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Pithy Musings

My Pregnancy Skincare Routine

gua sha health information pregnancy routine skincare tips

My Pregnancy Skincare Routine

I have to admit that my regular skincare routine mostly focused on facial skincare. I am pretty lazy and low-maintenance, so I am a bit embarrassed to say that I neglected body care for so long! I am lucky that I don't have major skin issues; my face is dry, with oily eyelids, and my body is very dry and prone to flaking during the winter months. When I am lazy I usually skip body cream but pregnancy has changed my skin in so many ways, and I realized that I have to take better care of it to nourish it from within and on the outside! Read on to see what I am using as part of my pregnancy skincare routine. 

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Lovely Lilac: Simple DIY Recipes

Lovely Lilac: Simple DIY Recipes

During the midst of our self-isolation period, the lilac was in full bloom here in Vancouver. Our herbalist Vennie was lucky to have a lilac tree in her garden, so she carefully collected the fragrant purple and white blossoms to try out various recipes at home. Did you know that lilac flowers were edible? They have a light floral taste with delicate citrus notes that embodies the spring season perfectly! Not to mention, they are so beautiful to look at. In terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the lilac flower is a "yin" plant, so it has naturally cooling properties, which works well for us in the warmer spring and summer months. 

Vennie put together a few recipes that you can try out at home if you love this flower, or have some growing near you. You will need to wait for next year's lilac season but I promise these recipes are fun and super simple to do! 

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Earth Day 2020

Earth Day 2020

Happy Earth Day Everyone! 

Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, sunshine is beaming upon us and filling our days with hope and good vibes. Although we are all now limited in terms of what we can do to enjoy nature due to the current exceptional global situation, we can still celebrate Mother Earth at home, alone, or with our families!

This year is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. These days, we are facing many environmental concerns such as a worldwide pandemic, climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity amongst others. These environmental problems will affect every human, animal and nation on this planet. But that doesn't mean we should give up! On an individual level, we can still do our part in making a difference to help combat these issues.  

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Intro to Guasha

Intro to Guasha

The name gua sha (刮痧)— pronounced gwahshah — comes from the Chinese words for scraping and sand. But you have probably heard of it as "coining" or "spooning" outside of China. According to traditional Chinese medicine, chi is energy that flows through the body, and it must be balanced and flowing freely to ensure health and wellbeing. Chi can sometimes become blocked, causing pain or tension in the muscles and joints; thus, gua sha aims to improve circulation to move this blocked energy to relieve aches, stiffness and to increase blood flow and stimulate the lymphatic system. Practitioners use a stone tool during treatment to rub the skin in long strokes while applying pressure; the pressure may be quite strong for areas of the back but it can also be applied with light pressure for the facial areas. Gua sha has been used as an important, natural therapy for the doctrine of Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 2000 years.

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Self-Care for Self-Isolation: Tea Recipes for Eye-Fatigue and Relaxation

Self-Care for Self-Isolation: Tea Recipes for Eye-Fatigue and Relaxation

We wanted to share two simple tea recipes in hopes that it can provide a bit of respite and relaxation. For those of us that are working from home or increasing our usage of digital devices during this challenging time, our strained eyes may need a little bit more TLC than usual. Goji berry helps to relieve eye fatigue and improve eye conditions, rose eases anxiety and tension while assisting with better sleep, and chrysanthemum helps to reduce inflammation and to soothe nerves. Try these out if you have these ingredients at home, and use a tea bag or a tea strainer. These tea recipes come from Vennie, our Traditional Chinese Medicine guru and herbalist.

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