GET EDUCATED…….

When I first entered the field of holistic health in the early ‘90’s as a massage therapist, I was often frustrated with the lack of information about personal care ingredients, especially after finding out that the popular massage cream used most often by myself and my peers, contained chemical ingredients linked to cancers and was probably contributing to my eczema.  Day after day, for years, I had submitted myself to these harmful chemicals, without any knowledge of the dangers.  So while I was letting my hands heal, I set out on an adventure of education which has spanned nearly two decades, ultimately leading to a specialty in holistic skin care. 

It has been my pleasure to follow this path, learning more each day.  It is a privilege to write a monthly “Natural Beauty” article for a wellness publication, Positive Change.   Research and writing provides me with the inspiration, the hunger to keep learning.  So, in the spirit of sharing, we have attached the  “Natural Beauty” articles which address natural and organic skin care concerns and have appeared since early 2005.  In addition, we will provide other educational pieces as we develop them, such as ingredients to avoid, organic standards and how to evaluate certifications, and eventually, an ingredients library for your ongoing reference.

One of the most important things I’ve learned on this journey is to keep asking questions.  There are a lot of agendas out there and they might not be in your best interest.  Become educated yourself.  Determine your position and make your voice heard, even if it is simply by voting with your buying power.    Ask the question behind the question.  For example; yes, that organic lavender is from an organic farm in the South of France, but how was it extracted?  With steam or with the chemical compound hexane?  These are the kinds of questions that I find myself following, and the rabbit hole is indeed deep.

And watch out for people who claim to be “experts”, or labels or companies that claim to define the market.  There are many loopholes and ways to hide ingredients.  I, for one, am simply a massage and skin care therapist, trying to learn, trying to do the right thing and trying to share what I find.  If there is something regarding natural and organic skin care that you would like to know more about, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

In good health, kindly,

Carmen McManus, Certified Dr. Hauschka Holistic

Skin Care Therapist, Licensed Massage Therapist & Bloom Organics co-owner.