Living The Yoga Lifestyle: Skin Care Rituals and Tips

I don't need to tell anyone who is part of the Aquin Yoga tribe that the work you do on the mat is only a small part of what yoga is. In fact, a huge part of why AY exists is to help you integrate more yogic goodness into every aspect of your life. The newest offerings I have to share with you are no different.

When I got pregnant, I began a process that many people go through before they enter parenthood. I found myself re-evaluating different aspects of my life. Everything from my close relationships to the food I ate (or couldn't eat because I felt so sick) landed under the microscope. In some ways the challenges of being pregnant made other areas of life simple. Everything supportive or nourishing could stay, everything draining and unnecessarily challenging had to go.

While I definitely didn't follow many of the conventional (and in many cases outdated) rules imposed upon Western pregnant women, there were some things I did feel strongly compelled to change. One of the more practical things was taking time to pay attention and care for my body.

It may sound strange coming from a yogi since physical asana helps one connect so deeply with the body, but there is a new level of awareness open to you once a tiny person takes up residence and begins tap dancing around in there. Suddenly, I became hyper aware of every tiny tingle as my internal pal began to using up my nutrients and dramatically changing everything about me inside and out. 

One of the most practical ways I started to care for myself more deeply during this time was to make the switch to more natural body care products. My skin was not getting along with the chemical ridden products I had been using, so I went on the hunt to swap out as much as possible for high quality natural products. In the process, I found a line of skincare I love so much, I decided to make some of my favourite products available to all of you in the store.

Introducing R Devine Skin Care

I love everything about this line of products including Rachel, the creator. She is a busy mom, entrepreneur longtime meditator and yogi. Her line of skin care products is produced in Canada and each one is made with beautiful ingredients. Each product comes with it's own mini ritual which makes caring for your skin feel like a luxery rather than a chore. These products have literally saved my skin over the past few months since I began using them which is why I am thrilled to share them with you beginning today. Rachel kindly took the time to answer a few questions about her products and give us tips and a customized daily ritual to keep your skin happy and healthy. 

Enjoy!

Rachel: I've been an aesthetician for almost 13 years, and have owned my own spa for 11. Throughout my career, I have won both local and national awards for my work. My job is my passion and skin care has always been my favourite part of aesthetics. Helping people treat and improve their skin conditions, and watching their self-esteem increase with the results has always been so rewarding for me.

In 2013, I became very interested in living an organic lifestyle. I changed the way I ate, the products that I used on myself and my family, and went on a quest to become an organic-based spa. Sadly, there are so many synthetic ingredients and laboratory-made chemicals in conventional beauty, and being an aesthetician, I'm exposed to those ingredients more than the average person.

I wanted to protect myself, and also my clients so I searched for months, trying to find a really good, spa-quality organic skin care line. I found some, but most of them were in the UK, and I wanted to try to find a North American line. I had so much difficulty finding one that offered exactly what I was looking for in a skin care line so after months of research, I decided to enroll myself into a Holistic Cosmetology course that specialized in organic skin care formulations. I wanted to create my own line, that would meet my own expectations. I decided to go for it, and a year and a half later, my line is now a reality.

Erin: In addition to using these products, what else should we be doing to keep our skin happy and healthy? 

Rachel: So many lifestyle factors play a role on our skin.  While good quality skin care is an excellent way to enhance the skin, most skin conditions start from within the body.  If there are any imbalances inside the body, the best skin care products in the world won't stand a chance at fixing it permanently.  

Here are a few tips that I always recommend for my skin care clients:

• Drink plenty of water - Water is your best skin care product.  It is a myth that you can hydrate your skin using external skin care products.  Our skin does not absorb water externally.  If it did, we'd all blow up like big balloons every time we showered or it rained outside.  Dehydrated skin can really make the skin look poor, showing signs of premature aging, and toxin build up.  Drinking water is essential for hydrating the skin, and flushing toxins from the body.
• Eat a balanced diet, high in raw foods - eating too much processed food puts a lot of stress on the body.  When the body is overloaded with these negative extras, the skin is often the first place to show signs of this.  We are a part of nature.  It's important for us to eat the food and nutrients that mother nature provides for us.  We need all of those nutrients in order for our body to function optimally.
• Get plenty of sleep - Our bodies need rest in order to function properly as well.  I can always tell when my body is run down, because I always end up with breakouts.  Lack of sleep creates stress on our body, which is not good for our skin, body or mind.
• Get your body moving - stress and hormonal imbalances are the main causes of adult acne.  When we exercise, our stress levels decrease, our hormones begin to normalize, and we sweat toxins out from the body.  Exercise is so essential for the mind, body and soul.  The skin appreciates it too!

Erin: I love that each product comes with its own ritual. Can you tell us why these rituals are so important for the body, mind and spirit?

Rachel: Working in the spa industry for so many years, I have really learned the importance of self-care rituals. We live in an extremely busy, chaotic, and technology-obsessed society. It is vital that we each step away from our lives and take care of ourselves. When a person feels good about herself/himself, life as a whole improves.

Not only is a good skin care routine essential for the skin and body, but it is also good for the mind and spirit. So many people see their skin care routine as a chore. It shouldn't be that way. Taking care of your body should be an enjoyable experience, a ritual that he or she can look forward to at the end of each and every day.  

Erin: Can you walk us through a typical skin care ritual using your products?

Rachel: While there are some rituals that work better for oily skin and others that work for dry skin, any product in the line can work for any skin type. I created two rituals that can be used for different skin types.  It is important to remember that while you are performing these rituals, to focus on the moment.  Breath deeply to inhale the natural aromas of the products, and to relax the mind. 

Enjoy, and take good care of yourself!

Normal to Dry Skin Ritual

1. Splash your face with water. 
2. Apply one drop of Bright Soul around each eye.
3. Apply 3-5 drops of Sacred Calm - Soothing Facial Cleanser and Serum to wet skin.
4. Apply Devine Radiance to your entire body (shoulders down) to moisturize your skin, inhale the captivating scent to calm the mind, and to reduce the appearance of age spots, sun spots (hyperpigmentation), and stretch marks (thanks to the wonderful benefits of avocado oil).

1. Remove your makeup with Sacred Garden - Makeup Remover.
2. Wash your face using Sacred Calm - Soothing Facial Cleanser and Serum.
3. Apply one drop of Bright Soul to each eye.
4. Apply 3-5 drops of Sacred Calm - Soothing Facial Cleanser and Serum to wet skin.

1. Apply Sacred Earth - Botanical Cleansing Clay as a facial mask to detoxify and brighten the skin.

Normal, Combination and Oily Skin Ritual

The most important thing to know for oily skin is that over-washing the skin can cause problems. Acne does not mean your skin is dirty. It's only necessary to wash your face once per day.  I know this is hard for most people to take in at first.  I myself, have only washed my face once a day for about 3 or 4 years now.

1. Splash your face with water. 
2. Apply one drop of Bright Soul around each eye.
3. Apply 3-5 drops of Sacred Calm - Soothing Facial Cleanser and Serum to wet skin.
4. Apply Devine Radiance to your entire body (shoulders down) to moisturize your skin, inhale the captivating scent to calm the mind, and to reduce the appearance of age spots, sun spots (hyperpigmentation), and stretch marks (thanks to the wonderful benefits of avocado oil).

1. Remove your makeup with Sacred Garden - Makeup Remover.
2. Wash your face using Sacred Earth - Botanical Cleansing Clay (gentle enough for daily usage).
3. Apply one drop of Bright Soul to each eye.
4. Apply 3-5 drops of Sacred Calm - Soothing Facial Cleanser and Serum to wet skin.

Do you have a question for Rachel? Ask in the comment section below.