Decision Fatigue  It's a real thing, and I am certain we all have it. Brains get tired. Decisions expend mental energy, reducing our ability to think straight. And since life is about choices, I wish I didn't have so many on a daily basis. I feel like an exceeding number of products are accumulating around me like an exponentially multiplying bacteria impeding my view on the rest of the world! Eggs alone. Organic, free run, free range, omega, cage-free, pasture-raised, humanly-raised, local, farmers-market, veggie-fed! Come on, seriously? Am I the only one who finds this overwhelming? It's…

Hopefully we are saying goodbye to ‘winter itch’ now that spring is here,but don’t put away the zinc yet.  Zinc is all season. Zinc works for ‘Winter Itch’. Windy. Cold. Dry. The Grey. Bitter. Dry. The  Damp. Frigid. Dry. Say goodbye to ‘dry’ weather. The lack of humidity should no longer play havoc on our skin. In winter, do you suffer itchy ear lobes, chin, chest, eyelids? Does your scalp drive you crazy? Or even worse, your BACK? Especially that no-reach zone? Do you find yourself rummaging for a back scratcher in the kitchen, the closet, the basement?  A spatula, spoon, hockey stick,…

WANTED DIMETHICONE aka: SILICONE Wanted For: Possible Environmental pollutant, Endocrine disrupterProbable Locations: Skin care products: creams, lotions, hair and nail care, deodorants, make-up, breast implantsAliases: silicone, dimethicone, methicone, phenyl trimethicone, cyclomethicone, dimethiconol, dimethicone copolyol.Suspected Peers and Cohorts: petroleum, mineral oil, lanolinDescription: liquid, to gel, to hard plastic. Generally undetectable as it is in combination with other ingredients.Reward for discovery: Possibly healthier skin and cleaner environment Beware of Dimethicone in ‘…

ARGAN OIL- Eco-certified Vegan 100% Pure Plant Based Eco-certified Argan Oil. It's soft, silky, sensual. It's delicious on the skin, lips, hair and fingertips. The pure rich nutty scent is decadent. We love it so much, we add it to our soaps, our creams, our eye oils, our lip balms, our scrubs and our butters. Argan Oil benefits are so powerful and diverse, it has hit the main stream. But there's one problem. Unfortunately, you cannot trust all the products out there that say "Argan" on the label. Quality matters. But with Argan Oil, it REALLY matters.  QUALITY MATTERS! It's not easy to …

Setting: Earth to Body Shop. Pointe ClaireCurrently in production: Moisturizing Lotion Welcome to our shop. Come on in. Watch Steph in action. “It takes time.  So many different ingredients!” Steph admits, with a grin.   Steph still makes our lotion in a small blender. It was one of our first pilot projects, formulated over 15 years ago. To decide on the recipe, I made 2 columns on paper, the old-fashioned way. One headed ‘body skin woes’, the neighbouring column: ‘ingredients to counter the woes’.  Or something like that. The Skin Woes: itchy, red, dry, bumpy, creased, calloused, sore,…

Most people associate patchouli with a 'hippy scent' or 'the smell of the sixties' to cover up body odour or the scent of pot. I myself fell into this stereotype prior to doing this research, but I have recently taken a new perspective on this decadent essential oil. It is actually used for a wide variety of benefits. And when I say 'wide', I mean the full spectrum. The paradox of patchouli is that it is both calming and uplifting simultaneously! How can an aromatherapy be used to both ground and lift? Read on! Patchouli essential oil is derived from a large evergreen perennial and is a…

Is Epsom Salt really salt? Epson salt is called a ‘salt’ because it looks like a salt crystal. But in reality, they are magnesium sulphate, not sodium chloride (NaCl) which is a true salt. Epsom salts are named after an England town where magnesium and sulphate are found in high concentrations in a saltwater spring.  It is not for consumption. Epsom ‘salts’ are known to help achy muscles, pain and soothing skin aliments. And they work.  Soak in an Epsom salt bath and you will feel good.  It is a healthy way to detox Epsom vs. Table Salt These two ‘salts’ have little in common.   Table salt is…

Time to cozy up, stay indoors and enjoy a hot bath, with Apple Cider Vinegar. Light a beeswax, soy or coconut candle, select your favourite essential oil if desired and relax in a soothing bath of nature’s fermented apples. The mother in the vinegar is essential. which means an organic, unrefined, available at most food stores. The ‘mother’ in the vinegar is what makes it murky or cloudy.  This is the culture of beneficial bacteria that turns apple cider into vinegar in the first place. It is this unrefined version that makes a beautiful hair rinse to condition and shine. This mineral and…