Thoughts on Primally Pure's Holistic Skincare Guide
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One of my frequently asked questions is where to begin when trying to ease into a more natural lifestyle. Iāve talked about my story several times on the blog now, but Iāll give you a quick synopsis. Basically I began looking for cleaner products because my cat almost died from flowers I had. After that incident I began wondering what else could be harmful in the home to her OR ME, as flowers are natural and so many other things I had were processed. I know, I know, flowers are different, but the whole incident got me thinking about everything I was using / if she accidentally ingested it, how bad it would be. She is pretty curious, and I could only imagine her deciding to eat my cream blush or something like that. Obviously that wouldnāt be good either, but it would probably yield a a better outcome than some chemical laden product. I also had a good friend (hi Jourdan!) who helped me with the basis of my knowledge of clean beauty and introduced me to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Oh and if youāre still stuck on the pets and household plants / flowers thing I mentioned, I wrote a whole blog post about it here: Household Plants + Flowers that aren't Toxic to your Pets.
I know changing to nontoxic products can seem overwhelming and daunting. I get it! It has been a slow fade for me since 2017. The first thing I did was try out natural deodorant. I actually wrote a blog post on all the kinds I tried and what was good / not so great about them. Read that here. Long story short, my favorite from that initial batch of deodorants stopped working for me about 6-8 months in. I was even doing armpit detoxes and it wasnāt helping. I lived in Texas at the time and it was WINTER and the smell was a problem, so I decided to start looking for something else. A couple followers had mentioned Primally Pure, so I decided to check them out. Fast forward to 2+ years later and here I am still using Primally Pure! * happy dance * Oh and USE DISCOUNT CODE ELLEMULENOS for 10% off your PP order!
Madewell Pin-tuck Ruffle Hem Floral Midi Dress | Leviās Denim Jacket | Aerie Sunglasses | Veja Sneakers | Kendra Scott Fallyn Cuff Bracelet (c/o) | Senreve Aria Beltbag with gold chain ( I bought this chain on Amazon. Get $50 off your Aria Beltbag w/code ELLEMULENOS)
Primally Pure doesnāt just offer fantastic products - they are flat out an amazing company! I had the opportunity to visit their HQ 2 weeks ago and I honestly canāt wait to go back. They are based in Murietta, which is in Temecula County - about 1.5 - 2 hours from Los Angeles, sans traffic. It was a fun little 24 hour trip with Nick - he actually went to middle school there and hadnāt been back since his familyās move to Texas. These pictures were taken at our cute little AirBnB - The Temecula Creek Cottages. It was the perfect little 1 night stay and they are pet friendly, so Dino was able to join us.
I 100% plan on going back to Primally Pure HQ on a Friday or Saturday, so 1) we can make a little wine tasting weekend out of it, but also 2) To visit the Primally Pure Spa!! They offer facial treatments and I am dying to go back. I have gotten to try their ābliss ballsā that come with each treatment and honestly the taste and goodness of those alone have me itching to go back! I digress. The whole reason I went down on a weekday, was so that I could hear their Holistic Skincare Panel at the Spa! Recently Primally Pure launched a Holistic Skincare Guide that is filled with a wealth of knowledge. It is written by Courtney OāConnor - Primally Pureās In-House Holistic Esthetician, Sarah Adler - owner of Simply Real Health + a wellness coach and nutritionist, and Justine Campbell - a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist + a Holistic Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. I know thatās all a mouthful, but letās just agree on no matter their titles, they had some serious brain power going into this e-book! The guide retails for $42, which might seem steep, but it is 90 pages of amazing tips and tricks for adjusting to a more nontoxic lifestyle. Feel free to use discount code ELLEMULENOS for 10% off too! It is a digital download, but you could easily take it to a printer and be able to physically thumb through it if that is what you prefer.
The Holistic Skincare Guide is broken up into 3 sections. As a headline, what you eat, what you do, and what you put on your skin all have the power to make or break you.
Nutrition: Written by Justine, this part is about nourishing your skin from the inside out
Lifestyle and Habits: Written by Sarah, this part is about how good daily rituals can heal your skin
Skincare Science and Topical Products: Written by Courtney, this part is about the power of nature and natural skincare to transform skin
Okay so $42 worth of 90 e-book pages sounds a lot like paying for homework, but I promise the Holistic Skincare Guide is so good! It is knowledge dense with realistic steps you can actually implement. I also love that it includes the science behind everything - not just āfeel goodā info. Iāve read it a couple of times now and still learned something on each read. Itās A LOT, so I would recommend reading it at least 2 times through to make sure you catch everything. If you get lost or want to reference something, each section has an overview at the end with top 10 takeaways. A great synopsis!
A huge takeaway for me was something in Sarahās section - treat yourself physically first, because mental and emotional health come after that. LIKE WHAT?! Obviously I kind of knew that already, but I had never put 2 and 2 together. Get enough sleep, move your body, eat well, etc. Those are all physical things that deeply affect your mental and emotional health. When you lack in those areas, arenāt you more cranky and irritable? I know I am! Often times, we blame our genetics and things outside of our control, but there are so many things that can positively affect us that we ARE in control over. Another thing I loved about the book is that they get into the WHY of it all. Personally, I can hear things all day, but if you donāt give me the reasoning behind it, I'm less likely to care or implement it. And nooo, not in a āI have a problem with authorityā kind of way. I just like to learn and know āwhyā, so it makes sense. The only thing I like more than understanding is being understood. Hah! I also want to say that yes, this is a Primally Pure guide and it does include / mention PP products, but it isnāt just pushing their skincare products at you. They really go into what to look for in skincare, some DIY ideas, and more. A lot of the time when brands do something similar it is all about them and their product line, with some extra info to pad it. This guide is truly about helping you get your best skin and how you can aid your body, with some Primally Pure products peppered in. Honestly, their line naturally fits into it with how much it uses nature and avoids harsh chemicals. It just makes sense!
I know this is all about skin, but I felt it was important to share, because your skin tells you a lot about what is going on in your body. Whether it is a hormone imbalance, underlying disease, or your body telling you that you should do something differently, it is sending a message. Are you listening? This year I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and what ultimately got me to the doctor wasnāt my symptomsā¦it was that I thought my acne might be caused by it. HOW VAIN. I know, the worst; however, almost 2 months on my medication and my skin is healing. Sure, I am doing things like using Primally Pure products to heal it, but it is so much more than that. Another reason why I wanted to bring this Holistic Skincare Guide up is because skincare truly is an easy way to slide into a more natural lifestyle. Replace this cleanser whenever the bottle is emptyā¦. start eating more of this and less of this, and so on. Once you get the hang of it in one small area, youāll probably want to start implementing it in other places of your life too!
WHY ADJUST TO A MORE NONTOXIC LIFESTYLE
Your skin absorbs around 60%+ of what is on it whether you meant to put something there or not. From there it enters your blood stream. #scary Donāt believe it? How do you think patches and topical ointments from the doctor work?! When you use products with less than friendly chemicals and toxins, they are literally getting absorbed!
Toxic products affect more than you think. Take fragrance for example - they are allergen, hormone, and endocrine disruptors, which can cause something as small as a headache or contribute to something as big as infertility.
The FDA has only banned 11 āharmfulā ingredients here in the U.S., whereas the EU has banned OVER 1000. Itās things like this should encourage you to be your own advocate and do your own research.
There are way more WHYs behind this - Iām just naming a few
EASY STEPS TO LIVING A MORE NONTOXIC LIFE
Look at what you use the most - think laundry detergenet, lotion, etc. Start with investigating / replacing those products.
If you still feel overwhelmed try starting with something like deodorant - I know some people are really attached to their detergent scent or cleaners, so sometimes starting elsewhere is necessary. What are things you arenāt attached to? These things are easier to drop. I know once I started changing things , those scents and such werenāt appealing to me anymore, because I realized they contributed to my headaches. I promise it will start to snowball and be easier.
Consider what you eat. This is SO easy. They talk a lot about it in the Holistic Skincare Guide. I know veggies arenāt really fun to east as chicken nuggets and fries, but hey. They taste good or can be made to taste good and are budget friendly! One of my favorite easy meals is a roasted spaghetti squash (99 cents), 2 bell peppers (max $3), 1/4-1/2 onion ($1), and Raoās alfredo sauce I buy on sale at Costco ($5). It usually makes at least 3 servings and I donāt use the entire jar of sauce, so it is under $4 per serving! All this to say, donāt overthink it!
Begin to replace makeup and such as you run out of it. This will help with budgeting and not just throwing away a bunch of stuff you already purchased.
Get a stainless steel or glass reusable water bottle, so you can avoid plastic contaminants. I love this brand.
Look to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) as a resource. You can search everything from toothpaste to laundry detergent. You can also search ingredients by name to see what the actual risks are.
Again, these are just a couple ideas to get you started. There are so many more ways you can detoxify!
I know this is a lot of information, but if you stayed with me, THANK YOU! If you are still kind overwhelmed by what Iām saying (and even if you arenāt), I urge you to get the Holistic Skincare Guide . It is so good and can really help walk you through what to change and why. Donāt forget - you can use discount code ELLEMULENOS for 10% off. Happy skin (and body) healing!!
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