Natural Skin Care: here's why you should make the switch ft. SCHMEAR

In my early twenties, I’m one of those people thought of as ‘weird’. Just for the record, weird is awesome because it means you are being you and not following the mainstream. I read so many books on natural sustainable living, health and it just made sense to me to avoid chemicals. I was also willing to pay more for my cleaning and beauty products because I knew they were made from amazing ingredients versus cheap chemicals that are detrimental to our wellbeing.

Every day, we are exposed to toxins. Not to scare you, but it’s true! Especially here in North America as the government doesn’t restrict as many toxins as Europe does. It’s considered safe until a concern arises and that’s not good enough for me.

HORMONE HEALTH

Did you know that your beauty products can impact your hormone health?

We also need to be mindful of endocrine disruptors, such as the man made chemical xenoestrogens, as they have estrogen-like effects on the body. This can impact our ability to excrete excess estrogen and potentially lead to estrogen dominance. The concerning part is, they are everywhere. Receipts, air fresheners, laundry detergent, drinking water, pesticides, tampons, canned food, plastic food storage containers, food dye, sunscreen, perfume, shampoo and even deodorant.

There are so many other chemicals in traditional beauty products, such as SLS, parabens, parfum (often shows as fragrance), PEG compounds, trisclosan, siloxanes, sulhates, petrolatum and more. Your liver has to filter out these toxins and it already has 5000 other jobs to do, yes 5000. So it can get overburdened and you start experiencing negative symptoms such as headaches, itchy skin, bloating and rashes. Let’s avoid that and use SCHMEAR, skincare made from real food.

Have you made the switch to natural products? I recommend using up your old products and buying new natural products over time. This way it’s not overwhelming and a big financial strain.

schmear skincare

I’m so excited to team up with SCHMEAR to announce their new face masks because I first bought their turmeric mask 2 years ago from a local North Vancouver pop up market. I was attracted to them because they are local to Vancouver, use ingredients I can pronounce and they now come in reusable glass jars. They are also against animal testing, which is a must for Bruce’s Roots Wellness. SCHMEAR is leaping bunny and PETA certified - thank you for loving the planet and are animals with your natural skincare!

THE FACE MASKS

I’ve now tried turmeric and coconut as well as hibiscus and pomegranate so let’s talk about these. You probably know turmeric is very anti-inflammatory so this face mask powder is very soothing and irritated skin. The hibiscus and pomegranate face mask is more suited towards mature skin - but everyone can use it. It’s high in antioxidants to fight free radical stress and aging: Vitamin A, C, lycopene and anthocyanins, As someone prone to dry skin, these masks are nourishing and don’t leave me feeling dry. It’s a concentrated face mask meaning it comes as a powder and you just add water. This means you don’t need to worry about your skincare expiring.

Here is an example list of ingredients from their site so you can understand my love of the line:

• Organic Hibiscus Flower: this plant is sometimes referred to as the "botox plant", boasting natural antioxidant acids and anthocyanides to help combat aging and sun damage.
• Organic Pomegranate: a ruby red fruit that is rich in antioxidants. The Vitamin C found in this fruit is known to help protect against UV damage and promote collagen regeneration. The acidity of the ingredient aids with pH balance and provide acne combating effects.
• Organic Tomato: commonly found in our kitchens, this slightly acidic fruit contains high contents of Vitamin C to help brighten and wake-up even the dullest skins.
• Colloidal Oats: this soothing ingredient has been used for centuries to cleanse, moisturize, and protect our skin. Rich in natural starches and fibres, colloidal oats help the skin retain moisture and provide irritation relief. We use this ingredient as a base for all of our food masks.

In all my 1:1 work with clients I advocate using natural beauty and self care products. I truly hope we see more of a shift in society and this becomes mainstream. Your thyroid, liver, skin, lymphatic system and microbiome will thank you for making the switch to real food skincare.

I’m off to take a bath and brush my face with the turmeric mask. Enjoy your self care time, Jordan

Find me on instagram at @jordanbruceRHN

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