5 Biggest Skin Care Mistakes

1. Using the Wrong Cleanser for your Skin Type

Your skin produces oil (sebum) to maintain its pH balance and to keep you looking young! So stripping your face of too much sebum while cleansing will only cause the skin to become unbalanced and overcompensate by replacing it with even more sebum. People with combination or oily skin tend to make this mistake the most, without realizing they’re actually making the problem worse. Those with dry skin will also suffer from using the wrong kind of skin cleanser. The solution? No matter your skin type, choose a non-foaming cleanser. Foaming cleansers are notoriously harsh on the skin, whereas soap-based cleansers will gently remove sebum from the skin (but not excessively so).

Jessy recommends: Nature's Way Body Care Facial Milk Cleanser

2. Skipping the Toner

I often hear from clients who simply cleanse and moisturize their skin, and complain of experiencing redness or unevenness. This is easily corrected by the daily use of a toner! This is because your skin needs to cleansed with an alkaline cleanser AND re-balanced afterwards with an acidic toner. Toners containing apple cider vinegar are great for any skin type, and toners with lemon juice are perfect for oily skin. Also, toners are NOT meant to be used as cleansers! Avoid the temptation to continuously reapply toner to remove residues still left behind after washing with a cleanser.

Jessy recommends: Nature's Way Body Care Rose & Grapefruit Toner; Nature's Way Body Care Lemon Toner

3. Using Products Containing Alcohol

Alcohol dries your skin from the inside out! Your skin will react to alcohol-based products the same way as it will to the wrong cleanser for your skin type: it’ll overcompensate by producing too much sebum and clogging your pores, creating pimples and blackheads. Avoid the temptation to apply an alcohol-based toner or treatment if you are prone to oily skin or acne breakouts.

Jessy recommends: A complimentary skin care consultation to determine your skin type & the appropriate products for your needs

4. Not Moisturizing After Cleansing & Toning

Moisturizing does two amazing things to your skin: it feeds it some great nutrients and it tells it not to produce something that is already there (oil). Yes, even those with acne-prone skin need to use a moisturizer! The trick is to find one with a Jojoba Oil base. This oil has the closest molecular structure to sebum, so it will be absorbed without leaving a greasy film and your skin will get the memo that it doesn’t need to produce any more oil.

Jessy recommends: Nature's Way Body Care Lemon Facial Moisturizer; Nature's Way Body Care Rose Facial Moisturizer

5. Applying Makeup Too Soon After Moisturizing

So you just started feeding your skin a nourishing snack with a good moisturizer; don’t apply makeup right away or your pores will absorb the makeup along with the moisturizer! Also, allowing the moisturizer to be fully absorbed will cause your skin to become more even and the makeup will blend better. For best results, wait at least ten minutes before applying your makeup.

Also important to note: skipping the moisturizing step is an ABSOLUTE NO-NO! After cleansing, your skin needs a helping hand to return to its natural pH balance. Moisturizer is your skin’s friend, no matter your skin type.

Jessy recommends: Cleanse-Tone-Moisturize, then go have breakfast or brush your teeth before applying makeup

6 Essential Steps to Healthier Hair - Part 3 of 3

This month, we bring you the final part of our series on hair care! Below are our final two tips to achieving beautiful, healthy hair:

5. Introduce Other Vitamins, Foods, and Herbs

Fo-ti, nettle, biotin, clove, rosemary, sage, peppermint, cayenne, apple cider vinegar, and beer? 

Yes, all of these contribute to better hair; some topically, while others work best internally. If you do ask for a customized shampoo and conditioner from us, you may find that we include some of these ingredients. For example, hibiscus is great for red-colored hair, organic beer for more volume, sage for growth, and so on.

6. Last but not Least: Select the Right Shampoo & Conditioner

At Nature’s Way Body Care, you can request a custom hair treatment. Unlike our skin, each and everyone's hair is unique and cannot be simply categorized; hair may be dry, greasy, coloured, curly, chemically treated, etc.

When you ask for a formulation, we will want to know about your specific hair condition; is it dry? Does it tangle easily? Is it colored? What is your nationality? (For example, our Product Artisan, Jessy, has black, afro hair, which predetermines her hair type)

Nature’s Way will formulate a shampoo and conditioner that will quench your hairs’ need for proper pH (usually a determining factor), protein and fat, along with a few herbals specific to your needs. We strongly believe in aromatherapy, and, we may recommend essential oils to be added to your custom-made hair treatment. In combination with following the above steps, Nature’s Way hair formulations will ensure that you have the best results for healthy hair -- Nature’s Way.

Do you have any other tips for optimum hair health that you'd like to share? Leave a comment below... we'd love to hear it!

6 Essential Steps to Healthier Hair - Part 2 of 3

Spring is Nearly Here!

Although it may not feel like it in some places, Spring is right around the corner and that means the weather will finally start warming up again. It also means that our hair might be tired and dry, so it's the perfect time to give it some TLC! Last month we introduced our series on Healthy Hair Care and today we continue with a couple more steps:

3. Silica

This mineral is responsible for helping your body create collagen, which is the basis of your hair, skin, nail and joint health. You may wish to supplement your diet with silica, or, food-grade diatomaceous earth. Yes, that powder that you use on your pets, and in your garden, also aids in cleansing the colon and relieving parasites. Most importantly, this inexpensive fossil is 80-90% silicon dioxide! Herbs such as horsetail are also high in natural silica and can be taken internally, or applied to your hair and skin. Our Rose Moisturizer also contains horsetail for that reason!

4. B Vitamins

Did you know that your B's metabolize fats, carbohydrates and proteins? Unfortunately, Vit. B is one of the vitamins that we lack the most of. Vitamin B can be found in most greens, fruits and vegetables, yet cooking them destroys this mineral. Smoking, birth control pills, pollution and stress will also destroy B vitamins. Supplementing with a B complex may be a good idea. Brewer's yeast is a good source which you can also 

supplement with. In our experience, brewer's yeast works wonders for hair and nail growth!

Know that all B's (B1, B2, B5, B6.... B12, etc), work synergically, which is why we suggest taking a daily Vitamin B complex, rather than simply just one type (unless suggested otherwise by a health practitioner due to deficiency. For example, vegans and vegetarians tend to need more B12). If you do find yourself stressed often, you can also resort to herbal adaptogens such as maca, tulsi, and, ashwagandha (more on those in another blog post). These herbal treatments will help your body to adapt to stressors and therefore prevent those stressor's repercussions on your hair health. Jessy's personal favorite is tulsi, which you may find her sipping in a tea form throughout the day!

Have you been implementing these steps in your hair care regimen? Let us know in the comments below!

6 Essential Steps to Healthier Hair - Part 1 of 3

We’re back!

After a winter full of demos, personal training, orders and more, we are now back to our blog. We want to inspire you to optimize your health, one step at the time!

Lately, we have been asked a lot of questions about hair and how to keep it soft, moisturized, and healthy. This has inspired our new series of articles, designed to teach you how to maintain your hair. This month we bring you the first two necessary steps. Please leave us a comment below to let us know your progress after implementing these steps!

Essential Steps to Healthier Hair

1. H2O

This should be the #1 rule for everything: DRINK MORE WATER!!! Your body, skin and hair thrive on hydration! Furthermore, it will help clean your liver, and flush out toxins that may affect your your health, including your hair. Most of us don't drink as nearly as much water as we should, so, go ahead and drink up!

2. Daily Multivitamins

A daily multivitamin isn't for everyone. However, most of us do not eat nearly the recommended amount of vitamins and minerals. Beauty starts from the inside out. Your hair cells require nourishment to grow healthy hair. Taking a daily multivitamin is a good way to cover most of the nutritional deficiencies that may be the source for hair loss, thinning, and, so on. For example, a vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy (yes, it still 

occurs to this day), and, one of the first symptoms would be hair loss. So, if you are noticing that your hair is not as healthy as usual, and, you can’t find a cause, make sure that you are getting your RDA for vitamins & minerals by taking a daily multivitamin.

If you would like advice on how to choose the right supplements for you, book a consultation with Jessy!