Have you heard of Thrive Market yet? Thrive Market is an online supermarket specializing in healthy, organic, hypoallergenic, gluten-free, non-GMO, natural foods and products for your family and home. It’s pretty cool. They offer all their products at discounted prices - so you can purchase much the same stuff you might buy from Whole Foods from home online, but with an extra discount on top of it. I find that some products seem to have better prices than others comparatively, but overall I do think it’s worth using - especially with free shipping! They even have a 30-day free trial for new customers that offers an additional 25% off your first order. That order alone is worth the free trial! Try using Thrive as a way to set up your ideal, health-oriented kitchen: buy staples like chia seeds, dried goji berries, fish oil supplements, coconut oil, raw honey, medicinal teas, cacao powder, or everyday natural beauty products. These items can really transform your home’s potential for keeping the family healthy and well, thriving. :)
Skin health is just as important as the health of our gut. In fact, skin health should be considered internal health, as Chinese medicine says the skin is the “outer lung”. Your skin is actually the largest organ of your body, coming in contact with thousands of chemicals, environmental agents, germs… not the mention all the food you eat. Your skin “breathes” and sweats out toxins, and is a very important tool in cleansing the body. So, why are we so harsh with our skin – slathering it with sunscreens, makeup, harsh chemical peels, Botox, fragrances, hairspray residue, tanning lotions, acne treatments and more? There is the definite pressure of living up to the high standards of appearance and beauty we have in our culture… but the best approach is one that takes the root cause in mind and treats more than just the outer symptoms. Once I transitioned all my skincare products over to organic and natural sources, my skin cleared up greatly and has never felt better to this day. Learning how to eat well was the first step, and discovering organic products that nourished my skin instead of beating it into submission was the next step! Here are a few of my favorite products that I use daily for optimal skin nourishment. Nothing fancy, but several active ingredients really infuse my skin with the healing nutrients it needs:
Rose // Homeopathy states that “like treats like”, and rose is a great example of this. Red treats red. Rosewater and oil are perfect for soothing redness and inflammation of the skin, it smells lovely, and will hydrate your skin during dry or cold months. Rosewater is also used in some cultures as eye drops for red eyes.
Aloe // Aloe has commonly been used for wound healing for centuries in herbal medicine. It has a wonderful healing effect on the skin, and also in the gut when taken internally.
Calendula // Did you know that calendula flowers are edible? Calendula also is used medicinally for wound healing, anti-inflammation, and anti-tumor remedies. It has been studied as an acne remedy, with astounding powers in healing irritated tissue, and when taken internally can treat constipation and abdominal cramping.
MSM // MSM is a sulfur compound and has been studied for its effects on stress, mucus membranes, GI conditions, and allergies. In addition to being present in some skincare products, it is also sold as a dietary supplement for these reasons.
Jojoba oil // Often, acne and blemishes can occur when TOO LITTLE oils are present in the skin. Jojoba oil helps my skin stay hydrated and nourished so my sebaceous glands don’t over-produce and cause acne breakouts.
Weleda Skincare and Inventive Organics (locally made in Austin!) are two of my absolute favorite skincare lines. Most of my skincare products come from these brands and they always leave me wanting to try more. Check out all of the products they have to offer - skincare, haircare, men’s products, medicinals and more.