We are not making light of the current situation, and hope it doesn’t feel tone-deaf to discuss a few beauty benefits knowing how complicated this time is for everyone. It has definitely been a roller-coaster ride, and we have all dealt with some seriously real sh*t, mental health challenges and the overall sense of “Umm, what?” With all that being said, there are some benefits to point out and take advantage of so let’s lighten the mood!

1. HEALTHIER, LUSTROUS HAIR:

With all the staying in, hair is getting a break! Even the extra few calories many of us have indulged in is helping hair growth and strength. There were a few particularly dark weeks where most people I know admitted to only washing their hair once or twice a week, rarely pulling out a styling tool or dryer, and letting it go truly au-naturel….

BOOST THIS BENEFIT: Hair health is as much about the scalp as it is about the actual hair, and scalp is skincare! Using harsh cleansing shampoos regularly is as bad for your hair as using stripping cleansers on your face and body.

A good deep cleanse is good once a week, otherwise, during this time where styled hair isn’t high priority, treat your scalp! Our Raw Honey Scrub is actually a great scalp cleanser and mask. Use a small amount and gently exfoliate your scalp, while the raw Montana Honey supports cellular well-being. Rinse well, condition, then, as you are slathering yourself with our Daily Body Serum, run some of the excess from your hands through the ends of your hair. The botanical oils and antioxidants will protect from damage while giving hair a little extra texture.

Every now and then, apply a layer of castor oil to your scalp before bed, massage it in and wrap hair in a scarf. Castor oil is thick and not the loveliest texture, but, it is proven to support hair growth (which is why you should not use it on your face!). Keep a bottle of Biotin around and whenever you remember, take one or two. If anything, we will come out of this with shinier, longer hair and run to our hairstylists for a great cut and the time with them we love so dearly!

2. LESS SUN/POLLUTION SKIN DAMAGE:

We hope you are still getting outside, taking care of yourself, but let’s be honest….few of us are outside as much as we used to be. This is tough for our soul, but not a bad thing for our skin. There is also SO MUCH LESS air pollution which is so awesome. I hope we get to keep this benefit.

BOOST THIS BENEFIT: This is where Skin and Sky really shines! We have mastered the Antioxidant Body Serum, which you can use head-to-toe. Yes, even face and hair! So slather up! Use this time to strengthen your skin. The whole point is to slow down aging. Remember reversing it is mostly a marketing game. We have a lot of info about this, and could go way deep, but that is for other posts…

Also consider switching a few comfort foods that may add to inflammation for choices richer in skin benefits like carrots, hummus, cucumbers, watermelon, anchovies, avocados….

3. LONGER LASHES \ THICKER BROWS: We've barely touched our tweezers, and although most of us might still apply a coat of mascara most days, it’s light and not nearly as heavy regular. I’ve noticed my eyelashes are longer and more plentiful, and a few spots on brows that had started getting a little thin are growing in.

BOOST THIS BENEFIT: Again, castor oil. Castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acid—a type of fatty acid that fights inflammation and has been proven to enhance hair follicles which promotes hair growth and reduces hair loss. Before bed, apply a little bit with a q-tip on your brows and along lash line. You should start seeing the benefits after about 6 weeks.

4. THICKER NAILS: I am not sure if it is the extra calories (which I’ve attempted to manage but am also not beating myself up for) or the fact that I used to get gel-polish every two weeks and now haven’t had my nails done since January, but my nails are definitely stronger and naturally longer than ever. To manage cooties, I try to keep them filed shorter, and use a wood nail stick to keep them clean, but they look a little prettier than usual.

BOOST THIS BENEFIT: Oh we miss our nail-techs! But, it is crucial to keep your nails clean and healthy, especially when we have a whole new world of germs to manage. Rather than relying on alcohol-based sanitizers or really harsh soaps, consider carrying a small bottle of gentle soap with you for regular hand-washing, and a PURSE-KIT SIZE of our AM/PM Body Serum and Creme to keep hands healthy. At night, while applying the PM Creme, really massage into nails and cuticles. The peptides and stem cells will support healthy growth. Use a gentle nail brush to cleanse under nails regularly, and, do not bite your nails! It’s never a great habit, but right now, it is even worse.

5. LESS WRINKLE FORMATION: Many of us are spending more time in what can only be described as a flat-line, we are actually not making a lot of the movements and expressions we normally do, which is sad for our spirit, but not an bad thing for collagen break-down and wrinkle formation.

In the last couple of weeks, I actually had two situations where I laughed, belly-laughed, soul laughed, with a dear friend, and I have to say, IT FELT GOOD! It helped release so much that had built up over the last few months. I love smile lines and eye-wrinkles on people, the ones that come from really experiencing life. But I also have noticed that more of the flat-lined vibe has allowed a few of my fine-lines to fade away.

BOOST THIS BENEFIT: I am not sure there is a more powerful, regenerative product on the market than our PM CELLULAR LUMINOSITY BODY CREME. Maybe this sounds overly confident, but I’ve been in this world for a long time, know what is out there, and really did it right with any of the products we’ve launched. For face, at night, I mix a few drops of Pure Organic Rosehip Seed Oil with a small pump of our PM Creme, apply to face and do a few light massage movements to increase absorption and circulation.

On the evenings where I seriously don’t feel like showering, I have a little kit next to my chill zone so that I can do the regimen while binge-watching any of the Ryan Murphy shows (umm, holy sh*t brilliant!) or listening to a great set on Soundcloud while doing some soul-work. Will share this kit in another post.

6. WE ARE MORE REAL!

The most unexpected part of pandemic and the #BLM movement is that many of us are more real than we have ever been with each other. This is SO BEAUTIFUL. We have more faith in humanity today than I had months ago. More eye contact, and more thankful for each of us willing to be real with each other. Yesterday at the grocery store, I ended up having a 10 minute, real AF convo with an #intelligentbadassbeauty. She is a woman of color, a mother, has been front-lines in the grocery store the whole time, and we were able to have a quick, powerful, meaningful moment where it was ok to be real. This is only one example of so many.

Before all this, I would rarely have admitted to struggling with depression at times, would rarely have admitted publicly things that hurt or were really tough. I certainly wouldn’t have gotten as close to a few people as I have since we live next to each other and became a pod. And it’s been real! Vulnerable and tragic and BEAUTIFUL.

BOOST THIS BENEFIT: I hope we continue to be this real. I was getting so tired of the perfect presentation of social media, the perfect life, the vapidness, the expectation of always being on. I, for one, commit to nourishing and digging into this way more real, way more human side of myself.

California is shutting back down, lots of states are struggling, we are not sure what to think but we do know there are some really smart people doing what they can to figure this stuff out and it is not easy. In the meantime, let’s keep having each other’s backs, do what we can and keep working towards a world that is as beautiful as it deserves to be.

xo, mpp