Canadian winters are notorious for doing a number on our skin. This year as we face the harsh elements, we are thankful for the many amazing small Canadian businesses that have a focus on skin health and wellness. With a little more time on our hands to create a daily routine, treat the skincare lover in your life with one – or all – of our favourite beauty picks.
Calming. Subtle. Sweet. Just like the special someone in your life who loves a little decadence. A black-owned business, Essentials by Temi is an ode to clean luxury. While all of their products are phenomenal (believe us! We know) our holiday pick is this rich and creamy body moisturizer, crafted with 100% naturally sourced, toxin-free plant-based ingredients. It is easily absorbed and melts into your skin without feeling greasy. Soothes skin irritations — i.e. eczema, psoriasis and stress hives. Staying glowed up is essential, and a little goes a long way.
It’s no surprise Canadians have been focused on health and wellness this year. When was the last time you gave someone a gift that made a positive impact on their health? Natural deodorant might not be on the top of holiday shopping lists, but maybe it should be! No Pong is affordable (under $10 + free shipping), ethical (made in Canada with all-natural ingredients), and the perfect way to give the gift of health to your loved one.
No Pong tested their ‘Spicy Chai’ fragrance on a small production run and people kept demanding they bring it back, so here it is — just in time for stockings stuffers! Like with all No Pong deodorants, Spicy Chai is highly effective (keeps you fresh for up to 12 hours) and completely aluminum-, triclosan-, and paraben-free.
This small, black owned wellness business really tkes what you put inside, manifests itself on the outside to a literal level. These adaptogenic blends are lovingly made with potent and powerful ingredients to support your skin health. Their Nurture My Skin Blend is a dermatologist-approved skin brightening blend of warm and spiced herbs that offers a single daily dose that clears the way to a luminous and dewy glow. This is perfect for achieving an even and smooth skin tone, promoting a youthful and wrinkle-free face, and saving money on costly skin serums – who doesn’t love the sound of that?
The name along sounds relaxing, doesn’t it? Their top-selling after shave tonic carries notes of tobacco, leather, Bay Rum and barber’s talc. It’s also got glycerin and neem oil, both godsends for moisturizing skin. Of the products, Dino Caracciolo says, “Everything is made and packaged in Toronto, Canada, ensuring top quality standards are met for every match. If you’re tired of a dull morning ritual or have had enough of the rashes, give my products a shot. I’ll guarantee you’ll never look at grooming the same way again.” As an added bonus, with every purchase, they’re donating 10% of all December online sales to Daily Bread Food Bank Toronto.
Magnesium Bali Bath Soak Coconut Milk and Lemongrass
Magnesium is a vital micronutrient our body needs to function and thrive. Many of us are magnesium deficient (research says about 40-90% of us are. Uh oh), and the optimal way to replenish this essential mineral, is through our skin. Soaking in this Magnesium-rich coconut milk bath is the ultimate indulgent experience for the mind, body, and skin. The result? Feel soft and relaxed like a sleeping kitten on a cloud. The ultimate gift of luxury is relaxation.
Carrot & Calendula Intimate Salve
As an African-Canadian woman, founder Sina Zere was fascinated by the flora and fauna of her heritage, and used this as inspiration for her gorgeous blends – guava, aloe and prickly pear, honey, pumpkin, sesame and coffee. The plants and ingredients that have been the source of African women’s beauty routines over the centuries is something Sina wanted to share. Okay ladies, sometimes we get dry, irritated and itchy down there. Free of petrolatum, synthetic fragrances, dyes and other nasties, our creamy, golden vulva balm is formulated with cold-pressed carrot seed, olive, and sea buckthorn oils and herbal extracts for soothing, gentle moisture. Perfect for everyday use and especially during periods, pregnancy, workouts, sex, and any other life events involving your intimate bits, this salve looks great, smells amazing and works.
Biodegradable Bamboo Toothbrush
Your oral dental health is key in keeping the rest of your body healthy. However, plastic toothbrushes are doing more harm than they are helping our environment. In order to reduce the amount of waste we produce daily, BKIND offers you a biodegradable toothbrush: the handle is made of bamboo, a naturally durable and antibacterial wood that guaranties a good quality product, soft, lightweight, hygienic and resistant at the same time. The bristles and soft and infused with natural charcoal, and, superficially speaking, it looks way cuter than anything you’d find at a drugstore.
Greenhouse is a Canadian beverage company seeking to make healthy and sustainable the new normal. The perfect reset button for a gluttonous holiday season, juice cleanses not only make you feel like new on the inside, but you reap the benefits on the outside, too. This classic cleanse strikes the delicate balance between wellness and pleasure, it is suitable for all levels of curiosity and experience.
For the bearded broods in your life, Big Red Beard Balm is the perfect blend of nourishment and hold, offering all the benefits of our Beard Oil, with the ability to tame and shape the Beard. It’s formulated to have a strong hold, is easy to use, and lasts forever! No more gnarly flyaways or wirey strays. Only the highest quality natural ingredients have been used in our Beard Balm, to provide nourishment to your beard and to leave you looking your best. Stay groomed, gentlemen.
This Canadian-made lifesaver is a hydrating cream concealer that corrects, contours and highlights for natural, radiant skin. The doe foot applicator gives you complete control to smooth and sculpt where you need for lightweight, crease-free wear. Your concealer will never define you, character will. It’s available in 5 shades to mix and blend for every shade in between. You can also text a selfie if you need help matching your shade, so it’s perfect every time.
This Canadian skin care company is providing clinically proven, award winning natural skin care products and pairing them with wellness tips to help you discover your best skin. It’s a holistic experience, and makes a thoughtful gift for someone looking to try a new 100% natural, ultra-clean skin care regimen, even just for a month. It’s a win win, as their 30-day supply guarantees clearer, more radiant skin or your money back. Plus, with your choice of Face Cream, this set is ideal for all skin types.
We first introduced you to WOSH back in June, and it has been a love affair since. This product is proudly made in Canada, and our holiday pick, the WOSH Gift For One includes their signature mineral bar, made exclusively with Kisameet Glacial Clay – sourced off British Columbia’s Central Coastline- that assists with skin’s immune responses by keeping your skin’s microbiome nourished and balanced. The clay is harvested in low-impact methods that minimize any site contamination from pollutants that could pose a threat to the environment. How neat is that? A blend of natural* ingredients nourishes and heals for your best skin ever.
A brand that not only feels and looks like a spa treatment in the privacy of your own home, but also comes clad with a playlist to make your experience using this oil extra special. A luxurious, skin-fortifying blend of moisture-replenishing botanicals designed to soften, smooth, tone, and instantly hydrate. This energizing, nutrient-rich formula absorbs deeply to balance and regenerate, heal damage, and revive dullness while promoting microcirculation and improved elasticity. Both a protective elemental-defense treatment and potent moisturizer that leaves a lasting luminous glow. The ultimate skincare gift.
