For those of us (particularly on the West coast) who thought we’d breeze right through February without a deep chill, boy were we in for a surprise a couple of weeks back!
Winter has definitely not yet left us and with that, we thought it would be a great time to introduce a few helpful wellness products we discovered at the recent Wellness Show in Vancouver to help get you through those last weeks of bone-chilling temperatures.
Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm
Small, family-run Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm was founded in 2016 as the Okanagan’s first Économusée for their lavender essential oil distillation, and work with a team of local staff in growing and producing natural products good for the body, the Earth and the soul.
Their garden’s unique ecosystem acts as a natural nectar corridor for a variety of insects, birds and small animals. Their products often include ingredients from their neighbours (in the case of Nomad Lip Balm, the beeswax comes from Arlo’s Honeyfarm, also Kelowna-based).
Speaking of Nomad Lip Balm, this lavender and spearmint essential oil duo is combined with a nourishing beeswax base, all in an eco-friendly, compostable nine-gram tube. CAD $9.95
Another product we’re loving is their Forest Bath Aromatherapy room/pillow mist spray, containing farm-grown and distilled fir, rose, geranium and rosemary hydrofoils. The 80ml mist spray bottle releases this fresh, subtle mixture for a relaxing experience. CAD $14.95
Ready for a calm lavender soak? Try their nourishing Bath and Body Oil, perfect for baths or to work into the skin after a shower. Comes in a 250ml glass bottle. CAD $32.95
All products are handmade, small-batch and locally grown so you can proudly support our BC farming community.
oh NATurel Just Breathe Collection
Oh NATurel – Pure Products by NATalie has newly launched the Just Breathe Collection of essential oil inhalers. These portable aromatherapy infusers are ideal to promote both psychological and physical well-being.
Although the word aromatherapy is a 20th century concept, the use of botanicals and aromatic oils dates back thousands of years. Essential oils are a more natural way to deal with ailments like stress, common colds, memory, nausea and more.
With a keen interest in essential oils, founder NATalie McClendon has studied aromatherapy for several years.
The Just Breathe Collection of essential oil inhalers came about organically after NATalie created a blend for her 73-year-old father to help with his memory and cognitive function. He enjoyed the inhaler so much that he kept one on his desk at work and one in his car.
Fellow employees (as well as family and friends) began taking notice and asking for them, giving birth to the The Just Breathe Collection!
Oh NATurel attended a Gift Show in Chilliwack in December 2018 and The Wellness Show in Vancouver earlier this month. These pretty inhalers proved a hit at both shows along with wholesale interest by spa and wellness-based businesses.
There are currently four inhaler blends available:
PEP | Morning Boost (Lime, Sweet Orange, Bergamot and Spearmint) – Great for a little help getting out of bed in the morning.
PEAK | Mind Boost (Rosemary and Peppermint) – Perfect for memory, cognitive function, sinus issues, headaches and energy
PEACE | Letting Go (Bergamot and Pink Grapefruit) – A blend to cope with stress and anxiety
PAUSE | For Sleep (Pure Lavender) – Relax and fall asleep naturally with the help of BC-grown lavender oil
We’re already fans of these travel-friendly, leak-proof inhalers, perfect for tossing into a backpack, purse or car. When you’re in need of essential oil assistance, simply open the inhaler and take four to five deep breaths of the blend that matches your needs.
The inhalers are available at Wellness Shows in BC (Oh NATurel is seeking suitable wholesale partnerships to make them available in stores).
Find Oh NATurel at the upcoming Health & Wellness Show at Abbotsford’s Tradex on March 9 and 10. They’re priced at $20 individually or a gift pack of all four blends for $50.
Visit OhNAT online for updated availability and new products.
Blue Verbena Hemp-Based Products
Blue Verbena founder Maxine Julien has been lovingly creating hemp-based beauty, wellness and household products from her Burnaby headquarters since 2016, around the time that her husband developed epilepsy. Crafting self-care products became a relaxing way to cope with hospital and doctor visits, and before long, her collection took off.
With hemp such a big player in our current landscape, these products are not only gifts from Mother Nature but are free of chemical and synthetic ingredients.
They’re all made in small batches, handcrafted and hand-labeled using locally-sourced, beautiful watercolour artwork accents. At the moment there are six products in the line-up containing several varieties of each.
Maxine’s soaps, lotions and potions have aided in managing her skin and seasonal allergies, and after trying a few of the plant-based lotions and facial scrubs in the range, we believe they’ll help nourish your body too.
Their versatile serums only require two to three drops for the face, doubling as a body oil after your bath (or add it to one of Blue Verbena’s hemp and bath salt blends).
Two to three drops of Pat’s Stache, a beard serum, is all you need for a short beard. Women can even use Pat’s Stache as a hair oil.
The skin brightening facial scrub can be used as both a scrub and a mask. The facial scrub is recommended twice-weekly. For a weekly mask, add a full pump of one of the serums to a teaspoon of facial scrub to make a paste, apply and leave on for 10 minutes.
Products and Canadian Pricing
Hemp Soap, 125g (7 varieties), $12.00 each
Non – Greasy Hemp and Meadowfoam Body Butter, 240ml (4 varieties), $20 each
Non – Greasy Hemp and Meadowfoam Body Lotion, 240ml (4 varieties), $18 each
Skin Brightening Hemp and Jasmine Rice Facial Scrub, 100g (4 varieties), $10 each
Hemp Face and Body Serum, 30ml (4 varieties), $22 each
Hemp and Bath Salts, 100g (2 varieties), $8 each
You can find these beautifully scented products at Pacific Arts Market, a local arts collective above Villeroy & Boch at 1448 W. Broadway (at Granville). Blue Verbena Skin Care will also be at the Health and Wellness Show in Abbotsford on March 9 and 10, at the Zoomer Show on April 13 and 14 plus the Vegan Show on May 5 (both in Vancouver).
Want to win the ENTIRE Blue Verbena collection? A 25-piece prize pack (valued at $425) will be given away on Vancouverscape’s Instagram account! You’ve got until Monday, March 4 at 4 pm, when we’ll draw a lucky winner at random from all Instagram repostings from our account.
We’re also giving our Twitter followers a chance to enter! If you’re not on Instagram, follow @Vancouverscape and tweet the following:
I’ve entered to win a $425 prize pack from Blue Verbena and @Vancouverscape: http://bit.ly/2SUMdy4
*A similar set will be mailed to the winner in BC, so to qualify for the prize, you must be a BC resident.*
You’ll find all entry directions on the Instagram post containing the Blue Verbena products. Good luck to all entrants!
