HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYONE!

Today we are switching it up a little and talking about hair masks!  On this episode of Face It Friday, Elizabeth will show you how to make 3 different hair masks to help tame and shine your gorgeously curly hair!

The first mask uses mayonnaise which helps repaire broken proteins in your hair while providing a beautiful shine!

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
​1 Tbsp of coconut oil

Mix together and apply to divided hair.  Let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes and then shampoo out like normal.

The second mask is for not only curly but frizzy hair.

Ingredients:
1 avocado
1 egg white
1 Tbsp of honey
1 Tbsp of coconut oil

Mix together by hand or in a blender and apply to divided hair.  Let the paste sit for about 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse but DO NOT SHAMPOO!  The mask will continue working even after you rinse it out.

The third mask uses bananas and yogurt which will help cleanse the scalp and lock in moisture and shine to help enhance your gorgeous locks!

Ingredients:
1 banana
1 Tbsp of yogurt

Mix together and apply once again to divided hair and let it sit for 30 minutes and shampoo out like normal.

We hope you step out of your comfort zone and try an at home hair mask this weekend.  We hope you have a beautiful day and a fabulous weekend!

Hello everyone and welcome to Face It Friday.

This week, we will be discussing something a little bit different from at home spa treatments and product showcases.  Today, Elizabeth is telling her story from the formulation of The Narwhal and The Manatee to her cancer diagnosis two and a half years ago.

If you didn't see on our Facebook and Instagram, Elizabeth had another area of melanoma appear a couple of weeks ago that needed to be removed immediately.  As of today, she is at home and recovering and in good spirits, but your continued support and kindness are so appreciated.  This video was filmed before the most recent surgery.

Here is a letter from Elizabeth:

I think everyone realizes that a small business owner wears many, many hats. We work very hard to create, run, and maintain every aspect of the business as well as our personal lives. Often, we don’t consider or make room for things that upset the long-range goal. I know I didn’t. 

The last thing I ever expected was a cancer diagnosis. But 2 ½ years ago that’s what I got. I was in the midst of a new start-up, a mom, a wife, a professional and everything came to a screeching halt. I felt like every possible area of my life suffered. I suffered. 

Nothing I was experiencing was easy. I think we all know that parenting is not easy. Maintaining a marriage is not easy. Owning a business is not easy. Each one of those things on their own offers layers of complexity. When cancer is introduced, it brings a whole lotta baggage that just makes every role in one’s life more complicated. 

I’ll be honest, I don’t really remember how the business kept going in the months after my diagnosis, surgery, and treatment. I know I participated. I know I made big decisions. I also know that mistakes were made. Quality was not kept to a standard that I started the business with. Relationships were compromised.

However, I do know that many people worked really hard alongside me to help keep this business going.  I had employees and investors that supported the movement forward. My husband put in countless hours helping me make product, fulfill orders, reminding me of meetings, and the list is too long to remember. He helped a LOT. 

I tried really hard to maintain the high standards for the Narwhal and the Manatee that I had when the business started. When I had all the energy and time to research and learn and dive into business ownership. But that energy shifted drastically when I suddenly had to research and learn everything I could about cancer. It was literally a life-or-death situation. 

This story isn’t being offered as an attempt to get pity, but more as an attempt toward understanding. Behind every small business are a series of people whose lives are, in some way, impacted by the customer. My life changed and I did everything I could to hide that from my customers where, in reality, I should have let all of you in on the truth. 

The truth is I have melanoma, stage 3. I had major surgery and months of treatments. I have life-long side-effects from those treatments that have impacted my recovery and my ability to live my life like I did before cancer. 

The truth is my dedication to environmental sustainability has never been stronger. My commitment to making products without added chemicals is more fervent than ever before. My goals for the Narwhal and the Manatee have been recommitted in a deep, more honest way. These things that I really did believe in before are now backed with a very personal, very real reason: if I can help someone have a healthier life that prevents cancer, I’m going to do it. 

THAT is what having my small business means to me. I want a beautiful product. Of course, I want to make money. But I really want to help people understand their skin. My skin is my priority. And your skin is my priority. 

I am here, a survivor of cancer, with a lot more research and a lot more understanding about how to live a healthy life. I also own this business, which is dedicated to nurturing healthy skin. We are renewed. We are rejuvenated. We are ready. 

Happy Friday everyone and welcome to Face It Friday!

We hope everyone had a great week and that you have plans to enjoy the sunshine this weekend.  We also hope you take a little time out for yourself because everyone needs pampered, especially in times like these. 
 
Being summertime, we all want to wear sandals or barefoot, but what about when you have embarrassingly dry and/or cracked feet?  Or what about fungus??  Don’t worry, more people suffer from it than you think.
 
That’s why this week on Face It Friday we are showing you two DIY foot soaks for dry and cracked feet but also to help with fungus.  SPOILER: One includes mouthwash!!

Ingredients:
2 cups of mouthwash (with alcohol)
1 cup of vinegar

Mix ingredients into a basin of as warm of water as is comfortable and let your feet soak.  Afterwards, rub dry to exfoliate the dead skin off to reveal softer and fresher feet!

The next foot soak is great for really cleansing the feet, especially if your feet excessively sweat which can cause dryness and cracks.

Ingredients:
2 cups of baking soda
Juice from 1 lemon

Mix ingredients into a basin of warm water and watch as it fizzes and bubbles!  This soak will help with foot odor, too!

There you have it friends!  Make sure you not only soak your pretty feet, but also soak in the sunshine and the weekend! 

Welcome everyone to the weekend and to Face It Friday!  You've made it and it's suppose to be GORGEOUS weather here in Fort Wayne.

Hopefully you are going to allow yourself some time to relax and unwind after another crazy week, and we have a way to insure that you do!  

Today, Elizabeth is going to show you how to make three different foot soaks at home to help sooth sore and tired feet, and most ingredients are probably in your kitchen right now!

Foot Soak #1:

1/2 powdered milk
1/2 cup epsom salt (or any salt you have)
2 Tbsp of tea 

Combine ingredients and add to your basin or sink of hot water and enjoy!  The powdered milk helps to soften skin while the salt will detox and soothe your tired puppies.  The tea, depending on which variety you choose, is great for reducing puffiness and to relax the senses.

Foot Soak #2:

1 cup of coconut milk
1 tsp cinnamon
A few drops of clove essential oil

Combine ingredients and add to your basin or sink of hot water.  The milk will help reduce puffiness which will sooth swollen, angry feet.  The cinnamon actually helps with blood circulation and reduces joint pain.

Foot Soak #3

2-3 green tea bags reduce puffiness
Juice from 1/2 a lemon astringent 
3 tsp of honey anti bacterial

Combine ingredients and add to your basin or sink of hot water.  The tea will once again reduce puffiness and relax the senses, while the lemon and honey will help fight bad bacteria that can make feet peel or smell - so that's a win!

We hope you take the time for a little luxury this weekend with one of these soothing foot soaks.  

If you decide you don't want to make a foot soak, you can always get our Bubbling Foot Soak Trio below! 

​Thank you all for stopping by once again and we hope you have a beautiful and relaxing weekend because YOU DESERVE IT!

Hello again friends and welcome to the weekend and to Face It Friday!

Today we are giving you yet ANOTHER way to pamper yourself from home, this time with foot soaks.

Who doesn't love a hot soak for aching and tired feet?  It is the perfect way to unwind from a stressful day or the longest week where every day felt like Monday.

To curate the perfect at home foot soak, here are a few suggestions to try:

Epsom salts - This may seem like a no brainer to some, but many haven't experienced the detoxing powers of Epsom salts.  This type of salt is renowned for soothing tired muscles and to help cleanse the body, especially from the feet!  If you don't have any on hand, that's okay, too.  You can also use kosher salt, sea salt, or pink Himalayan salt.

Marbles or pebbles - If you have any smooth pebbles or marbles laying around, throw a few in your foot soak!  It will feel like a mini-massage when you roll them under your feet as you take a time out from the craziness of life.

Citrus - Make your foot soak feel like a spa with some freshly sliced lemon or oranges.  The fragrance alone will help you completely unwind, but the citrus also helps to uplift your mood!

Fresh herbs - Place a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, mint, or lavender to your foot soak for an out of this world luxurious experience!  Fun fact: Rosemary helps to increase circulation!

Beautify your foot soak - Elevate your experience by adding some flower petals or loose leaf tea.  Chamomile is our favorite!

Cinnamon - Cold weather got you down?  Add a few cinnamon sticks and maybe even some clove essential oil to your foot soak to help warm you from the inside out!

​Also make sure to get yourself either a large Tupperware container or basin for your foot baths and to keep some of your special foot soak ingredients neatly tucked away between uses.

We hope you take some time to pamper yourself this weekend!  As always, please let us know what you would like to see next time on Face It Friday an we hope you have a marvelous weekend!

Hello friends and welcome to the weekend and to Face It Friday!

Today we decided to do our Product Feature on our AMAZING Neat Sweet Feet Foot Balm!  This is one of our absolute best selling products, and for good reason!

This is a foot balm that actually works at curing rough, scaling, dry feet!  Don't believe use?  Check out this photo:

Incredible, right?

Here's why it's so effective.  We use cocoa butter, which deeply penetrates the thick layers of the skin and helps to soften from the inside out.  Mix in some shea butter to help reduce redness and the irritation that causes the scaling and cracking.  Finally, and the star of the show, is wheatgerm oil.  Wheatgerm oil is a natural ingredient that is high in omega 3 fatty acids AND vitamin E, so you know it moisturizes TO THE MAX!

We combine all of these rich ingredients into two sized sticks for easy and mess free application; a larger stick for use in the bathroom or right before you go to bed and a smaller one to throw in your purse or gym bag.  

Another bonus (I know, how could it get better?), it's great for all parts of the body that are severely cracked or dry like elbows, knuckles, and knees!  

Get yours know and see the amazing results for yourself!

Thank you so much for stopping by and we hope to see you next Friday for another Face It Friday!

Happy weekend everyone!

As always, please consult a dermatologist before trying any of these recipes and make sure to test any new products on a neutral spot of the body like the inside of the arm or the back of the hand.

Hello beautiful friends and welcome to another Face It Friday! 

This week we are discussing an ingredient that is packed full of good-for-your-skin goodness and is probably in your kitchen right now!  We are talking about apple cider vinegar.

We know, it smells weird and tastes awful, but your skin will love you for it!  It ACV is naturally antibacterial and it helps to balance your skins pH, so you can use it for so many different applications!

Dandruff?  Simply rinse your hair in the shower with ACV and after a few uses you will notice how it calms and restores a dry, itchy scalp.

Large pores?  No problem!  Put some ACV in a spray bottle and spritz on your skin after your favorite mask or skincare routine to tighten and smooth pores.

Razor burn?  OUCH!  You can easily and quickly sooth irritating razor burn after shaving or waxing by spritzing some ACV on the affected area.  It will calm down the redness and stop the itching (it will sting a little at first)!

How about a face mask?  After all, this is Face It Friday!  

This mask will help calm acne prone skin.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp of ACV
2 tsps of honey
2 tsps of baking soda

Combine and watch it fizz!  The thin paste can be applied to clean skin and then sit for 20 minutes.  Rinse will cool water and pat to dry!  The ACV, honey, and baking soda all have antibacterial properties to help with stubborn acne as well as to calm down inflamed skin.

Apple cider vinegar is inexpensive and effective... what could be better than that!

Make sure to let us know what you would like to see on Face It Friday or if you have any skincare questions that you need answered!

Happy weekend!

As always, please consult a dermatologist before trying any of these recipes and make sure to test any new products on a neutral spot of the body like the inside of the arm or the back of the hand.

Happy Friday friends!  Welcome to another Face It Friday, and this week Elizabeth is showing you how to make 3 at home face masks using oatmeal!

Wait..what?  Yep, oatmeal!

Oatmeal is so calming and soothing for skin, which is why it has been a home remedy for sensitive skin for years!  It is high in saponin which acts as a natural cleanser, lipids to help moisturize and help reduce itching and inflammation.

The first mask is for oily skin.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of cooked plain oatmeal
3 Tbsp of yogurt
1 Tbsp of honey

Mix together and apply to a clean, dry face.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes and rinse with cool water and pat dry.

The second mask is for acne prone skin.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of warm water
1 Tbsp of coconut oil
3 Tbsp of cooked oatmeal

Mix together and apply to a clean, dry face.  Let sit for 15 minutes and then gently massage the mask into the skin for an additional 5 minutes.  Rinse with cool water and pat dry.

The third mask is for sensitive skin.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of warm water
1 tsp of honey
1tsp of white wine OR apple cider vinegar (helps balance the skins pH levels!)

Combine and apply to a clean, dry face.  Let sit for 15 minutes and rinse with cool water and pat dry.

There you have it!  Easy face masks to help pamper and soothe your skin from home.  Make sure to let us know which was your favorite and what you would like to see on our next Face It Friday!

Enjoy your weekend!

As always, please consult a dermatologist before trying any of these recipes and make sure to test any new products on a neutral spot of the body like the inside of the arm or the back of the hand.

Hello beautiful people and welcome to another weekend and another Face It Friday!  Today is a little different because we are featuring one of our own products: Naked Cream Cleanser!

This is one of my personal favorite products because it uses pure oils and butters to help remove unwanted dirt and make up.  No harsh chemicals or soaps that strip your face of all moisture.  This is the perfect cleanser for those with sensitive, dry skin that needs delicate attention.

Just gently apply to your face, make up and all, and massage as the butter beads softly exfoliate and the oils remove impurities.  Then rinse with cool water and pat dry!  The Naked Cream Cleanser is great because it can be used by itself, no moisturizer required after!  Simply wash and go! Or, for added hydration, add our Aloe Beautiful Nourishing Face Cream for an unprecedented level of moisturizing goodness.

Another great feature about our Naked Cream Cleanser?  It can be used as a moisture mask!  Just apply to a clean, dry face and let sit for 30 minutes.  Then wipe off and your left with that beautiful dewy glow!

Hello everyone and welcome to the weekend!  Let us rejoice in celebration!
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Alright, now to this weeks Face It Friday!  Today we decided to share a recipe to bring a little sunshine to your day since it's been nothing but clouds, rain, and even SNOW here in Fort Wayne- introducing 3 orange face masks!

Oranges are full of the obvious vitamin C which helps to boost collagen giving you that youthful glow as well as citric acid which tightens pores for a flawless complexion.

The first mask we are going to make is for acne prone skin. 

Ingredients: 
1 tsp of orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
1 Tbsp of baking soda

Mix together and the ingredients will cause a fizzy reaction,  Then simply apply to a clean, dry face and let sit for about 20 minutes before rinsing with cool water and patting dry.  Voila!  

The second mask is for super dry skin, especially for those cold and dreary midwestern winters that last 8 months out of the year.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp of orange pulp
1 tsp of coconut oil

Mix together to form an oily paste full of vitamins and rich moisturizers!  Apply to a clean, dry face and let it sit for about 30 minutes.  Gently rinse with cool water and pat dry.  Mmmm just what tired, dry skin needed!

The last mask is for oily skin.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp of orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
1 tsp of yogurt
*optional: add a tsp of honey!

Mix together and apply to a clean, dry face and let sit for about 10-15 minutes.  The yogurt helps to draw out oil without dehydrating and the option of adding honey helps to balance as well as kill any harmful bacteria.

Once again there are 3 different face masks to easily make from home to bring a little sunshine to your skincare routine!  We hope you enjoyed this video and please let us know what you would like to see on Face It Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

As always, please consult a dermatologist before trying any of these recipes and make sure to test any new products on a neutral spot of the body like the inside of the arm or the back of the hand.