This weather has been exceptionally non-characteristic of winter.  Typically there is a lot of snow and it's way colder.  I haven't shoveled once! No, I am not complaining (although I do worry about Global Warming) but my skin is up in arms.  My epidermis has suddenly become completely allergic to EVERYTHING!

I have been using vegan cosmetic products for a while now but not specifically fragrance free or sensitive ones.  Suddenly being faced (pun intended) with difficult skin, I decided to do some experimenting with products.

I tried using two different creams; one for night and one for day.  I tried various lotions infused with olive oil, ginseng, Shea butter, carrot, or soy.   Finally (and somewhat desperately) I found something to temporarily help; pure organic jojoba oil.

I started applying Aura Cacia Organic Jojoba Oil in the morning after my shower and at night after washing my face and success!  No more itchy, bumpy skin.  My face however continued to be red on occasion and I hated how oily it would be for the hour after application.

I then discovered Green Beaver Facial Moisturizer with Soothing Aloe and Green Tea.  It is fragrance free and genlte for sensitive skin.  Presto!  No more itchiness and a lot less redness.  I mix in a little jojoba oil when applying the cream before bed because it adds that extra bit of moisture that my skin lacks in this weather.

In addition to my new skincare regimen, I have started drinking more water.  I'm no scientist but I believe a great way to hydrate your skin is from the inside out.  I am usually pretty good at drinking water, but in the winter months, it's hard to force a cold glass down your throat.  It is kind of the ‘you are what you eat’philosophy!  Drinking a healthy portion of water (about 3 litres a day) helps to flush out toxins from your body and helps you feel less hungry throughout your day. Seems like a win-win situation.

This skin predicament is new to me.  I have always been that girl with the perfect skin who could slap
whatever she wanted on her face (it’s payback time I guess).  Now, as I am reaching my thirties, I am noticing a lot of sensitivities to things I never had to think twice about.

This goes beyond skincare products.  I have had to change my shampoo and conditioner as they were making my scalp dry and making my face red around my hairline.  I no longer use popular commercial mascara, instead I have been using Ecco Bella and Suncoat.  I don't wear coverup, loose powder or foundation.  I wear lip balm and only on special occasions dare to put a little colour on my lips.  I have also started using Zuzu Luxe eyeshadow, which I have to say is the best eyeshadow I have ever used.

All these products are part of my efforts to give my skin a break but to also use my purchasing power to support eco-friendly, vegan brands.  Try them out for yourself and let me know which vegan products are your favourites!

To me, kind living means giving all of nature the benefit of the doubt when you consume.  This goes beyond your food choices.  It includes the way you spend your money on home furnishings, clothing, transportation and leisure activities to name a few.  I would like to propose a few ideas that are simple and easy to implement into your lifestyle.  Every little positive change we make impacts the World and it's inhabitants.  I'm not suggesting you throw out all your furniture or leather boots, or to trade in your gas guzzler for an electric vehicle, instead I am urging you to set aside some time to research products the next time you make those kinds of purchases.  Make your opinions heard with your dollar.

Try looking for FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification in lumber, furniture and paper products.  This ensures your products are coming from healthy protected forests and supports Aboriginal and forest dependent communities.

Also, organic certification by a reputable association (warning: USDA National Organic Program (NOP) has had many issues in the past including failing to take action against food producers who mislabeled products as organic and not following up or enforcing actions taken upon negligent food producers.)  Organic certification of your food, clothing and linens (cotton/linen/hemp/soy/bamboo) should ensure that the land where these materials are farmed is not subject to chemicals which kill wildlife and pollute our water.

Avoid waste by buying things with less packaging.  Instead of buying bottled water, purchase a reusable canteen like Sigg that will last a long time and does not leach Bisphenol A (BPA) into your water.  If you are buying packaged products, try to avoid ones that contain a combination of materials as they often cannot be recycled. 

Finding these items can be difficult.  Most grocery stores carry organic produce.  Many local stores carry handmade paper products that are FSC certified or you can always look online through websites like Etsy.  Even Ikea sells many FSC certified furniture pieces.

Another great way to use your purchasing power for good is to buy locally.  Go to a farmers market; Toronto has many throughout the year. (The Stop's Farmers Market at Wychwood Barns, The St. Lawrence Market, Dufferin Grove Organic Farmers Market, and many more which can be found on the Farmers' Markets Ontario website or The City of Toronto-Markets webpage).

You can also buy handmade/recycled/refurbished furniture from local craftspeople.  Even better, try something vintage (think Value Village or the Salvation Army) and fix it up yourself.  I think that reusing/repurposing furniture is the best way for you to do your part in keeping things out of landfills and to add that vintage/one-of-a-kind look to your home.
 
Eating a vegan diet is just one step you can take towards living an environmentally conscious life. 
Remember that every small step counts and there is always going to be something else we can do to reduce our negative impact on our environment.  What little things are you doing to make a difference?

 

The questions I am most often asked since becoming a vegan include; "is it difficult to dine out?", "is it more expensive to be vegan?", "where do you buy groceries?" and so on.  Basically, people are asking me if it is hard.  Yes, it can be, especially at first, but I didn't decide to be vegan because I thought it would be easy. 

At first, making a huge dietary (or lifestyle, as I like to think of it) change is difficult.  It takes a lot of motivation which you yourself have to create.  Just like doing something as difficult as quitting smoking or running a marathon, in the end, you have to be the one believing in your cause.

For me, it started as a New Year's resolution (beginning of 2010).  I had been an on again off again vegetarian for awhile and over the holidays I had eaten too much of everything.  By the time New Year's eve rolled around, I felt like you could roll me around!  I vowed to myself that I would start the year off vegan and see how long I could stand it.

After two months, I was starting to miss my old pals; cheese and shrimp.  After six months, I started eating cheese again.  I sort of fell off the wagon for awhile.  That's when I decided that becoming vegan for health reasons alone wasn't enough for me.  That is when I read 'Animal Liberation' by Peter Singer and 'Skinny Bitch' by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin.  I won't get into the specifics of what I learned but I definitely felt armed with new information and loads more motivation.

It has since been seventeen months (completely vegan) and I feel really great!  My lifestyle has changed drastically and I finally feel like I am living in a way that is more in tune with my sensibilities.

The major difficulty I had in the beginning was trying to find vegan resources in Toronto.  My hope is that this website/blog will provide you with some of the information I had to struggle to find and be a forum for those wanting to know more about being vegan.  Also, I hope that it will inspire you to think positively about veganism while getting to know me!  Cheers!