Holistic Beauty - More than skin deep
HOLISTIC BEAUTY – MORE THAN SKIN DEEP
WHAT IS HOLISTIC BEAUTY? Trying to define holistic beauty in my own words, several things come to mind.
It’s a beauty brand that uses natural, organic and sustainable ingredients to incorporate the idea of energy-driven wellness. It’s a focus on diet or lifestyle changes to bring beauty from within. It’s a non-invasive, whole body treatment approach to health and beauty.
Holistic beauty extends farther than any of these ideas yet encompasses all of them.
It is the idea that everything plays a part in the end result. That these parts are all interrelated and interdependent, and holistic health and ultimately holistic beauty can only be achieved if all the parts are working together and working properly.
It means looking for the causes as opposed to simply just treating symptoms. It means balance. Our environment, our physical, emotional and mental health and attitudes can have serious consequences for our health, thus we need to take everything into account if we would like to restore that balance, thus restoring inner and outer beauty.
As a Holistic Health practitioner I like to think that avoiding disease is a bare minimum – that we can and we should all aspire to improve our overall wellbeing.
A holistic approach and a conventional western medicinal approach should not be mutually exclusive. Complementary medicine promotes prevention, positive lifestyle changes, determining underlying causes of a conditions, and treating the body as a system of interrelated parts which is just as critical to maintaining health as using medicine, pills, or other conventional medical treatments. Each has its own role and can work hand in hand - they are not substitutes for each other.
Quoting from thelifestyle-files.com, ‘In the case of skin care, a holistic approach means that putting on an expensive moisturizer on our face is not enough. It only treats one part of the skin – the outer layer, and only temporarily. But the overall health of our skin (remember, it is our largest organ) depends on so much more than that.
It’s not enough to treat it from the outside only. We have to nurture it from the inside as well. The status and look of skin depend on many factors – from ingredients we use, through our lifestyle choices (diet, exercise) and the environmental stressors we meet, to our emotional and mental well-being.’
SO WHAT DOES HOLISTIC BEAUTY MEAN? Holistic beauty is approaching self-care and beauty using this perspective. It is considering EVERYTHING that is involved in the beauty process.
This can include how your products are made and the relevance of these products to your own skin and lifestyle. Not to mention, incorporating non-topical forms of self-care that also impact how you look and feel.
Taken from ethobeauty.com - here are some key areas to consider:
1. BRAND / PRODUCT
It is important to think about the values of the people that are making your products. Their values end up dictating how they source and produce your products. This not only affects the wellbeing of the supply chain but can also affect the quality of the end-products.
Unfortunately, the beauty industry is one of the most wasteful, and increasingly so. Plus, it has been connected to inhumane working conditions and child labour in 3rd world countries.
As conscious consumers, it’s important to consider the impact that our products have on our world.
2. YOUR OWN SKIN
While values are important, beauty products can’t make a difference unless they are actually relevant to your own skin.
Currently, many products are marketed to treat symptoms instead of skin issues. For example, acne can be caused by many things: hormonal changes, clogged pores, or sometimes, dehydration. These 3 causes of acne are often treated with the same ingredients – which is crazy.
In order to use skincare products effectively, we have to know the problems we’re trying to solve. And that means digging deep to figure out the root cause of these problems.
3. HEALTH
We all know that health plays a huge role in how our skin looks and feels. When we talk about inflamed skin, we have to acknowledge that this is more often than not, coming from within.
Usually a sign of our body fighting back, inflammation is a manifestation of stress on the body. This can be a symptom of a wide range of problems, from out-of-whack hormones or stress to an irregular lifestyle. While living a healthy lifestyle can look different for everyone, there are some rules of thumb:
Diet: A healthy diet can vary from person to person. But it usually entails a balanced diet that includes healthy sources of protein, fat, fibre and essential nutrients. It’s important to get the majority of your calories from unprocessed, natural food sources. Ditch anything that comes in packages, or has long ingredient lists that you don’t understand. But if you really want to figure out your ideal diet, try starting with an elimination diet!
Lifestyle: Much of living a healthy life is the ability to manage stress. And the same goes for our skin! When we’re stressed out, our body releases cytokines that cause inflammation. Eventually, this inflammation manifests itself on our skin in the form of redness or acne. So it’s super important to make sure we decrease stress as much as possible in our daily lives. This includes incorporating things like meditation, exercise, and a regular eating schedule. Not to mention, a healthy sleep habit!
HOLISTIC BEAUTY IS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE Ultimately holistic beauty is different for everyone. We are all individuals with different wants and needs, different lives and lifestyles. One size does not fit all. The key is finding a combination of elements that work with your body and lifestyle.
This is what Two Green Witches is about – finding solutions that are unique to you through holistic skincare, aromatherapy, massage, lymph drainage, meditation and mindfulness.
