside event, the candles must be burned in and around the perimeter of the area you what to be insect free. It is also important to light the citronella candles and keep them burning during the entire event.

The best part of the effect of citronella tealight candles is that the benefit is twofold. You can have the natural effects of insect repellent and the natural beauty of lit candles. candles have many wonderful holders that can be strategically placed around the area very easily and create beautiful ambiance. You want to make sure that you cover the entire area for both repellent benefits and for accent lighting. Don’t be afraid to overdo it, the natural lemony scent of the candles will provide a wonderful fresh scent.

Candles made of citronella oil work wonderfully as a natural, chemical-free option for insect repellent. You can add a beautiful ambiance to your next outdoor event by placing candles made of citronella all around your patio, deck or yard.

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The cultural trait of using bold mixtures of vivid colors in art and fabrics was also prevalent in the rich pallet of colors used in traditional Mexican pottery decoration.

The abundance of colors in crafts and other constructions extended back into pre-Hispanic times. Pyramids, temples, murals, textiles and religious objects were painted or colored with ochre red, bright green, burnt orange, various yellows and turquoise.

In the very early colonial period, the native artisan classes were persecuted and their art traditions were virtually destroyed, as many of the designs and techniques they used were linked to pre-Hispanic religious practices, which the Spaniards wanted replaced with Christianity.

Fortunately, many of their ancient pottery styles were rediscovered from archaeological excavations which helped the indigenous artists re-connect with some of their lost traditions.

Mexican Pottery is the most prolific and versatile type of Mexican Folk Art. Its variety shows the cultural, historic and geographic diversity of this country.

Since the emergence of the Olmec culture, considered to be the mother of the Mesoamerican cultures, ceramics, pottery making, took an important place in the lives of the Mexican people.

The earthenware vessels, anthropomorphic figures, and various types of tools found in the archaeological ruins of the ancient Olmec cities of Tajín, San Lorenzo, La Venta and Tres Zapotes, suggest the techniques used in their pottery: the use of clay, the knowledge of primitive firing techniques, their means of coloring and painting designs.

The ancient techniques employed to make pottery are still used today – mostly in the rural parts of Mexico. It’s curious how these groups were able to preserve their artistic techniques – coil building, open firing, natural pigments – and yet they lost their original language and their religion.

Mexican pottery brings together the influences of pre-Hispanic, European, Arabic and Oriental cultures. Whatever technique is used, Mexican clay pottery has an individuality and “flavor” that is appreciated for its art and quality worldwide.

Today, Mexican clay pottery is well known around the world.

Like many women from the town of Amatenango del Valle, in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, Juana Gómez Ramírez learned the art of working with clay as a young girl. She has since become one of the most talented alfareras in the country. “Thanks to our ancestors, those who came before us, we have a blessing in the form of the land they left us,” Juana said.

Bring a small piece of Mexican folk art into your home with the warmth of our soy scented candles!

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Without even realizing it, you may be burning paraffin throughout your home while exposing yourself to the health hazards associated with it. If you love burning candles, you need to know the harms of paraffin wax, and why you should stop using candles made from it. Although paraffin has played an important role in candles, now’s the time to begin looking elsewhere.

Where it comes from and why it isn’t the healthiest ingredient to use in candles?

Candle wax is a by-product of petroleum. It first became a popular ingredient for use in candles around 1867.

In present day, after it’s scraped out of oil refineries, paraffin wax is usually bleached by adding dioxin; texturized with acrolyn (a known carcinogen); and then mixed with animal-based stearic acid (a nasty byproduct of the meatpacking slaughterhouses) to harden it so that it can be made into candles.

What are the biggest harms associated with burning paraffin wax?

Have you ever found yourself rubbing your eyes not long after lighting a candle? As an eye irritant, it won’t affect everyone in the same way. However, it can cause itching, tearing, and sometimes soreness. So, if you want to be kind to your eyes, it’s a good idea to look elsewhere for candles.

Sore eyes are only the tip of the iceberg, though. There are other ways that paraffin candle waxes can harm your health:

Aggravating your lungs

When you light a paraffin candle, you’re releasing dangerous chemicals into the air. When paraffin candles burn, they emit black soot and toxic fumes (similar in chemistry to diesel exhaust) containing poisonous chemicals such as benzene, toluene, naphthalene, tri-decane, tetra-decane, penta-decane, and hexadecane.

According to one study from the University of South Carolina, those chemicals are associated with asthma, the exacerbation of respiratory conditions, and allergy-like reactions.

Irritating your skin

Your skin isn’t immune to fumes in the air. And depending on the quality of the paraffin that’s in your candles, you may find that those fumes cause itching. They could also make existing dermatological conditions worse.

Ok, so paraffin is bad… But I love candles!

If you’re worried about giving up your love for candles, don’t to be. Fortunately, all our candles at Areli’s Soy Candles are made of 100% soy wax that is completely harmless to you and your family. We also use:

Pure cotton wicks

We also use 100% natural cotton wicks. Much like the type of wax you use, the wick can affect the quality of the candle and the way it burns. Some wicks contain metal filaments like lead to help them stand upright which are very harmful when burned.

Pure cotton wicks don’t feature the same chemicals used to mordant (prepare) synthetic wicks. As a result, they’re less likely to release toxic chemicals into the air that you’ll then go on to breathe.

Essential oils instead of chemical fragrances

Essential oils are made from pure plant sources. They are processed from flowers, barks, herbs, and seeds and contain zero synthetic ingredients.

In fact, essential oils are known to possess therapeutic properties based on the specific natural compounds found within each plant. For example, lavender is known for its calming properties while peppermint may enhance mental clarity.

We use only natural essential oils so you can enjoy your candle without exposing your body to phthalates and other toxins found in chemical fragrances.

Now that we’ve established the harms of paraffin wax and the alternatives that are available, it’s time for you to get shopping! Check out all our fragrances and get a special discount when you subscribe to our mailing list.

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