Evans Acres Mini Farm

 

        

I had the opportunity to visit Evans Acres Mini farm today with my kids. The farm has a mini festival going on today and tomorrow. They have a few mini games, You can pet the animals, have a pony ride, make your way through the little hay bale maze, Or my kids favorite was the corn kernel pit. They played in it for close to an hour. Then there's my favorite they had their little shop set up in their barn selling their lotions and soaps made from goats milk.

 It's no secret that I love goats milk soap and lotion. I usually buy my soap for myself and my family from Evans Acres Mini Farm. Which if you are Local to the Tremonton area, They will do deliveries on Tuesdays. I love not having to leave my house to get products that I love. 

So What are the benefits of Goats milk in products that you use on your skin?

1-- GENTLE CLEANSER: While most commercially made soaps contain harsh surfactants that can actually strip your skin barrier which is made up of natural moisture and oils. Goats milk soap has high amounts of fats, particularly caprylic acid, allowing for gentle removal of dirt and debris with out removing the skin's natural fatty acids.  

2- RICH IN NUTRIENTS: Goat milk is rich in fatty acids and cholesterol, which is awesome because that is what makes up a large portion of the skin membrane. A lack of these in your skin can lead to dryness and irritation. Goats milk is a good source of  vitamin A which has ANTI-AGING properties! Lastly Goats milk is a good source of selenium. A mineral that has been shown to support a healthy skin membrane, it has also been linked to improving psoriasis symptoms like dry skin.

3- IMPROVES DRY SKIN: Goats milk soup's high cholesterol and fatty acid levels may replace missing fats while providing moisture to allow for better water retention.

4- NATURAL EXFOLIANT:  Alpha- hydroxy acids (AHAs) are used to treat a variety of skin conditions, such as scars, age spots, and hyperpigmentation, due to their natural ability to exfoliate. Lactic acid , a naturally occurring AHA in goat milk soap, has been shown  to gentle remove the top layer of dead skin cells, allowing for a ore youthful complexion. I actually use a lactic acid chemical peel in my treatment room on clients with pigment issues. It is one of the most gentle AHAs, which makes it suitable for those with sensitive skin. 

5- SUPORTS A HEALTHY SKIN MICROBIOME: Goats milk contains probiotics like Lactobacillus, which is resposible for producing lactic acid. It has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects in the body, INCLUDING skin.

6- CAN PREVENT ACNE: Acne can be caused by so many different things. So it's best to see a skin specialist like myself to understand where your personal acne is coming from. I personally don't use goats milk soap on my face, as the pores are so much larger and clog much more easily. But if you get bacne or acne anywhere on your body. The lactic acid in the goats milk soaps can work as a natural exfoliant to gently remove dirt, oil, and excess sebum.

With benefits like these. It's easy to see that I turn to Evans Acres Mini Farm, for a more natural soap to put on myself and my family. Check out their products and get yourself some of this nutrient filled goodness by Shopping HERE

Check out their Instagram HERE

Check out their Facebook HERE

Now lets talk about their cute Farm! Quoting from their website: "We are a small, family-run farm in Bothwell, which is a rural farming community in Northern Utah.  We have been breeding and raising Mini Silky Fainting Goats since 2017.  My “day job” is medical transcribing from my home, allowing me to be able to work and be home on the farm at the same time. In 2020 when COVID-19 hit, surprisingly my work cut way back and I found myself with extra time on my hands. I was right in the middle of kidding season with my goats when the idea struck to begin milking my goats and making skincare products. It may seem a little unconventional to milk my mini goats (as they aren’t really dairy goats), 

but it has worked out great. They have provided enough milk to make products and allows me to raise a breed I absolutely love!  Our family and extended family immediately fell in love with the goat milk soap and lotion. We were hooked!  We then began producing more for friends and eventually started selling at Farmer’s Markets where others fell in love with our products. It has been a very rewarding experience.  From beginning to end, our products are made by hand.  The goat milk comes from our very own goats.  The products are handmade by us. Each bar of soap is hand cut. They are then packaged directly by us as well.  They are definitely made with love. "

If you are like me and love local events I highly suggest going to this little farm in beautiful Bothwell Utah. The fall festival will run all day tomorrow October 24th, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It's $5 per kid and $2 for adults (spectators). You can also pick your own pumpkin for only $3. Don't forget to stop by their little shop in the farm to pick up some soap, lotion, and a cookie for the kids. (If you don't have cash they take venmo). 

 

Address: 13485 N 10000 W, Tremonton UT 84337

PLEASE FOLLOW COVID GUIDELINES WHEN VISITING

The risks of popping

 

🌸Let’s talk about “popping  zits” for just a minute. What’s the difference between when I do “extractions” in my treatment room and when people “pop” at home?

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🌸You know that nice steam I have going while I Thoroughly double cleanse your face? Then the wonderful smelling enzyme that we use under the steam? 😀well that’s not just for the relaxing warm and fuzzies that it gives you. It serves a purpose. The double cleanse totally cleanses your face of any debris or bacteria that may creep in during extractions, the steam and enzyme both soften the skin and sebum, so your pores and skin aren’t damaged in the process. By doing all of this I’m less likely to cause hyperpigmentation, scaring, and since I wear gloves and use tools I’m not giving you and infection.

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🌸 when you look in the mirror and see a big zit ready to burst, I’m guessing that you’re not taking the time to cleanse and steam your face. Most people squeeze and squeeze until they have a big hole in their face. The bacteria from their nails and hands creeps in causing more acne and infects the pimple they were trying to get rid of.

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🌸 I 💯 understand that you don’t want to walk around with white bubbles on your face, so here’s a few tips.

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1-If you must extract. Do it after double cleansing in the shower and use two q-tips to gently squeeze out the debris.

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2- be sure to cleanse, tone, and moisturizer your face morning and evening.

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3- my favorite cleanser for acne is the “raspberry refining” from skin script you can find it in my skin care shop in my bio.

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4- wash your pillow case at the very least once a week, to avoid reintroducing unwanted bacteria to your face.

Do Norwex Cleanser cloths really cure acne???

 

I think by now Norwex has been out long enough that we have all heard of it, but just in case.... Norwex is a MLM company that has distributors who promote a more natural way of cleaning. You basically switch from using chemical cleaners in your house to using these cloths infused with "mico-silver". I'm 100% behind this idea of getting rid of harmful chemicals in our homes. I've loved the Norwex cloths that I have tried. If I can clean my house without breathing in something harmful to my health I'm all for it. But what about the other side of their products? The body/facial cloths, and the new skin care line that they have now?

I went to a Norwex party at a friends house one time, I was SO impressed with the way the house cleaning products cleaned ALL the bacteria left behind from raw chicken. But then the presenter brought out the facial cleansing cloths.... She said "My friend has severe acne, she switched to these cloths and water and now her face is completely clear! I only use these and water on my entire body and face!". A lady in the room replied with "so we can ditch all of our expensive wrinkle creams?!". As an Esthetician who is constantly studying skin I cringed SO HARD at this statement. But because I'm not a Jerk, I bit my tongue because I didn't want to make her feel stupid in any way. Hence my post here. I hope that I can nicely correct any Norwex presenters who are making these claims. So lets get into what is wrong with this statement. 

(All of my acne clients, this will be a refresher from your first appointment with me, where online or in person.)

1- Not all acne is bacterial. In fact as a skin specialist I go through so many different aspects that could be causing acne with a new client. It can come from a poor diet or even food sensitivities. It can be caused by a hormonal imbalance, it can actually be bacterial, it can be from too harsh of products or the wrong products. It can be caused by over exfoliating and compromising your skin barrier.  So while I love the make up remover cloth, I do not suggest only using the cleansing cloth and water if you are fighting acne. PLEASE find a skin specialist that you can trust to go through your life style with so you CAN figure out what is causing your acne. A good cleanser with the proper ingredients will help you.

2- Water has a different PH (acidic level) than your skin. Every time you put water on your face, (even when using a cleanser) your skins PH level gets thrown off. You then should use a toner to balance your PH level.

3- To the person who was all excited to throw out your wrinkle cream, I'm sorry to inform you... No a cleansing cloth will not help your wrinkles in any way..... I'm sorry.... If you are cleansing your face, which is 100% necessary to remove any sweat, excessive oil, and debris from the day. You are removing all of the natural oils from your skin. If you do not put a moisturizer on, your skin will start to over produce sebum (oil). If you are acne prone, this is bad news for you. Your acne will come back with a vengeance until you can repair your skin barrier. If you have a dry skin type this is also bad news because you aren't putting that needed moisture and hydration back into your skin. Your PH levels will be out of wack and you will start experiencing acne, when you never have before. 

I did notice that Norwex has come out with oils, moisturizers, and creams. So.... doing what I do best. I decided to check out the ingredients. The good news??? They actually do have good natural ingredients! YAY! The bad news??? Most of the products have Butylene Glycol close to the top of the ingredient list, which for people with normal/dry skin is not a problem. But if you are acne prone, or have sensitive skin this ingredient is pretty comedogenic (pore clogging). I really try to steer acne clients far from products with Butylene Glycol in it. Another thing to consider is that a lot of the prices are higher than the professional products that I am able to offer my clients.

I do over all love Norwex products. I love that they are eliminating the use of a lot of harmful chemicals. I also realize that there are so many different presenters out there, they are not all making these claims. But I have heard it multiple time. I want to clear it up for friends and clients that have asked me about it. 

If you would like to check out some of their products click this link NORWEX

If you have acne and would like something that will help check out my products here J. Marie Esthetics

Disclaimer: I am not involved with Norwex in any way. These are all my own opinions. 

Clearhead vitamins

 

I have tried and currently use so many products from Codeage and total honesty I can say that I have enjoyed all of them. Codeage really takes the time to thoroughly test their products before releasing them to the public. They use the highest quality ingredients that come from no gmo plants. Which, if you’ve followed me for any time. You know that I’m all about natural ingredients. I truly believe that we have what we need from nature to heal our bodies. So without further ado I’m so excited to share this NEW product with you! Clear head by Codeage.

Clear head does just what the title says. “We designed clearhead for when we feel under the weather. For all those moments when adding specific vitamins and nutrients may give us a much-welcomed boost and make us feel like a rider on the storm. When standing clear could appreciate a helping hand.” -Codeage 

Looking through the vitamins in this new supplement makes me SO EXCITED! Because there are times that I wake up just feeling a little off or I feel a cold coming on, it’s so nice to have something to give me a boost to get me through it quickly. In my opinion this is a supplement that everyone should have in their first aid box. The ingredients in this supplement have such immune boosting benefits that it’s one of those things that doesn’t hurt to take every day. 

Ingredients:

Vitamin C

Vitamin D3

Zinc and selenium 

Echinacea plant (coneflower)

Feverfew leaf extract 

American ginseng

Garlic, olive leaf extract, oregan leaf powder, polyphenols

Schisandra berry extract (shisandra chinensis), and Coptis (goldthread)

Probiotics

Don’t you love that list of ingredients? I know I sure do! They are actually doing an introductory sale on this new supplement and to save even more money you can bundle it with more supplements with the bundle and save option. Unfortunately my discount code won’t work with this sale, but you can Click here to shop

All Codeage vitamins are made in the USA 🇺🇸 which is a major bonus for us USA folk. 

My favorite product for MASKNE

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

 😷 YEP! Maskne is a real thing. I use to only see it with people who work in a place that requires them to wear a mask. But now that we are all wearing them, a lot more people are suffering from it.

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😷first of all wash or swap out your mask every day, so you aren’t introducing old bacteria, sweat and debris to your face.

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😷make sure you are doing your home regimen morning and evening. Which at the very least should include a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer.

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😷I love these clarifying pads because you use them in place of your toner, as needed to clear up congestion.

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😷Clarifying Toner Pads use purifying active ingredients to relieve breakouts while improving the clarity and quality of the skin.

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😷Reduces congestion

😷Lessens oil production

😷Provides antibacterial-like properties

😷Soothes cystic breakouts

😷Enhances cellular turnover

Click Here to Order

My secret to getting some physical activity in as a Mother.

 I literally went almost 11 years without doing anything physical to keep myself in shape. I mean sure, I would go on walks or push the kids in the stroller. I usually try to eat mostly healthy foods. But in those years of taking care of these 4 awesome kids, I was forgetting something that, as mothers we hear often. We hear this all over the internet, in quotes on pinterest, and memes on instagram and facebook.

SELF CARE IS SO IMPORTANT!

I always told myself so many excuses that kept me from doing anything. Mostly things like I have 4 kids, I don't have time to do anything for myself. I'm a mom I can't be expected to do anything. No matter what I do, my stomach will always be somewhat flabby, and so on. Given, in a lot of those years, I was either pregnant, recovering from c-sections, or just plain tired with getting up with babies throughout the night.

While to a lot of you other moms, these might sound legit, or to others these may sound silly. It's the way I felt.

READY TO HEAR WHAT FINALLY CHANGED?

First off, my youngest is now 4 years old. So I really haven't had the baby excuse for a while now.

My sister and I run a page on instagram and facebook called "Fabulously Frugal". After a winter of NO physical activity and a whole lot of bakery sweets eaten. We decided that we would put out a challenge for anyone who wanted to join us (mostly for ourselves) to get 10,000 steps in a day. At first this was really hard to do, It was January, and in Utah that means a lot of snow, so I wasn't going to be going on any walks outside. I'm a homeschooling mom (even before it was mandatory... I know, I'm not right in the head), I had no exercise clothing and I did not own a treadmill.

I put all excuses aside and decided that NO MATTER WHAT, I was going to get my steps in.
So every morning I would slip my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and get to work. I'm sure if anyone saw me in person they would think I was absolutely nuts! I would stand behind my kids and while helping them with school, march in place. When I wasn't physically walking around the house doing stuff, I would seriously step in place. While doing dishes.... step in place. Washing my hands? step in place. When the kids were done with their chores. I would turn on music in the kitchen and.... dance around until I hit those 10,000 steps. I would work up a sweat, and guess what, even with this little movement. I started to lose that extra fat that I had put on.

People started to notice my determination and things started to fall into place. My husband and kids got me some high quality exercise clothes for mothers day. Which I love, if you want to check them out. click here.
My Sister gave me a fitness watch for my birthday, and my in-laws had a treadmill just sitting around in their garage, that they let me bring to my house and use.

The first time that I stepped on the treadmill, it took me 2 1/2 HOURS to run 5 miles! I figured out, that with my stride 5 miles is about equal to 10,000 steps. It was SO frustrating, trying to get the kids to leave me alone, constantly stepping off because I felt like dying, and just wanting to give up. But I didn't I made a goal to do 5 miles on the treadmill at least 5 days a week. I stuck to it. But with a little secret on how.

Every day, my kids are not allowed to use any electronics until 1- Their chores are done 2- They do their time on Lexia (a reading program that helps them keep up on their reading skills) and 3-I GET MY MILES IN ON THE TREADMILL! While this may sound crazy. It's been the best thing in the world! Instead of fighting and asking me to do everything. They encourage me to get on the treadmill. They help each-other get stuff done, the older kids do stuff for the younger two, and I get my time to myself.

I've come to realize that when I exercise, eat healthy, and take my vitamins (check out my favorites HERE discount code JMARIE88) I have so much more energy, and I am in a much better mood. I am kinder and show more love.

I am in no way perfect and will NEVER pretend to have it all together. I still have days where my kids fight and I have to get off the treadmill a million times. I've come to accept that anytime I do yoga, my 4 year old is going to ride on my back like a monkey. During the summer, my kids may be in their jammies until 11:00 because I am taking that time to better myself. But you know what? I can now run 5 miles in 56 minutes, I was able to run my first 5k last month, and I'm able to love myself a little bit more each day. Life is about compromise. I want my kids to see that being a mom, doesn't mean you give up yourself. You can still be yourself AND take care of them.

If you made it this far. Thanks for reading. Stay true to you and find some time for self care.

Check out my instagram @j.marie_esthetics

Coping with anxiety naturally

Order here
Discount code JMARIE88

🌸With all the stresses in the world right now, it’s no wonder that we all have some anxiety! I just wanted to share a little bit more about this natural supplement that helps to push down that anxiety, and helps me live my life without being overly anxious all the time.

🌸the high quality ingredients are what make this natural supplement the bomb-diggity.

🌸CODEAGE DEEP BLUE MIND ENHANCING BLEND: is a mixture of different mushrooms that actually help to relieve stress, depression. And some studies show that the “lions mane”  helps to prevent dementia.

🌸GAMMA-ANINOBUTYRIC ACID (GABA): Improves your mood, Relieves anxiety, Improves sleep,
Helps with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and Treats attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

🌸ASHWAGANDHA ROOT & LEAF EXTRACT: can reduce blood pressure, reduces cortisol (stress hormone), helps reduce stress and anxiety, reduces symptoms of depression, reduces inflammation, can improve brain function including memory!

🌸ORGANIC WILD-CRAFTED BLUEBERRY BLEND: is a mixture of different types of blueberries. Blueberries have been known to help brain function, improve memory and to lower stress levels.

🌸DIHYDROHONOKIOL-B (DHH-B): helps to reduce anxiety and promotes sleep.

🌸I like to take all my vitamins at different times of the day. My favorite time to take this one is before bed. I get a better nights sleep when I do, and when I wake in the morning, I’m always in a good mood.

If you would like to give these a try Order here be sure to us my discount code JMARIE88

Women's Fermented MultiVitamin

Have you tried every multi-vitamin in the book? Only to not even be sure if they are doing anything? If you're anything like me, you've tried huge horse pills that taste like hay and literally make you sick to your stomach. Then tried gummies that taste great, but has no effect on your mood, energy, or well ANYTHING AT ALL.  I went years just taking multi-vitamins hoping that it was doing what it was supposed to and assuming that it was helping to keep me healthy.

ORDER HERE
USE DISCOUNT CODE "JMARIE88"

It wasn't until I tried the Women's Fermented Multivitamin from CodeAge that I realized that with the right high quality vitamin you DO feel different. I have more energy than I have ever had, energy that I didn't even know that I was lacking. Energy that, as a mother of 4 children, I really and I mean REALLY needed.

There are some key ingredients in these vitamins that I love. #1 being that this multivitamin actually has Iron! Did you know that according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 20% of women of childbearing age have iron deficiencies during pregnancy.

Women who aren't pregnant have a period every month and with that we lose red blood cells which contain much needed Iron. If that monthly iron intake and absorption isn't replaced we can end up with iron deficiency anemia. Which makes me wonder why most other women's vitamins do not add it in.

ORDER HERE
USE DISCOUNT CODE "JMARIE88"

#2  While it's embarrassing to tell the world that I get IBS symptoms, I know that I'm not alone and that in doing so I can help other people to manage their symptoms. While eliminating dairy and watching my diet has a lot to do with controlling the symptoms. These vitamins have helped me immensely. I've tried SO MANY probiotics that it's not even funny.   These multivitamins actually have a synergistic blend of probiotics and enzymes for easy digestion and maximum absorption. Which would also help to explain why these multivitamins don't make me sick like all the other hay tasting horse pills.

#3 Since I'm an Esthetician you know that I'm going to look for those skin enhancing vitamins. These include Vitamin A (as beta Carotene) which helps speed up healing, and supports the skins immune system. Vitamin C which is an antioxidant, which protects the skin cells from damaging free radicals caused by uv exposure. Vitamin E which is also an antioxidant that supports the immune system cell function, and skin health. Then there's one of my favorite minerals for the skin ZINC, this lessens the formation of damaging free radicals and protects skin's lipids (fats) and fibroblasts (the cells that make collagen). Zinc also helps to heal acne, when applied topically and taken internally.

While there's so many reasons that I love these vitamins my biggest reason for recommending them is the way that they make me feel. I love that I have energy throughout the month, even when on my period. I feel healthy and strong. They are made from whole foods which makes me love them even more. If you want to give them a try use my discount code "JMARIE88" at check out and Enjoy!
CLICK HERE TO ORDER!

Pacifica Hair Care

 It may come as a surprise to many of you, but I don't always use "pro products". I rely more on the ingredient list on the back of bottles, rather than brand names or whether things are "professional" or not. In fact, there are products both professional and not that I would NEVER use. But on the other hand the same goes for things that I will 100% use. Since I specialize in skin, it's taken me a while to find a natural hair product that I actually like. Please note that I have used the word NATURAL not ORGANIC. These are not organic products. They do use a couple of controversial ingredients, But over all, the couple ingredients that may arise conflict in some people, are in my opinion WAY better than other ingredients in chemical filled products.

I've been using Pacifica's "Island Vanilla" perfume for a while now, I love the smell, how affordable it is, and the fact that the ingredients are SO non-toxic! I follow Pacifica on Instagram and noticed they've been promoting their hair care products a lot lately. So I got online and started looking through the ingredient list to see if it was something I wanted to try. The ingredients added up so I gave it a try. Here's my experience with each product.


Rosemary Detox Scalp Scrub.  I absolutely love getting professional scalp treatments So when I saw this, I was super excited. You are supposed to work this around on your scalp to remove any dead skin or product build up. As an esthetician I know that exfoliation is key to healthy skin, so I assume this is the same for your scalp. This is supposed to be used once a week before you shampoo.
At first I had a hard time getting it through my hair and actually on my scalp, but with a little bit of work and persistence I really started to feel the Peppermint, tea tree, and menthol. Which I love! I've used tea tree shampoos in the past and absolutely loved them. The price of this is $11

Ingredients 
-sea salt
-cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine
-glycerin

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- sucrose
-glyceryl caprylate
-sodium methyl cocoyl taurate (foaming agent)
-sodium cocoyl isethionate
-jojoba esters
-charcoal powder
-rosemary leaf extract
-lavender flower extract
-rosa moschata seed oil
-peppermint leaf oil
- menthol
-tea trea leaf oil
-glyceryl stearate SE
-lactococcus ferment lysate
-rice bran extract
-sunflower extract
-vitamin E
-sodium bensoate
-potassium sorbate
-sodium gluconate
-iron oxides
-citric acid
-natural fragrance

Salty Waves Texturing Shampoo.   I chose this shampoo because I've don't have curly hair, I don't have straight, I have WAVES it get tough finding products specifically made for wavy hair. So when I saw this, I jumped right on it. I love that all these products are 100% vegan, and Cruelty-free. When I poured some in my hand for the first time I found that I used way too much product. I'm so use to "non-professional" shampoos being so watered down that you have to use a ton to even get any kind of a lather. This was not the case with this. I was pleasantly surprised at how little you actually have to use. It smell absolutely delightful, with no added synthetic fragrance AND my hair felt absolutely clean after. 

The price of this is $10

Order here

Ingredients

-water

-sodium c-14-16 sulfonate (NOT a sulfate, derived from coconut)

-cocamidopropyl betaine

-decyl glucoside

-kelp extract

-algae extract

-sorbitol

-hydrolized soy protein

-vitamin B

-orbignya oleifera seed oil

-potassium sorbate

-sodium benzoate

-vitamin E

-disodium cocoamphoiacetate

-jojoba seed oil

-natural fragrance

-banana fruit extract 

-chia seed extract

Coconut Power Strong & Long Moisturizing Conditioner.

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While there is a conditioner that specifically goes with the Salty Waves Shampoo, I chose this one because I live in a dry area and my hair and skin tend to get extra dry just by living here. I wanted some extra hydration for my hair. Once again I was pleasantly surprised with this product! First off it smells like a coconut smoothie with out any synthetic fragrance! But most of all it leaves my hair feeling super hydrated.
The price of this is $10

Ingredients
-water
-cetrimonium chloride
-cetyl alcohol
-sorbitol
-dimethicone
-stearyl alcohol
-sunflower oil
-vitamin B
-jojoba seed oil
-Cetearyl alcohol
-Vitamin E
-amadimethicone
-moringa pterygosperma seed extract
-acai fruit oil
-passionfruit seed oil
-rice bran oil
-coconut oil
-hydrolyzed soy protein
-lecithin
-steramidopropyl dimethylamine
-caprylic.capric triglyceride
-behentrimonium methosulfate
-potassium sorbate
-sodium benzoate                                           
 -ethyhexylglycerin
-natural fragrance

* PLEASE NOTE! I HAVE NO AFFILIATION WITH PACIFICA, THIS IS STRICTLY MY OPINION AND RECOMMENDATION.

Are you wearing the right SPF?

I LOVE spending time in the sun! But, did you know that your Sunscreen could be harming your health?
Let me break down some common sunscreen ingredients for you, to help you to choose a good one.
There are two types of SPF: MINERAL aka PHYSICAL and CHEMICAL.

Chemical SPFs work by creating a chemical change in your skin, Changing UV rays into heat then releasing the heat from your skin. These chemicals include oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, Octocylene, homoslate, octinoxate, and Mexoryl SX.
The more I look into and study these ingredients, the more disgusted I am with ever putting them on my body. Let’s take a closer look.

Oxybenzone: this is a synthetic estrogen that penetrates your skin causing hormonal imbalances, it’s the most toxic ingredient in skin care, it’s classified as a true chemical, it contributes to melanoma and breast cancer, it’s linked to contact dermatitis, hives, allergies, and eczema, it attacks DNA cells. You should NEVER use this but especially not on children under 2, they don’t have the developed enzymes to break this down.

Avobenzone: this actually degrades in the sun resulting in the release of free-radicals that increases the risk of cancer and causes you to be more susceptible to skin irritation.

Octisalate: this is an overall hazard to the skin.

Octocrylene: this also causes free radicals and is overall a very weak uva and uvb protection.

Homoslate: this gem is toxic to the environment, breaks down in sunlight, is a hormone disruptor, is toxic to your organs and reproductive system AND Japan has actually restricted the use of it in products!

Octinoxate: this is harmful to your reproductive system, is shown to have hormone mimicking effects on lab animals, it shows up in breast milk samples, and has effects on your liver.

Mexoryl SX: 1 or more invetro tests on animal cells show positive cancer results. 1 or more human cases show bad skin allergies.

I don’t know about any of you, but for me, these chemicals are not for me! Now let’s go through common mineral ingredients.

Mineral or physical SPFs work by sitting on top of the skin and scatter
UV rays away from the skin. Common ingredients are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Zinc Oxide: this is the white stuff found in diaper rash creams and is a metallic element found in nature. It lowers inflammation, prevents skin cancer, prevents bacterial infections, prevents aging, spot treats acne (can take orally to help acne), helps rosacea, and helps erythema

Titanium Dioxide: shields against UVA and UVB rays! There is 0% chance of sensitivity with this one 🙌

I’m 100% for physical type SPFs!

What about the inactive ingredients? You definitely need to watch out for those. The biggest one that I’m going to warn you about is,

parabens. These are easy to spot. It can start with ethy, butyl, propyl, or methyl. But they all end in the word paraben. These are preservatives but more and more studies are linking them to being an estrogen disrupter, infertility, abnormal development of testicles, obesity, asthma, benign tumors in the digestive tract and uterus, and breast cancer.

I use 2 different brands of SPF 1 on my face (skin script) I like this one because it rubs in super well and doesn’t leave me with a white face. Order here

The other is from Two peas organics. This one is use on my body and on all my kids. Order Here

Collagen

You know how when you look at a baby and think how beautiful, bright, and plump it’s skin is, then you see an elderly person, (who is still beautiful) but has more saggy dull skin. What your noticing is the amount of collagen those people have. Unfortunately as we age our collagen levels decrease. It’s natural, but it doesn’t mean we have to like it. Low collagen can also cause joint pain which is no fun at all. There are a lot of different collagen supplements that you can take to help with your decreasing collagen. Here are a couple that I like.



1- Mary Ruth’s vegan collagen boosting gummies.
While these supplements don’t actually have collagen in them, they have vitamins that will help you to produce your own collagen.


💝 vitamin A- stimulates collagen in aging skin.


💝 vitamin C- protects cells from oxidative damage, assists in collagen formation, and strengthens capillaries and cell walls.


💝 L-Lysine- helps with the absorption of calcium, promotes bone growth and helps to form collagen. However, lysine needs Vitamin C to do its job.


It’s a pretty simple list of vitamins in this power supplement. But it’s what you need to boost your own collagen production.

Order Mary Ruth gummies here






Code Age Biotin Marine Collagen
Are supplements that will add more collagen to your diet it actually has 2 different kinds of collagen.

💝 Type 1 & 3 supports the overall glow of the skin and a healthy gut.


💝 Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin which is important for your hair, skin and nails. Beauty tonic contains 5000% DV of Biotin.


💝 Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that acts as a strong antioxidant and helps protect cells from damages caused by free radicals. Beauty Tonic contains 200% DV of vitamin C.


💝 Vitamin E is a group of fat-soluble compounds that offers a number of distinctive antioxidant activities for the body which may also help reduce free radical damage and slow the aging process of cells, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).


💝 Hyaluronic acid is a natural, clear, and gooey-like substance produced by our body. Large quantity of Hyaluronic acid are found in our skin, eyes and connective tissue and help the body to retain sufficient water to keep your tissues moist and hydrated.


Order Code Age vitamins here.

Use code “JMARIE88” at check out for a discount


As an esthetician I deal with topical products and my absolute favorite brand Skin script has some amazing serums that also help with collagen. My favorites are the:

💝retinaldehyde serum with iconicA it’s a stable non-irritating form of vitamin A that treats skin cell health, brightens and tones tissue, encourages fibroblast activity and lessens the appearance of wrinkles.






💝Vitamin C green tea serum- lessens the appearance of wrinkles, brightens and tones tissue, and encourages fibroblast activity.


💝 Peptide Eye Serum- alleviates dark circles, encourages Proper moisture levels, plumps eye tissue, improves circulation, soothes and calms, tightens and firms, lessens the appearance of wrinkles.


Order skin script here