Up until recently, I didn’t give much thought as to what I’ve been putting on my skin, in my hair and how it transfers into my body. I would generally choose products based on affordability and how much I enjoyed the scent. Yes, I know I wasn’t the only one who’d grab the cheapest beauty care item off a Wal-Mart shelf, or go with a multinational and reputable brand because, well, everyone else uses it. But I realized that although I’m still in my early twenties, I wasn’t getting any younger. I needed to start paying attention to the stuff I was putting on my body, face, teeth and hair every single day.

My awareness started when I could no longer stand the dryness in my hair throughout the winter months. My boyfriend Jason encouraged me to try applying Argan oil on my hair, as well as cutting down the frequency of the times I washed it. I had been told many times from friends that washing my hair every day was in fact damaging it and stripping away the natural oils from my scalp, but my fear of smelling like a grease ball always stopped me from trying to wash it less frequently. But Jason’s encouragement and his carelessness for my potentially funny smells pushed me to give it a try. He then persuaded me that going paraben- and sulfate-free was the way to keep my hair growth strong and healthy. But that’s a topic for another blog post.

So. I was making healthier choices for my hair, but I hadn’t yet done the same for my body and face. What I realized was that it really takes someone to reach a level of dissatisfaction before they think to make any changes. And I was pretty content – or, at least, not dissatisfied – with my skin and the routine products I used to care for it. It took me a while to realize that my skin won’t be like it is forever and I need to strive to make it better.

I came across Skwiik products at GimmeSomeSugar back in February of this year. They just so happened to have a 50% off all Skwiik items at that time and I was in need for another birthday gift for a friend. I thought she might enjoy the body scrub (or body polish, as Skwiik likes to call it) so I grabbed one for her and one for myself. For a few months, my Herb scented body polish sat under my sink collecting dust, until one day I had enough of my darned ingrown hairs and thought I’d give the salt scrub a try. It left my legs and underarms feeling smoother than ever and my feet free of cracks and calluses! I didn’t even need to moisturize, despite Calgary’s dry air.

It became my go-to body exfoliant and just this week I purchased the Molido body polish. The Molido has become my new fave – it smells like a peppermint mocha! I feel so tempted to lick the salt off my body it smells so good… And in actual fact, I probably could! All of Skwiik’s products are all-natural. They carefully handcraft each one with a perfect blend of essential oils and natural ingredients. Although perhaps I should restrain myself from tasting them…

My third item so far is the Beaux Rêves lip balm: a collaboration with Ollia Macarons & Tea, my number one favourite macaron shop in town. The lip balm’s oils and butter are infused with Ollia’s Beaux Rêves tea, making this a match made in heaven. It leaves your lips with a cool breeze and it’s perfect for right before bed.

All in all, if you’re looking to make a change in your beauty products and dive into some more natural options, I recommend looking into your local curators. Because smaller businesses like Skwiik and Ollia care about what you put in or on your body.

Disclaimer: This is in no way a sponsored post.