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

A Case for Holistic Thyroid Investigation As I continue to support clients, there is yet an overwhelming number of incoming questions about thyroid concerns and potential supports. I would like to remind all here, that I am a student in life just as you are. We each take a special affinity to various areas of interest. The research I do enables me to be a better resource to clients and my community. I also make some of my own synopses based on how I perceive the information. What I write is not a conclusive answer to a question, but great beginning points for others to think about their body and health. Always do your own research in regard to a suggestion or recommendation via any type of practitioner. What works for one body, may not be the right fit for another. Now bear with me! I am going to explain a little about the thyroid and the system it is included within the body. This is important because understanding this system is relatively new and there is no extensive review of p...

  As a community we are unearthing what was once known and then sadly covered up and veiled from our minds. There is a reason that cinnamon was part of the holy anointing oil. In Exodus 30:22-33 the following is found: “Then the Lord said to Moses, `Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels [a] of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels [b] of fragrant calamus, 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin [c] of olive oil. Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.” Extracts from the bark as well as leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots of the cinnamon tree are used in traditional medicine around the world for thousands of years. At one point, cinnamon was  more valuable than gold . Egyptians used the spice for various religious practices, as well as embalming. Cinnamon also played a role in religious ceremonies conducted by Medieva...

Plants are magic. I sit back in awe when, yet another serendipitous event happens to teach me when I do not realize there is a lesson to be had. Once the knowledge is acquired, it is a feeling filled with 'of course this is the way it is.' The eclipse season is heavy upon us, and I do not think we discuss this in our daily lives enough. I put together a list of herbs that may be fabulous helpers for you during this time and beyond, spurred on by a recent experience with Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). I was putting together my tea for the day and this plant felt like it was hopping up and down in the back of my shelf, like ‘pick me, pick me!’ I had not used Mugwort in quite some time and I thought it was interesting to be called to it. I have focused much of my relationship with plants over the years around scientific study supported by traditional teachings.  Seeking out the study behind what women like my grandmother simply knew to be true, has been my modus operandi. It ...

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...

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...