Introducing the Marina Featherstone Exclusive Art Massage Experience.

There are few wonderful therapists around the world I have been lucky to connect with in the last couple of years. They are on my bucket list of 'treatments to experience by the best in the field'. I wish I could bring them all to Ottawa for you to meet because I know that they have something extra special to offer. I am thrilled to tell you that we will be hosting Marina Featherstone ( at the top of my bucket list:))  at Woman Divine July 18 & 19 and you will be able to experience her exquisite body massage.

Since this is a special 'pop-up' visit and Marina will be at WD Studio only for 2 days we have just a handful of openings for her beautiful treatments. So don't wait too long if you would like to have this experience because the appointments will fill up fast.

You can book your appointment with Marina Featherstone RMT by phone: 613 2167676 or by email: info@womandivine.ca

The right way to cleanse your face with oil

We have recently added the much needed Cleansing Oil and a Cleansing cloth to Woman Divine Skin Care collection. To many women this is a new way of facial cleansing. Woman Divine collaborated with The Eco Hub www.theecohub on the 'Right way to cleanse your face'  article.   And here is all you need to know about oil cleansing: https://www.theecohub.ca/the-right-way-to-cleanse-your-face-with-oil/ 

Big thank you to the lovely Candice Batista the creator and the brains behind the www.theecohub TheEcoHub is truly an amazing resource for Canadians for all things Eco. At its core this is a website that connects conscious consumers to brands and companies that care about people and the planet. You will find there lots of valuable info to support your eco friendly living. Definite follow:) https://www.instagram.com/theecohub/

Here is a little bit about our new products.

CLEANSING OIL | plant oils + essences | purify and restore

A healthy skin care routine starts with proper cleansing. Our gentle Cleansing Oil will effectively remove pollution and makeup without disturbing or stripping the protective layer of your skin.  This oil is suitable for all skin types. 

Ingredients: *Camellia sinensis (Camellia seed) oil, *Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) oil, *Oenothera biennis (Primrose) oil, *Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) oil, *Olea europaea (Olive) oil, *Ricinus communis (Castor) oil, *Herbal infusion of: *Calendula officinalis (Calendula)flower, *Matricaria chamomilla (Chamomile)flower, *Rosa rugosa (Rose)flower, *Arnica montana (Arnica)flower, *Althaea officinalis (Marshmallow) root, essential oils: *Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender), *Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea tree)

*denotes organic or wildcrafted ingredients

purchase here: http://www.womandivine.ca/shop/cleansing-oil-plant-oils-essences-2

CLEANSING CLOTH

This multilayered cotton gauze cloth works very well with our cleansing oil and/ or facial compressing.
Because we really love our cloths which we use in Woman Divine Face Treatments we decided to make exactly the same one for you to take home. Handmade with ❤️

purchase here: http://www.womandivine.ca/shop/cleansing-cloth

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

Your emotional skin.

Our emotions and our skin are closely related. Our skin is actually a highly sensitive responder to emotions and it often reminds us that mind and body are one😀

Think no further then the last time you felt very embarrassed and your face turned red, or when you felt fear and your skin become pale. And how about that happiness and internal bliss glow?

Clients often share that stress in their life causes flare ups of eczema, rosacea or acne... As much as skin disease can mean viruses, inflammation, bacteria, when we are experiencing a persistent skin condition, emotional component is usually part of the experience. Given close bond between our skin and the nervous system this should be of no surprise.

In short you can say that your skin ‘feels’ for you the very emotions which you choose not to express. It cries, it gets inflamed with anger and it remembers traumatic experiences which took place years back but were never addressed. In a long run, sweeping under the rug never really works ...not even in skincare.

So if you feel that your skin is giving you a hard time and you know that you have done everything you can to help it heal, including proper diet, exercise, good skin care regimen, then it maybe time to examine, how your emotions are contributing to the problem. ...

Magdalena xo

How communism benefits your looks:)

Whenever I go to Poland I  try to find an interesting course to take there. Big chunk of my face massage training comes from Poland and Polish teachers. I was just chatting with someone about this explaining that Eastern Europe has a lot to offer in the area of face massage techniques. This is the case when something great comes out of something challenging. Since Eastern Europe was at one point very behind in matters of technology  (the consequence of communism) people developed amazing skills with their hands:) 

Massage was always part of healthcare. And I remember that most common health clinics had a massage therapist on staff and doctors would prescribe massage to their patients regularly. A long standing tradition of manual therapies is definitely still very alive in my homeland.

I want to tell you about  the course which I have taken during my last visit.

After all this talk about Eastern European training lol, this one actually originated in Denmark and was created by a wonderful lady, Lone Sorensen. Her organization is very strong in Warsaw and she has two excellent and very devoted teachers offering training in Poland. 

Lone has put together facial reflexology protocols which address both health and beauty. It is a technique based on the neuro-bio-chemical action resulting from the stimulation of an area or point on the face which has a general or partial effect on various areas of the entire body. Facial Reflex therapy is based on seven steps that involve the observation and stimulation of various facial areas.

Lone and practitioners trained with her method do some amazing work around the world. This technique proves very effective in treating all sorts of neurological problems, developmental problems in children, autism, after stroke complications, anxiety, depression, hormonal imbalances, digestive problems, vision problems…. the list goes on. All of this happens through work with your face. It’s pretty amazing! 

What Lone Sorensen observed over the years was that as she worked with the face to improve people’s health the ‘side effect’ of improved skin tone, diminishing of wrinkles and general lifting of the face eventually took place. 

She then developed a protocol for beauty purposes, which also harmonizes body systems. The treatment is complex because all body functions are stimulated and also regulated while facial skin, tissue and muscle are treated. It normalizes the body dysfunctions, which may be the cause of wrinkles, sagging skin, loss of muscle tone, etc.

This is the protocol which I have learned. I believe at this time I am the only one in Ottawa certified in this particular technique. 

I will be continuing the training with Lone Sorensen systems because I trust it offers another dimension to my facial treatments and will ultimately bring more benefit to you, both health and beauty wise:)

Next time you visit, you may notice some new moves in your face massage:) If you are interested to explore this technique with me I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

I am on a continuous search for beauty through improved health of both body and mind. Will keep on learning...  Thank you for reading!

Love, Magdalena

Sometimes, organic is not enough.

When you look at the date of completion of my very first nutrition course, you would think that I have all the food and nutrition rules mastered and applied to perfection. But the truth is that like most people I have my struggles. And I am well aware that possessing knowledge is one thing, embodying it is another.

I have been living what you may call a mostly healthy dietary life. You will never see me eating junk food, I don't even know what most pop drinks taste like, I am vegetarian and I prepare my meals fresh almost every day. My grocery cart would look very impressive to most people as I shop organic and use local food markets and health food stores as my main sources of nourishing foods. So the quality and food choices are not an issue. What I find challenging is compulsion which comes after experiencing sweet taste. I don't have white sugar in the house and I haven't for years but honey, maple syrup... will put me into compulsive eating behaviour the moment it hits my tongue! I become like an alcoholic or a drug addict craving and looking for the next fix. I have been through the cycle of removing all sweet (except fruit) from my diet and slipping back into it a few times around. It is disappointing when I slip back and my body feels it within a very short time. I retain fluids like crazy and get heavier by the speed of light, my mind gets foggy and I generally feel dull. Not a good place to be, no matter how you look at it.

As some of you know, I have been studying Ayurveda for the last few months. During our study process we are advised and are guided to heal our own health both mind and body and to apply Ayurvedic wisdom in our daily life. So when we complete our studies and the time comes to support and advise our clients we will be able to do it from a place of our own experience and integrity. As one of my teachers says, you have no business telling others what to do if you are not doing it yourself. I like that:)

So in the last few months I have made many changes to the way I go about life and I have made the decision to stay away from sweets (no matter how healthy) except for fruit (which I eat plenty of). Of course, I feel so much better! I am well aware that this is a work in progress. For now as long as I don't reach for the cookies I will be ok. But in the long run, one’s tendency for compulsion needs more than avoidance to be healed.

Through my Ayurveda studies and various amazing enlightened people I have met as a result of my studies, I have learned daily practices which help me live with more awareness and mindfulness. I’m still far from mastering it but I definitely feel that I am moving in the right direction.

I hope that this process of learning and my own healing experience will help me be a better support and a more insightful and compassionate guide to you and your skin healing journey. At the end we are all in it together:)

Love, Magdalena    

Wrinkles on my face.

I am personally very intrigued by the psychology of wrinkles. From the physiological perspective there are numerous causes of facial wrinkles and there are also different types of wrinkles that you will find on your face. Some are very superficial some deep, some are very deep. It is the deep and very deep ones that I take special interest in.

As my own body and face are experiencing changes which come with living long enough to notice physical disintegration, crystallization and fixed patterns of tension, I am even more interested simply because I want to understand myself and life expressing through the body I occupy:)

Deep wrinkles are formed deep in the tissues. You see them on the surface and you may think it’s your skin but actually your skin is just expressing the state of tension present in the connective tissue and your muscles. You can apply all the creams in the world and you will not see a difference with this type of wrinkle (unless the cream contains peptides which have a similar effect on the muscle as botox does). 

We know it is tension in deeper layers of facial tissues and we could approach it from the physical perspective. Right away face massage comes to mind as a great remedy.  But the question to ask is why did the tension build up in these tissues in the first place? The answer will come from beyond the physical. It will also reveal why you may dislike what you see in the mirror. It really is not the wrinkle itself that you don’t like, it’s what it represents, it’s what message it holds within its tight fold that you’d rather not see, that you’d rather be not reminded of.

As mind and body are forever working together and what you feel on the emotional level always finds expression in your physical being. Furrowed brows, raised foreheads, tight lips with lines all around are actually thought patterns which have been playing in your mind over and over again. They represent sadness, frustration, anger, dissatisfaction….

If you are a happy joyful being, you may have ‘happy wrinkles’ around your eyes, the laugh lines may have formed… I bet if that’s you, you are not bothered by your lines at all. 

So what to do when you are not happy with what you see?  Recognizing the connection between thought, emotion and their expression in the physical body is essential. This way you acknowledge that you are actually the creator and not the victim. Spend time daily, touching your face lovingly and kindly and know that it maybe be holding a lot of your pains and worries. Messages it holds are here to help you, not to bring you down. Take moments to breath as you gently rest the palm of your hands on your face.

This will be a wonderful beginning to a fresh relationship with your face and yourself. If you feel inspired to explore more contact me.

Many blessings, Magdalena

My thoughts on Beauty Industry, ingredient sourcing and transparency.

I’m part of a professional group and there was an interesting discussion about transparency and ingredient sourcing in a skin care product formulating.  I would like to share some thoughts with you on this subject because I believe it is an important one.

In general there are very few companies in the skin care industry that are truly honest about their ingredients. Period! First it was (and still is) game playing with the word ‘organic’. Many used one organic ingredient in their formula but made it sound as if their whole formula was such… Some did not use any organic ingredients and still managed to sneak the word ‘organic’ into their packaging and advertising.  Now I can smell the same thing happening in regards to ingredient sourcing…. So watch out! The industry is going to entertain you with words like ‘transparency’, ‘sourcing’ and such for the next little while.

To tell the truth, I don’t spend much time any more on trying to figure out who speaks the truth and who does not. I don’t even consider myself part of the industry to be honest. I do my small thing in my small way and I am content with it. My products are truly a micro-batch creation and when I call it ‘artisan’ and ‘handcrafted’ it is because these are proper and honest words to describe what I do. Tim Hortons has an ‘artisan’ sandwich and a ‘handcrafted’ latte on their menu now. You could think we work in similar ways lol. 

I feel like I am part of something much more beautiful than the INDUSTRY can ever be or offer. I am part of a still small, but very potent movement which is built around TRUST and RELATIONSHIPS and HONESTY and COMMUNITY and a simple belief in surrounding yourself with decent, solid human beings whose intentions and integrity you don’t have to question. 

I thought about my sourcing practices and I must say they are not very complicated at all. I happen to know the people who grow herbs for my product. One of them is a dear friend, the other came to me as a client a long time before I bought any herbs from her. We know and understand each other’s values and beliefs. That’s what keeps us together:)  They have my full confidence. I know how much love and care goes into their growing practices and I’d like to think that they trust I will put their hard work of growing herbs to good use. When I purchase other ingredients which come from far away places (which I had no chance to visit personally yet) I do so through people who have developed relationships with small producers around the world, similar to the one I have with the herb growers. TRUST is a common theme.

I understand, that the bigger the company the more tricky it gets to have this kind of connection. The beautiful values of HONESTY, TRUST, RELATIONSHIPS, COMMUNITY, which I cherish are lost and abandoned in mass-produced product and profit driven industry. Isn’t it ironic that we call it BEAUTY INDUSTRY. Where did the BEAUTY go?

Magdalena xo

Water. How much should you drink?

Ok, I wanted to show off my new copper water vessel:) It is really beautiful and handcrafted from pure untreated copper. According to Ayurveda the best way to store your drinking water is in a copper container.

Since WATER is on my mind I wanted to share a few thoughts on the subject.

I think it's really sad that most of us no longer have an inner knowing in regards to how much water our individual body needs on a given day.

Most feel that everyone needs to be drinking so many glasses of water per day. Some even say that you need a specific amount of water per each pound of body weight. This makes as much sense to me as the idea that your ideal weight should be determined according to your height.

Yes, water is essential to us and to our health but we are all different. Drinking water ought to be a need fulfilled on an individual basis. Please, start paying attention to your body's needs. Observe! If you become mindful you will know exactly when your body needs water replenishment. Don't rely on others to measure your thirst. The knowing is within. Please listen! It's your body!

Your body needs clean water. Don't drink straight from the tap. Water is sacred, it holds memory and remembers everything it touches. Violently pumped through plastic pipes... It needs time to unfold itself to its natural state after rushing out of the tap.

Spend some time with your water. We have forgotten what Water is all about. 

Magdalena xo

What's the worst skin care mistake women make?

What's the worst skin care mistake women make?  We see articles with titles like this, we read and learn that too much cleansing or too much scrubbing is bad for us or that we must drink more water to have a glowing skin... At the end of the day this kind of info doesn't really change a thing or very little. And even though there are millions of articles on the subject of skin care and the never ending supply of skin care information online, a lot of the time women still don't care for their skin properly.

So I was thinking, what is really the worst skin care mistake women make? This is what I  think, We've stopped observing and listening to our skin and have replaced our internal knowing, our wisdom with suggestions from advertising, tv commercials or sales people...The truth is that no one knows your skin like you do. So please, listen to you. Spend time looking at and touching your skin. How is it when you first wake up? Look at the colour and texture. Is it cold or hot?... It will tell you what it needs. Every relationship requires care and presence... Don't just slap stuff on mindlessly... Your skin deserves better. Yes, you will need guidance from time to time but on daily basis, your skin depends on you. So to wrap this up, I believe that the worst skin care mistake women can make is to leave it completely to others and to never develop confidence in their own relationship with their skin and their body.

Magdalena