Exfoliation

I talk about exfoliation almost every week, but did you know you can exfoliate with one simple vegetable? The rough flowers of raw broccoli are perfect for exfoliating. Because it is a simple antioxidant, using it as a scrub (in lieu of scrubs that contain harmful chemicals or other unnecessary ingredients) can help reduce acne. To use broccoli as a facial scrub, chop the stems off, and then mince the flowers so there aren’t any big chunks. Mix the flowers with a small amount of olive oil, massage into your skin, and rise!

Mask

Broccoli can be used as a wonderful facial mask. Because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, using a broccoli mask on the skin can help reduce puffiness and draw out impurities from the skin, leaving you with a lovely natural glow. Broccoli masks firm skin, absorb excess oil, gently exfoliate, and are rich in trace elements to replenish skin cells, especially beneficial for aging or damaged skin. To make a broccoli face mask: combine 5-7 small broccoli florets and a tablespoon of coconut oil together in a blender, gently massage into your skin, leave on for 10-20 minutes and let the broccoli do its work!

Moisturizer

Broccoli contains high levels of Vitamins C and E, both of which are extremely beneficial for healthy skin. The vitamin C in broccoli aids in collagen production, keeping your skin looking young, hydrated, and full. Vitamin E protects your skin membranes and guards it against harmful free radicals like UV rays and the air pollution you encounter day to day. That being said, using broccoli as a moisturizer in the morning time can help protect your skin from the sun like a gentle, natural, homemade sunblock. To make a moisturizer, first steam 10 small to medium florets to soften them. Combine the steamed broccoli, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of water in a food processor until the mixture is completely smooth. You may need to alter the amount of olive oil depending on the size of your broccoli florets. Cleanse the skin, apply your homemade moisturizer, and enjoy your healthy skin!

Next time you’re at the grocery store, be sure to buy extra broccoli to try out these fun, simple skincare tricks at home! Broccoli is an amazing vegetable that is essential for a healthy diet. It helps keep your digestive system in order, promotes cardiovascular health, and has even been found to prevent cancer! Personally, broccoli is my favorite vegetable. In fact, I cannot think of a single person who doesn’t like it, which is how I knew it would be a very convincing pretend skincare ingredient! April Fool’s!

Lend A Hand

Between work and home, moms are constantly on the go. Mother’s Day is the perfect time to make her job a little easier AND make her relax! If you live with your mama (or are self-isolating with her), start her day off with a surprise breakfast in bed – this is always my go to when I’m home for Mother’s Day. Make her favorite breakfast and put it on a tray with tea or coffee, a card, and maybe even a fresh flower, and give her the relaxing morning she deserves. The rest of the day can be all about mom; find out what she wants to do. You could offer to help her in the garden, clean the house, make dinner, help with some chores – anything she wants!

If you are one of the many people that are self-isolating away from mom and won't able to celebrate in person this year, first off - you're not alone! Since lending a hand in person may not be possible, you could send her a takeout meal (or make it yourself and drop it off at her doorstep!), or you could make a coupon book for ways you can help out in the future (like cooking dinner, helping with some chores, tending her garden, going grocery shopping, etc.). Though these things may not be ideal, they will certainly show your mom that you appreciate her! 

Pamper Her

If your mom is anything like mine, she uses her hands and is on her feet all day, every day. This situation has the potential to cause dryness, chipped nails, unhealthy cuticles, callouses, and cracked skin – and that’s where you (again, only those of you that are self-isolating with mom!) come in. I don’t know anyone that wouldn’t love to be pampered with at-home hand and foot treatments, and no one deserves it more than hardworking mamas. With our Hand Care set, you can soak your mom’s hands in our Moisturizing hand soak to bring some life back to her overworked fingers, exfoliate her hands and arms with our Sugar Citrus Salt Glow, and moisturize and massage her hands with some rough skin cream. While you’re at it, have her pick out some nail polish and finish up with a manicure! To make her feel even more pampered, you can give her a relaxing, refreshing foot treatment with our Awaken Feet package. Start by soaking her feet in the Revitalizing Foot Soak which will help soften callouses and moisturize her tired feet. Then, exfoliate with Stimulating Foot Scrub which will not only make feet super soft, but it will ease the pain of being on them all day and make them feel alive again! Follow the scrub with our Exhilarating Foot Lotion which will help with achiness, soreness, and swelling. To finish, why not go all the way with a splash of color on her toenails?

If you are away from mom, never fear! You can still send her all of these goodies and she can give herself her own relaxing spa day - who knows, maybe your dad will join in! Gifts From the Earth makes a wide variety of products to help mom pamper herself - from foot scrubs to face masks, hand lotion to body scrubs, we think you'll have no problem finding the perfect thing for your mom. 

Quality Time

When all is said and done, the gift your mom really wants is simple – you! Quality time with her kids is sure to make any mom happy. If you're lucky enough to be with mom, accompany her on a walk through a local park, garden, or even take her on a relaxing hike – there’s nothing like spending time in nature with loved ones. Chatting over a pot of tea is also a lovely way to spend an afternoon, and our new Comfort Tea is a perfect cozy, relaxing hug in a cup. Does your mom like wine? Buy a bottle of her favorite and cook her a nice dinner. 

Luckily, because we have the internet, you can still spend quality time with mom even if you're not with her physically! You can video chat together on Zoom, watch a movie at the same time with Netflix Party, or even just talk on the phone.

Every mom is different, and every mom is special, so no matter what you do this Mother's Day, just make sure yours feels loved, because that is what every mom deserves.

Happy Mother’s Day from Gifts From the Earth!

Self-care is simply the act of giving yourself everything you need to be happy and healthy. As selfish as it may sound, how you care for yourself affects your ability to care for your family and your obligations at work. Perhaps most importantly, practicing self-care is good for your mental health.

One way to think about self-care is imagining being on an airplane when the oxygen mask drops. Your priority is your family, but you can’t care for them if you’re unconscious, so you need to put your mask on first. When viewed from this perspective, it’s easy to see the importance of fueling yourself both physically and mentally.

No matter how indulgent it may sound, you should never neglect self-care. Here’s why:

• Self-worth. According to Forbes, practicing self-care will help you maintain a healthy relationship with the one who matters most, yourself. It provides a confidence boost and can increase self-esteem. Furthermore, self-care is a necessary means to remind others in your life that your needs are also important.

• Balance. No matter what your boss tells you, overworking yourself won’t get you anywhere, since you won’t live long enough to enjoy the fruits of your labor. You must learn how to pull away from your obligations or risk a host of health problems, including insomnia, depression and heart disease.

• Live vs. exist. When you spend all of your time catering to the needs of others, you fall into a routine of existence and don’t ever fully enjoy living. You only have a set number of days on this Earth, and practicing self-care allows you to enjoy them to the fullest.

• Physical health. Self-care allows you to focus on your physical health, which will in turn have a positive effect on your emotional well-being. Essentially, when you feel good, you are more likely to make positive changes in your life at all levels.

You don’t have to devote an entire day each week to self-care practices. No matter how busy your schedule, there is always time to do something that enhances your quality of life.

• It starts at home. One of the simplest things you can do today to reduce stress and give yourself time to focus on self-care is to simply optimize your home to encourage stress-free living. Decluttering your living space will also help you relax on a fundamental level. While you don’t have to jump headfirst into the minimalist movement, your home should be well-organized and open. Take a weekend to remove anything that doesn’t make you happy and limit your “stuff” to the things you must have -- food, clothing and furniture. Don’t be afraid to let go of belongings you have to take care of that do nothing to take care of you. Along with your decluttering efforts, give your home a one-time deep cleaning.

• Eat well. This is often easier said than done, especially for those of us who have families to support, careers to build, or both. Still, eating nutritiously is a pillar in living a healthy life, so it’s something you should strive for in your self-care routine. One option is to sign up for a meal delivery service, which can be a surprisingly effective way to maintain a healthy diet. These services take the guesswork out of which fresh ingredients you need for wholesome recipes, or they can even provide healthy, pre-portioned, ready-to-go meals, leaving you no excuses for hitting the drive-through window. Many meal delivery companies charge less than $10 per meal.

• Exercise. As Health aptly points out, exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Physical activity helps you destress and releases chemicals that make you feel good.

• Sleep. A silent epidemic sweeping the nation is sleep deprivation. Harvard Medical School explains that sleep disorders are not simply symptoms of a psychiatric disorder, but may actually cause them. Sleeping eight hours each night can improve your overall mental health, and circumvent chronic fatigue and emotional vulnerability.

• Love your looks. This can be very challenging, but learning to love and accept your appearance is vital to your mental health. If you’re struggling with this, it’s okay to maintain a healthy beauty regimen—science has shown that using cosmetic products boosts confidence and self-esteem. And if your hair has lost its shine, you can treat it with keratin, a protein that can strengthen damaged hair. Caring for your appearance is also a great way to express yourself.

• Take control of your day. Your day-to-day actions are likely dictated not by your desires, but by the whims and requests of others. Learn how to say “no” to requests that interfere with your self-care abilities. For instance, you don’t have to cover for your coworker every Friday morning so he can take his children to band practice.

The way you care for yourself directly impacts your health today and tomorrow. It is only when you find a balance and are willing to indulge your own needs that you will truly be healthy and happy. You don’t have to make drastic life changes. Give yourself a soothing environment at home and learn to take control of your own schedule.

*Note: if you feel depressed, overwhelmingly anxious, have suicidal thoughts, or just feel you need someone to talk to about your mental health, find a local therapist (most are listed on psychologytoday.com) or call the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 to talk to someone right away.*

Stress, Anxiety, Depression

Most people feel stress from time to time - whether from work, social situations, or just life in general, it happens to all of us. Because the skin and the nervous system are intertwined, stress and anxiety may take a big toll on the skin. Under normal circumstances, the nervous system is able to bring the body back into balance after the stressful event is passed. However, if someone is stressed frequently or has chronic anxiety, the body is never able to balance out and is constantly sending out high levels of stress hormones that have a bad effect on the skin in a variety of different ways.

Acne

When a person is experiencing high levels of stress, the body produces more than the necessary amount of skin sebum (the skin’s natural oil) which can lead to clogged pores and aggravate acne. Stress can also turn up the nerve signaling in the body that causes the itch sensation, which causes people to touch their skin more than necessary, in turn transferring oils and dirt to the skin and increasing inflammation, all of which can lead to breakouts.

Eczema

When someone is experiencing stress, the body responds by triggering the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. When there is too much cortisol in the body, it can suppress the immune system and cause inflammation in the skin, worsening eczema which is a chronic inflammatory skin condition. Because eczema feels uncomfortable physically and is unpleasant to look at, flare ups can cause even more anxiety, so it is very easy to get stuck in a loop where the stress causes the flare up and the flare up causes stress. If you feel you are unable to manage your eczema, we recommend seeing a dermatologist to discuss options, and also considering seeing a therapist who can help give you tools to manage your anxiety.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder which causes skin cells to multiply faster than normal, leaving red, scaly looking patches on the skin. While infections and the cold can cause the disease, studies have found that psoriasis is independently associated with stress related disorders, like PTSD. Inflammation is the body’s main response to stress (whether it’s an infection, an injury, or mental stress) - it sends out chemicals to target the stressor, which cause inflammation. In people with psoriasis, the immune system over responds, sending out too many of those chemicals, which causes the overproduction of skin cells. Managing stress is an important skill to learn for everyone, but especially those with psoriasis.

Managing Stress and Anxiety

While it is possible to manage stress and anxiety on your own, if you feel unable to do so, or if you feel you are suffering from depression, please contact a mental health professional as soon as possible to help you on your road to recovery. If you feel you will be able to lower your stress levels on your own, try out these different techniques to find what’s best for you:

Meditation

Mindfulness is about paying attention to yourself on purpose and being fully present in the moment. It is a wonderful way to combat stress! To try mindfulness meditation, set aside 15 minutes of alone time. Find a quiet room and lay down on the couch, bed, or floor, and simply free your mind of everything besides your breath. If your mind wanders, don’t get upset - just gently bring it back to your breathing. Focusing on yourself for just those few minutes will relieve stress and tension and give you a boost to finish out your day.

If you have trouble meditating on your own, try using a guided meditation. There are so many wonderful guided meditations on youtube and spotify, and there are even meditation apps you can download.

Exercise

When you exercise, your body releases endorphins - a chemical in the brain known to improve mood and give you more energy. Exercise is also shown to improve the quality of your sleep, and reduce anxiety. Your exercise should be something that you enjoy and can be as vigorous or lowkey as you want - running, walking, lifting weights, practicing yoga, spin class, biking, you name it. The important thing is to get the body moving for at least 20-30 minutes per day!

Try to remember that all people suffer from stress and anxiety from time to time - there is nothing wrong with you. What’s important is pinpointing the stressors in your life so that you can eliminate them or at least combat the negative effects in whatever way is best for you. Limiting stress will help you feel happier, your skin (and whole body) will be healthier, and you will have more energy and desire to enjoy the things you love!

Moisturizers

Of course we need to use moisturizers on our skin, that is true year round, but you may need to switch things up during the colder months.

If you normally use a lighter face cream (like our Everyday Face Lotion) but your skin dries out during the day, you may want to switch to something slightly heavier (like our Forever Young Luscious Lotion) for the season. Cold air, wind, and dry air caused by heaters all wreak havoc on our skin all winter long, so it makes sense that we may need a little something extra!

Hands tend to suffer during the colder months as well, because they are constantly exposed to moisture when you wash your hands (take that, flu!) as well as to the cold outside air on days when you forget your gloves. We recommend keeping small jars of hand lotion (Rough Skin Cream, anyone?) in a bunch of easy to access places - in your car, in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, and in a purse - so that you can rehydrate those fingers before they feel the effects of being chapped or dried out.

Don’t forget your lips! We all suffer from the occasional chapped lips, but of course it happens more in the winter. Make sure you have multiple lip balms for at home and on the go so that they can stay moisturized! If your mouth needs a little exfoliation, try rubbing a scrub onto your lips while washing your face - this will get rid of dead skin!

Climate Control

While you can’t control the weather outside, you can control your own home environment.

Did you know that central air can dry out the air in your home? Of course we all want to be cozy, but the higher you set your thermostat, the more dry the air will be. Try to keep the temperature at around 72 degrees - this will help your skin stay healthy, and it’s just another excuse to cozy up on the couch with your pets, a blanket, and a good book.

If you still feel that the air in your home is too dry, or you can stand having your thermostat so low, try purchasing a humidifier! A humidifier pumps moisture into the air, which can help keep your skin moisturized, as well as helping to relieve stuffy noses and open the airways. Keep your humidifier in the room that you spend the most time in - most people choose to run a humidifier in their bedroom at night time.

Internal Hydration

It’s easy to remember to drink water in the summer - we’re sweaty, we’re hot, it just makes sense. But many people forget that drinking a lot of water is necessary year-round to maintain a healthy body, both inside and out. Consuming enough water throughout the day, eight 8 ounce glasses is recommended, helps your skin retain enough moisture so that it won’t dry out. Though that isn’t the only thing you have to do to maintain hydrated skin, it certainly doesn’t hurt!

Washing

So, it’s freezing outside, you get home after a long day and all you want to do is take a long, hot shower. Before you spend the next 40 minutes under scalding water, it’s important to understand that hot water tends to dry the skin out because of how irritating it can be. Instead, try to limit the time you spend in the shower, and don’t use water that is so hot that it makes your skin turn red. This is also true for washing your hands! Once you’re out of the shower, or your hands are out of the sink, pat yourself dry and apply a moisturizer as soon as possible, to help prevent your skin from drying out.

We hope these tips will help your skin stay happy and healthy for the rest of the winter. Happy February!

Face Love

Green Goddess of the Earth facial mask is perfect for a relaxing night in. Apply the mask to your partner (and have them do the same for you) and lay down while the mask does it’s work. Help each other wash the mask off with a wet washcloth, and follow with your favorite moisturizer! Who doesn’t love feeling healthy and refreshed?

Hand Love

Our hands work so hard every day, yet they rarely get any love or pampering. Fill a bowl with warm water, sprinkle in some of our Moisturizing Hand Soak, and let your fingers relax. Have your partner gently rub a scoop of Sugar Citrus Salt Glow into each hand and up the arm for a light exfoliation, and do the same for them. Rinse your hands and dry them, and end with a moisturizing hand massage for both of you using Rough Skin Cream, or, if you suffer from joint pain or soreness, use Northwest Pain and Inflammation Cream.

Body Love

De-stressing with a warm body soak is so beneficial for every part of you. Run a bath for you and your partner (or take turns if you have a smaller tub), and sprinkle in some Healing Mineral Bath Salt. Let yourself soak, relax (maybe even apply a face mask!) and feel cared for. Once you’re done, de-stress even more by trading massages with your partner using our Sensual Body Butter.

Foot Love

Our feet carry us everywhere - why not show them some gratitude? Fill a foot bath with warm water, add in some Revitalizing Foot Soak, and have your partner soak their feet. Remove one foot from the bath and gently massage it with our Stimulating Foot Scrub, and do the same with the other foot. Rinse both feet with warm water, followed by a splash of cold water. Finish with one last massage using our Warming Foot Lotion to help relax and soothe sore feet. Don’t forget to take your turn - have your partner follow the same steps for you!

We hope you enjoy celebrating love on Valentine’s Day in whatever way you choose. We love you! 

Natural Deodorant

Sweetwater Apothecary Natural Deodorant

Sweetwater Apothecary is a local company (and fellow vendor at the Vancouver Farmers Market!) that makes beautiful, natural body products. We absolutely love their natural deodorant - so much that we have samples of it at our market booth! The deodorants come packaged in a sustainable glass jar, and really do work. We promise!

Shampoo/Conditioner

Gifts From the Earth Dry Scalp Serum

For those non-shampooers (yes, it is possible to wean your hair off of being washed!) or those with dry scalp, this serum is for you. It is absorbed into the scalp quickly, provides moisture that eliminates dandruff, and encourages more active hair growth.

Oregon Soap Company Shampoo Bar

Made by the wonderful Oregon Soap Company, this shampoo bar is made with nurturing ingredients that are both cleansing and conditioning for the hair and scalp. They are also lovely for shaving, and as your go-to shower soap!

Acne Treatment

Gifts From the Earth Blemish Tincture

This tincture is made with a concentrated, antibacterial formula that helps counteract acne breakouts. Ideal for those that suffer from the occasional painful blemish!

Sunscreen

Alba Botanica Mineral Sunscreen

Alba Botanica is reef friendly, biodegradable, free of harmful chemicals and synthetic fragrances, is not tested on animals, and is made with 100% vegetarian ingredients. As if that wasn’t enough, this sunscreen contains ingredients like aloe and chamomile to nourish the skin, and it’s water resistant for 80 minutes!

Gifts From the Earth Face and Body Lotions

Though we do suggest you apply sunscreen before going out into the sun, all of our luscious lotions and face creams contain zinc oxide - an ingredient that helps protect the skin from the sun’s harmful rays!

Toothpaste

Auromere Ayurvedic Herbal Toothpaste

Gentle and effective, this Ayurvedic toothpaste is made with over 20 herbal ingredients that are known to promote optimal oral health. It is vegan, cruelty free, non-GMO, fluoride free, alcohol free, and free of any artificial sweeteners. Your teeth with thank you!

Bodywash

La Fountain Herbal Soap

Made by an awesome company based out of Mount Hood, Oregon, these natural soaps are cleansing, moisturizing, and gentle on the skin. Stay away from those harmful chemicals found in body washes and choose a natural soap like this one instead!

Makeup

Monave Loose Mineral Powder

Monave loose mineral powders are a blend of pure, oxidized mica, and are versatile and fun. They come in a wide variety of colors, and the texture of the powders ranges from semi-matte, to shimmer, to full sparkle. The best part? All of these beautiful loose powders can be used as eyeshadow, eyeliner, blush, or even nail polish!

Bathbombs

La Fountain Herbal Bath Bombs

Made with herbs, flowers, salts, clays, and essential oils, these natural bath bombs are moisturizing for the skin and replicate a DIY aromatherapy session!

Sweetwater Apothecary Soaking Salts

Another product by our friends at Sweetwater Apothecary! Each of these soaking salts is made with intention, combining wonderful ingredients to help bring you relaxation, and silky skin.

Nail Polish

Claws Out Five Free Nail Polish

Made by an awesome, female-owned company based out of Portland, these polishes are made without the fish scales or animal testing that is common in this industry. They are also “five-free,” which means they do not contain 5 harmful chemicals (toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, and camphor)that are often found in nail polishes. On top of all of that, the polishes are beautiful, and they name each color after an important topic or cause - Matriarchy? Pride? Yes, please!

Happy Holidays!

My name is Addy, I am a transgender woman and I am proud. I live a life most likely very similar to yours - most of our week days probably even have similar schedules! I wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch netflix, and go to bed. Pretty uneventful I know, but unless you are trans, there are probably a couple differences in the things we go through throughout our days as well. When I watch the news in the morning there is a good chance I will have to see a story about a person like me (that is - a trans woman) being severely hurt or killed. When I am on my way to work, I will most likely have threats and slurs shouted at me. Throughout my day, complete strangers will ask me “what's in my pants" as if that is a normal conversation to have with someone. I will get called an it, I will be worried about being assaulted when I have to use the public restroom, I will sit down at a restaurant only to have to move because someone is staring at and harassing me. My boyfriend and I will avoid holding hands in public due to fear of being attacked. Then after all of this, at the end of the day I will finally make it back home, only to see on the news that some new court ruling or law has stripped away another piece of what little protections or rights I have.

Despite all of this, I still smile. I still laugh and dance, and I still want to live. I belong to a beautiful, vibrant, and diverse community of people - we are your neighbors, your friends, and your family. We have existed since the beginning of humanity and we will continue to exist until the end of time. We are artists and doctors, teachers and writers, carpenters and bus drivers, programmers and cooks, actors and models. We are people just trying to live happy fulfilled lives but unfortunately face many barriers throughout our journeys.

Feeling comfortable in my own skin has always been a battle for me - one of my earliest memories is looking at my reflection in the mirror and wondering why it didn’t look right. From the young age of six, I knew that there was some kind of disconnect between my mind and body. I would go to bed every night hoping with all my heart that I would wake up being who I was supposed to be: that I would wake up and be a girl. When morning came, I would feel even sadder than the one before. After awhile I told myself that it was just a phase, and if I could live around it or even mask it, I could move on with things. Instead of allowing myself to acknowledge who I really was and letting the light shine through, I tried everything in my ability to hide and even extinguish that light. At eight years old I would sneak into my moms stuff and put on makeup in the mirror just to feel what I so deeply yearned for. I would then quickly wipe it all of and tell myself it was just a fluke. 

Apparently in my mind a fluke is something you do dozens and dozens of times. Patterns and habits like these continued into my teens and eventually the pressure became too much to live with. One day I realized enough was enough. I deserved happiness and respect as much as anyone else. I was a deeply sad and unhappy child. My childhood was not difficult because I was transgender or because I didn't have a loving family. It was difficult because I felt it was impossible to admit the truth to anyone, even myself - the world we live in taught me that being transgender was something to be ashamed of. I would give anything to go back and tell that sad little kid that everything would be alright. I want her to know that she is loved and that she is beautiful.

While I do realize that going back in time to comfort my younger self is impossible, I can still be proud of what I made it through. I can still live in self care. By loving what I have become instead of mourning what I never had, I can live. I am not ashamed of being trans, I am incredibly proud. I am proud of the strong person I was, without that strength and struggle I wouldn’t be here today. I am proud of the trans girl that wore makeup in public for the first time. I am just as proud of her as I am the Trans girl who doesn’t have the strength to do that yet.

First, I get insights into new products to create and let the ideas stew for a few months. Many times, I will have a few base ingredients I want to work with, something that inspires me, and that will become my starting point. When I created the Rosehip Refining Scrub, I knew I wanted a scrub for my rose line that was pore refining, so I started with fine powdered rosehips.

Then, over time, the other ingredients start coming to me in my dreams. It might be a flower, maybe a feeling or even an energy. I take that information and research those ingredients to see if they will fit with the formula - most of the time my dreams are spot on! When I have trouble with a formula, I leave it alone for a while, and come back to it when the inspiration comes to me again. From start to finish, from the initial idea and the actual packaged product, a new idea may take up to 9 month to be birthed. Understanding my natural rhythm is also important, I know that most things I create will take 9 months - I carry a lot of mother energy and the natural rhythm for the mother is 9 months. I have tried to push my timeline and when I do, it can really be a disaster. Learning and following a natural rhythm in things you do can be beneficial to you in your own creative process, and in the final product!

Once I start creating a new formula, not only do I review the physical properties of each ingredient, but also the energetic information as well. Each ingredient then must work in harmony with everything else in the product, and the result is a synergistic blended formula. The synergy in both the physical healing properties and the energetics are equally as important - my products aren’t done until the energy is just right.

Have you ever looked at products that are in the stores and discovered that they are all white? I like to use ingredients that are as close to their natural state. This means my oils have not been deodorized or had the color removed, like most other skincare products you come across. You will see the bright orange of the Sea Buckthorn oil in the Radiant Beauty Elixir and the wonderfully scented, beautiful green Tamanu Oil in the Restore Serum. Utilizing all of the senses in a formula can make it a much richer and complete product.

If I don’t feel “right,”(ie our energy is off) we will not make product that day. Because our products rely so heavily on energetic properties, we believe that we must be in the right head space to create them. Have you read the ingredient list on the labels and wondered what Vibrational Essences and Full moon de-ionized water are? These are the things that give the products a full spectrum vital life force energy, and without them, these products wouldn’t be Gifts From the Earth.

Now you know how I incorporate equal parts “woo woo,” science, and energy work into my product creation process. As always, if you have questions, please let me know!

Preparation

A night of heavy makeup or face paint is so fun, but not so much for your skin! To help make things easier for it, some preparation is in order.

Start by washing your face with your go-to cleanser - this will remove any debris that may have built up throughout the day so that it isn’t hanging out under your makeup. Then, gently exfoliate to remove any excess dead, dry skin that makeup could potentially cling to and trap within the pores. (you can use an exfoliating scrub or a wet washcloth for this step!) and pat the skin dry.

Now is the time to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Moisturizing will help protect the skin from all of the paint and glitter that’s about to be applied, and lessen the chances that your skin will want to absorb that makeup. You can either apply your go-to moisturizer here, or choose a slightly heavier one. After your skin is moisturized, make sure you apply a layer of foundation before any other makeup! This will create an extra barrier between Halloween makeup and the skin.

Products

The products you choose to put on your face can make a big difference for your skin’s health! Here’s a list of our favorite eco-friendly, skin-friendly Halloween makeup!

Face Paint:

Elegant Minerals Costume Makeup Kit

These face paints are non-toxic, safe for the entire face, are free of lead and dyes, 100% vegan, are colored with natural minerals, yet still have the same consistency as a “regular” face paint! Perfect for any costume, including painting the whole face.

Lips:

RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek

This lip and cheek stain is created using natural ingredients that work synergistically with your skin. They are packaged in glass containers, use organic ingredients, cruelty free, and are completely transparent about what they put in their products! They have a wide variety of shades to choose from, we recommend this for year round use!

Eyes & Sparkle:

Monave Loose Mineral Powders

When it comes to eyeshadow, eyeliner, or just a bit of glitter, Monave has got you covered. All of their loose mineral powders are completely versatile, are a blend of pure oxidized mica, and they come in a wide range of colors and finishes! Special hint: when combined with water, their powders make an awesome wet eyeliner!

Hair:

Qivange Hair Chalk

These hair chalks are eco-friendly, come in 12 shades (including 6 that contain glitter!!), and are totally harmless to your hair. They work best applied to wet hair and then set with a hairdryer, and will wash out with shampoo.

Post-Party

Now for the most important part...caring for your skin after a night out! Makeup and drinking both dehydrate the skin, and it will be super obvious the next day if you go to sleep before removing your makeup.

First, you want to get all of that makeup off your face. We recommend using an oil based cleanser like our Earthly Dreams Cleansing Oil, because it will draw out all of that unwanted makeup from the pores. Apple the cleanser generously, allow to sit for 1-5 minutes, rinse the face, and wipe away makeup and oil with a wet cloth. For heavier makeup, you may need to apply the cleanser more than once! If you have applied glitter to the skin, avoid scrubbing, as the edges of glitter are hard and will scratch the skin. Just be patient!

Once your skin is clean, apply your go-to toner and moisturizer to rebalance the skin - you may want to apply a heavier moisturizer on this particular evening to give the skin a little bit more help!

We hope you have so much fun dressing up this week. Happy Halloween!