Harmful Side Effects Of Stress And How to Chill Out

Our bodies are in a constant search for balance. So, when we experience stress or fear of any kind... There is an immediate response within the nervous system, responding by releasing a surge of stress hormones, preparing the body for emergency action. The heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper.

This may all feel like the new normal, but there are some side effects you might not know can be prevented by managing your stress levels, and coping mechanisms for over all well-being.

Stress can cause:

• Chronic sleep issues

• Pain causing inflammation

• Skin Issues like Hormonal acne + Eczema

• Hair loss

• Autoimmune disease

• Rapid weight changes

• Irregular menstrual cycles + Reproductive issues

• Memory issues + Mental clarity

• Digestive Distress + Blood Sugar Fluctuations

• Lowered Immunity

These issues may not be showing up in your life currently, but that might not mean you have a handle on your stress quite yet. Stress can effect us in different ways, and the way in which stress shows up in the body can change over the years. We’d like to urge you to get proactive about how you manage your stress, cause once we start seeing some of these symptoms, it becomes harder for body to return to balance. Here are some tips we have gathered to help you stay proactive about stress management. 

Revaluate Your Diet

Eating a diet of primarily whole/clean foods is one of the easiest and most beneficial ways to destress. Whole foods are those that remain close to their state in nature, containing only one ingredient. They do not have starches, flavoring, added sugars or other manufactured ingredients. These foods remain rich in vitamins and nutrients the bodies systems need to function, and most importantly do not cause much inflammation in the body or further disrupt our naturally occurring hormones. If you’d like a more personalized diet evaluation, we have holistic nutrition consultations available. 

Develop A Clean SkinCare Routine

Using clean and organic skincare products are super important. Almost as important as diet. Not only can skincare products rejuvenate and illuminate the skin, but they can also calm, balance and heal. The skin has no filtration system, which means, whatever you place on your skin is immediately absorbed into your blood stream. This can exacerbate skin issues and disrupt hormones, causing more inflammation and more of what we were trying to heal in the first place. If you’d like a more personalized skincare evaluation, please contact us to set something up!

Breathwork, Meditation + Yoga

Breathwork is more than just breathing correctly or with intent. Leaning into breath awareness gives us the tools for major healing. It encompasses a broad range of whole body therapeutic practices and techniques used to relieve physical, mental and emotional tension. The benefits of deep breathing are immediate. By breathing deeply, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system, not only bringing a sense of calm, but slows down your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure. Deep breathing relaxes your neck and chest muscles, engaging your abs… allowing larger amounts of oxygen to reach your cells and organs. In the still, is a perfect time to clear your mind or focus on a mantra, affirming awareness and intention. All thoughts are energy and all energy is creative, so make it a good one. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of breath work, we suggest a breath work coach or class. Krishna Avalon and Dr Andrea Millen are our local go to’s.

Here are some other tips for stress relief:

• Joyful movement + Avoiding over exercising

• Wind down ritual + Sleep schedule

• Limit caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine

• Connect to your community

• Set up routine and structure in your routines and make space for changes

• Set a regular check in with your family/community

• Find time to take a break

• Set Boundaries + Agree to disagree

• Tap into source (nature, god, spirit etc)

Plants are gifts from our planet. We should be utilizing their magic to help support our systems. Both internal and topically, the following herbs, adaptogens, and nutrients help to relax the adrenal glands and nervous system… calming inflammation, reducing anxious energy, increasing adaptogenic power, regulating cortisol, increasing immunity, aiding in sleep, and digestive distress.  Look for the following herbs and nutrients in your food and in your skincare.  Some of these plant goodies are available in supplement form, teas and tonics. (Please consult a wellness professional before adding any supplements into your routine)

• Lemon Balm

• Ashwagandha

• Passionflower

• Kava

• Chamomile

• Calendula

• Magnesem

• Calcium

• B Vitamins

• Vitamin C

• Turmeric

• Reishi

• Nettle Leaf

• St. Johns Wart

• CBD

• Licorice

• Rhodiola Rosea

After Covid-19: A Letter About The New Normal + The New Skincare

My Beautiful Clients + Future Clients,

I miss all the things ya’ll… I miss hugs, community, and concerts. I miss meeting new people, classes, pedicures, I even miss dating. Most of all, I miss seeing the glow of positive change in the wellbeing of all of you. How are you holding up? What are you missing? What are some recent personal victories?

During the pandemic, I applaud you for fearlessly taking on new roles. I applaud you for being gracious, brave and empathetic while familiar roles and the roles of others shift. It’s been hard. I also want to thank you for your continued support and patience through the pausing and unpausing of my practice. Your little notes of understanding and encouragement have been truly life saving. I would love to hear updates from all of you!

Feeling safe is so important, and just like health, it looks different for everyone. The nature of my practice is very intimate, and there’s a huge level of vulnerability and trust my clients place in me. I’ve been hard at work designing a post covid business model, which has been ever changing for the last few months. Decisions concerning the health and safety of others are very hard decisions to make. The reopen has been a struggle to say the least. The struggle was multiplied when I received a call from a dear client who tested positive, just days after receiving a treatment. I battle with feelings of doing what feels right and safe for me vs. what I’m “supposed to be doing”.

I have such passion for skincare, but my job requires me to be literally face to face with my clients. That puts me less than 2 ft. from my clients' unmasked face. After a few attempts to reopen unsuccessfully, Ive made a very hard decision to wait it out a bit longer. For now, I have sadly closed my books for the rest of the year. I am still offering virtual consultations, which include a personalized at home facial which will be available for delivery or pickup. (shipping options for out-of-towners) I'll send out an email next week with details on how it works, what it includes and how to sign up! (make sure you sign up for my updates)

I will use this time to focus on furthering my education in corrective, preventative skincare, as well as hormone balance, and holistic food medicine. I am also looking into tattoo school, so I can add microblading to my offerings! The progress at WellHouse (the new clinic) has been moving right along, and we now see a light at the end of this very long tunnel (3 years next month, can you believe it?) When things feel safe, we will reopen for good, hopefully at the new location.

Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or if you need support. Let the healing begin!

love + blessings, Gin

Hormone Balancing 101

We are so glad to hear so much awareness being directed toward hormonal support + balance these days. If you are a regular client of ours, you know how important education + hormones are. We aren't just talking about the sex hormones here (estrogen, progestin, testosterone etc.) we are talking about the over 800 communicators that make our bodies run. Some of these star players include T3 + T4, our thyroid hormones, Insulin which controls our blood sugar, Prolactin for lactating mamas, Serotonin our moods best friend, Cortisol, which manages our stress.... just to name a few. 

We are currently exposed to more endocrine disruption than ever before. Fighting an uphill battle of the hormones, no wonder we are exhausted, stressed, moody, + highly inflamed… with low libidos, hair loss, weight gain, acne flare-ups, hyperpigmentation, poor gut function, inconsistent menses, joint pain, vitamin and mineral deficient… the list of symptoms goes on and on.

Instead of putting a band-aid on these symptoms, I urge you to seek support through professionals who will get to the root cause of the issue, and help you fix it for good. Here is where we come in.

 It’s our goal to team up with you and your healthcare team, and get you on the fast track to balance though skincare and whole foods nutrition and supplementation. Our very first course of action is taking a very close look at what you are currently putting on or in your body. This is of prime importance, because in order to find the root cause, we need to see how the pathways are being disrupted.

 Our focus is educating you on how to listen to your body to achieve optimal health. Giving you the tools to clear up your skin, loose the excess weight, regulate your menstrual cycle, attract the right mate, banish mood swings, get the solid beauty sleep you deserve, normalize your digestion, and get you feeling on fire for life. The prevention is where it’s at y’all. With these tools you can prevent future illness + disharmony and maybe reverse some of your current ones along the way. Let get you on your way to optimal health and harmony.

Skin



Acne as a teenager is a given. We know the drill: Puberty hits, our hormones go into overdrive, the breakouts last a few years, then acne moves on… right? Wrong. For many people, acne occurs for the first time past their teenage years and often well into adulthood. The culprit: Hormones. For both men and women, hormone levels fluctuate with aging. In men, skin changes due to a drop in testosterone. In Women, testosterone levels are on the rise and estrogen plummets. When androgen levels increase, receptors in the skin trigger an increase in sebum production and cause the pore lining to thicken. This contributes to oil build-up, bacteria growth and, you guessed it… breakouts, as well as hormonal hyper pigmentation, inflammation and premature aging. Progesterone, estrogen and androgen levels vary during monthly cycles as well as life events like pregnancy and menopause, leading to the same symptoms that tend to appear on the jawline, chin and neck. 

Freckles on your nose are cute at age seven but but as we age and these spots seem to be spreading… what gives? Call them age spots, liver spots, hyper pigmentation or sun spots - no matter what name they go by, these dark spots are signs of skin damage or other problems with pigmentation. When hormone levels zigzag, one of the most common side effects is a change in pigmentation. Frequently seen during pregnancy or changes in birth control, uneven skin tone is caused by extra hormones stimulating the production of melanin. Pregnant women often develop melasma, which results in these dark patches on the nose, cheeks, jawline, forehead or chin. (EminenceOrganics)

Our immediate recommendations to treat hormonal skin, are to maintain a proper, hygienic skin care routine, get plenty of sleep (mostly between 10pm-2am your most restorative time) eat your greens, cut the coffee, dairy, and sugar, incorporate probiotics, and try to avoid unnecessary stress. You may also consider a visit to a hormone specialist, who may be better suited to diagnose your specific needs rather than a dermatologist. If you live in the Portland area, let me refer you to my magical team.

While a good skincare ritual can help improve your skin dramatically, it’s important to team up with your professional regularly (every 4-6 weeks) to keep your routine fresh and effective. Organic skincare is food for your face. Switching things up with the seasons is another important key. Time after time, I see clients back off once they start to see changes in the skin, but it will most likely return if the root cause is not addressed. Here’s where our Nutritional Therapy comes into play.

Nutrition

Who needs to see a nutritionist? We know that poor nutrition leads to hormone imbalance, but this can lead to much more dramatic health concerns. Lets stop this imbalance act in its tracks. Our Holistic Nutritional Therapy is a natural approach that uses evidence-based techniques for diet, lifestyle, and detoxification. Instead of focusing on just one aspect of a person, its important to understand that each person is biologically unique, so there is no one size fits all approach. Which is why following “programs” generally don’t turn out to be a sustainable option. In our sessions, we evaluate our clients’ complete health history, emotional state, lifestyle and rituals already in place. This is how we determine the root cause of your concerns and symptoms. For us, this becomes a really interesting puzzle that we must solve.

 Nutritional Therapy can help with the following:

 Acne/Skin Conditions

Cravings

Depression/Mood/Anxiety

Detoxification

Dietary Challenges and Allergies

Disease Prevention and Support

Irregular/Painful/Long/Short Menses

Infertility

Change in Libido

Discorded Eating

Low Energy/Fatigue

Sleep Issues

Weight Loss

ETC.

A Nutritionist Hosts A Brunch

Social culinary experiences are super important to mental health, cultural nostalgia and to the strength of relationships with food. Food is my medicine, but its also something I take great joy in. The shopping, preparing and eating. I love sharing this passion and knowledge with people I care about. So, From time to time, I like gather my favorites and host a meal... Since brunch is my ultimate meal (seriously Id eat it for every meal if I could) It tends to be brunch that I go after. I usually make two main dishes and have my guests bring some extras. Today I hosted a few of my friends, who have a wide variety of beliefs, tastes, and restrictions. So I tried my best to accommodate everyone, and It was beyond delicious. I want to share my experience with you, and my recipes for a few of the hits, at my brunch.

Super Coconutty Matcha Cups

These delicious treats are completely vegan, and can be modified to meet restrictions of just about anyone. These are no bake, healthy fat full, and semi sweet, with clean burning, long lasting energy. Easy and quick, and a total crowd pleaser!

Ingredients

1 cup coconut oil

1 cup creamy coconut butter 

½ cup full fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight

½ tsp matcha green tea powder

1 tsp maca root powder

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp Himalayan salt

2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

1/2 cup rolled oats (optional)

1 cup finely shredded coconut 

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add all the ingredients except for the oats, and shredded coconut, to a large mixing bowl. Note that your coconut oil + coconut milk need to be firm, so refrigerate for a bit before you get started. 

2. Mix on high with a hand mixer, until whipped and fluffy

3. Fold in the oats for fiber + texture

4. Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to portion each cup into its cupcake paper, or form into small balls

5. Sprinkle coconut shreds on top and put them in the freezer for 20 minutes or until hardened

6. Transfer your finished energy cups to an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

These can be eaten straight out of the fridge but they are even better when you let them sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before to eat them.

Benefits

Maca - 

·       Balances Hormones

·       Increases Energy

·       Aids in fertility

·       Improves Skin + Hair

Matcha - 

·       Is bursting with antioxidants including the mighty EGCg

·       Abundant in fiber, vitamins + chlorophyll

·       Mood + focus booster

·       Enhances metabolism + burns calories

·       Contains selenium, vitamin C, chromium, zinc + magnesium

·       Reduces cholesterol + blood sugar

Coconut - 

·       Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) a calorie burning machine

·       Can Kill dangerous microorganisms

·       Reduces hunger

·       Contains fatty acids that can boost brain function

·       Improves significant risks like Total, LDL and HDL cholesterol,                 which may translate to a lower threat of heart disease

                       

   Turkey + Kale Fritatta

Pumpkin Seeds - 

·       Balances Blood Sugar

·       Hormone Balancing Power

·       Heart + live health

·       Contains tryptophan, an amino acid that aids in restful sleep

·       Anti-inflamatory

·       Prostate health

·       Great source of fiber and Omega3’s

·       High in zinc, great for immunity

·       Heart Healthy

This yummy AM entree is a wonderfully filling option that will feed 8-10 people. I made it whole30 compliant but you could top it with a cheese of your choice, or substiture turkey for sausage, bacon or salmon. You could even remove the turkey all together and add more peppers, kale, spinach, zuchini etc. to make it veggitarian. Great creative, this dish is hard to mess up.

Ingredients

2 Yukon potatos

1 large yellow onion

1 lb ground turkey

1 bundle kale

1 yellow bell pepper (I used yellow but you can substitute for the color of your choice)

4 tbsp full fat coconut milk

6 eggs

1/2 cup melted ghee (or butter)

Salt, chili powder, black pepper, parsley to taste

Instructions

(preheat oven to 350)

1. Use melted ghee to coat your pan. Use a large cast iron skillet, a muffin tin or a glass cookware

2. Slice yukon potatos into very thin slices and overlap them to over your pan.

3. Sauté finely chopped onion and bell pepper, until onion is soft and start to become translucent, add in turkey and seasoning and cook till brown 

4. Chop kale and add to the turkey mixture. while that cooks, whip eggs with coconut milk in a bowl (add salt and pepper to taste)

5. Spread turkey mixture evenly over the potatoes. 

6. Pour egg mixture on top and place in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

Enjoy! I top mine with my favorite salsa, or hot sauce for some kick!

A 13 Step Guide To Balance + Mindfulness

A follow-up to my last post about new year's resolutions... Here is a 13 step energetic reminder the really spoke to me while in studying holistic nutrition + Chinese medicine. It's helped to put some things into perspective. For those of you struggling with the side effects of your new years resolution (Whole30 crew keep reading there's more advice specific to you)... it may get worse before it bets better, but it always gets better!

1. Eat breakfast or any nutrient dense foods in the morning when your body can assimilate the most from food.

2. Don’t wait until you are starving to eat. If you wait till you are hungry to eat, your blood sugar has already dropped and you will be more likely to crave sugar and/or refined carbohydrates.

3. Avoid eating while angry, under stress, or with people you don’t like. Your food will not digest properly if you are angry or upset. Enjoying your food and being content when you eat allows our bodies to literally accept the food more effectively into our systems.

4. Eat slowly and thoroughly and breathe! Chew your food well! Carbohydrate digestion depends on the enzyme salivary amylase, which is found in the mouth. Challenge yourself to make a habit of chewing your food until it is all one consistency. Breathing relaxes your nervous system ensures better metabolism and digestion.

5. Practice eating mindfully. Sit down, turn off the television, put down your book and avoid unpleasant conversation with yourself and others.

6. Toss the microwave! Studies indicate they damage or have a negative effect
on our bodies. From a TCM perspective, microwaving renders the food energetically dead.

7. Include a good amount of cooked foods in your diet. Between 40-100% depending on season, constitution and health. Humans have evolved to require cooked food in order to obtain the energy needed to nourish our brains and thrive.

8. Refrain from drinking any liquids with your meals. Drinking liquids with meals will dilute the enzymes and acids necessary for proper food digestion. Drink 20 minutes before or after your meal. A cup of warm tea or glass of wine may enhance digestion.

9. Eat a variety, eat simply. This is not a contradiction. Eat a variety of food over a day or week, but make your meals simple and avoid complex combinations of foods within the meal itself.

10. Eat until you are satiated, not until you’re full.

11. When possible, eat dinner by 7pm. Your body is less capable of digesting heavy or complex meals at night.

12. Don’t chill the Spleen. The digestive process needs warmth. Too much raw, cold, frozen foods or iced drinks will dampen the digestive fire.

13. Give thanks for your food and thank yourself for eating consciously. Prepare food with love and consciousness.

Hey January Whole30 challengers, or anyone doing a sugar detox, or a cleanse, or an elimination diet, or.... wait anyone who had a resolution.... Here is what to expect and why.

Even if you were eating fairly clean before, (or at least you thought) beware of the detox symptoms! If there's one thing the Whole30 taught me, it's that they put sugar in everything.  Your body is craving it... I know, I know. Sugar is a drug! Well according to your brain... there is no difference. so here's what to expect in the next few days, the dirty detox has already started to rear its nasty head for some of you... Hang in there!

FATIGUE - BREAKOUTS - IRRITABILITY - HEADACHES - WEAKENED IMMUNITY - HOT FLASHES AND COLD SWEATS

Your blood sugar will take time to stabilize. Stay strong. We have over 800 hormones in our bodies, and their job is to communicate with each other to convey functionality. When one hormone gets off balance, his 799 friends get really confused, because his communication turns into something resembling Charlie Brown's teacher. Sugar is a massive hormone disruptor, the good news is, your cells are constantly renewing, so it won't take long to balance itself out. Water, protein, fat and fiber will be your best buds. Like drink so much water you feel like you might drown. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, usually around day 5-8...

DEEP, RESTFUL SLEEP - IMPROVED CONCENTRATION - SUPERHERO DIGESTION - EASY TO SLEEP, EASY TO WAKE - LESS JOINT PAIN - AUTOMATIC MINDFULNESS

You're being so deliberate right now, rightfully so with all the new rules... and the changes will cause your body to be off balance and exhausted. Here comes the good part, this makes it so much more noticeable when the cloud of imbalance is lifted from your brain and your new normal will be energetic, sharp, regular (I'm talkin poop) optimistic and MINDFUL.... the list goes on and on!

I'll be posting some more tips on my Instagram story and Facebook page in the days to come. Go check it out. It's all about intension. Im here for you. Hang in there, you're doing great!

#theyearofyou

New Year New Life?

So here we are... 2018

As we watch 2017 fade from view, we pick ourselves up from the holiday blur, and bring our focus back to reality. It is this time of year that we reflect on ourselves (some a little too hard) and devise a plan to get back to some self-care, to become a better version of ourselves.

While I think this is an incredible endeavor (please pat yourself on the back... seriously, I’m waiting...) I think we are generally too hard on ourselves when we do not achieve the goals we set out to slay. This is the  primary reason that resolutions aren't successful. 

I've got some tricks that can not only set yourself up for success in achieving your goals, but you might surprise yourself, by surpassing to next level lifestyle status. 

1.    Set more reasonable, short-term goals

What’s one thing you can do today, right now, to help you achieve your optimum health? This means, instead of "I will work out for at least an hour a day, 5 times a week, until I loose 50lbs" You rephrase and level with yourself... I mean you have had a tough year, go easy. " I will get to the gym 3 days a week for the first month of the year, I will focus on movement that makes me joyful, and I will re-evaluate at the start of next month" Less harsh, less chance of let down (which causes stress and releases cortisol, the stress hormone) and much higher success rate. So at the end of the month, you are feeling better and  more positive about the sustainability of your routine. This applies to EVERYTHING, not just working out. 

2.    Be specific about your intent  

The universe is listening.... Why not focus on the things you do want rather than the things you don't, and be super intentional about it? Instead of "eating healthier" tell us how you really feel... "I will reduce sugar and inflammatory foods for 30 days, because I want to have less joint pain, more energy, and get a better nights sleep." Be mindful about this. Become substantially, passionately and emotionally conscious of yourself. Bring new meaning to “Living in the moment.” Then just stand back and reap the benefits.

3.    Congratulate yourself, and let others join in the celebration

Having a support system is so important. Let the people close to you know what your struggles are, and exclaim to them the changes you plan to make in your life, regardless of the time of year (you don’t have to wait till the new year). Focus your thoughts and ideas on forming patterns and behaviors to bring the life you’ve always aspired to have, right into existence. Design fresh passageways in your brain, to change old habits and create new ones. Seek the advice and support of professionals, a personal trainer, a holistic nutritionist, a health coach, a yoga instructor etc. We are here to support YOU. In fact, we have dedicated our lives to doing so!

You write this story, and everyone writes their own, so grab your pen and lets get to creative!

#theyearofyou

The battle of the cleansers

     Most of us are lucky if we can get our cleanse in before bed. Am I right? How many times have you laid down, exhausted after a long day and remembered you're still wearing makeup? I get it, and Im guilty of the same. Actually getting up and washing your face through, is way more complex task than just a quick once over with soap and water. Clients often ask the following questions...

1. Im overwhelmed by all the cleansers, which one am I supposed to be using?
2. Does it really hurt to sleep in my makeup?
3. How often should I be washing my face?
4. I just splash my face with water does that count?
5. How often do I exfoliate?

Have no fear, Im here to help. Let me address these concerns, and if you still have additional questions, don't hesitate to reach out...

     With so many professional and over-the-counter cleansers, finding a one that works for your unique skin type can be a daunting task. What I find mostly, is that clients are using a “gentle” cleanser that will avoid breaking them out, but is loaded with toxic chemicals, disrupting their hormones and causing more breakouts. An “acne” cleanser (avoid all cleansers with alcohol) that is stripping the skin of all of its natural oils, leaving the skin super dry, and creating a fight or flight situation, producing more oil to replace itself. If you tend towards dry skin, like myself, try using a cream or oil cleanser, it takes a few applications to get used to not feeling squeaky clean, but it does the job alright, without exacerbating your dryness.

Using the right cleanser balances the oil production; PH levels, and removes cellular buildup permitting the moisturizing, anti-aging, brightening, clearing, and calming products to absorb more efficiently. No matter what type of skin you have, be certain the ingredients list does not contain fragrance, which can be irritating. Parabens and harsh soaps can be super drying, as well as known hormone disruptors.

Here are my general recommendations. If Eminence Organics isn’t your thing, or not quite in your budget, I suggest an app called “Think Dirty” which will tell you all the ingredients in your products and why they are good or bad.

• Oily/Acne – Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser, Eucalyptus Cleansing Concentrate
• Dry – Monoi Age Corrective Exfoliating Cleanser, Stone Crop Cleansing Oil
• Sensitive – Stone Crop Gel Wash, Coconut Milk Cleanser

Sleeping in your makeup once in a while won’t kill you, but I wouldn’t make it a habit. In fact we loose 2% more epidermal water when we sleep so, not only do you want to wash all the free radicals of the day off before we tuck in, but you want to make sure you’ve got some superhero serums and moisturizers on while your body resets. Which brings me to the frequency question. Cleansing twice a day is not necessary, unless you have severely oily skin. Instead, skip your morning cleanse and make sure to cleanse at night, makeup or not. Splashing your face with water, or using a cleansing wipe is unfortunately not effectively cleansing the skin. Especially before bed or after a workout, you’ll want to steer clear of these methods.

And on to exfoliation. It takes the skin over 20 days to restore itself organically by shedding dead cells + producing new cells. This cellular build-up accumulates on the surface of the skin, clogging pores and leaving it looking and feeling dull. Exfoliation speeds up the shedding process revealing vibrant skin and allows for greater product penetration, as mentioned before.

Exfoliating regularly can give us great results, but if we’re using a scrub with particles that are too large and abrasive, it can actually make tiny micro-tears in the skin, ultimately harming your beautiful skin. Since each of us is different, so too is our skin. I recommend starting with a gentle exfoliant 3 times a week and working your way up as needed. You really have to listen to your skin, it will tell you what it needs.

For a milder substitute, I recommend our Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant. Which uses gentle and environmentally friendly rice powders to absorb oil, while plant sourced lactic and salicylic acids exfoliate to reveal a brighter and more radiant looking complexion. Got sensitive skin? Try the Yam & Pumpkin Enzyme Peel. The pumpkin enzymes & lactic acid in this yummy treatment gently dissolve build-up so you’re left with a healthy glow, without the irritation.

Ok, now that you're a cleansing expert, do what you gotta do to talk yourself out of that cozy bed.... It's cleansing time.

Whats in a blog?

     As long as I can remember, family members have always told me I should be writing a blog. I write songs, I wrote album and show reviews, I wrote biographies and press releases... but somehow the idea of a blog seemed foreign. Here we are 20 years later and blogs are apparently still a thing. Not only are blogs a valuable resource to get information and education to my clients and future clients, bringing them skincare, beauty, holistic nutrition, wellness, lifestyle and life balancing support, but... they can generate buzz, drive traffic, and add value and excitement to my business. Who knew? Looks like a win win here.

So here is my blog. I don't know how this is going to go, and Im new, so bare with me. But, Im excited to share with you, and Im glad you're here. Feel free to follow us on our social media accounts (facebook and instagram) to join the conversation! We do tons of giveaways, workshops, and events! Get involved!