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

In Between Visits with Dr. Kristy | Podcast | With Magdalena Tomczak: On Mindset

Deep gratitude to Dr. Kristy Lewis for the amazing opportunity to share about my work and about mindful beauty!

Dear Kristy, is an Ottawa based naturopathic doctor and she is also a natural when it comes to podcasting! Thank you for asking meaningful questions Kristy!!! I truly enjoyed this conversation.

Listen to this podcast HERE

Listen to this podcast HERE

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

What makes us who we are.

Not so long ago, I have realized that my connection to nature and love of health and simplicity began with the long summers spent at my grandpa’s farm. 

Today, I know that those days filled with the smell of hay, fields of wheat and rye, plum picking right off the trees and pulling carrots out of the ground were so formative yet I almost missed noticing that.

I loved spending time at grandpa’s. He was kind and gentle, very much like my mom. 

Grandpa practiced organic farming although at that time nobody called it organic. 

He lived a simple, honest life and I loved him very much.

I felt very free while there. Maybe it was because even as a little girl I could wander around all by myself through what at the time felt like vast fields, I would sing made up songs to the cows as I looked into their big beautiful eyes. Yes, I did:)  And maybe because I watched baby animals being born and then sometimes I watched the animals die. 

And then there was that freshness in the air and food tasted so real and pure and full of flavour and at night silence sounded beautiful and the sky was covered with the stars. 

I watched plants being seeded, witnessed them sprout from the ground and grow and then there was the harvest time and what was harvested was food.

Thanks to my childhood experiences, I have always had a very strong connection to the animals and plants. 

I have always felt the most comfortable when I can stand barefoot on the ground. I guess there is a bit of the peasant girl in me and I absolutely love her.

She is the part of me that can recognize beauty in plants and herbs and all living beings. She is the part of me that wants to tell the world about eating healthy food, about treating all animals as sentient beings that they are.

She also gets the cycle of life and death, and knows that living with cycles of nature is a key to being healthy and happy.

Simple, honest and healthy life is how I like to live. I may have had moments of confusion in my adult life but I always come back to simple, honest and healthy:)

My work and my products are infused with these qualities. My business is driven by the vision of life in harmony, life which supports the earth and each being on the planet. Life which recognizes that we need nature to survive and that we are here just for a brief moment. May we live life fully and respectfully and in community with beauty that surrounds us.

The effects of the skin care products that you use: from ecology to beauty.

Clients often ask me what is the difference between organic whole plant based products like I formulate for Woman Divine, and the department store or pharmacy bought, conventional lines. I feel that this is a very important question to ask and it absolutely deserves to be thoughtfully addressed.

Have a listen to this audio recording on the topic and let me know what you think.

Post your questions and feedback in comments or send me an email at info@womandivine.ca. and share with your friends.

I welcome your ideas and your wishes for future content so I can create recordings worthy of your time:)

Thank you,

Magdalena xo

Allopathy versus Holism.

The last few months have lent themselves beautifully to contemplation and re-evaluation of life, and values which we live by.

Holism and allopathy have been preoccupying my thinking because I feel that they are at the base of many skin/health discussions.  It seems like a timely topic to address if even for the sole purpose of consciously reclaiming one or the other for ourselves.

One thing is for sure; allopathy or holism is driving your choices regarding skin care, health care and your perception of life. 

We use the term ‘holistic’ or ‘wholistic’ attached to skin care a lot but I can’t help but notice that many are still not completely clear on what exactly is the meaning behind the word ‘holism’. And allopathy may seem like the word which belongs only with western medicine but it actually applies to skin care as well. 

So, aware or not, you are either holistic or allopathic in your approach and choosing one or the other consciously will definitely be more productive..

Allopathic medicine or allopathy, refers to science-based, modern medicine, such as the use of medications or surgery to treat or suppress symptoms or the ill effects of disease. 

Allopathic medicine is distinct in how it views health, the human body and the world.

In my simple words allopathy likes to dissect and put things apart and then look and analyze the components as separate from each other.

A good example would be my very last visit to a family doctor a few years back.

I went hoping to get my blood work done on the recommendation of my Ayurvedic doctor. 

When I tried to explain the multiple symptoms which I was experiencing at that time, the doctor stopped me and said ‘one problem per visit please’. I responded ‘but what if all the symptoms are related?’. The doctor responded ‘as I said we will look at one problem per visit’. 

Holism, holistic skin care, holistic health, holistic life are all about embracing the whole and humbly observing the intertwining interactions of all that exists.

One of my teachers says something very important. He says that you can get to know body parts or its systems by dissection but you will never know or understand life in its entirety by this process.

And here holism or a holistic approach offers us a very different way of understanding disease and skin health and ultimately life itself.

The dictionary tells us that  ‘holism’ is  a theory that the universe and especially living nature is correctly seen in terms of interacting wholes (as of living organisms) that are more than the mere sum of elementary particles.

So let’s look at skin care and the allopathic and the holistic approach.

How does allopathy translate to skin care?

Let’s take an acne client as an example. The allopathic approach focuses on reducing oil production, speeding up skin cell turnover, fighting bacterial infection or reducing inflammation. This is often done with the application of aggressive, suppressive and strong acting products. 

If topical treatment by an aesthetician will not bring the desired results then you have the option of seeing your medical doctor to get oral medication which suppresses your symptoms.  If this is all that you are looking for than it may be to your satisfaction.

How does holism translate to skin care?

Continuing with our example of an acne client, a holistic skin care professional will take time to investigate what is causing the symptom, in this case acne. 

This includes focusing on the underlying imbalances of digestion, hormones, stress and emotions which can also be causing painful or irregular menses, acid reflux, gluten intolerance, allergies or polycystic ovaries… After careful analysis a topical plant based treatment along with a specific face massage technique will be prescribed to support the skin function but most importantly dietary, lifestyle habit adjustments will be recommended to bring about healing. It is very important to note that In the holistic approach, you are an active participant in your healing process. 

Your holistic skin care professional of today is often educated in an array of natural medicine modalities including nutrition, plant medicine, Ayurveda, TCM, massage therapy… If they deem your skin health problem beyond their scope of practice or needing broader support, they may refer you to a natural medicine doctor.

I hope that this basic comparison will help you decide consciously which makes more sense to you.

So is it allopathy or holism?

Magdalena xo

New Beauty Blueprint | what every woman should know.

I have prepared a recording for you on the subject of beauty. I’ve had good intentions to record it in a very professional way but then decided that there is no better time than right now. So, I have picked up my phone and went for it.

I hope that you will find this information very helpful. It really has put things into perspective for me, many years ago when I was first introduced to it. I also hope that you will be able to hear beyond my Polish accent, a sound quality which is not that of a recording studio and probably more than one English language mishap.

Have a listen and please let me know if you’ve enjoyed it. Should we do more of this in the future?

Love, Magdalena

What every woman needs in her beauty cabinet when the shit hits the fan:)

Call it my communism influenced mind (I grew up in Poland) but I like to have my skincare basics handy and I like to know that I can confidently and creatively use them in case of emergencies.

It gives me the sense of being in charge of my care + I feel that I can weather anything that comes my way.

So here is my must have list:

HONEY

Wash your face with honey, apply it straight as a mask, or exfoliate with it.

It will brighten your skin, help retain its moisture  and will remove dead skin cells too.

Full of antioxidants, nutrients and enzymes, honey is incredibly nourishing. It is antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It’s amazing.  

To mask with honey, apply for 15-20minutes, wash of with tepid water & follow with your moisturizing routine.

*some have sensitivity to honey. test first. 

CLAY

You need clay in your home!

My favs are White, Pink and Green Clay. I keep all three on hand and use them straight or mix them together or add them to other ingredients to create a mask. Each clay has a different mineral composition (thus different colour). Generally clays are antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, deodorizing, drawing and detoxifying.

WHITE CLAY | is the gentlest and most suitable for the sensitive, normal and dry skin. It doesn’t have the drawing properties like other clays do.

It will mineralize and sooth your skin and gently cleanse + exfoliate it.

PINK CLAY | can also be used on normal, dry and sensitive skin. 

Add a pinch of pink to your white and you’ll acquire a beautiful pastel coloured mask. It makes us look super pretty with its gorgeous pink hue.

Pink is soothing and at the same time cleanses skin + stimulates circulation.

GREEN CLAY | this bad boy is great for the treatment of oily and problem skin. 

It has strong drawing action and will pull toxins from the tissues.

If you have a stubborn, deep pimple you can apply green clay to the spot throughout the day and green clay will help to bring it up.

You can mix a bit of your green clay to the white clay base. It will still be gentle but with a tiny bit of a detox kick to it.

You can do a full body green clay detox mask in the spring (perfect timing). I sit in my bathtub with my body covered with green clay and rinse it off after it has completely dried. 

This feels super good!

How to prepare a clay mask?

Very simple. Place a tablespoon of any of the clays in a small glass dish and drizzle purified water or herbal tea into it.  Add a tiny bit at a time to form a nice creamy paste. If you put too much liquid it will become too watery. 

OIL 

Of course one must have organic oil at home at all times. Below are great oils which are easily accessible.

You can use them for moisturizing all over, for cleansing your face (jojoba is my favourite for this) , for oil pulling:) or in your bath.

Jojoba is suitable for everyone. 

Sesame is great for dry dehydrated skin.

Sunflower is excellent for sensitive skin.

Remember that oil must be applied onto damp skin. Oil+Water= Moisturizer

HYDROSOL

Rose hydrosol is good for every skin type. Unless you have sensitivity to rose:(

It’s hydrating, cooling, refreshing and a must for moisturizing with oils and balms.

It also makes a super lovely & cooling compress over tired eyes.

DRY HERBS

These can be made into a tea, herbal compress for the face, herbal infusion for your mask or a bath… 

I love the following:

Calendula

Chamomile

Mint

Rose

Rosemary 

Hibiscus

ESSENTIAL OILS:

Lavadner for skin burns, to aid sleep and to help with anxiety.

Helichrysum for all skin related treatments. This one is 100% skin care superstar.

And then come your fruits, veggies, oatmeal and lentils and with them come the unlimited possibilities for creating masks, skin packs, scrubs… 

I hope that my list invites you to consider your own so you too can be ready if shit ever does hit the fan.

Magdalena xo

Apply what you know!

Knowledge without application is useless. It’s true!

We take courses, read self help books listen to countless webinars online and then
most of the time we do nothing with the acquired information. It’s just more clutter for your mind.

I want to encourage you to make an assessment of info and knowledge that you have gathered in your life and select that which can support you
during this time and put it into practice. Make it useful for yourself and people in your home.

A home guasha practice won’t make all the life difficulties go away but I can assure you that it can make your face and you feel way more relaxed and more at ease.

When I teach my guasha class to our clients, I actually recommend that after learning the strokes you do your practice with your eyes closed. .

This way your tool becomes the superpower tool helping you discover tensions that you never new existed in your tissues. Eyes closed invite you to go beyond the surface of the wrinkle and to connect to what is possibly creating the wrinkle.

We are going through a rough time now and wrinkle creation is in action big time for most of us. .
Emotions are running high and we are trying to keep it together for ourselves, for our kids, for our community and for our clients.

If you have a guasha tool in your possession take it out of your drawer and wash it with soap and water. .
Cleanse your face well, pat dry and mist with your favourite hydrosol then apply a little bit of oil or balm (not too much and not too little. You need a bit of a grip on the skin.) And get going. .
Use what you have learned, use the tool that you bought. Work on yourself or your partner. Apply what you know.
Your guasha practice should be a soothing experience.
This is not a practice dedicated to self-criticism and staring in the mirror searching for imperfections. It is a practice of bringing ease and releasing what is weighing our face down.

Close your eyes and explore. Happy guasha-ing! Let me know if I can be of help.

Love to everyone❤️
Magdalena