I have always had an interest in natural health and healing and all things alternative to main stream self-care. Wellness to me is using what nature has provided, and natural skincare is just the basis. Chemicals have become so normal in the every day products that we use, that we don’t even notice them anymore. Until you start to look them up and what each component does or doesn’t do – then you realize that maybe they aren’t so good for you. Well I realized that quite sometime ago and that is when I started making a lot of my own products. This was also prompted because after I had my second son, as I became more sensitive to preservatives and chemicals, especially make-up so I decided to really start going natural with the products that I use without spending an arm and a leg. 
We originally started by making our own cleaning products using essential oils, fresh water and one of the best natural cleaners – vinegar. Vinegar is a chemical but at least it is one we know and can trust to be just what it is – acetic acid which is created by a natural chemical reaction – fermentation. Anyway, now that we have had a little chemistry talk – onto natural skincare products.
 I began in natural wellness a few years ago with simple herbal infused oils and essential oils and I liked using these products so much that I started researching how to make more products.
First I learned the basics of making balms, ointments and salves – which are relatively simple as long as you have the right tools and raw materials – such as separate cookware for making the products and ingredients like beeswax, butters and oils. Once I had mastered those types of products, I added in soap making, which took some learning as it is more in depth and takes some practice, care and time.
All the while, I was doing research. On the best types and formats of skincare, that I could make with zero synthetic chemicals.
Soon came the hard lotion bars and body butter – which I love! These 2 products are so easy to use and really help the moisture get into your skin and stay there! They last forever and probably will never spoil – which makes them even more of a bonus.
Lotion – this one stumped me for quite sometime. I keep a journal of all the formulations and recipes that I make and lotion has been crossed off more times than I care to count. But finally – SUCCESS!! A few months ago, I made some absolutely fabulous lotion. I have been using it ever since. On my hands and my face. I used it myself first (as I do with all my products) and made sure it had a good shelf-life before I decided it is time to share it:)
I love this lotion – so smooth and fresh, it makes my skin feel lovely.
Most of all, in this blog – I want to share some of my favourite raw materials. These are the common ingredients that I use pretty much across the board when I am formulating products. The benefits of each one is amazing and great for all skin types.

Argan Oil: Great for skin and hair, argan oil is high in vitamin E, has a ton of anti-oxidant properties and helps with inflammation.

Avocado Oil: Is chock full of vitamins and beneficial fatty acids that nourishes your skin and may also help heal wounds and inflammatory skin conditions such as: psoriasis

Babassu Oil: Is packed with antioxidants and healthy fats, it is a great substitute for cocoa butter and is easily absorbed without adding heaviness to your formulations

Coconut Oil: Contains high levels of MCT (medium chain fatty acids) which helps reduce dryness and helps your skin to retain moisture. It protects the skin from environmental factores such as pollution and toxins and on top of all that – it is antibacterial and anti-fungal.

Grapeseed Butter: Contains vitamins, minerals and linoleic acid that helps to improve the resiliency of skin and works to tone the skin – adding firmness.

Grapeseed Oil: similar to the butter, grapeseed oil is nourishing and helps to tone, tighten and smooth skin.

Hemp Oil: Ultra-rich in omega-6 fatty acids – it moisturizes without clogging pores, soothes inflammatory skin conditions, promotes new cell growth and balances oil production.

Jojoba Oil: It is one of the best all around skin oils – non-comedogenic, anti-bacterial, antioxidant, moisturizing and hypo-allergenic. It softens rough skin and mimics your own natural oils so absorbs better than most skin oils. I use it in most of my products.

Olive Oil: Olive oil is rich in vitamins like A,D,K and E with a very high concentration of squalene which gives it an extra boost as an antioxidant. It fights bacteria while it moisturizes making it a great addition to any skin care product.

Shea Butter: High in vitamins and fatty acids, this nourishing butter is easy to spread and absorb and makes a great product for any skin care routine as it smooths, conditions and soothes while it moisturizes. I use it in pretty much every single item I make for skin care.

Tamanu Oil: Has multiple benefits, including healing wounds, smoothing scars, anti-aging, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. This oil is used in small amounts and has a deep earthy scent.

I use many essential oils in my products and formulations. Some I use more than others but I will create another post that focuses solely on the uses and benefits of specific essential oils in the future.

I highly believe that everything we use on ourselves should be of the highest quality and made with the most natural ingredients. Taking care to use products that nourish you on the outside will also help nourish you on the inside – after all, our skin is the largest organ in our body!

If you have any questions – please reach out! I love talking about natural health!

Healthy living, such a concept these days with fast food restaurants on every corner and skip the dishes or uber eats apps on your phone. Hey, I am not knocking them (well maybe a little) – have I ever used them personally, no, actually I haven’t. I don’t have then downloaded, and I likely never will. I stopped eating most fast food many years ago. Sure, I get the odd timmies or NY Fries on the road but it isn’t a common occurrence. Most of that type of food just doesn’t make me feel good. It tastes ok usually but afterwards, I feel sluggish and that is so not worth it to me. I am too busy to feel yuck after eating. So when I ask the question “What does health living mean to me?” Well first off – FOOD. Good healthy wholesome full of energy tasty food. Food that makes you feel good, with ingredients I can pronounce;)
Last year I read a book called “The French Don’t Diet Plan” by Dr. Will Clower and I decided that changes needed to be made. A lot of the info in the book rang true with me, especially the part about synthetic food or “false food” as it was called in the book. Food that had too many ingredients or ingredients that were unrecognizable as food, made me feel crummy. So I decided to revamp my whole pantry!
This was right around the time that the WHO declared a world wide pandemic of the novel corona virus COVID-19. Bad timing on my part – here I was loading up in the grocery store, reading every single label, trying to figure what was real food and what wasn’t and the world was about to get crazy!
That first shop took me forever, but it was worth every second and every penny (it was pricey). I will say real food is more expensive but in the long run, your health and energy levels will thank you and you won’t ever go back.
Over the next 2-3 months I stuck to my plan and shopped, cooked, and ate only real food. I learned to make bread (as did a lot of people) and homemade pizza dough and healthy preservative free cheesecake. I stopped buying and eating hydrogenated anything and msg laden snacks. I fed my family and myself real honest to goodness food. And everything the book said was true. The food tastes better and we feel good.
One thing I did notice is that it was not hard to find the healthier choices once you knew what you were looking for. The book was written in 2006 and I am pretty sure that back then, this whole escapade would have been way harder! The food industry is changing and has been for quite sometime. People don’t want artificial any more, they don’t want MSG and BHA and BHT and hydrogenated oil or non fat products full of fillers. The food industry has taken note over the last 10 years and has made changes – there are healthy choices out there! There are brands that stand by using simple ingredients, no artificial flavours and colours, no high fructose-glucose and no non-hydrogenated fats or oils.
There has never been a better time to be healthy. The world is changing, actually it has changed already! People want healthy choices and they want to know where they came from and even how to create them. So learn with us!
I am not suggesting you run out and buy this book or read it even (although it is a good read). I am suggesting that you read the labels on the food you buy and make the choices that are right for you and your family.
Before I started this endeavour, I already was eating pretty healthy, I have never really cared for processed pre-packaged foods except here and there, so it wasn’t too hard for me to make the flip. But once I did, I realized that there were many products out there that I thought were good wholesome choices and they really weren’t. So much learning in very little time. After the first few months of shopping and eating real food, it was not only easier as I learnt the brands that were good to buy and the ones that weren’t. You also learn what makes you feel good and what doesn’t. I ate a hot dog one day, in early summer of 2020, when my sister came to visit us outside social distancing – first time we had gotten together in months! So we cooked hotdogs and let the kids run around outside. Well I ate one, and paid dearly for it. What a gut pain I had – so uncomfortable for about 3 hours (I really am not trying to scare you), but I also haven’t had one since. It made me realize that what I was doing, how I was eating was right for me. Skip forward about 6 months and my husband Dave ate a hotdog and the exact same thing happened to him! He said to me after – that is the last hotdog he will ever eat.
There are a few things that I still do eat that might not be 100% perfect in the ingredient section but they aren’t that bad and they don’t make me feel discomfort after eating them so I keep them in my stash for just that time that I crave a snack.
In all seriousness, even though I could go on all day about this, I will leave it at – read the labels. Learn what is good for you and what isn’t – your body will thank you!
If you need guidance on where to start – send me an email. I have a list of the do’s and the don’t’s, which if I get enough interest – I will make a page with all that info.
But for now – I will sign off!
Thanks for following:)
Stay tuned for my next post –
Healthy on the outside