Feature Image by Timothy Meinberg

When it comes to improving our self-care routines, we often focus on upgrading our body care and facial products. It’s no secret that improving the quality of your beauty products and making the switch to green and clean solutions is beneficial for a range of reasons, such as eliminating unnecessary toxins from your blood stream, leveraging the benefits of naturally sourced ingredients and being kinder to our animal friends and planet.

But while focusing on the body and face is great, our vaginas also benefit from some levelled up self care solutions. The vagina care industry is on the up and up and why shouldn’t it be? As the source of our power and femininity, it’s time to treat our vaginas with the love they deserve.

Here are a few of our favourite vagina self-care products from Canadian companies:

Botanical Labia Oil by LADYFLOW:

Massage this hydrating oil directly onto the inner and outer labia to remove the itch, dryness and thinness that can come from hormonal changes. Made with sweet almond oil, vitamin E oil, rose hip seed oil and more, this bottle contains everything you need for complete skin hydration.

Image from LADYFLOW Website

 

Oatmeal + Almond Milk Soap by Buck Naked Soap Company:
Soothing and natural, this soap keeps your vagina feeling and smelling fresh. This soap leaves you without the irritation of unbalanced bacteria and pH levels that can come from perfumed fragrance.

Image from Buck Naked Soap Company Instagram

 

Tampons & Pads by easy:
Your periods just got a lot more exciting with these organic cotton tampons and pads that get delivered right to your door with a single delivery or by subscription. What’s even better is that 5 per cent of the proceeds go to ZanaAfrica Foundation, who deliver pads and health education to Kenyan girls.

Image from easy Instagram

 

Sex Oil by Province Apothecary:
This gentile lubricant is essential for intimacy with its all-natural ingredients, no preservative, zero alcohol and no interruptions because it only needs to be applied once. Its ingredients like fractionated coconut oil and evening primrose oil, this lube softens your skin while you get it on.

Image from Province Apothecary Instagram

 

Mae – Vaginal Moisturizer by Damiva
100 per cent natural and free of chemical preservatives, this down there moisturizer absorbs into your skin to defeat dryness. This vaginal pick me up eliminates roadblocks during special moments and can be used long-term.

Image from Damiva Instagram

We’re thrilled to be going to this Thursday’s True Beauty Talk hosted by The Truth Beauty Company. This is the perfect event for anyone who is looking for the latest and best in green and clean beauty. True Beauty Talk is an exposition designed to bring together thought-leaders in the space and connect them with consumers who are invested in beauty options that are better both for themselves and the planet.

This year’s True Beauty Talk will bring together panelists, tutorials and curated shopping experiences from companies like Rocky Mountain Soap Company, Indie Lee, Well Told Health, Elate Cosmetics, Woodlot, Graydon Skincare. 

“We wanted to delve deeper this year, truly giving leaders in the space the opportunity to share more than just the latest trends and best products for certain results. The independent clean beauty space is a unique market, one that is highly value driven. It is incredibly inspiring to see how brands like Rocky Mountain Soup Company and Elate are able to stay true to their initial values while managing impressive growth and reaching larger markets”, says Jennifer Freitas, CEO and founder of The Truth Beauty Company and leader of the True Beauty Talk.

The event will be held at the Burroughes Building, with doors open to the public starting at 1:30. Guests will have the opportunity to engage with founders, discover the latest trends in green beauty and tools, as well as enjoy make-up tutorials. Also, if you are looking for an intimate shopping experience that allows you to test and try products and learn about them from actual company representatives before you buy, this will the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Tickets are available on Eventbrite and going FAST. Make sure to snag yours quickly and get a head start on your beauty new years resolutions.

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What does it actually mean to detox? How important is it to detox and is the only way to do it by starving ourselves with a 5 day juice cleanse once a month? Because, between you and us, we’re super over that practice. The term “detox” gets thrown around quite a bit and we wanted to get the full story, once and for all. Because we’re super down to eliminate toxins from our bodies, but would love to know what that actually means.

We spoke with one of our favourite “Healers of Humans”, Dr. Erica Grenci on the topic of detoxification and her tips for how we can incorporate the practice of detox throughout the summer and in our daily lives.

 

BACKGROUND

Quick background; education, training and what brought you to start your own clinic?

My background all began with a passion for health and learning how to become the most vibrant version of myself. After university, I entered the 4-year Naturopathic Medical program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine which gave me a strong foundation in both clinical medicine and natural healing modalities. From there I branched outward into learning more about my favorite modalities and so I’ve pursued my masters in herbalism, certification in regenerative detoxification (by the incredible Dr. Morse!), advanced training in homeopathy, certification in facial rejuvenation acupuncture, bio-electric cranio-sacral therapy, reiki, and yoga. I believe that healing occurs on all levels – physically, emotionally, and energetically, and so I sought out tools to bring about this balance in all its forms.

 

With immense gratitude in my journey of gathering this knowledge and experience, I yearned to start giving back. So just this May 2018 I opened my clinic at Keele and Dundas St. West.

 

WHAT IS A DETOX?

 

There is a lot of “detox” advice floating around out there. Can you explain a bit about what it means to detox and what the benefits are?

 

Detoxing is integral to living – what comes in, must come out! Especially since we live in a world where it’s impossible to escape environmental pollutants, it’s essential to assist the body’s natural cleansing mechanism so it doesn’t become overburdened and stressed. Your body does a fantastic job on its own, however, combined with unhealthy living practices it may well need a boost. When the body is overburdened we begin to see lots of fatigue, mental fogginess, afternoon crashes, poor skin health, headaches, digestive issues, hormone imbalances, and more. Essentially these are all signals that the body is sending for our attention that something is amiss. If we suppress them (i.e. with pharmaceutical medication) it does not correct the root of the issue but instead places a temporary band aid. Why do this when we can dig a little deeper and nourish the body’s ailments from within? This is detoxing and it’s benefits include balancing the body so that it may heal itself – the most powerful form of medicine.

 

Essentially, detoxing supports the body in all its eliminative capacities. This is through the bowels, kidneys, lungs, and skin, as well as the supportive organs such as liver/gall bladder. Often as well, other organs need to be supported if there are any imbalances – for example, the pancreas may need some love if there are any digestive issues at hand, the parathyroid should be considered if there is a lack of calcium utilization (i.e. depression, varicose veins, easy bruising), the adrenal glands if there is a lack of energy or appropriate sugar metabolism, and even the pituitary gland if there are menstrual issues or hormonal imbalances, etc. The body is an intricately beautiful symphony of life!

 

In practice, detoxing includes dietary modifications (choosing the right foods to strengthen and cleanse your system), lifestyle practices (a targeted exercise regimen, self-care tools), herbal/botanical medicine (i.e. milk thistle for your liver, poke root for your lymphatic system, juniper for your kidneys), and supportive habits (i.e. meditation, deep breathing, positive thoughts).

 

DO WE NEED TO JUICE CLEANSE?

For those of us who are over the “juice cleanse” and fasting, are they easier, more nutritional ways to detox?  If so, how often should we be doing them?

 

Mmmmm, simply add more fruit to your diet! Fruits are very special and the highest food form of choice for detoxing because they are self-cleansing, alkaline, astringent, and carry the highest electrical vibration of all the foods (12,000 angstroms in raw fruit vs 9,000 angstroms in raw vegetables vs. 1000 angstroms in cooked vegetables vs. 0 in meat). Fruits are absorbed the quickest by the body (under 30 minutes) and don’t require the digestive energy it takes to process other foods. Therefore, your body can utilize this energy to repair itself instead of always being in digestive mode. As well, the astringent factor of fruits work to pull out toxins from the interstitial fluid of our cells – whereas no other food can do this for us? This is a practice you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. I always tell my patients to start their day with a tall glass of freshly squeezed lemon water and keep their first meal only fruit to take advantage of these benefits. My favorite detox fruits are: red grapes, blackberries, lemons, and watermelon.

 

SIMPLE SUMMER DETOX PRACTICES 

What are some simple daily practices we can incorporate this summer to ensure our bodies are detoxing on a more regular basis?

 

Dry Brushing

There are so many wonderful and easy practices to assist your body’s natural cleansing process. For one, I absolutely love dry brushing (aka lymphatic brushing) – this is a natural bristle brush that is massaged onto dry skin in circular movements along the lymphatic channels. By stimulating your skin in this way, lymphatic flow is also stirred and so is the movement of toxins. This simple method even improves circulation and leaves your skin exfoliated and glowing! I use the Province Apothecary Face Brush and the Saje Body Brush to cover my entire body.

 

Gua Sha

Another tool I absolutely love to use on my face & body is called a “Gua Sha”. It’s used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to reduce inflammation and promote healing and this is credited to the fact that it’s excellent for moving lymph and toxins, while enhancing circulation and blood flow. Even more, it’s often used as an anti-aging tool on the face since it’s stimulating action also increases collagen production. Simply glide the tool with firm pressure in the direction of the arrows over your face until you create redness (best to do this in the evening before bed! This can be a daily practice.)

Photo credit: Pinterest

 

Herbal Regimen/Teas

Another daily practice for detoxing is using a customized herbal regimen. Herbs are fantastic because they are targeted to specific organs and body systems to tonify, cleanse, and maximize their function. These are programs I create in office on an individual basis, however, there are also detox herbal teas I created which are an excellent and gentle way to get you started. I alternate the Detox Passport herbal teas daily or whenever I feel a bit sluggish and could use a boost. I also love drinking the liver tea after I’ve had a night out of celebratory fun 😉

 

Smudging

This ancient spiritual practice has a tremendous cleansing effect. There are multiple levels of cleansing and often it’s easy to forget about the energetic aspects of it all. Smudging with sage or palo santo for example, is an excellent way to clear the air of any negative energies and intentions, help to remove blockages, while also providing a renewed sense of energy.

 

Rebounding

Something else that really gets the lymph flowing is rebounding! Keep in mind that your heart pumps your blood to circulate your body, but your lymph requires the movement of your muscles to get around. In fact, something as fun and simple as jumping on a trampoline can increase your lymphatic flow and drainage up to 20 times its normal rate! Combined with a regular exercise routine, this will support your body to rid itself of the accumulated bacteria, toxic waste, trapped fat globules, and cell sewage.

 

What products do you recommend for this and how (and how often) should we use them?

Province Apothecary Face Brush – I use this x3-4/week

Saje Body Brush – I use this x3-4/week

Gua Sha – Daily in the evening

Detox Passport Tea (Colon, Lymph & Blood, Liver/Gallbladder, Kidneys) – I alternate these teas daily (I love the kidney and lymph ones the best!)

Sage Bundle – I do this daily for renewed energy or whenever I feel the energy is a bit stagnant in the air.

Mini Trampoline (aka Rebounder) – A few times/week.

Click on the images below to find out where to purchase Erica’s detox picks.

 

For more information on Dr. Erica Grenci, please visit her website. For online bookings, please visit: https://drericagrenci.janeapp.com/ To follow on social: Instagram| Facebook | YouTube

While clean/green beauty continues to become a priority amongst Canadian consumers, there still remains only a handful of Canadian-grown trailblazers in the clean/green beauty space and Jennifer Freitas, founder of The Truth Beauty Company, is without a doubt, one of them.

We call her a trailblazer, because not only has Freitas built an online platform (and two brick and mortar locations) where Canadians can shop a carefully curated selection of the best and most current products in the clean/green beauty and eco-friendly lifestyle space, The Truth Beauty Company also hosts regular Masterclasses and Workshops where interested people can meet the faces behind some of the industry’s most coveted brands. For example, JoAnn Fowler, founder of Sappho will be at The Truth Beauty Company’s Guelph Location this Friday. Past events include a meet and greet with Indie Lee, the founder of Indie Lee and a Masterclass with Jessica Burman of Cocoon Apothecary.

All images from The Truth Beauty Company Instagram Feed

We sat down with Jennifer to find out her inspiration, how she selects brands to carry, her advice for brands just starting out and what clean/green beauty products she’s loving for spring.

What led you to start The Truth Beauty Company?  

It was actually a personal need! I had moved from Toronto to Waterloo in 2010 to raise my twin daughters and could not find ‘clean’ shampoo that was not stripping my hair (personally, the brands that I found in health food stores, while they met my ingredients criteria as far as being non-toxic, I didn’t find them nourishing!) I figured I wasn’t the only one in the region who was seeking clean, luxurious and performance-based personal care products. When my minis were 18 months old, I opened our Waterloo store.

When it comes to selecting the types of brands and products you carry at The Truth Beauty Company, what do you look for specifically?

We have a five pronged approach:

1. Is it clean? (free of toxic ingredients)

2. Is it different from other products we presently carry?

3. Is it effective? (like, will the deodorant actually work?)

4. Price-point? (we like to offer a range of prices so price is not necessarily an exclusionary credential, but rather simply something we consider)

5. Is the packaging appealing?

We have different categories at Truth Beauty so it must fall under a type of product we would even carry; we focus on personal care so if it is in that vein and meets the 5 points above, we will review a brand / product.

 

What Canadian beauty brands do you feel are making an impact in green beauty space?

I think many of them do actually! I know Province Apothecary really looks to source Canadian grown ingredients – hence the name ‘Province Apothecary’. Cocoon Apothecary packages mostly in glass because the founder feels it is important to reduce plastic consumption; it raises an issue so even if it gets you to think about how you are consuming, she is making a difference. Woodlot uses only essential oils in all of its products – including its candles! That is a big deal as it takes a lot of essential oil for the scent to carry and linger – which most people want their candle to do! Sonia, Woodlot founder really believes in the importance of being pure.

Really, I think clean beauty brands all want to make a difference. They entered clean beauty from the outset to make a difference and I think many of them operate from a place of authenticity – and that is certainly true of the brands that I have fallen in love with.

What advice would you offer an independent green beauty brand that is trying to get started in this space? For example, how could one make an impression on you enough to consider carrying it at The Truth Beauty Company?

The market is fairly saturated and I know it’s competitive – so first piece of advice would be: Get ready to hustle.

I would suggest that before you even begin hustling, know your angle. How will you be different? Why will people know about and seek out your line? (This is my prep for newbies, essentially reiterating that it will take a lot of hard work).

Ultimately, a brand needs to stand out. It if stands out and a retailer, like Truth Beauty is interested, it is great when a company is prepared, meaning they should have a press kit, an understanding of the minimums, tester policy, vendor buy-back policy, preferred shipping methods and rates, are able to offer demo support, etc.

Running a business is hard work. Building a brand is even harder.  

 

What 5 products are on your ultimate must-have list for spring this year and why?

My Must-Haves for Spring! Oh so fun!

I love simplicity with make-up so products that really double up are faves of mine. I am really loving Kosas Duos these days – especially in Velvet Melon; the juicy peach hue I just can’t get enough of! It’s so fresh looking on the cheeks. Get Kosa’s Velvet Melon here. 

Graydon Skincare’s Face Glow is also a staple because it is so versatile. It acts as a primer, offers some sun protection, adds some luminosity and evens out my skin tone. Only thing this gem doesn’t do is the dishes. Get it here 

 

I really fell in love this year with gel based serums – they offer so much moisture that is long lasting, yet feel fresh upon application and are incredibly light-weight. The one that is on heavy rotation for me these days is the Pai Back to Life Serum.  

Spring also gets me back outdoors. I am out running, gardening and just generally being more active … so a deodorant is a staple. We recently introduced Canadian brand Hola and I think it is my favourite to date! The texture is firm, not gritty and most importantly, it is effective.

Lastly, I am offering a year round must have – the Woodlot Palo Santo spray … for my hair, my linens, my room … I spray this stuff anywhere and everywhere. It just calms me and makes me feel beautiful.