LPN’s February Natural Beauty & Wellness Faves

Spring is on its way, but the weather is still cold enough up here to warrant a few skin faves that are good for those dry skin blues and transition temperatures. This month’s faves is a lot on skincare, but I’ve also tucked in one fave for the spirit.

Here’s what I’m loving this February:

Living Libations Cell Serum & Dew Dab

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Living Libations is a seriously cool brand. I came across them when I was traveling home for Christmas and this Indie Canadian brand is doing great things with ingredients and all the love they put into their products.

My favourties this month? Their Dew*Dab & Cell*Serum.

Dew*Dab is their go-to spot treatment for your skin: a potent serum for tiny lines, cuperose (those tiny little red bumps on the face that aren’t acne), little bumps, scars, discolourations and blemishes. It’s an all rounder spot treatment – yes, lines and acne. While the ingredients are powerful, it is gentle enough to use undiluted on the areas of “interest”. :) It’s pure and wild crafted ingredients include undiluted essential oils of Cape Chamomile, Rose Otto, Cypress, Frankincense, Immortelle and Lavender. And it’s smell? Divine!

Cell*Serum on the other hand is a is phytonutrient face food that seeps into cells for cellular respiration and rejuvenation. Powerful anti-oxidants enhance sovereign cellular function. Another cool mix of ingredients in a serum include organic: cumin seed, broccoli seed, jojoba oils, with MSM infused into seabuckthorn berry, frankincense, cinnamon, chamomile, lavender, turmeric, and immortelle. ****Beware now though – this is (probably) going to make your face flush and go red for 30 minutes or so. Don’t be alarmed, but be prepared. The cinnamon and cumin bring blood to the surface of the skin infusing the cells with fresh oxygen and nutrients. I’d recommend not putting this on just before a date ;)****

So what’s the science behind turmeric? We’ve seen that twice now (before we saw it in Vintner’s Daughter).  Substances like cinnamon and turmeric contain phytonutrients that contain mild electrophiles, (the ability to attract electrons), they up-regulate the body’s protective transcription factors, thus activating skin-protecting anti-inflammatory proteins with the added benefit of inhibiting the enzymes that breakdown elasticity and collagen.

Where to Buy: 

Online at Living Libations – Dew Dab for $30 USD for 5 ml

Online at Living Libations – Cell Serum for $40 USD for 15 ml

Concealer Love: Hynt Beauty Duet Perfecting Concealer 

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Ok, so a few weeks ago I did a concealer round up, when I was desperately looking for something effective for my under eyes (a little more sleep might have done some good, but this time of year can be tough). I found some wonderful products while on my trip in Copenhagen (read the post on concealers here), but I hadn’t yet come into contact with this amazing natural corrector. Well, this one literally blasted me into a whole other level of concealer love (yup, that’s a thing and I just made it up). This is it, an official LPN fave. Under eyes, over spots, anything that needs correction, Hynt’s full coverage duet concealer is lightweight (won’t settle into lines after blended properly) and moisturizing enough that dry skin won’t look cakey. Just a little dab will do.

Where to Shop:

Shop online internationally at Eco Diva Beauty for $24 USD 

Dry Skin Saviour: Herbal Gypsies Dream Catcher Face Lotion

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Winter skin blues are still my nemsis these days — even though the days are getting longer up here in the north, the chilly air is still finding ways to keep the skin dry. Well, to all my boho babes, this herbal concoction from Herbal Gypsies.

Made with moringa oil, coconut oil, shea butter and vegan wax, this face cream is super hydrating, nourishing and natural. The essential oils of patchouli (helps with excess oil), frankincense (tightens the skin), bergamot (fights bacteria) and jasmine (tones the skin) make it a beautiful hydrating night cream (aromatherapy facial? Yes please!). All products are created with non-toxic, organic, plant based gems. The moringa powder (which they harvest themselves) its 90+ vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and omega oils kick up the skin’s glow by reducing fine lines and dark spots – antioxidants help fight free radical damage, while Vitamin C helps reduce fine lines and Vitamin A helps build collagen in skin.

Where to Buy:

Online at Herbal Gypsies from $9 USD

LPN’s Luxe Pick: Maya Chia Astaxanthin + Chia Ultra Luxe Face Oil

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Umm hello? Where have you been all my life? There is something going on in the natural beauty industry these days, and it’s nothing short of wonderful. Every time I turn around I feel like another amazing facial oil is coming out of the wood work. This month? I’m loving the Maya Chia Super Couple Astaxanthin Chia Ultra Luxe Face Oil (that’s a mouthful!). This nutrient rich oil/serum combo is multi-correctional. Here’s why: revitalizes aging skin by combatting inflammation, prevents and reduces wrinkles, increases skin’s firmness, lightens age spots, brightens skin tone, moisturizes and protects against free radical damage.

What makes this oil so awesome? Supercritical chia seed oil first (packed with omega fatty acids, antioxidants & minerals), then Astaxanthin extract, which is from a type of green algae shown to have more than 65x more strength than Vitamin C to fight free radicals (clinically proven) – whoa! It also contains a host of other skin loving ingredients such as jasmine absolute, Bulgarian rose absolute, sandalwood, carrot essential oil and many other.

Where to Shop:

Online international at Beau Tea Bar – a great eco beauty shop for $85 USD

Body Love: Saharjan Organic Body Ritual Ayurvedic Oil

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In the last post, Kelsi talked about Ayurvedic massage to help boost our immunity. Looking for the perfect oil to get started on that ritual? Here it is! Ayurvedic line Sahajan focuses on purity and organic Ayurvedic ingredients that are effective on your skin. Sahajan puts the word “ritual” in their body oil for a reason, massage with natural oils is an important element of Ayurvedic treatment, but it’s not easy to find the time. So, utilize the time that you would to put on body lotion after the shower, to gently massage the body to awaken the lymphatic system and help stimulating the body to shed toxins. Like you would with a dry body brush, move the oil up towards the heart as you massage it in. Focus extra attention around the throat, around the breasts and under arms, to release build up toxins and even help lower stress.

The key ingredients include coconut oil, which hydrates deeply, sesame oil, which is used to stimulate skin and almond oil, a rich source of vitamin E that helps repair the skin from oxidative damage.

Where to Shop:

Online international at Sahajan.com for $55 USD

Post Cleanse: Mel Millis Phytonutri Rose Hydrolate Mist Tonic

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My love of facial mists is no secret – this became especially apparent while I realized how helpful hydrosols and mists were on planes while I traveled long on long haul flights. But that love grew into a full blown affair and I use hydrosols or mists on the daily – with a real preference for those that contain rose. Mel Millis is a pure hydrolate, extracted during the distillation process of the essential oil. This is just 100% certified organic Rose flower water. Perfect for soothing and healing skin, reducing redness and perfect for the most sensitive of skin types.

Some other love for Mel Millis? The packaging is plantable – infused with British wild seeds, you can plant some wild floEco Diva Beauty for $34 USD for 50 mlers in your garden.

Where to Shop:

Online international at Eco Diva Beauty for $34 USD for 50 ml

Wellness Read: You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay 

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Louise Hay is a brilliant author when it comes to helping us dig into that uncomfortable stuff and get real. She’s well known for saying “If we are willing to do the mental work, almost anything can be healed.” After curing herself from cancer, she has a lot to say about the roots of illness, and the idea of “dis-ease”. This book has been a best seller for many years, and it’s no surprise.

But before you do, be ready to hear the truth. If you’re not open to hearing it, then this book will just lay on your shelf for years. Open up your heart and your head to the idea that yes, we can heal if we choose to face the problem head on. If we acknowledge where our difficulties are really rooted.

This little book could actually change your life, if you heed the wise words.

Where to Shop:

Online international at Amazon.com for $8.75 USD

Happy February, Beauties! Looking forward to breaking into spring next month with my March faves!

X

K