My allergies have been insane this Spring! Last week I had some super intense sinus congestion paired with a crazy headache that seemed to last for days. I really hate relying on taking medication everyday. After doing some research, I’ve figured out some natural remedies that have worked incredibly well! I wanted to share them with you guys. 
 

• I start with a warm damp cloth to break up anything trapped in my sinuses. Just holding it on your face and taking some deep breaths really helps.
• Then, using our Dry Facial Brush (to help break up sinus congestion/get your lymphatic drainage going) I brush along the tops of my forehead, eyes, cheeks and down my face. It feels great, and you can feel the drainage happening. That paired with Saje Wellness Allergy Spray + Roll On has made a major difference! After I use Leaves of Trees Headache Balm instead of popping a Advil and I really notice a difference.
• Other tips: Waking up and drinking lemon water is a great way to up your vitamin C intake. Vitamin C boosts your immunity which is what will help fight your allergic issues.
• Adding Bee Pollen to your smoothie can help your tolerance to pollen. Important: it should be local bee pollen, you want the pollen that is in the air. (Please do your own research, some people have reactions to bee pollen.)

A lot of people are sometimes unsure of what the benefits from daily dry brushing are. The obvious one is exfoliation but there are so many more. Awaken your face first thing in the morning, stimulate lymphatic drainage, tighten and tone skin. We recommend 4 steps to stimulate your lymphatic drainage but the most important part is that you are using your brush on clean, dry skin. 

What is lymphatic drainage?

Your lymphatic drainage is a major part of the body’s immune system. It is responsible for ridding the body of toxins through lymph fluid. When built up this fluid can cause tired, puffy looking skin. Many of these vessels run just below the skin and dry brushing regularly can help stimulate flow, helping the body to detoxify itself naturally.

What is Facial Dry Brushing?

Facial Dry Brushing It's not just for your body and it's our favourite way to wake up in the morning. Stimulate drainage, tighten and tone, promote exfoliation/cell turnover, boost circulation, reduce puffiness and dark circles, and smooth fine lines. Oh, its also great help with your pores!

Facial Dry Brushing for Acne:

When there is a lot of inflammation on the skin or under the skin’s surface (ie cystic acne) our lymph nodes go into defensive mode and swell up. Under these conditions, they act as a factory to produce and store white blood cells and immune cells. Dry brushing will help move lymph along the channel and clear up any excess white blood cells and inflammation near the cystic lesions - helping them to shrink faster, and reduce pain.

How to Facial Dry Brush (in 4-steps):

1. Start by warming up the face and stimulating lymphatic drainage. Move the dry brush down, along the jawline from the cheekbone to the chin.
2. Brush across your forehead, down the center of the nose, and in light circles over the eyes, repeat a few times.
3. Brush the front of our face down the cheeks towards the chin. Then brush outwards, from the apples of your cheeks towards your temples. 
4. Sweep across your jawline towards the ear. Continue down the neck.

What is Body Dry Brushing?

Body Dry Brushing is our favourite way to wake the body up naturally and get your circulation moving. Using a Dry Body Brush on clean, dry skin pre-shower is the best way to exfoliate and invigorate the skin (plus it's great for cellulite breakdown and all-over skin health)

Dry-brushing is one of those rare things that feels just as good when you do it and it’s incredibly easy to incorporate into your routine. 

General Tips for Dry Brushing

• Always use brush on clean, DRY skin. There should be no makeup on your skin when you dry brush. 
• Use lighter strokes than facial brush than body brushing
• Use your Facial Brush 4-5 per week. You are more than welcome to use it everyday, but listen to your skin. If you have dry/sensitive/irritable skin we recommend starting off with 2-3 per week. 
• Do not share your brush with anyone else.
• Our brushes are meant to be cleaned every 1-2 weeks. Simply use any gentle shampoo, rinse and dry. Your brush should not be damp or wet. This is important. 

Wow! We had a super busy weekend of markets last weekend. We were at both Refresh and Fall For Local. Both markets were equally busy and fun, we met so many new people! Thank you for coming by our booth and giving MP a try. I love connecting with new customers, re-connecting with current customers and discovering new local brands. Our Dry Facial Brush + Mini Body Lotion were our best sellers - can't wait to hear how everyone enjoys their products.

Our next market is a pop up at West Elm on South Granville on May, 12th from 12-4 please make sure to pop by and say hello! 

There is so much talent coming out of BC! Here are some of my favourites below, make sure to check them out! 

Sarah Hammond Design - Amazing hand drawn sketches of animals. 
Be United & Free - Another locally made, all natural body care.
Zaleska Designs - Gorgeous jewelry. I love her pieces!
Lolo Jewelry - I bought a necklace from these guys, such good quality everyday pieces.
Union Swimwear - Reversible bathing suits that are ethically made.
The Soap Co. - Multi-purpose soap with beautiful minimalist packaging.
You + Me Candles - She has the most unique scent combos, they are beautiful!
Kismet Essentials - I love their coco rinse. Such a good idea for oil pulling.
Bareskin Bars - I love these bath bombs, the rose is my favourite!
Nutmeg Mylk - These are the most beautiful nut milks you will ever try. Delicious.
My Bun Head - Yes, scrunchies are back. And I'm so happy about it. 
Traveller Collective - A very unique way to keep your travels close to you. Check them out!

One of our favourite things about our mask is how many different ways you can mix it! Its a great way to tailor it to your skins needs.

All natural yogurt is our favourite when you are feeling breakout prone.
Its also incredibly nourishing. Filled with natural lactic acid, yogurt dissolves dead skin + tightens pores; prevents breakouts; works to diminish fine lines; evens skin tone w/ gentle exfoliation.

Take a tsp. of mask and add a tsp. of yogurt. Easy!

This is Phil. He is our little fur baby. We just made our first donation to the BC Chi Organization where we adopted Philly from 3 years ago. We will be donating a portion of our online sales quarterly to this amazing rescue group. Philly was incredibly shy & afraid of pretty much everything when we first brought him home. Now he is a happy, fun loving boy who makes us smile everyday. (Although he looks pretty serious in this photo, ha!) If you are considering getting a new dog, please consider adopting! We love animals that's why we are cruelty free and will continue to give back

We love seeing your photos of Midnight Paloma in action! Check out Natalie Meyers with her Face Serum, Glossier and Chanel perfume set up. (Oh, and a super cute corner polaroid from her wedding!)

Our Detox Mask has an incredible blend of 4 natural ingredients that are beneficially for all skin types. Rose petals, rolled oats, charcoal & white clay. Below we break down what each does for your skin and why we picked it!

Toxins from our day to day routines absorb into our bodies. (And there are a lot of them!) Charcoal can trap and absorbs toxins before they enter your body. So it's no big surprise that using charcoal with your skin can work wonders for cleansing and purifying. It works as a natural magnet and it helps balance your t-zone, reduce excess oil + unclog pores.

Soothe + reduce inflammation. One of our favourite ingredients that we have in our mask is oatmeal. (No, it's not just for breakfast or cookies!) Oatmeal has a load of skincare benefits. Acne suffers will love it because is contains an antimicrobial ingredient which stops the spread of bacteria and soaks up excess oil. It also helps to soothe irritated skin and hydrate without clogging pores.

Rose petals have always been the symbol of love but we also love them for our skincare. Rose petals add moisture and soften the skin. Ever felt a rose petal before? They are buttery soft and smooth. They help retain moisture + soften skin. 

White Clay was added for many reasons, but our favourite is that its gentle enough for all skin types to use. Clays typically can be a little bit more drying for sensitive skin. Gentle exfoliation, removal of dead skin leaving your skin glowing! 

We love a good Sunday routine. Especially one that includes a mask session! Our Detox Mask is perfect after a long week as it will help draw out impurities, clear up any blemishes and even out skin tone. Charcoal will also help with oil control. We added Rose Petals for soothing and Oatmeal to calm any irritation.

So now the big question: what are you going to mix your mask with?
You have three options:
-Water: this is the easiest for purification and decongesting
- Organic Honey: the most hydrating option, also great for adding in extra antioxidants.
- Organic Natural Plain Yogurt: antibacterial, this is great for when you are suffering from breakouts. Also helps with brightening!

How do you mix your mask?

We feel so blessed to be included in another amazing subscription box that is now available! We have been listening to the Style for the PRIV podcast since we can imagine, so teaming up with these #BossBabes was so exciting for us. This box is still available, order one HERE!

We are along side some really amazing brands including:

• Brunette The Label
• Raw Canvas Co.
• Only Official
• Shop Chelsea King

Tag us in your posts! We want to see your Detox Mask in action!

Epsom salt is an ingredient that you might have over looked in the past, but it has so many uses and is simply a must have in any house hold. It's one ingredient that really does it all! Taking a bath with epsom salt feels good, but what is it actually doing?

Epsom salt is absorbed through the skin when you use it in any type of soak (bath, foot) and when it does this it draws out toxins from the body. It also relaxes muscles, reduces swelling and sedates the nervous system.  It also helps to restore magnesium, which helps keep your enzyme activity regular. This is important because a magnesium deficiency can be a factor in all types of health problems. We recommend soaking two to three times a week, it will help relax your body and mind. Don't have enough time for a bath? Try a foot soak! This is especially nice during the hot months.