Sowing seeds.

It is this time of the year again! A couple of weeks ago I received an email from the wonderful Anne who grows healing plants for our WD formulas. Every year around this time, Anne wants to know what to plant and how much to plant for WD for the year. It takes a lot of planning on her part to deliver what WD needs. And it’s not that easy to plan because weather changes and every growing season is a little different. For example some years calendula grows in abundance and other years it is too dry and flowers are scarce. So it is a bit of a guessing game.

Anne in her element

It also is a guessing game for WD. How much product will we need to provide for our clients this year, determines how much plant material we need to purchase. Will we expand in the coming year or will we slow down is the question. We can try to project but with today’s economic situation, it gets very tricky.

So every season, I say a prayer and ask for only that which will be needed. 

I never want to order too much, because dry plants do diminish both in life force and their effectiveness as time passes. I also don’t want to waste any. And if I order too little, there is no going back. Whatever is planted is planted and there is no more even if we run out.

Working directly with the grower certainly has a lot of nuances. We could have opted for buying plant material from big suppliers. It’s much easier for sure! We could order whenever we want, and if we want more, there is always more. It is also a lot cheaper. Like three times plus cheaper. So why not do it the easy way?

THE QUALITY OF PLANT MATERIAL 

When you see dehydrated plant material from plants grown by Anne and those purchased from a large scale supplier, no explanation is really needed.

plants grown by Anne

Anne’s plants are full of vibrant colour and aroma and are packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients. Intense colours and scents, are the testament to their vitality. 

Most of the plants from big suppliers look pale and tired as if life was completely drained from them. And it actually did! 

When I purchase plants from Anne, I am 100% sure that I am provided with this year’s harvest. Anne tends to the soil, nourishes it and prepares it for each growing season. She is devoted to the science of organic and biodynamic growing and continuously expands her knowledge.

With large suppliers, I actually would never know. Corporate organic farming, often happens in old mechanistic ways. Nothing to do with the connection to the earth, caring and wellbeing. There is a demand, therefore it is profitable, therefore it exists. 

During summer months, I can drop by Anne’s farm and I can visit with the plants as they are growing. This in itself is an incredible gift to a skin care maker. Witness what becomes my formulas while still in the ground is a wonderful mind trip:) 

Did you know that WD receives fresh plant material from the farm the same day it was harvested? We rush most of it into the dehydrator to preserve its healing qualities using a very low heat process. When dehydration is complete, some plants are infused in oil and some are carefully stored for later use. Plants which need to be infused fresh, like St John’s Wort, are immediately placed in jars and covered with oil. 

Plants infused in oils are called herbal extracts and they are the foundation for WD skin care formulas.

herbal extracts in the making

INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND LOCAL ECONOMY

I consciously want to support small producers like Anne and I am forever grateful for the support she provides to me and WD! It is an exchange not only of $ and product but a conscious exchange of energy in a pursuit of creating a more beautiful world for all of us.

I know Anne the human, and I know that she is a kind, caring person who loves feeling connected to the land and the plants. She excels at providing an incredible service to the local community by offering healing herbs, food from her gardens and the best maple syrup I have ever tasted. I want more of what Anne does in our lives! And my products are certainly better thanks to her efforts.

Supporting local has never been more important than today. I believe that in the coming years we will need to rely more and more on local growers, farmers and makers. Hopefully we will learn and understand that small organic growers are at the base of our wellbeing. Those who produce organic food and herbs in tune with nature are essential to our health. 

As a small grassroots beauty company, it is WD’s goal to support our local community through providing the healthiest, most effective and accessible skin care products directly to our clients.

We also feel that products created with local plants are best suited for the local skin care. 

Over the years we have been asked to sell our products in the US and in Europe. Even though it would assure an expansion and more sales, I refused. You may call me not business savvy but I have a very strong conviction in hyper-local service and although very important, $ is not a driving force for WD.

We have been also asked to wholesale WD products, and I refused that too:) Our price point is such that it has a modest markup so we can make a living:) and at the same time it makes our products accessible to everyday women.

If we would expand to the wholesale market then our price would have to double (or more) in order to make it feasible for us and for everyone else who would be providing our products. We would either have to drastically raise prices or downgrade to low-quality, cheap, raw ingredients. We will do neither:)

How can we ever make a shift to a healthier life for all, if high quality organic skin care and food is accessible only to high income earners? Not a chance! So this is how we choose to contribute to our local community.

Then in return you purchase WD skin care products and not only feed your skin with amazing quality ‘skin food’ but you also support a small business like mine and indirectly Anne’s as well.  And in this simple way together we create a beautiful circle of exchange of wellbeing, beauty, healing energy, care and yes money. I trust this is the way forward and this is how together we sow the seeds for a new purposeful and expanded way of life.

Love & Light,

Magdalena xo

A few thoughts on the concept of stagnation.

As skin care professionals, we are usually interested in the topic of stagnation as it relates to tissue congestion and toxicity. Stagnation, or lack of proper flow, is often the cause of deterioration, premature aging and all sorts of skin/facial tissue problems. So in our product formulation and facial treatment applications, we are always searching for ways to bring more flow and more aliveness to the skin and tissues which support it.

However today,  I want to focus on a different type of stagnation - the stagnation in one’s skin care practice, when you end up doing the same thing, the same way every single day without giving it any thought. 

The most undesirable aspect of a stagnant skin care practice is that it lacks presence and has become purely mechanical. You sort of become like a robot… going through the motions every time you do it. Sadly, even the nicest organic skin care products on the planet will not makeup for your disconnect. 

Since living on automatic pilot is not the most joyous, engaging or present way to be, your skin care practice may be one way to help you snap out of it and improve your skin health at the same time.

Sure, having a set skin care practice can feel desirable. It can feel like it is well-planned, well-organized and fits perfectly into our schedule. It may also feel good because it doesn’t require additional thinking. You can just do it and be done with it.

But we are a living, breathing being which is dynamic in nature. Our sophisticated physical system constantly adjusts and fine tunes in relation to the environment we are in, our emotional and mental state, the food that we eat and so on. It continuously communicates, letting us know how we are doing. And it sends us messages when our attention is needed.  A message may look something like this: your skin suddenly looks and feels irritated, your skin feels way more tight today, a painful pimple on my chin yet again, the product I just applied didn’t feel right, the area around my eyes looks unusually dehydrated.

If you have mastered the automatic pilot motion in your skin care practice, you may not notice any of the messaging until these become chronic issues and even then it takes a while for some to notice. 

In my 25+ years of practice, I have met many wonderful women who were completely unaware that their skin was inflamed and very red. It was puzzling for me how could a person not realize that their skin was on fire? But I know now that all of us have our blind spots and what is obvious to others may be totally out of our peripheral. 

I am not asking you for some elaborate new way to go about your skin care. Simply observe, feel and admire regularly:) When you notice a new skin behaviour, adjust your routine. Maybe a little more of this and a little less of that is all that’s needed. Or maybe you need to cut that red wine out. Or maybe it’s your job…

In the world of smart phones, smart cities and supposed connection to everything and everyone, we find ourselves the least connected to what matters most - our true selves. Asking ourselves to be fully present for 5min every night while we tend to our skin, sounds weirdly demanding and difficult.

We have strayed so far away from ourselves, so probably baby steps are the way back. Are you willing to commit to 5 minutes of full presence while you take care of your skin each night? 

Magdalena xo

Skin health and mask wearing.

I’ve been getting many emails and messages from clients asking for advice on how to tackle skin problems related to mask wearing.

This post is not a commentary on whether or not to wear a mask but rather it’s a look at how wearing a mask for a prolonged period of time affects your skin mechanically, chemically and biologically.

It’s rather unnatural for our face to be covered and consequently it’s no wonder that our skin is having a hard time.

Depending on your skin type and how long you cover your face for daily, you may be prone to an array of skin conditions.

Sensitive, combination and oily skin types will most likely experience the adverse reactions to face coverings the most.

Wearing a mask may impact skin in the following ways:

• mechanically - by causing pressure, micro-abrasion and heat - a mask may restrict blood and lymph flow, produce skin irritation, redness and inflammation

• biologically - by creating a hot damp environment a mask will - increase oil production, intensify microbial activity on the skin and have an impact on the function of blood vessels and will interfere with normal blood supply 

• chemically - by the type of mask (surgical, cloth… ) you choose to wear. A non surgical mask - is made of Polypropylene (PP) which is a thermoplastic “addition polymer” made from the combination of propylene monomers. It is used in a variety of applications to include packaging for consumer products, plastic parts for various industries including the automotive industry, special devices like living hinges, and textiles. Cloth masks - from the holistic skin care perspective, we see organic non dyed silk fabric as the most complementary to human skin and non toxic.

Pressure, micro-abrasion, warm and damp environment underneath the face covering and possible plastic toxic off-gasses may aggravate sensitive and combination skin conditions causing  irritation and inflammation (even more so now during hot summer days), eczema like flareups and red bumps/ changes to skin texture. If you are already prone to acne, you may also see an increase in the activity and an increase in oiliness in the T-zone. 

Oily skin may become more oily while wearing a mask and microbial activity may increase possibly causing acne and breakouts and more of the oily sheen to the face in general.

I also hear from clients who have to wear a mask at work, and are exposed to chemical disinfectants all day long. As a result, they’re experiencing serious dermatitis and eczema flareups and allergic reactions on their faces around their mouth and eyes. This is very challenging and difficult to address without actually removing the toxic irritant (disinfectant) from the equation:( 

How to help your skin during this time?

If you must wear a mask at work, don’t wear makeup!  Makeup which sits on the surface of your skin will create a problem under a mask even for the healthiest and most balanced skin. Foundation, ‘coverups’, blush, lipstick… these are a self explanatory no-no.

In general opt for gentler products. Now is definitely not the time to experiment with acids, peels and harsh scrubs on your skin. Not that it ever is, if you ask me:)

Adjust your skin care routine to include products which will actually offer the function which is needed at this time (calming, balancing, softening…)

Regardless your skin type, your evening cleansing routine is very important and you don’t ever want to skip it now. 

I personally love gentle oil cleansing and this is what we recommend to our clients at Woman Divine. If you’ve never tried oil cleansing, you may want to start with simple organic jojoba oil. If you like it, you can upgrade to our Oil Cleanser which is lovely and filled with skin healing ingredients.  Learn how to cleanse with oil HERE 

If you are experiencing a lot of skin redness, irritation, skin bumps, eczema, dermatitis, please don’t exfoliate until your skin calms down. 

If you choose to exfoliate, you are more likely to make the existing condition worse. Any product which creates lots of friction and micro-abrasion, is alcohol based or offers the function of peeling of the skin will make it worse.

Instead, for sensitized, red, inflamed  skin, you may want to add skin calming practices like: compressing your face with calming herbal infusion of calendula + German chamomile + marshmallow or rose.

You can add the below compressing practice to your evening routine:

Equal parts of above herbs can be infused in hot water for 60min+ , then strained, then used for saturating a face cloth, then this face cloth is placed on the face for a few minutes.

I also recommend upping on your Rosewater Mist and again making sure that your Face Oil, Serum or Balm is created to actually calm the redness, inflammation, irritation. If not, you will need to make a switch until your skin is back to it’s calm happy self.

A soothing white clay mask may be applied weekly. 

A simple Manuka honey mask will also offer lovely support to irritated, dry, blemished or acne skin.

Which products from Woman Divine Collection can you use for redness, irritation, changes in texture or breakouts?

When there is redness combined with dryness, your skin needs to be soothed and softened. It also needs a very gentle touch:) 

From Woman Divine Skin Care Collections, I would recommend Rosewater Mist and Face Balm | shea +seabuckthorne or Divine Face Balm to help this type of skin.

If your skin is feeling irritated, red but at the same time oily, your skin needs to be soothed and the oil production needs to be invited to slow down a whee bit.  This kind of skin condition will benefit from Woman Divine Rosewater Mist and Face Oil |calendula + chamomile.

If you are experiencing acne due to wearing a mask or acne is worse because of it, keeping on top of your cleansing routine is very important. 

A combination of calendula, plantain and rosemary can be infused in hot water and prepared as a facial compress or a face wash.

A green clay mask can prove helpful and as I have already mentioned, Manuka honey is always great. These can be applied once a week.

From Woman Divine Collection, I would recommend our Radiant Exfoliant Powder, Rosewater Mist and Face Oil | calendula + chamomile

If you have attended one of our GuaSha classes or one on one tutorials, we have showed you how to work with the lymphatics of your face and neck. These feather like lymphatic sweeps will be very helpful now so put them into practice. Any vigorous Guasha practice over very irritated and inflames skin is not recommended.

Whenever possible, let your skin breath. I am not an expert on masks but I suggest that you do your research regarding how long they can sit on your face before they need to be replaced or washed. This is very important. A mask can become a breeding ground for undesirable microbes on your skin.

I hope that you will find this information helpful. Please post any questions you may have in comments below.

Love and light, 

Magdalena

Woman Divine proudly amongst 15 Sustainable Low-Waste Canadian Skincare Brands

A big thank you to The Eco Hub and Candice Batista, the award winning Environmental Journalist and one of Canada’s leading eco advocates for including Woman Divine Skin Care in her recent article. We are very proud to stand amongst many beautiful Sustainable Low-Waste Canadian Skin Care Brands. Thank you Candice!

15 Sustainable Low-Waste Canadian Skincare Brands

by Candice Batista | Aug 6, 2020 | Beauty Buzz, Style + Beauty

When I began my green journey 20 years ago, there were no sustainable low-waste Canadian skincare brands on the market, most of it was packaged in plastic. Fast forward to today and it’s a different story! Here are 15 Sustainable Low-Waste Canadian Skincare Brands you NEED to know about.

I’ve never really been a major skincare junkie. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good body butter or face serum, but my skincare regime is very minimalist and it’s been that way pretty much my whole life. When I began this “green” journey 20 years ago I learned so much about toxins in skincare it made me even less likely to get hooked on the latest product.

Today, all these years later my routine consists of washing my face with a good cleanser, using a good serum/moisturizer and of course sunscreen, which has always been an important part of my skincare regime.

You will notice I did not use the term zero-waste, simply because there is no such thing as zero-waste. All products whether eco-friendly or not create some form of waste. Nothing is waste-free! I have chosen products that use glass packaging and eco-packaging that can be reused or recycled. All of these brands are sustainable, low-waste and made in Canada.

Woman Divine Skincare 

I adore this brand and its founder Magdalena Tomczak (a skincare therapist) so much. She’s given me so much insight into clean skincare. She’s taught me about oil cleansing and how to help my skin during stressful times.

I’ve been using the face balm for years, it’s my go-to in the winter and the summer. It’s super healing and I just love it. I also use the cleansing oil which effectively removes pollution and makeup without disturbing or stripping my skin.  The whole line is inspired by Polish pharmacies of her childhood and prepared with all-organic healing and nourishing cold-pressed vegetable oils, nut and seed butters, essential oils and premium quality herbs. Magdalena has a gorgeous studio in Ottawa, which one day I will visit.

Read the full article to read about the other Sustainable Low-Waste Canadian Skincare brands HERE

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Visit and follow The Eco Hub for eco living inspirations. Candice has been doing an amazing job in the realm of eco advocacy. She brings forth invaluable information related to sustainable, low waste, eco friendly living. She has created a very special Canadian Brand Directory: “Our Brand Directory is a curated list of Canadian businesses that have been handpicked for you based on our Ecological Criteria. Our ultimate goal is to provide you, our readers, with the resources you need to find chic, stylish, sustainable, affordable, made in Canada alternatives to everyday items.”

You can also find The Eco Hub on Instagram Here

You can follow Candice Batista on Instagram Here

Love and light,

Magdalena

Visit to the farm.

Summer is my absolutely favourite time for Woman Divine.

This is the time of bounty, when local healing plants are harvested for our formulations and for our treatments.

Every year, I impatiently wait for the days when I can visits our friend and partner grower, Anne Janssen of Creek’n Tree Farm.

It’s truly a blessing to visit Anne and her land, to get a peak into her day and to be part of the harvest. Even if for a few hours.

I make the point to do this every year simply so I can be close to the growing plants but also so I can always remember how much work goes into growing medicine and food. I find that this keeps me humble and fills me with gratitude both to the earth and to the people who work so hard to feed us and to feed our skin. 

We were chatting with Anne while harvesting her beautiful plants and it is obvious that Anne does what she does simply because it’s her passion. It is a labour of love which is physically demanding and somewhat unpredictable as we never know what weather conditions we will be presented with during a given year. 

Generally, organic growers are not in it for the money. Most find prosperity through providing a valuable service, through doing work which supports healthy life on the planet and they absolutely treasure their connection to the land and to the plant life. 

when I say that local growers feed us well, I really mean it:) all grown with Anne’s hands and on her land.

Anne tends to the soil and grows plants with her hands. She doesn’t use any machines so the process is slow and as she says herself, it’s not efficient. 

For Woman Divine, Anne picks flower by flower with her loving hands. She carefully plans how to group plants so they can support each other as they grow together. There is science and incredible devotion to everything Anne does. 

I am honoured to know Anne. Woman Divine products wouldn’t be what they are without Anne’s love for the land and her hard work.

Nothing that we do, we do alone. Prosperity and success mean different things to different people. My hope for the world is that we will value that which brings wellbeing and sustains life over that which brings profits alone. I see it as the only way to move forward if we are to continue as part of life on Mother Earth. There is no time to waste. We each need to do our part. Voting with your $$$ is a good place to start.

Magdalena xo

Woman Divine in-house Refill Program is on!

It’s been my dream for a couple of years now to offer a refill program at Woman Divine Skin Care Studio. But realistically I knew that it wasn’t really possible while I was working on my own. 

Well, Julie has joined Woman Divine, I’m no longer working on my own and finally we can do it!!! 

Why the Woman Divine Refill Program?

We are initiating the Woman Divine in-house refill program as a collective effort to create less waste and less garbage. It is urgent that we all take whatever steps necessary to change our habits of overconsumption  and careless tossing out of objects that can easily be reused or repurposed.

How does the Woman Divine Refill Program work?

• This service is offered at the studio only and it’s pretty simple. You bring your bottles and we refill them for you on the spot:)

• This can be done when you come to the studio for your treatment appointment and/or every Saturday between 10am - 3pm. Dropping in to refill your products otherwise will not work.

• If you wish, when your bottles start looking a bit ‘tired’ we will freshen up the cup or the mister pump and/or the label. It will look brand spanking new when you leave.

• We will also be happy to refill your Radiant Exfoliant Powder jar for you.

• We are not able to refill your balm jars on the spot because balm making is a bit complicated, but you can bring your empty jars to the studio. We will sterilize them and refuse them in our production. So no jars go to waste.

We also highly recommend that you reuse the jars yourself whenever you can. We especially like using our empty jars for spices in our kitchen. Amber glass will keep your spices fresher for a little longer.

Will you get a discount when you get a refill or bring your empty jar back?

No, you won’t. We are not doing this to get you in to buy more under the pretence of saving you a couple of dollars. We are doing this 100% as a joint effort to create less waste and so together we can take action to live more mindfully..

We hope to see you with your empty bottles and jars at the studio. It’s a good thing to do!

Magdalena

Thank you!

The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child, and I can tell you that it also takes a village to grow a successful business.

I feel incredibly lucky to have such an amazing support from the Ottawa community and from women from all corners of Canada. So many women are cheering me on and encouraging me to spread my wings wider and wider. I will not name names because there are so many of you… you know who you are:) You are amazing and so incredibly generous and kind! Whenever, I’ve had a moment of doubt, someone has appeared out of nowhere with encouraging words, a beautiful testimonial, business advice, offer to help or to host a WD pop up shop:) You have been continuously referring your family members, your colleagues and your best friends… And you choose my products to grace your skin. Please, know that I am beyond grateful and I will do my best to take really good care of you and to pay it forward.

 This was a great year for me and for Woman Divine for so many reasons! I have learned tons about myself and my business (still have tons to learn.
I’ve been able to learn few new moves for the treatment room. I’m in the process of upgrading my herbal medicine knowledge, continuing Ayurveda studies and exploring the art of face reading (this one is a lot of fun and very fascinating). I have a few new formulas on the go and I can tell you that one of them will include local organic 🥕🥕 (they are so good for your skin)🙂. I also have one very special collection ready for launch in the early spring. And Woman Divine Lift & Gift classes will be starting at the end of January. As you can see I’ve been a very busy bee!

 A Big thank you to all my skin care colleagues all over the world! You are such an inspiration and I learn so much from you! It feels like we are really creating the much needed shift in the realm of Beauty Care and I’m very happy that we are doing it together:)

Thank you to all who follow me here and read my posts❤️

I hope that the New Year will bring you joy, prosperity and lots of love! May you always feel supported to live your true self!!! .
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Woman Divine in the news:)

Thank you KATERINA ROWLANDS & S/magazine for including Woman Divine on your list of the 'Must-Visit Natural Beauty Havens Across Canada'. We feel very flattered to be in a company of such amazing Canadian Green Beauty companies. Read the article:  http://smagazineofficial.com/trending/7-must-visit-natural-beauty-havens-across-canada-041311609