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

Not only did we just get back from travels and the hot topic in other countries for health and wellness is Glutathione, but Glutathione is trending!  It is a question that has been coming in both via email and at my events. Given by now most know I am a total research nerd and I cannot stop until I feel I have gotten to the source of the question, I feel compelled to share what we have been practicing in our own home over the last few years concerning Glutathione. When it comes to Glutathione, I want to discuss what we know to be true, and misunderstandings associated with how to get it, how it is absorbed, and how your body produces it. Over the last three years I have been looking heavily into how good Glutathione levels can support and promote health not only for the skin but the systems of the body. Glutathione has become recently coveted in the world of skincare due to its ability to combat signs of aging and improve the overall health and appearance of the skin. As I have di...

  I completely nerd out on macrophages with Nikki on the Nikki Clarke Show! We also delivered Nikki her favourite Hotty Balm Mature to Dry along with a Stop the Sag Tea Bag in person. We were so excited to join live in studio at www.golivetv.ca! Gratitude to TEAO Canada for such a gorgeous spirit, cause and work in their community. We discuss reducing internal inflammation, EcoParent beauty info submissions, to what it means to be a small Northwestern Ontario community up against Hydro One Networking. Watch our full interview on You Tube - The Nikki Clarke Show

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 ...

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 (...

  It is always about the lines, and in Episode 6 of TRU Beauty Confessions Michelle and Zhana take on the saying, “no pain, no gain,’ at least when that comes to the world of beauty and the body. Is a healthy, fit body not within our reach, if for whatever reason we can no longer sweat it out with the latest hardcore fitness phenomenon!? We look at how ‘gentle’ does not just benefit your overall well being but gets the results you are looking for. Zhana explores the unrealistic view of her body through the eyes of the dance world, while also breaking down physical barriers as to what is possible. She shares how she frees herself from a limiting medical and societal narrative by listening to her body. Zhana walks us through her journey from illness, to discovery, to recovery, and now a whole-body vitality. We are excited to share Zhana’s beauty secrets and exercise tips that anyone can do from home to start their own healthy and healing fitness journey. Zhana is a stretching instru...

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...

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...

Our DIY Dream Mist from our Monday Tea with BEE23 included one of our fave ingredients lavender. Not everyone loves lavender but used in the correct amount in a formula along with beeswax, it creates a jam-packed blend with dreamy skin promoting elements. Our Normal to Oily Hotty Balm has just the right touch of lavender to help reduce inflammation, blemishes and acne-causing bacteria. Lavender oil has antibacterial properties that help to kill acne-inducing bacteria and clogged pores. By unclogging pores and reducing inflammation when you put it on your skin, lavender helps prevent acne from developing while treating existing blemishes. Similar to the calming effects of lavender scent, it can soothe irritated skin as well due to its natural anti-inflammatory properties. As a result, lavender may help treat certain skin conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis. By the same token, lavender can help to treat sunburns and other pain and inflammations of the skin. Some ...

As per request, we are posting our little DIY with our Hotty Balm from BEE23 Tea with Genuine Tea. So easy you can do it while on retreat. Leftover tea bags may help to improve the appearance of your eyes by reducing dark circles, puffiness, and redness through its anti-inflammatory effect, by lifting fluid build-up and tightening the skin. The caffeine in green and black tea bags acts as an antioxidant. Caffeine is a diuretic which means that it helps to drain swelling and reduce congestion on the eye. That’s why caffeine is often used infused in beauty products – it’s a stimulant and gets the blood flowing. And when you have good microcirculation this brings oxygen and nutrients to the skin.  However, those beauty products often lack the extra boost provided by the tannins and flavonoids in the tea. Tannins are similar to caffeine in which it aids in constricting blood vessels to reduce blood flow. This will lead to a reduction in the appearance of dark circles ar...