What's on the Table!? ~ Health and Beauty Care with the Natural Intelligence of Plants and Herbs

We love stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) for skin care! This is why we make use of this plant in products for both external and internal benefit at bee23.ca . In Part One we share from our Clinical Herbalist Diploma thesis, 'Natural Beauty is Anything but Skin Deep: An Exploration of Urtica dioica on the Skin Aesthetic via Musculoskeletal, Cardiovascular, and Immune System,' how stinging nettle is able to get to the very bones of our skin care woes by strengthening connective tissue. We will continue in Part Two with experts from this thesis concerning the anti-inflammatory capabilities of this all-purpose green powerhouse, and why this is important to include in our overall skin care regimen.  Inflammation is now recognized as a risk for age-related diseases and can have impact on the deterioration of the musculoskeletal system. Stinging nettle is a powerful anti-inflammatory, for both topical and internal use having impact on the musculoskeletal system and subsequently our ...

"Just like the rose holds her beauty among the thorns - we can gather our strength from the most unlikely places."  - Christine Evangelou That's me standing in recognition of wearing a leopard print visor from Miami harvesting my Nana's wild rose bushes amidst our lush green Northwestern Ontario vegetation. And then all of a sudden just like that we are a Golden Girl! But I digress from our topic of Rose the Forgotten Queen. Hildegard of Bingen in the 12th century states that, “Rose strengthens any potion or ointment or any other medication when it is added to it."  When we created our blends originally for ‘maturing,’ dry and damaged skin, we wanted the Queen of high vibes in our formulas. Although we get excited about working with new plants and herbs on the daily, we keep coming back to the awe inspiring transcendental nature of the rose. We know that rose oil carries the highest frequency or vibration and when added to any other blend of oils, raising the t...

We talk to this 'We are Royal' Queen (and long time Hotty Balm fan) Alicia Bucknor about how she keeps her natural beauty aglow, even under the pressure cooker of a busy artisan lifestyle with a household to tend to, and a fashion line to curate.  We cover her big TRU Beauty Confession asking Alicia to step up for herself and family, along with really rich daily must-knows to give your own royal crown a boost. One of Alicia's must-haves in her kitchen for beauty is Sea Moss. So what's with all this Moss talk!? Click here to Listen Now to TRU Beauty Confessions Podcast! Benefits of Sea Moss Medically reviewed by different scientists, sea moss is known to be very rich in minerals and nutrients, which is why it has become popular in everything from skincare to smoothies.  This seaweed is called ‘the powerhouse’ for a reason. Sea moss has 92 of the 110 minerals the body is made from. Definitely makes me think we were Merpeople first! I digress, we are talking beta-car...

Strawberry leaves have a long history of being used as an herbal remedy. Wild strawberries have more condensed healing properties, but conventional ones will get the job done. Strawberry leaves, like other leaves and herbs, can be used to make a healing tea to treat diarrhea, aid in digestion, combat nausea, and settle an upset stomach. Tannins in strawberry leaves have low pH levels and serve as a strong digestive. One cup of strawberry leaf tea contains enough tannins to ease symptoms. Strawberry tops are also loaded with caffeic acid, a compound that alleviates inflammation which is good news for arthritis sufferers. Infusing your water with the leafy tops of strawberries also adds flavour, and helps to use up those excess pieces that are headed to the compost bin. This works especially well if you’ve cut off too much of the strawberry meat. To make, place your cleaned strawberry tops into a lidded container and top with water. Let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours, and sip (...

Many people underestimate the power of drinking water and the positive affects it can have on your skin and your overall health. Your skin is the largest organ in your body, protecting you, storing lipids and water, preventing fluid loss and serving as thermoregulation. Drinking more water is the most natural way to get that beaming, glowing and healthy skin we all want. Let’s take a look at 7 ways drinking water helps improve skin. 1. Sagging Skin Rapid shedding of fat or extreme weight loss may cause sagging skin. Many people tighten their skin by water fasting, but this is an unhealthy method and can actually do grave damage to your skin. By drinking ample amounts of water day-in and day-out, you can slowly tighten your skin and maintain a healthy glow. 2. pH Balance It is important to maintain a good pH balance in your skin. The pH of any substance ranges from 0-14 with 14 containing the most alkaline and 0 being highly acidic. A pH value of 7 is neutral and is the exact pH valu...

We often over look this organ. Why is a healthy liver so important to great skin? This is one topic we discuss in Episode 5 of our TRU Beauty Confessions on the EPN Network ‘Walking in Beauty. 5 Beauty Must-Haves' with our guest Natural Health Practitioner Christina Bigelow. Read on to learn more. Listen on Spotify, Apple and Google here! The liver acts as the main biochemical synthesizer and detoxifying organ. It's responsible for cleaning toxins and wastes from the blood, and separating out the useful nutrients to synthesize hundreds of biochemicals that the body needs for daily functioning. The liver detoxifies harmful substances in two steps: First, enzymes and oxygen are used to burn toxins, especially fatty ones, so they are more water soluble, making them easier for the body to eliminate. Second, it combines partially processed toxins with sulfur or amino acids so they can be removed through bile or urine. Keeping the liver working optimally is very important ...

Episode #01: Beauty Baggage with Celeste Morriseau & Kate Waugh TRU Beauty Confessions is a part of the EcoParent Podcast Network: https://www.ecoparent.ca/podcasts About the Episode: In launching this dig into the beauty narrative, we felt it would be necessary as a starting place to get clarity of who we may be speaking to in our wider community. We sat with women from varying backgrounds, ages and lifestyles. We will be unpacking the truths involving our relationship with beauty and the way this impacts how we treat ourselves and others, the way we see ourselves, and feel in our bodies. We realized there can be no Green Beauty movement without understanding that true beauty is much more than skin deep. This is not a cliché but an intellectual understanding that beauty is a vibration or a frequency, it is something that we are able to ‘feel.’ This feeling of ‘beautiful’ is what unlocks our individual magic and prowess in our everyday lives. We will explore the four pillars...