You have heard about them, seen them on your beauty products, but what on earth are they? If they are acids surely that’s not good for the skin? They definitely couldn’t be natural?
Well AHA’s (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) can totally be natural, and yes they are great for your skin. These ingredients come from natural fruits and sugars. AHA’s most commonly found in skin care are Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid.
These 2 acids work as natural exfoliators. They work on the surface layers of the skin breaking down the glue holding your skin cells together. This encourages skin cell turn over and repair to reveal a smoother brighter complexion.
Natural AHA’s can be gentler than a physical exfoliator, which manually scrub away dead skin using textured ingredients.
AHA’s are also great for reducing the appearance of scars, pigmentation and sunspots. They work wonders on fine lines and prevent wrinkles. AHA’s help treat and prevent acne too. What’s not to like?
Be careful to look out for the words ‘naturally derived’ on product packaging. This means they have potentially added synthetic ingredients to make them stretch further or to stabilise their ingredients. When chemicals are added to acids they can cause skin sensitivities.
We have some great products at Glowco with natural AHA’s and free of synthetics
This is a really lightweight organic gel cleaner which will give you are really deep clean without stripping your skin of natural oils. I find this to be particularly good on oily and combination skin types.
It contains Cavier Lime (Finger Lime) which is packed full of natural AHA’s.
This is a multipurpose honey based cleaner, exfoliator and face mask. It is filled with incredible skin loving nutrients, to dissolve dead skin cells, gently exfoliate, remove toxins whilst nourishing, hydrating and brightening your skin.
It contains Organic Wildflower Honey and Hibiscus both natural AHA’s. These increase elasticity, balance oily skin, stimulate collagen production, and minimise fine lines.
I love using this in conjunction with a gel or oil cleanser. It is an incredible anti-aging product, and great for sensitive skin too.
What is your favourite Alpha Hydroxy Acid filled product?
We absolutely love stocking niche Australian brands. When we know someone created, deigned, packed and sent each and every product, it makes using them all the more special. The creator Nicole’s passion and energy radiates through this range. We know you will love it just as much as we do.
What does wild crafted and wild harvested mean?
Wild harvested means the plants have grown wildly with out any interference. They develop differently, adapting to various and often harsh environmental conditions. This means they don’t just survive – they thrive where other plants could not exist. The plants produce incredibly high levels of anti oxidants to enable survival, making them incredibly potent (in a good way) to use in skincare.
Wild crafting is the sustainable harvesting of plants for their natural medicinal or food purposes. Ethical consideration is involved to protect endangered species. Incredible care is taken to only remove a few plants, flowers, or branches, to maintain their existence in the natural environment.
This means wild crafted ingredients are free from pesticides and pollution. These ingredients are then infused with organic, nourishing, skin loving oils such as rice bran or grape seed oil.
Stand out ingredients from the range
Kakadu Plum: Kakadu Plum has been used for many generations by Indigenous Australian People in the Northern Territories for food and traditional medicine. It is proven to contain the highest naturally occurring levels of vit C (a powerful anti-oxidant) in the world – 3150mg/100g of the fruit, compared with rosehip (2000mg/100g), and oranges (50mg/100g). When applied topically, vit C plays an essential role in the body’s production of collagen thus promoting supple, youthful looking skin. The extract wild crafted use has been studied by the Southern Cross University in NSW, Australia and due to the unique extraction process, it is proven to contain more stable levels of vit C over a longer period of time (compared to those currently on the market). This ensures greater potency of vit C resulting in a far superior end product.
Murumura Butter: Murumura Butter is pressed from the reddish-orange fruits of a tall palm tree, native to Brazil and other regions of the Amazon.
Murumura seed butters unique composition of essential fatty acids and Pro-Vitamin A help restore elasticity to damaged and ageing skin making it a particularly useful product in anti-ageing products. It is also a soothing addition for products intended to heal dry and cracked skin, eczema and psoriasis.
Zeolite Clay: Zeolite Clay has anability to absorb, store and neutralize heavy metals and other toxic matter removing daily pollution by deeply cleansing, purifying and detoxifying your skin. Zeolite is used as an acne treatment due to its ability to clear blackheads by unclogging pores, preventing pimples.
Hibiscus Flowers: Hibiscus is known as the Botox plant due to its ability to increase moisture and improve flexibility and elasticity in our skin. A natural source of alpha hydroxy acids (AHA’s). Natural AHA’s exfoliate the skin effectively but gently increasing cell turnover resulting in fresher, younger and smoother skin. Hibiscus is also high in the antioxidants that protect our skin from free radical damage and also refine pores thanks to its astringent properties.
What about the packaging?
Wildcrafted Organics are packaged in recyclable miron glass bottles.
Miron violet glass bottles are state of the art, premier products that offer optimal protection against the harmful effects of light. Miron violet glass works like a natural filter by blocking the complete spectrum of visible light with the exception of the violet part that protects and improves the quality of sensitive botanicals.
Not only are these bottles exceptionally beautiful they also play a very important role in keeping your products precious ingredients fresh and bacterial free – prolonging their shelf life.
Isn’t that just incredible..and this is just a little sneak peak into their range.
If you have any questions selecting the best combination of products for your skin type, comment below or send me an email. I would love to help you out 🙂
You may have seen words such as “Green beauty, clean beauty, eco beauty, natural beauty, non toxic, low tox, cruelty free and organic beauty” buzzing about EVERYWHERE!! It can be so confusing understanding what they mean, especially when we try and sift through the marketing jargon and “green washing”.
Generally these words simply describe a healthier more eco conscious personal care lifestyle. We’ve been passionate about supporting and championing this industry for some time now, and here’s why?
No need for Harsh Chemicals –
If we care about what we put in our mouths, we should care about what we put on our skin!
We know about eating better right? We know to favour whole foods, we are or want to incorporate more organic produce into our diets. We want to eliminate processed foods as much as possible. There are social trends around juicing, eating super foods, less meat, refined sugar and understanding gut health. There is so much information on food and health, that the message is being heard.
Green beauty is all about prioritising what we put on our skin in the same way as what we put in our mouths. The skin is our largest organ, it breathes and absorbs everything we put on it. Think about what we do to our skin everyday and have done so since we were all babies. We load it with body wash, moisturiser, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, primer, foundation, eye shadow, lip-gloss, sunscreen, nail polish and the list goes on and on. I’m sure I’ll be applying blush and lippy until I’m 95 years old. On average, women use about 12 personal care products a day, exposing themselves to 168 chemical ingredients. Men use about six, exposing themselves to 85 unique chemicals according to the Environmental Working Group.
So the question is, what are the health consequences from the build up of cosmetic ingredients? There is a lot of research around this hot topic, and the general consensus is that many of these synthetic chemicals found in cosmetics ‘particularly the ones we can’t pronounce’ are known carcinogens, endocrine disrupters, allergens, toxins and comdedogenic!!
As a start, if you do want to make the switch to low tox personal care products, choose brands that are absolutely paraben, synthetic preservative, synthetic fragrance and phthalate free.
Animal Testing is F*#%ed –
Well this is a bit of a no brainer, let’s just NEVER test on animals. The testing processes are disgustingly barbaric, and it still happens in most of the high-end cosmetic brands you are probably using.
So to be absolutely sure your products are free of animal testing choose brands that are certified cruelty free. The ‘Leaping Bunny’ certification is the international gold standard for non-animal tested consumer products. Peta is also another incredible organisation which has up to date information on companies that do or don’t test on animals.
Environmental Damage Control –
We only have one Earth, so lets take care of it! Don’t be ignorant to the fact that cosmetic ingredients, packaging and production take toll on our environment.
Ingredients such as micro beads found in exfoliators, are essentially tiny balls of plastic that wash into our oceans killing marine life, as they mistake them for food.
Similarly oxybenzone is a main ingredient found in chemical sunscreen, and is largely contributing to the bleaching of coral reefs.
Palm oil is one of our biggest gripes, and is used in countless products. The rapid deforestation that is occurring for this ingredient is phenomenal. Approximately 300 football fields every hour are being destroyed for palm oil production. So please choose brands that are palm oil free.
Lets also think about packaging and whether we need all the bells and whistles that often accompany many cosmetic products. We would rather spend money on a product for its quality ingredients rather than fancy packaging. We love supporting brands that use minimal packaging, and can be recycled all in aid of reducing our carbon footprint.
Community Spirit –
The incredible organic ingredients found in natural cosmetics are made all over the world and often in remote communities on small-scale farms. We love finding brands that have fair trade arrangements with these communities. When you choose fair-trade farmers are getting a fair price for their product and you are also investing in community projects, such as providing clean drinking water and improving their local healthcare.
Also look out for brands that give back in other ways, such as donating proceeds to non-for profit groups and charities.
Looking and Feeling Amazing –
Personally we think you get better overall results from high quality natural products. The ingredients aren’t competing with a bunch of fillers to do the job they are meant to. You will find you need less of each product, and they will do more for your skin. They apply better, smell incredible, work faster, last longer and are less irritating.
The clean beauty movement champions inner beauty over outer beauty. It’s all about being more mindful, prioritising your own health, wellness and getting better at self love from the inside out.
Need some Guidance?
If you have never tried cleaner / greener beauty products before, start by looking through your bathroom and ditching any cosmetics you have had for more than a year. Next, only keep what you actually use and love and donate the rest. Then look for the gaps in your products and replace them with greener alternatives. Before you know it, you will be a complete convert. We promise you wont go back and soon you will be a complete addict like us.
If you need some help choosing the right products for your particular needs, please send us an email and we can recommend some options for you to try.
Remember we are not striving for perfection with this switch, that would simply be impossible. If we can just get a bit better at trying to make conscious choices we will reap the positive health a happiness impacts for ourselves and the environment. The more we share this information the better too. We want to support and grow this movement as much as possible.
We cant believe how time flies…its already been months since our last family vlog. We absolutely loved getting back to some creativity over the last couple of weeks. Come away with us as we roadtrip with the family to the South Coast and Riverland. Hope you enjoy!!! Alex & Milly
We wanted to share this post from our newest male grooming brand Native Man® so you could learn a bit more about them, their journey and why they are so awesome!!
Native Man® was created by two Melbourne-based pharmacists, two clinical-cosmetic alchemists.
The two friends sought men’s grooming products that not only delivers smooth, clarified and freshly shaven skin but also leaves ample room in the wallet—without compromising on quality. But alas, they struggled to find uncomplicated routines that didn’t cut into precious sleep time (subtext: for lazy guys). They learned that men’s grooming was oftentimes an afterthought. And they discovered that affordable products are chockfull of unnecessary ingredients that produce that “cologne overdose” (lady-repelling) odour and don’t mesh well with manly skin.
Slowly but surely, more men are starting to practice more diligent care to their macho visages. “But why aren’t there any clean, straightforward and effective options for men?” they asked.
And that’s when they joined their brain powers to create what is now Native Man®. So any man, whether he’s in the boardroom, the bedroom, the brewery or the beach, can put his best face forward.
Our #1 Lady: Mother Nature
Native Man® pays homage to the local, potent and fiercely skin-loving ingredients found in the lush lands of Australia. We believe nature has the best to offer for skin.
Plants are nothing to sneeze at. The oils and extracts of plants are the fuel that protect themselves from the cruelest of weather conditions and unrelenting diseases. Considering people have co-evolved with plants since the beginning of time, human skin meshes impeccably with plants and welcomes them with open pores.
That’s why Native Man® products are organic and 100% natural without any needless substances that can actually undo the good and cause more harm.
Man-Tailored Grooming
Receding hairlines and beer bellies aren’t the only changes men can expect. They say men get more handsome with age, but that doesn’t mean our skin doesn’t get discoloration, wrinkles, sagging, acne, pock marks and other undesirable features.
And due to the thickness and hairiness of our faces, the aging signs can be even more pronounced than a woman’s if not properly tackled. And not only does all the shaving we do cause irritation, we also have less absorbent skin that tends to be oilier (thanks, testosterone). That means stuff we put on our face needs to be that much mightier to get through all the stubborn skin.
So dudes, it’s time to stop borrowing your lady’s fancy face creams. Your facial aspirations, beardly or otherwise, should be tailored to your dense, whiskered skin. We got you!”
Choosing sunscreen: Firstly using any sunscreen is always better than no sunscreen!
UV is one of life’s most aggressive carcinogens and it is the greatest cause for skin aging. When choosing a sunscreen ensure you have a broad spectrum from both UVA and UVB rays.
Personally I like to choose brands that are hypoallergenic, non greasy, free of parabens and cruelty free. If the sunscreen is Australian made, even better because we have such strict regulations here.
Basically you can buy chemical based sunscreen or physical (mineral) based sunscreen.
Chemical Based Sunscreens
These contain chemicals, such as Octylcrylen, Avobenzone, Retinyl Palmitate, Homosalate and Oxybenzone.
They will often contain parabens and other synthetic preservatives and fragrances. Generally anything higher than a SPF 30 will be a chemical based sunscreen
These chemicals are designed to absorb into the deeper layers of the skin then absorb UV rays, to cause a reaction protecting you from getting sunburnt.
Depending on the brand many chemical sunscreens are irritating, cause skin sensitivities, dermatitis, watery eyes and eczema.
The ingredients in chemical based sunscreens can be allergens, carcinogens and endocrine destructive!
Oxybenzone is not good for the environment, especially coral reefs where it will produce a virus in the algae. Reefs need algae to stay alive, and this chemical is washing into our ocean from our skin by the buck load because of sunscreen use. It is also one of the most toxic ingredients found in cosmetics *so if you are buying a chemical sunscreen make sure this ingredient is not in it.
Physical Based Sunscreens
Physical based sunscreen use natural minerals such as zinc and titanium oxide. These ingredients sit on the surface of the skin and act as a protective barrier to reflect off UV rays.
Zinc used to get a bad wrap because of its thick white consistency and it was hard to apply. These days there are many high quality mineral based brands such as ‘Little Urchin’ and ‘Eco by Sonya’ which have incredible formulas and micronised minerals to help them glide on easily. SHOP HERE
If you are looking for a mineral makeup with sun protection absolutely choose jane iredale the quality of their products is exceptional SHOP HERE
I love that physical sunscreens offer immediate protection, so you don’t need to wait as long for the chemicals to absorb into your skin. This is particularly good for kids that have just come out of the water and then want to re-enter straight away after they have had their sunscreen re-applied.
Chemical sunscreens do offer more coverage against UVA and UVB rays. For example they go up to SPF 50 (sun protective factor). It is important to understand that SPF 50 is not ‘double’ as effective as SPF 25 sunscreen.
SPF is a measure of the amount of time you can stay out in the sun without getting sunburnt, and the measure between the two is minimal. For example you may be able to stay out in the sun for 10 minutes more with an SPF 50 before re applying, than SPF 25. But often the higher the SPF the higher amount of harsh chemicals that are in the product. So personally I would just rather reapply slightly more frequently, unless I’ve done a patch test and know that particular chemical based brand works for me.
If you or your kids have sensitive skin too, I would steer clear of chemical based sunscreens and look for a good quality mineral alternative instead.
Mascara is an absolute beauty essential. We all use it and love it. Let’s face it, we are always on the look out for the next best thing. Here are my top 5 mascara facts.
It doesn’t last forever
Eyelashes naturally have bacteria in them, and overtime double dipping our mascara wands even in our own products can multiply this bacteria and cause serious eye infections and allergic reactions. Most mascara’s will expire after 3 months so make sure you replenish your products regularly.
Taking it off
Leaving mascara on over night can cause you lashes to weaken and break. Pieces of mascara can land in your eyes and cause redness, irritation and even scratch the eye. I always take my mascara off gently with an oil-based cleanser specific for the eye area.
Eyelashes are just tiny hairs and should be treated with as much care as the hairs on your head. Using a lash conditioner under mascara or as a night time treatment will help prevent breakage and promote long thick healthy lashes for life.
I love brown mascara on particular skin tones for a softer look. It works really well on mature faces and teenagers. Black can sometimes look too harsh.
Brown is a neutral colour and will make your iris’s appear brighter, particularly if you have blue or green eyes.
Blondes, red heads or fair skin tones look great with brown mascara too.
I try an avoid waterproof mascara, but from time to time I will use it when I know I am going swimming or have a special occasion on a hot humid day.
If I am going on a beach holiday I will usually tint my lashes and then I can skip mascara all together. But tinting is also a beauty service you want to limit because of the synthetic dyes. It’s all about balance right 🙂
Using waterproof mascara everyday will weaken your lashes, dry them out and cause breakage. The removal alone can cause a lot of strain on both your eyelashes and the delicate skin around your eyes. If you wear contacts, you will probably ruin them by wearing waterproof mascara because you simply wont be able to remove the mascara residue on the lens.
The ingredients in chemical based waterproof mascaras are some of the harshest found in cosmetics. Eeeekkk!!!
Common ingredients to avoid include: Carbon Black, ethanolamine compounds, BAK, Formaldehyde, Aluminum powder, Retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate, coal tar dyes and synthetic fragrance!!
I’ve been using a new skincare product, which is a serious time saving, skin boosting game changer!! It’s an Aussie organic brand, and multi award winning. I am honestly not surprised because it’s the best!!
I am talking about Eco Tans Face Tan Water. Basically this is a toner with gradually building tanning ingredients. The texture is a liquid and I use it with a face pad. I work it all over the face, working it up into the hairline, around the ears, neck and décolletage. It is recommended to use this product 2 or 3 times a week to achieve a natural golden complexion, but it is really up to you to decide the level of colour your like. It dries almost instantly and then you can apply your moisturiser over the top.
What I love is that this is a skincare product filled with nourishing organic ingredients such as Aloe Vera, which is soothing and conditioning and natural Hyaluronic Acid, which hydrates and holds water in the skin. It works for all skin types and skin tones even if you have sensitive skin, acne, rosacea or eczema. There are no nasties in this product too.
I started using it for 4 days in a row, and now I can maintain my tan only using it 3 times a week. To wake up with a little bit more colour is awesome, and it really could replace your foundation if you like a natural makeup look.
I want to introduce you to Herbal Hiraeth, a new brand I discovered this month!!
I began following Candice O’Shannessy the owner on Facebook. I love watching her informative videos on natural eco conscious skin care that is formulated with herbal remedies. Since then I have tried a few of her products and they are amazing!!!
She really is the new herbal skin care guru and I just had to learn more. So Candice was kind enough to contribute a write up on her brand and skincare philosophies for our Glowco blog. I have no doubt you will enjoy the read…
What is a herbalist?
Hi, I’m Candice the founder and creator behind Herbal Hiraeth. I am a qualified Herbalist and Skincare Formulator. One question I get asked a lot is what is a Herbalist?
An Herbalist is one who studies and practices herbal medicine, it is the study and use of herbs and botanics to improve health, wellbeing, promote healing, and prevent and treat illness. I utilise herbal healing through many parts of my life from skincare to first aid to relaxation, illness and everyday aliments.
Even my partner who was sceptic at first now wouldn’t even think twice about reaching for a packet of paracetamol when he has a headache instead he asks for a cup of headache tea!
What inspired your business?
I was always fascinated with using herbs and plants for healing and remedies, quite often I felt like I was born in the wrong time, I feel very connected to the old healing ways when our ancestors found their remedies to colds, flus and skin issues and collected their food all from their backyard, along streams and in the wild. This is where Hiraeth comes from, pronounced as HEAR-eth. A welsh word describing the nostalgia and yearning for lost places or memories of the past. Herbal Hiraeth represents the souls longing to the herbal connection it once knew, the ancient wisdom of healing from herbs and the earth, hidden within our history and souls.
My journey with herbalism and herbal skincare started many years ago when my beautiful dog Lilo developed severe skin allergies and I myself developed a range of skin issues. Of course my main focus was on Lilo first so after trialling everything under the sun, spending thousands on vet bills and not finding anything that worked without harmful side effects I turned towards Herbalism, I formally began studying and still continually study to this day to further my knowledge. I developed a wholesome herbal approach to Lilo’s skin, after commencing this within two weeks she had significant improvements and a month later she no longer had skin issues and continuing this approach she lives an extremely happy playful and skin issue free life!
I then went on to studying natural skincare formulation formally and developed herbal skincare remedies for my own and my families skin which had incredible results especially with my own and friends acne!
I had friends of friends asking me to make them products for acne, skin pigmentation, flaky dry skin, oily skin and the products I developed had such wonderful reviews, I then decided to begin selling them. I also felt more in tuned with nature and grounded using natural products made from botanics that were also eco-friendly. I launched Herbal Hiraeth in 2018 to bring the herbal connection to everyday lives.
What skincare ingredients should we try and avoid?
One of the greatest gifts I learnt from all my studies was the ability to read and understand cosmetic labels and ingredients and I think it is so important to completely understand exactly what you are putting on your skin. Up to 60% of what we put on our skin can be absorbed into our bodies, with many toxic ingredients in many common and big brand skincare products, we are putting our health at risk. Below are a few common harsh ingredients that should be avoided –
DEA (diethanolamine), TEA (triethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine) – are chemicals that when combined with other ingredients, produce known carcinogens;
Phtalates – are hormone disruptors used to carry synthetic fragrance in perfumes and skincare. This can be hidden as “parfum”, “fragrance” or “perfume” on labels;
Fragrance/Parfum/Perfume – cosmetic labelling allows synthetic fragrances and preservatives to be labelled as parfum if under a certain percentage therefore always be cautious when you see this listed. Many toxic ingredients are used as fragrances, causing everything from skin reactions, headaches, depression and vomiting;
PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) – Potential carcinogen;
Urea – is quickly absorbed into the body, bringing other chemicals in the product along with it, it can cause dermatitis and contains formaldehyde a known carcinogen.
Therefore even if a product is labelled as “natural” it is always wise to check the ingredients list to be absolutely aware of what you are putting on your skin.
Do you feel a connection between daily rituals and skincare?
Skincare to me is a part of a self-care and self-love ritual that I practice each day, it allows me to wash away the day’s stressors and take a moment to practice mindfulness. When I developed the Herbal Hiraeth range, the essential oils and herbs chosen had a twofold purpose one for the skin loving benefits and the other for the grounding aroma they had, a few of my favourites are lavender, roman chamomile, frankincense and geranium. The range is earthy and grounding to connect us with our natural world that we are so often neglected from in our busy day to day hectic lives, it re-establishes that connection to nature, and for a moment you can enjoy the pure peace and relaxation it offers. By practicing self-care, we can significantly improve our well-being. Well-being dramatically affects our mental health and our ability to handle stress.
Can you let us in on one of your DIY beauty recipes?
There are many DIY options you can make to practice self-love in a beauty routine! One of my favourites is a DIY Formula for a Tranquil Herbal Bath Tea!
This Bath Tea recipe is extremely nourishing and soothing especially for dry skin, it is gentle enough for all skin types including children. The aroma of lavender is relaxing and grounding to sit back and enjoy and be nourished by nature. You can experiment with other skin loving herbs as well such as chamomile, calendula, rose petals, just be sure to use organic herbs to avoid the contamination of pesticides in your bath!
After a month of engaging a more mindful mindset within myself, I’ve certainly realised you don’t need to be around the perfect sunset and flowing palm trees to have success at it. (Mindfulness meaning – being fully present and living in the moment, a clear thinker, more focused, not overly reactive and making conscious choices) It does however take daily practice.. especially when you are functioning on less sleep than you would like, and have a few too many plates spinning at times.
I am only beginning this journey and one month in I am absolutely no expert, but I have found these beginner tips to be essential to my overall happiness.
Having a daily gratitude practice – Whether you write it down, say it out loud or within. Simply let yourself know what are you grateful for each and every day, this practice truly puts life in perspective.
Getting back into an exercise routine – I have a bad habit of floating in and out of exercising regularly, but I’m motivated at the moment and it feels amazing. Hopefully it lasts! The endorphins kick in, energy levels increase, stress is relieved and you begin to crave that feeling of zoning out and being mindful. If you haven’t worked out in a while like me, try easing into it with an exercise you love. I’ve always enjoyed hiking, yoga and Pilates and now I’m slowly getting back into jogging and resistance training at the gym. This feels like a huge achievement, as I haven’t done anything like this for over a year.
Making time and being fully present for your true priorities – For me this is family. Day to day life can become hectic and it is easy to get to the end of the week and think, ‘when did I last sit down and really play with my kids? ‘when did I last call my sister or best friend, or have a date night with my partner?’, but life is way to short to live like this! Once you really re focus on your true priorities, life becomes way more fun, and it is amazing how the smallest actions count the most.
Clearing space in the house and re organising – De cluttering is absolutely a skill I have had to practice over the years. If you have always been a bit messy like me, the best thing to do is simply have less stuff. It works a treat. I am now further inspired to keep going and explore my own version of minimalism that works for our family. I believe that when you make new space in the home by minimising your possessions, cleaning up, and re organising, you naturally create more space in the mind and can enjoy a healthier flow of energy all around you.
Self compassion and going easy on yourself – Self-compassion is a must to achieve a more mindful lifestyle. Imagine our mindset if we obsessed about the things ‘we loved about ourselves and what we have achieved’, instead of what ‘we hated about ourselves and what we haven’t achieved’. This is such an energy sucker and I know self-criticism holds me back at times. A great tip for shaking this habit is first a for most being aware of your own ‘bitchy’ inner critic, and then trying to separate her from your true self. With this greater awareness I am able to visualise kicking her away and out of my mind, and then replacing her negative vibe with some self-love instead. I’m not going to lie this practice is still a work in progress for me, but I have already noticed some awesome benefits. I am feeling happier, more positive, more focused, more compassionate, and simply living with a greater sense of purpose.
Mindful May has been great, and I’ll keep you posted as I continue to grow through this life long mindfulness journey.
Our #1 Lady: Mother Nature
Let me know what you are using in the comments below?
