Natural Skincare

Skincare Empties: “Routine” Deodorant

I want to share one of my favourite morning routines with you! A few years ago I decided I was ready for natural deodorant and begun my hunt. I’ve tried a few different brands since and none of them felt like the right one until a couple of years ago I came across routine. Natural Goods while I was shopping at Goodness Me with my fiancé. The sales associate there was raving about this brand and was super helpful and informative. She gave us a couple of samples and the moment we tried it, we both loved it. We were skeptical at first about the cream formula instead of a stick but it’s so effective and once you use it a few times, you get used to applying it.

It doesn’t look like very much in the jar but it lasts me about 6-8 months and for the fiancé, it lasts him about 3-5 months. He uses more than me but in general, you don’t need very much of it. I know the investment of spending $30 on a deodorant sounds steep of money but it lasts for so long and there aren’t any harmful ingredients.

My choice: routine “Like a Boss” – a very clean scent with geranium & rosemary

The fiancé choice: routine “The Curator” – eucalyptus & coco, baking soda free that’s good for sensitive skin

There’s something for everyone! It’s safe for kids, those who are gluten-free and there are options for those who are pregnant/breastfeeding and/or vegan. I love that you can directly order it from their site and there’s free shipping. There are so many retailers across Canada that carry them, here is a list of all the ones in Ontario. They even now have a refill program with some retailers across Canada. See if any of these stores are close to you! I’m going to give this a try when life gets back to normal and I’ll let you know how it goes.

We love supporting Canadian brands that have locally made products. They also don’t test on animals. These things are super important to both of us!

Thank you for reading. I’d love to hear all about it if you end up giving this a try. Hope you have a great week.

Natural Deodorant with Kaia Naturals

Hi everyone! Hope you’ve been having a great weekend while enjoying the warmer weather in Toronto.

Sometime last year I began looking for a natural deodorant because I felt that I was ready for the transition. I’ve always struggled with eczema and hypersensitive skin that lead me to developing different allergies and sensitivities over the years. As I got older, I began paying more attention to my health and how my skin reacted to different products. Although I didn’t get a visible allergic reaction to the previous deodorants that I used, I started to learn more about the health implications of parabens, aluminum and other harmful ingredients contained in personal care products. When I began researching for natural deodorants, most of them came with a heavy price tag but I took the plunge and found one that had great reviews to try. I’m not going to lie, it took a bit of time for my body to get used to it at first. It went through a “detox” period that was not pretty. But after giving it a few months, my underarm pores felt like they were unclogging. If you’re looking for one to try, this is a great one! There are more and more natural deodorants out in the market now but this one got my attention because of the dark grey colour from the bamboo charcoal. It’s an ingredient that pulls out all of the toxins but the colour doesn’t transfer so no need to worry about that! I love the two different scents that I tried. The lime mint smells fresh, great for day-to-day and when I’m working out while the cold-pressed rose has a light floral scent that also compliments the perfume that I use when going out.

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2016 Action Plan

Happy Lunar New Year! I wish you all a successful year with good health and many amazing opportunities!

Celebrating Lunar New Year has been a family tradition and it never feels like the beginning of a New Year until I have gone through all of the Chinese traditions with my family. I love spending time with my family, eating lots of traditional snacks and the obvious…getting red pockets! Haha.

There’s usually about a month and a half between January 1^st to Lunar New Year and I like taking that time to reflect on lessons learned from the previous year to help me better set an action plan for the upcoming year! As I get older, I spend more and more time taking care of myself and making it a priority to keep my mind and body in check. My main focus this year is to bring more balance into my life. Here’s my action plan for 2016!

Drink Clean

1. Drink More Water
It never hurts to drink more water – my skin will love me for this!

2. Make more smoothies
Love using my Cuisinart SmartStick (currently 25% off at Canadian Tire!) to make smoothies. I always use the typical fruits and greens but this year I want to try ingredients that I haven’t used before like different nuts and oats! If you have a go-to favourite smoothie recipe, please let me know in the comments below!

3. Try a Juice Cleanse
I generally eat pretty healthy and clean, it’s just that the amount I eat is not so healthy haha…so I’d love to try a juice cleanse this year to give my body a detox!

Drink Clean.jpg