Today I did two facials and a pedicure. I came home feeling empty and am now wondering what the meaning of life is. There are many beautiful things that people have offered on the internet to help those desperate souls who type "what is the meaning of life?" into Google on a Wednesday night. It's inspiring that people reach out to help one another through this electronic medium. Humans, despite their many faults, possess great inner beauty and in my opinion, the greatest of these are hope and love. It's sweet that people believe in the meaning of life enough to help others find it. I am awed by my Mother's hope sometimes; when the world seems so void of better horizons or meaning, she always brings the sunrise back into view for me. Her love is limitless. What a joy it would be to find a life partner like that! And yet I don't have one - many close calls - but never the right one. Sometimes the loneliness nearly gnaws my insides out, especially living in a city where I know nearly no one and have limited opportunities to meet people. But she believes that someday I will and I certainly hope so. Life takes so many strange twists and turns. I am always surprised to see that just when I think life has become stagnant (the big voice above says "and this is where it stops, Julia..."), it changes into something I had never expected. I hope it changes a good lot more and evolves into something I am happy and satisfied. And they say "be happy in the here and now". I do a pretty good job of that on a day to day basis. But the fact is, I can't help craving the proximity of family or the desire to be blissfully happy with a significant other and perhaps children; to have good friends around. Maybe to get a pedicure once in awhile!? (I've only done about 20 so far this week!?) The way many of us live, single as adults, in strange cities and wondering how to connect with others is, I suppose, a common human experience. Still, our tribal ancestral conditioning and likely our very natures make this a difficult way of life. That is why people get married, stay in their hometown and work in the same jobs from day to day: there is security and happiness in community. Yet there are many who stray the path like I have. And nothing seems clear. "Hello out there! Are there any like me!?" Ah. Well. There are indeed many things to be thankful for in this life. I made a good many people feel excellent today and am grateful for that. There is also a soul to life, like a vein that runs through the centre, creating a connection between all the disparate events in one's life and whispering meaning. And I am grateful for that too.

Well here I am! It has been a long time since July 2009 and boy, do I have a story to tell... But we'll start with my life as an aesthetician. I never thought I'd become an aesthetician. When I suggested it to my (now ex-) boyfriend, he said "do you want to live your life in poverty?" That was in 2010 when I was still the owner of Nadarra. When I suggested it to one of my best friends in 2012, she said "I think it would be a waste of your potential painting nails all day." But as I am discovering, there's a lot more to being an aesthetician than the perceived lack of earning potential and painting nails. And aestheticians have an interesting story to tell. This blog will be about my work, the vast breadth of knowledge belonging to a good aesthetician, and the ups and downs of life as it continues to evolve. Since everyone can appreciate a bit of cheer and colour in their lives, let's start with the salad I made tonight: a healthy, unconventional combo of oranges and greens that does a body good. I have been fortunate to have a body that loves me (even when I don't), allowing me to chase whatever dreams present themselves, so I must be doing something right! This is a broccoli, cilantro, mandarin orange, orange pepper and oyster mushroom salad. It was very good; perhaps not the best salad I've ever made, but will taste better tomorrow once the veggies have marinated a bit. To make it: - Chop vegetables - Peel oranges and break into slices - Crush very small clove of garlic - Add garlic to about 3 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsp lime juice, a pinch of sugar, 1 tsp grated ginger - Roast mushrooms in oven at 400 degrees F for 10 mins - Add hot mushrooms to salad, pour dressing over, toss and serve!

Navigating the urge to escape...

If we could all make our perfect world a reality, what would it look like? Would the world revolve around one person--ourselves--or would the change extend equally to the people and objects around us? If we were all to live in our own perfect reality, we likely wouldn't have the same level of interaction with one another since we'd all be living in our own worlds. We wouldn't be forced to grow, evolve, adapt and improve despite harsh circumstances or experiences. So I guess things are the way they are for a reason.

But on a Friday, when the weekend begins, I leave my office in Toronto and imagine a world that EVERYONE would be happier with. A world with no car exhaust, with clean water people could take a dip in on their way home from work. Fridays where people leave work fulfilled, feeling that they have helped others and made the world a better place. The weekend provides an opportunity to do something equally as fun. Activities on weekend nights would allow people to be playful and active, rather than constrained by responsibility or forced by social convention to stand in line at a bar. Nadarra products applied to skin would appear 'unscented' in comparison to the fragrant, natural scent in the air. People would strike up pleasant conversations everywhere and always feel their lives had enough time with which to help others.

So goes my Utopia--so different than the world I step out into today when I leave my office. I think though that if we imagine and try to create the utopia we want in our own lives, we come a little bit closer to living it than if we just accepted the status quo. As far as I can see, the status quo (at least where i live) hasn't really been thought about or organized in a unified way. It is a mish-mash of components of overall visions that contributed to a new thing altogether. And this thing is hard to control!

The nice thing about building a business is that to a large extent you can control its own little reality--the look--the feel--the culture. In this way, Nadarra is the fruition of my mind. I just have to be sure to create the entire vision--and not let the outside world pick and choose its components.

Unusual letter from Malaysia

I receive a lot of interesting emails through the Nadarra inbox. Thought I'd share this one with you. It was quite interesting--and though I can't help this poor person in Malaysia--I did my best to respond.

hi! I happened to come across your website on the internet. I found your natural products quite interesting. However, too bad, I'm living in Malaysia. There's no way I can buy your products.

If your natural products are really that safe(free of any kind of chemicals), why do TONNES of skincare products out there for eg. Dermalogica and even Decleor (both claiming they use essential oils) still contains harmful substances like dimethicone??

So, from what I see, does it mean only Nadarra offers a 100% natural skincare line, but brands like Dermalogca, Neostrata and so on, even though claiming having essential oils, still are to be categorized as harmful to the skin???? Does it mean Nadarra should be the best brand??

oh ya, I have acne scars that are not bumpy but its beneath the skin layer, and the redness always stay there. Are your products good for lessening the scars left behind? and also my skin is quite sensitive, I flush alot and my skin tends to get 'heated' when I smile or laugh.

please answer my doubts. It would be very helpful. Thanks!!! =)

Response:

Hi Nana Na,

Yes, our products are better than the brands you mentioned. These products are not harmful to the skin—and can in fact be beneficial—but they contain toxins that penetrate the skin’s barrier and move through the blood stream until they are filtered out by the liver and kidneys. They contain unnecessary toxins that are introduced to your body when you use them. Most of these are used simply as fillers, as preservatives, or as fragrances. The dimethicone you mentioned is a strong preservative that has shown adverse effects to health in numerous studies. Our products are completely natural and contain only beneficial ingredients for the skin. Unfortunately we are not able to ship to Malaysia. I’m not a dermatologist, so likely can’t be as much help to you as a professional dermatologist would be. However, I think it would be beneficial for you to use aloe vera gel or juice on the skin (pure, from the plant). This will help cool and heal your skin while hydrating it. Also, try to avoid alcohol and spicy/oily foods.

Thanks for your interest and best of luck!

Julia

Spring cold wreaks havoc with my skin

I'm currently suffering from a Spring cold. You know, the type that makes feeling sick feel like a cruel injustice when the weather is just beginning to warm up. It has made my skin so dry and just about the only thing that will help is a good steam. To do this, I boil water in a pot and pour in a little of the Pure Rose Splash (for dry and sensitive skin). Then I cover my poor cotton-batten full head with a towel and hang over the pot and breathe deeply. My skin is so thankful. The hot steam and rose rid my skin of impurities and clear my nasal passageways. Instead of the rosewater, you can also add tea tree oil to the steaming water to help clear sinuses, though this can be a bit more drying for the skin than the rosewater. After about 10 minutes of this, it's time to pat my face dry and apply the Nadarra Intensive Moisturizer. The rosehip oil in this moisturizer is sooo good for dry skin, plus it has vitamin C that will brighten that washed-out Spring cold complexion.

Times like this can also be a good chance to dose up on vitamins. Ester-C is great for combating a cold. And if you can't make it out of bed to soak up a few rays of sunshine, it's a good opportunity to take a supplement of the vitamin D that offers a multitude of preventative health benefits.

I can't wait for the truly hot weather this summer, that will allow me to sweat! Sweating is such a great detoxifier for the skin, and makes it look its most radiant and glowing. Until then, I have my couch...and my bed...and my rosewater steam...and hopefully this will be over soon!

Rainy Days

On rainy days like this I wonder how most working people feel. Do they enjoy their work the same as on sunny days? Do they barely notice the hours pass, happily immersed in the task at hand? I long for greenery, sunshine, light breezes and all the wonderful things I put into my products. Instead these things are packaged in blue glass for user consumption--but hey--at least they are available one way or another. It would be great if work culture around the world necessitated direct interaction with and dependence on nature on a daily basis. I know this calls to mind the agricultural-based economies of times past--and that is not what I mean. But perhaps there is another way to make nature as important in our work today as it was back then. Afterall, it's no less important to our psychological and physical wellness!