Your Invitation for Mindful Self-Care
There is no time like the present.
Here it comes... the season of giving. In our own circles we start to celebrate with special get-togethers and meals with family and friends. We also may be gathering ideas for a little gift-giving that is around the corner.
This month, we're sharing an invitation for you. You're a giver, and this is permission to give yourself a little healthy, pampering moment. This is an invitation to for a few minutes to spend on yourself that can pay you back in multiples.
We select organic and sustainable ingredients from all over the world. We love to craft and share sumptuous elements that turn into healthy experiences. Our treatments are made with results in mind to not only quench the skin with soothing, hydrating, and healing plant actives and detoxifying minerals, but to ease the mind while renewing and de-stressing us from head to toe. Our mind and body thrives on healthy foods and healthy products. Safe ingredients, proven and high-performing actives, and sumptuous ways to care for ourselves makes even the littlest moment worthwhile.
Caring for ourselves. Caring for each other. Caring for our environment.
It's no time to run ourselves ragged getting ready for the holidays, family get-togethers, or end-of-year deadlines. A few moments set aside for some guilt-free me time goes a long way!
This is your time. This is your moment. This is an invitation for self-care and for resetting the self. Bookend each day with clean care and feel the magic that happens.
"When the well's dry, we know the worth of water." Benjamin Franklin
Image: Courtesy of Sunny Franz
Self-Encouragement for a Healthy Self-Image
It's a collection of lifetime lessons.
When we finally get to have a moment for a little self-care (hint: you may have to pencil it in your calendar!) we sometimes meet ourselves with a question or unfavorable side-glance in the mirror. It may seem that if we look good, we have a good day. If we feel like we could look better, then we may not feel so great. That's not right!
It's the power of the mind ~ what we see is often a product of what we're feeling or thinking. You've heard us say it many times before... it's not only about the quality of what we eat, the quality of the products that we use, but it's also what we think. The body hears everything the mind is thinking; in turn, we see things accordingly.
Let's take it another step forward... our self-image is how we see ourselves in our mind. It's been said that it's an "internal dictionary" of adjectives that describes our 'self,' such as smart, happy, unhappy, pretty, ugly ~ you get the picture. It includes not only our strong points, but also our weaknesses.
Have you every purchased a new handbag, shoes, or even a car, and suddenly you're seeing them everywhere? How about noticing some extra sparkle in your eye when everything seems to be going your way? It's the mind's power. What we're thinking is often what we see, or 'choose' to see.
Some believe that our self-image is defined by events in our lives, others believe that our own self-image can be shaped by how we think. There is truth in both of these beliefs.
Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall
Body shaming and a negative body image are being thrown at us from so many different directions; they're hot topics these days. Unfortunately, it's a cycle that often starts young, as early as 8-10 years for many young girls, and now even boys are feeling the pressures of body image. Social media throws 'ideals' in the hands of many that are often shown to be ideal when, let's face it, we're all different!
Skin, body weight, shape, hair, gender, ethnicity, we're all unique, we're all beautiful ~ no matter what. In the skincare industry, beauty sells, which is often a problem when advertisements show airbrushed, tweaked, and altered images making them look more like a piece of art than a real person.
I'm guilty of having negative thoughts as well. An example, last January I shared for the first time some before and after images of my skin upset in our blog. They had been taken early on in the first phases of the Qēt Botanicals development and were hiding in my phone ever since. After I snapped those images, my skin and health continued to take a dive, and I stopped taking photos of my skin. I already felt bad enough.
It wasn't until in the last year, some 7 years later and when we opened our second Skin Studio, that one of our team friends mentioned that I should share some before and after images. Oh, boy! It's uncomfortable, but it's also rewarding and feels great to not feel like we have to hide behind a mask of shame when things are clearly not happy.
Today, so many people have shared similar stories and have shown us images of their own journey. Bravo! We all have journeys, and it's our journey that makes us appreciate where we are, it teaches us to look deeper at ourselves and those things that affect us, and it's nothing to feel or be ashamed of.
Five Steps for Developing a Positive Self-Image
This is an invitation to reset the mind. Every day our choices define our actions, and our actions can define our outcome.
Taking a few positive steps every day can ensure that our feelings and attitude towards ourselves are positive, which have positive side effects as well!
Here we go... a few simple ways to give the self-image a positive nudge.
Five Steps to Nurture a Positive Self-Image
- Start the day on a positive note. When we first glance in the mirror, make it a good glance! Post a sign on the mirror saying, "I love my body, I love me!" It's a great start!
- Cast no judgment - on ourselves or by comparing to others.
- Write down our positive qualities. Journal a little every day, write goals, and write down achievements.
- Let's be grateful for what we have and how far we've come. Add a 'grateful' note to the journal at the end of every entry.
- Have a few moments of "me time" regularly... without guilt!
"Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not physical." Sophia Loren
Five Healthy Side Effects for Developing a Positive Self-Image
A positive attitude and healthy self-esteem can touch so many areas of our lives.
When we think clearly, positively, and with moments of being grateful, wonderful things can happen and trickle into our daily lives. Our influences also affect those around us, and especially impressionable children and young adults.
Here are five healthy side effects when we have a positive self-image:
- In children, the physical development is healthier both physically and psychologically, and an eating disorder is less likely to happen. Eating disorders are very common among men/women/boys/girls with low a low self-image.
- The bounce-back reflex after an unplanned setback is easier.
- Stress can be handled in a better way lessening its unhealthy side effects of a change in skin, weight, and mood.
- Making better decisions, being more assertive, and having the confidence and stick-to-it-ive-ness is more likely when we're comfortable in our own skin.
- When we feel good about ourselves, it's not only us that feels it, but family and friends around us do, too.
Sources:
https://www.allegiancehealth.org/blog/women/8-health-benefits-healthy-self-esteem
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/positive-body-image
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12942-fostering-a-positive-self-image
Introducing: Oil Brushing (Yes!!)
You've heard of dry brushing and its many benefits. Not only does it increase circulation, but also gives a sluggish lymphatic system a nudge to rid itself of toxins, and even improve muscle tone.
I've been using dry brushes for years. BUT, truth be told, I don't always like to brush my skin while it's dry. I'm a regular brusher, but like to do it under running water, then follow it with a small amount of Fresh Body Oil as a cleansing and finishing oil to sweep away dead cells and soften.
Well! Well! Well! Since summer, I've switched it up and, frankly, I don't know why we haven't started this sooner!
We're calling it "Oil Brushing." What is oil brushing? While under the warm, running water, apply a partial pump on the top half of the body, including the elbows. Do the same on the lower part including the heels, knees, and backs of thighs. Then... gently circle your 'wet' brush over the oil directly onto the skin. The difference in skin texture and softness is amazing. I've been using this oil for shaving, after dry brushing, and for massage. Now, because of its light and stimulating formula, it's the perfect way to oil brush the skin.
By stimulating the blood flow to the skin, either by exercise or by exfoliation, it helps to keep the skin cells healthy and vibrant. Our face benefits from exfoliating. Look how much skin is on the rest of our body that needs attention?! Blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to healthy cells, and this includes the skin. Blood flow also helps to detoxify the skin by carrying away free radicals and waste products from the cells.
We're firm believers of exfoliating the skin on a regular basis. Why should our faces and necks have all the fun?! Our bodies deserve it, too, and not just on special occasions during a scheduled massage or facial. And... the skin on our backs is often neglected. Not any more. :)
Body Polishes
We've improved the formulas.
Yes! We love our body polishes to cleanse, soften and exfoliate the body, and have now made them creamier.
The ingredients remain the same ~ we still include only pure Dead Sea salts and gluten-free oats for that softening, healing action. Now our coconut is creamier and adds a different feel.
Feeling dry at the start, once the polish is added on to wet skin in the shower, it immediately melts into a luxurious and pampering spa experience under the running water. Skin is left not only exfoliated and softened, but also cleansed and hydrated.
Cleanses without soap.
New, creamy texture.
All the same loveliness with even more softening and nourishing benefits.
A Cornucopia of Natural Beauty Bliss
Let's let our skin say "Thank You" in this month of giving thanks.
We hear these words every morning and every night. When we bookend our days with a few moments of self-care, our inner voice says “thanks” as we reach for the clean and healing ways to care for our skin. In return, it’s our skin that says thank you and our health isn't compromised.
In this season of cranberries, pumpkin lattes, and hearty soups ~ as we happily feed our cravings, it’s our skin that sometimes suffers. As the seasons change, the stress sometimes rises with the holidays coming. More baked and sugary treats are out to tempt us, and it can be these things that cause our skin to look dull, tired, or have an unexpected breakout.
We say “Thank You!” in this Thanksgiving month to what nature and its medicinal plants give us! Our face, body and hair treatments include some of best and most coveted plant-based, skin-loving actives. Our skin ~ our largest organ ~ is nourished and maintains vibrancy and health with what we feed it, inside and out. It’s like the difference between a Thanksgiving meal in a can, versus a handmade, home cooked meal.
It’s a cornucopia of wholesome plant actives and botanicals that heal and reveal our healthiest skin! Fresher is better, and real ingredients make the difference.
The Power of Your Purchase
Before we swipe or enter our cards, we should take a second to think about what is being purchased. Organic and clean ingredients were the start of it all. Then, somewhere along the line, cleaning-up became a dirty business.
Since 1938, the FDA has had no say in any of the products that our skin consumes. This includes makeup, skincare, shampoos, conditioners, and many other topical care products. Over 1100 new 'chemicals' have been brought to market since then. Europe and Canada has banned many of these toxic chemicals, over 1000 of them, but in our country brands are allowed to include many toxic and harmful substances. The US has banned only about 10% of these same toxic chemicals.
Let's be educated! The Environmental Working Group and The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, whom we are BOTH affiliated with, are taking steps to make it easier for us to recognize harmful additives, as well as taking steps in our legislation to have brands clean up their acts. The reason this has to be done is there are more and more links between toxic exposures and disease. People (us!) demand safer products.
The products we purchase make a difference. That's why our focus and intention is on making products that are safe, clean, effective, and sustainably sourced. We should all be able to live with our purchases... and love them!
You can feel good about your Qēt purchases. We buy nothing pre-mixed. We source each item individually and in small, fresh batches. We formulate and craft each treatment shortly before sharing from our private facilities directly to your doorstep. We do have a few select retailers that carry our products, and we value those relationships that we have.
Our goal is not to have our products around every corner ~ but rather to keep our products at their freshest by reaching you directly or through our select retailers. You can feel confident that the products you receive are not stale and mass produced ~ they're fresh and healthy. If you're lucky enough to be near one of our retailers, know that, just like us, they have the same care about keeping our products fresh on their shelves. It's a win-win.
Seeing what you Believe In, and Believing what you See
A funny story about seeing what you want to see, and not really what is there to see. ;)
When I was little one growing up in Wisconsin, I wanted a pony, a horse, anything that I could ride on, brush, and love. We had neighbors who had farm horses, we would go out on those trail rides when we went camping, and I had some friends that had horses that were for competitions, but I just wanted a horse to love.
I was about six or seven and was peeking over the kitchen window into the back yard. It was early in the morning but the sun was out and it was bright. And... there it was! At the swing set was a horse! A pony ~ for me! It looked like it was tied up at the swing set, was grazing on the grass, and I knew it was just waiting for me to go out and meet it. Then it poked its head up and started to run away. Then I saw that it wasn't a horse. It was a dog. What?! It was huge, and brown, and furry, and it wasn't a horse. LOL.
I had horse on the brain, and that's what I was seeing... a horse! But it was a dog. Dammit.
Keep positive thoughts on the brain. Keep telling ourselves that we love our body. Keep telling ourselves that we matter. Be good to you! Take breaks when we can, and don't forget to laugh and have fun along the way. Just keep doing it and just keep going.
Eventually it may catch up with you, and you may just change the core of the way you think, your overall attitude, and who knows?... you may just get that horse.
Twenty-some years later it happened for me, I (we!) had a horse. I had a long-lived relationship with several of our own horses for the next twenty years.
Below: 'Brillante Fina' and I riding through the country.
"The Invitation"
Once in a while all it takes is an invitation from a friend to stop and take a moment to think, relax, and just 'be.'
Here is "The Invitation," a poem by Oriah Mountain Dreamer ~ long in length and not short on its heart-felt meaning.
Take a moment, tag it for later, but read its words. Touching and mindful.
"The Invitation"
"It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive..."
The full version can be found here on her website.
Your November Special
Let's carve out a little time to allow for a guilt-free self-care and pampering. Those special, quiet moments should invite us to de-stress, experience the pureness, rejuvenate the body and mind, and allow us to partake in complete relaxation and well-being.
It makes no sense to us, or our bodies, to use anything other than what is wholesome, nourishing, and safe to use. Our skin eats what we feed it, and feeding it with only safe, healing, and quenching ingredients makes a wonderful whole-body experience.
Use the promo code SELFCAREWITHQET at checkout.
Our body products like these not only make our regular routines that much nicer, but body treatments are also wonderful gifts! Especially, especially, especially, when they're made with only clean, healthy, and skin-loving nutrients. You care. We care.
Here are our celebrity treatments that are on special for the month of November.
Botanical Body Powder and Brush Set
Lavender Flowers and Vanilla Bean Body Polish
Blooming Tea Bath ~ An Afternoon in Paris
We say Thank YOU
Just over one year ago, our second Skin Studio opened in San Clemente, and our Wisconsin Skin Studio is moving forward toward its fourth year. Our brand is about to enter its sixth year since we launched, and we couldn't be more thankful.
Every day there is much to be thankful for. Without your support, continued friendship and understanding, we wouldn’t be able to do what we love to do, share what we love to use, and help so many that need to make that change in the everyday routines.
It’s just a small part of the big picture of health, but it is important nonetheless. As a gal that’s gone through health and skin mishaps, when there is a health concern or skin upset, it can be everything.
We at Qēt Botanicals thank you from the bottom of our botanical hearts.
Thank you for sharing your happiness, and thank you for helping us blossom.
Health & Happiness,
~ Lisa
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~ French Novelist, Marcel Proust. We couldn't agree more.