Blog
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Wild Rosehips - Plentiful on the Prairies
Rosehips are a beautiful sight in the fall and winter in the prairie landscape and are plentiful in the Edmonton river valley and parks. Have you ever foraged for them or thought about it?
They are a highly potent vitamin C rich wild food, having many times the vitamin C of an orange!
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Which is more moisturizing for your skin? A butter, a cream, salve, oil, or a lotion?
I used to think the richest product for our skin was a lotion, but surprisingly it's not and I'm about to tell you why. Lotions have a high concentration of water (generally 50% of the content), which makes them cheap to produce, but also hard to keep shelf stable without spoiling, hence they have lots of emulsifiers, preservatives, and stabilizers, many of which are toxic substances and known carcinogens. Yuck.
Our bodies are 80%+ water, so wouldn't a water-based product be nourishing? Surprisingly the answer is no. The reason is, our bodies were meant to be hydrated from the INSIDE out through drinking fluids and consuming healthy, juicy foods. Our skin doesn't really like water. In fact, our skin has a layer of oil that our own body produces to protect us from the environment. It's called sebum. Without it, our skin cracks, and dried out from exposure to wind and water. Think of professionals who have their hands in water all day or must wash them several times a day such as health professionals, cooking staff, etc. If water were nourishing to our hands, they should have the softest skin of anyone! But they don't, not without slathering on lots of creams, all day long etc.
So, if lotion isn't the most nourishing for our skin, what is? Products that contain mostly oils, plant butters, and waxes are the best for our skin as they mimic the action of the sebum. e.g's being salves, body butters, body oils, creams (with a low water content). Body butters are excellent moisturizers that work hard and provide lasting protection throughout the day. Check out our rich moisturizers in our online shop such as our Whipped Cocolicious Body Butter. It smells like chocolate heaven!
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Microbeads - what are they and how to avoid them!
Microbeads are becoming an increasing concern for environmentalists and conservationists around the world. Why? They account for nearly 20% of plas... -
Being thankful and paying it forward
Happy thanksgiving! This year has been an amazing year in so many ways. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Iris in February on a very cold... -
Ameya Studio 'no poo' & soap-free skincare alternatives
This may sound strange to many of you, but I really don't use much soap anymore. Your thinking gross, right? Relax, I still use soap to wash my han... -
The 'No Poo' Movement
People everywhere are starting to ditch 'Shampoo", which is the poo in the 'no poo' movement! Why go 'no poo'? It's no secret that shampoos ... -
Natural sunscreen - coming soon!
These past few months I've been hibernating from posting. Sorry fans, but what I've been up to I hope you will like! I've been researching and lear... -
Honoured to be recognized as Top 40 under 40 (2012)
Thank you so much Avenue Edmonton magazine for this honour!! Wow, I feel blessed to be recognized for my efforts in helping found and direct OFRE:...