I received this question from a loyal customer and I’d love to share with you my answer. “I’m a loyal user of your products and recently I was trying to convert (kidding not kidding) a friend and she said: “Well, my sister-in-law is a dermatologist and she says the holy trinity of skincare is sunscreen, antioxidants and retinoids. How do her products measure up in those categories?” Thank you so much for spreading the word! In my experience trying to get a dermatologist to convert to natural products is the same as trying to convince a GP to take natural medicine, it goes against all their training. So when our trusted friends and family members have these strong opinions that’s what we trust too. BUT here is…
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How I Use Fruits (and a Vegetable) in My Skincare Products
How I Use Fruits (and a Vegetable) in My Skincare Products The ingredients I use in my skincare products are all natural, and come from a variety of plant sources: bark, distilled hydrosols from flowers and plants, oils pressed from nuts and seeds, and extracts or oils from fruit itself. Nearly all of my products also include fruit in one way or another, so I wanted to highlight the skin-loving properties of the many fruits you can find in my products. Citrus Scent is one of our most powerful senses, and I want you to enjoy the experience of treating your skin. That’s one of the reasons you’ll find citrus in many of my products; the refreshing scent of orange, lime, or bright lemon is…
White Willow
W is for White Willow I sometimes wonder how we became convinced that artificial ingredients, fragrances, and chemicals were a good idea to put on our skin. After all, people have been turning to plants for both beauty and medicinal reasons for thousands of years with great success. I’m so happy to see the tide turning back to safe, natural ingredients to support our skin and bodies. A perfect example is how the harsh, drying chemical salicylic acid can be replaced by the gentle, whole bark of the white willow. Salicylic Acid If you’ve ever suffered from oily or blemished skin, you’re likely familiar with salicylic acid. It’s a prolific ingredient in acne treatments aimed at reducing oil, exfoliating the skin, and unclogging pores….
L is for Lemon Verbena (Hydrosol)
There is nothing quite like the boost from the scent of citrus. It’s a summery scent but almost more impactful in the darker winter months. Lemon verbena brings me there, as well – but did you know that it isn’t a citrus fruit, but a leafy plant often used in cooking? This super-fragrant herb has many talents that you can use in the kitchen and to benefit your skin and soul. Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citriodora) Lemon verbena is native to South America, but will live well in frost-free climates. Where I live in B.C., it grows happily all summer but doesn’t often survive the winter – much like the tender basil plant. While I’d love to have lemon verbena year round, it’s that much more…
R is for Rosehip Seed Oil
Rosehip seed oil is my very first love in plant oils, but I didn’t quite realize the full scope of my love until I sat down to write this: you can find it in nearly all of my moisturizers, including the tinted ones. In fact, I think only frankincense beats rosehip seed oil in terms of abundance in my products. But while frankincense stands out as an ingredient thanks to its unmistakable scent, rosehip seed oil shows up quietly, working its skin-healing wonders in the background. Where Rosehip Seed Oil Comes From Rosehip seed oil (also known as rosehip oil) is different from rose essential oil which comes from the petals of the rose. Rather, the oil is pressed from the fruit and seeds of…
J is for Jojoba
J is for Jojoba (“ho-ho-ba”) Why do I use this ingredient so much? Other than simply being fun to say, jojoba mimics our own skin’s natural oils; this means it’s both supportive and restorative when it comes to skincare. What is Jojoba Oil? Jojoba oil is actually a wax ester that is produced from the seeds of the Simmondsia chinensis plant, found in areas such as Arizona, Mexico, and California. Common names for the plant are goat nut, deer nut, pig nut, wild hazel, quinine nut, coffeeberry, and gray box bush. The O’odham Hohowi people (indigenous Uto-Aztecs) are the ones credited with the name “jojoba”. They, and other southwestern indigenous people, have long treated burns and other wounds using the paste or oil from…
Beautiful Balancing Lavender
Beautiful, Balancing Lavender I have to admit, when I see those tiny, light purple lavender buds start to appear in my garden, I get excited. There is even more anticipation this year, as I have a good-sized plot of lavender that is destined for my still to make lavender hydrosol. The hydrosol and/or lavender essential oil is found in nearly all of the products in my Balancing Line for it’s skin-loving and healing properties. I’ve written about the history and many uses of lavender before (read it here), but today is all about BALANCE. A Balanced Skincare Routine Before we get into lavender’s skin-balancing powers, it’s important to understand what our skin needs (and doesn’t) to stay healthy. As our body’s largest organ, our…
F is for Frankincense
Frankincense is one of my favourite oils for rejuvenating and repairing the skin. It’s also the star of my number one selling product, Argan & Frankincense Facial Oil. What makes this ancient tree resin so special that we have been treasuring it for thousands of years? A Brief History of Frankincense Most of us were likely introduced to frankincense when we learned it was one of the gifts given to Christ at his birth by the Three Wise Men. They gifted him the treasures of myrrh, frankincense, and gold. And indeed, there are written records as far back as 1500 BC discussing uses for this prized resin. Frankincense is from the boswellia family of trees, which has never been domesticated or cultivated. It grows…
R is for Roses (Bulgarian Rose)
I look at plants a lot differently than most people out there, and that goes for the beautiful rose, as well. Of course I love roses for their beauty, scent, and the symbolism of love… but when I look at a rose, I also see its power to soothe and heal. Aromatherapy of Rose Scent is the sense most closely tied to memory, and I bet the sweet scent of rose will bring you somewhere special. Is it a flower garden? The wild roses by the ocean? Or someone who once wore a perfume with rose notes? No matter your own memory with the scent of rose, it holds special power in the world of aromatherapy. Inhaling the essence of rose has shown to reduce…
Hyaluronic Acid for all skin types and all seasons
Hyaluronic Acid for all skin types and all seasons Hyaluronic (hi-a-lur-onic) acid (HA), or sodium hyaluronate is now a widely known and well accepted skin care ingredient. It’s ability to hold up to 1000x its own weight in water and be absorbed readily through the surface of the skin is what makes it so great. Without it, it is incredibly hard to get useful amounts of water into the skin using topical products. HA is found naturally in our skin, joints and eyes and like many other components of our body decreases as we age. So, it would make sense to focus on using HA in products aimed at mature skin. However, all skin types can benefit from the water boost HA gives. Another way…