Love your Kindred Toxin Free facial but wish you could recreate the experience at home? While Lily and I wish we could be around all the time to take care of your skin,you can rest easy knowing that all of the incredible products that we use in our signature rituals are available in our online store. From our cleansers to your very own Gua Sha set, here are our top five most popular products that you can display in your bathroom vanity for an at home facial.  

1. Rose Quartz Gua Sha Wands

For some of our clients, a gentle and cooling Gua Sha massage is the highlight of their ritual. In fact we love the treatment so much that we even created a whole new ritual dedicated to the practice. So, if you’re a die-hard Gua Sha lover too, why not invite the practice into your own home with your very own rose quartz wands? Each set sold even comes with your own sample bottle of our best selling Mohi Gold Oil, because who doesn’t love a little ‘free gift with purchase’ action.

2. Erica Brooke Emerald Elixir
   There’s a reason why this product sells out almost as soon as it hits our shelves. It simply is ‘all that’. Featuring a powerhouse of ingredients including blue spirulina, Australian natural caffeine, vitamin B3, Tamanu oil, kakadu plum and Co Enzyme Q10. It will hydrate, refine, smooth, protect and make your skin glow. We like to think of it as our best friend in a pump bottle.

3. Miskin Smooth Oil Facial Cleanser

Speaking of best friend’s in a pump bottle, this product would take out our number two spot. Perfect for balancing out even the most sensitive skin, the Miskin Oil Cleanser is a gel, that turns into an oil and then an emulsifying cleansing milk just by adding a little bit of water to it. It is great for all skin types and is so gentle on the skin. A great daily cleanser!

4. Bamboo Muslin Face Cloths
   Like any good tradesmen needs reliable tools, all good beauty routines depend on a little bit of extra help now and then. Perfect for gently exfoliating the top layer of your skin (to brighten your complexion and aid in healing) these anti-bacterial cloths are perfect for giving your beauty routine a little extra kick. Use them nightly to remove your oil cleanser, and in the mornings with warm water to freshen up your skin before misting and applying sunscreen.

5. The Little Alchemist Kyella Rose Mist

This is an opportunity not to be mist (sorry, couldn’t resist)! In all seriousness though, adding the healing benefits of a mist can make all the difference to your routine which is why we love the hydrating properties of The Little Alchemist’s Kyella Rose Mist spray. Just spritz it on after cleanser and before serum and moisturiser and then glow, baby glow!

Love your Kindred Toxin Free facial but wish you could recreate the experience at home? While Lily and I wish we could be around all the time to take care of your skin,you can rest easy knowing that all of the incredible products that we use in our signature rituals are available in our online store. From our cleansers to your very own Gua Sha set, here are our top five most popular products that you can display in your bathroom vanity for an at home facial.  

1. Rose Quartz Gua Sha Wands

For some of our clients, a gentle and cooling Gua Sha massage is the highlight of their ritual. In fact we love the treatment so much that we even created a whole new ritual dedicated to the practice. So, if you’re a die-hard Gua Sha lover too, why not invite the practice into your own home with your very own rose quartz wands? Each set sold even comes with your own sample bottle of our best selling Mohi Gold Oil, because who doesn’t love a little ‘free gift with purchase’ action.

2. Erica Brooke Emerald Elixir
   There’s a reason why this product sells out almost as soon as it hits our shelves. It simply is ‘all that’. Featuring a powerhouse of ingredients including blue spirulina, Australian natural caffeine, vitamin B3, Tamanu oil, kakadu plum and Co Enzyme Q10. It will hydrate, refine, smooth, protect and make your skin glow. We like to think of it as our best friend in a pump bottle.

3. Miskin Smooth Oil Facial Cleanser

Speaking of best friend’s in a pump bottle, this product would take out our number two spot. Perfect for balancing out even the most sensitive skin, the Miskin Oil Cleanser is a gel, that turns into an oil and then an emulsifying cleansing milk just by adding a little bit of water to it. It is great for all skin types and is so gentle on the skin. A great daily cleanser!

4. Bamboo Muslin Face Cloths
   Like any good tradesmen needs reliable tools, all good beauty routines depend on a little bit of extra help now and then. Perfect for gently exfoliating the top layer of your skin (to brighten your complexion and aid in healing) these anti-bacterial cloths are perfect for giving your beauty routine a little extra kick. Use them nightly to remove your oil cleanser, and in the mornings with warm water to freshen up your skin before misting and applying sunscreen.

5. The Little Alchemist Kyella Rose Mist

This is an opportunity not to be mist (sorry, couldn’t resist)! In all seriousness though, adding the healing benefits of a mist can make all the difference to your routine which is why we love the hydrating properties of The Little Alchemist’s Kyella Rose Mist spray. Just spritz it on after cleanser and before serum and moisturiser and then glow, baby glow!

Anyone that has visited us at Kindred Toxin Free knows how much we love to incorporate smudging into our rituals. We believe that using scents can help relax the mind, cleanse your energy and leave you feeling renewed - ok, let’s be honest they also smell fantastic! While we love to use white sage in our glow ritual, our particular favourite scent at the moment has got to be the earthy and subtle citrus notes of Palo Santo.

The Palo Santo tree is a native South American treasure that has been used in traditional medicine and ritual meditation for centuries. Not only does it smell heavenly when you burn it, but the smoke is known to have spiritual and therapeutic healing powers. It is said that the Shamans of the ancient Inca tribes used to burn Palo Santo before rituals to help ground themselves to the earth and harness its natural vibration. We incorporate Palo Santo into our rituals because we find that the scent does wonders for helping our clients cleanse their minds of their daily worries and really focus on giving back to themselves. At Kindred Toxin Free, we believe that taking the time to reconnect with yourself and showing yourself the kindness you deserve is one of the most valuable beauty treatments.

So, if you’re looking for a way to bring a little bit of extra self love into your routine, then why not try incorporating a daily smudging into your beauty routine, and recapture a little of the Kindred experience in your very own home.

1. Cleanse your face before the ritual and apply your preferred weekly mask.
   
   
2. Light your Palo Santo stick
   
   
3. Let the stick catch fire and allow it burn for about 30 seconds.
   
   
4. Gently blow out the flame and let the stick smoulder.
   
   
5. Take a moment to appreciate the gentle earthy smells of the Palo Santo. A good quality Palo Santo should have subtle tones of citrus and mint.
   
   
6. Place the stick  in a fireproof incense holder or bowl somewhere in your room and let the smoke gently fill the space.
   
   
7. While you wait for your mask to sink in, take a moment to meditate. Meditation is different for everyone. Whether you like to chant, repeat a daily affirmation or simply want to sit still a moment and let your mind relax, find your own way to calm your mind and find your inner peace. Be sure to take time to thank yourself for the opportunity to heal your skin through a loving ritual, and heal your spiritual self through quiet reflection.
   
   
8. The Palo Santo should smoulder for about five minutes before it goes out.
   
   
9. Gently wash your mask off and follow with your usual mist, serum and moisturiser.

I have been in the skincare industry for almost 18 years and I still get excited to create new treatments to share with our Kindred community. Our signature Kindred treatment, the Glow ritual, has always included massage elements with a focus on lymphatic drainage. The reason we make sure this is in every Kindred ritual is that our lymph nodes are where our bodies eliminate toxins from the body and dedicated gentle massage can help with this process; reducing fluid retention, stimulating collagen production and let's be honest it feels great!

Towards the end of last year, I started looking for ways we could take this to the next level in our Kindred rituals and began researching the ancient practice of facial gua sha. Gua Sha, often used in traditional Chinese medicine, is believed to release unhealthy elements all while stimulating blood flow and healing. Perfect for a nourishing facial, right? A little different to full body gua sha, we use beautiful rose quartz (a crystal known for supporting and promoting self-love and acceptance) crystal gua sha wands that are designed to gently move across the contours of our face and décolletage.

All of this led me to think, "The Kindred Glow facials is good (there’s a reason it is our most popular ritual), but what if we had a ritual that took it to the next level with extra massage to really support your skin’s healing, complexion and still an hour of time just for you.”

And, that’s what leads me to introduce you to Kindred’s newest ritual - The Empress. 

As with every Kindred ritual, it incorporates a personalised facial ritual using our curated collection of organic and natural skincare to indulge your skin and spirit. Empress is about embracing healing and reconnection with your self. We’re using rose quartz gua sha wands and rollers, for the crystal’s symbolism for unconditional self-love and soothing vibrations to support healing and anti-ageing. Combining hand, arm and scalp massage to release tension and aid your lymphatic system drainage and detoxification, you’re sure to be in a very wonderful state of divine relaxation with acupressure facial massage to heal and promote your outer-glow.

Each 1 hour ritual is completed with Kindred’s signature white sage smudging guided meditation, Probiotic Kitchen kombucha and Loco Love chocolates. The first 25 rituals booked will also take home their own rose quartz gua sha wand and 24kt gold Mohi oil sample.

Bookings now available online 

 Lily here! I’m the newest member to the Kindred team and I’ve enjoyed meeting so many of you over the past few months as I settle in. One of my biggest skin challenges, and one that I know many of you share, is dealing with acne-prone skin. I’ve had acne since my early teens and now as a skincare therapist and qualified nutritionist I know the link to looking at what’s going on inside is just as important as what we apply outside.  

The five things I’ve done to treat my hormonal acne? Read on…  

 Eliminating trigger foods   

For me, dairy and high glycemic index (GI) foods are two key culprits for acne to appear. Dairy affects us on a hormonal levels and often contains testosterone precursors and other steroids that increase oil flow on the skin which triggers cells to rapidly reproduce around surrounding hair follicles. And yep, you guessed it, the formation of pimples. Other foods that trigger acne flares for me: sugar, soy, wheat/gluten, vegetable-based oils. I can’t stress enough that everyone is different and I’m only talking from my personal experience. I’ve also been tested extensively (as I’ll mention below).   

Embodying a toxin-free lifestyle   

I’ve noticed a remarkable difference in my skin and a lesser frequency of acne breakouts since embracing a as toxin-free as possible lifestyle. A few things that have worked for me include: 

• Dry body brushing before having a shower to help stimulate my lymphatic system and releasing toxins from my system 
• Drinking plenty of water - a minimum of 2L a day  
• Avoiding xeno-oestrogens (known to mimic and disrupt our natural oestrogen). These are often found in BPA, plastics, and preservatives. I’ll use glassware instead of plastic to store food and I 
• Switching my deodorant to a natural one like Erica Brooke’s Him & Her  
• Using certified organic mineral makeup. Some of my favourite brands are Inika and Lily Lolo. Making sure to replace sponges and clean makeup brushes regularly to avoid spread of bacteria is one of the easiest ways to avoid an acne breakout.  

Nourishing my skin using natural, small batch, handcrafted skincare  

Just as important to what I’m putting in my body is what I’m putting on my skin. In the morning I cleanse with a warm bamboo facial towel to remove dirt and excess oil and then use a light moisturiser like Erica Brooke Ultra Light Day Cream. At night, I use Miskin Smooth Oil (yes, an oil cleanser!) to break down excess oil, soften and lift congestion. This is also a great cleanser for breaking down and removing makeup and grime from the day. I remove with a bamboo facial towel and follow with a second cleanse with Erica Brooke’s Honey Cream Cleanser and leave it on as I shower to activate the honey - it is a great antibacterial and anti-inflammatory product.  

 If I’m experiencing any break outs I’ll dab the Erica Brooke ‘The Spot Stick’ on any and then once a week use a mask. I alternate between a few depending on seasons and how my skin is overall. For example, if my skin is feeling inflamed or I think a break out is starting to happen I’ll use Miskin's Honey Apple Mask.  

 Seeking support from other modalities 

I’m a big believer in seeking support from allied modalities for treatment of my acne and wellbeing. Just as I make sure to eat well, move and keep myself as healthy as I can, I have found a few extra additions from Kinesiology and Acupuncture in particular, has given my acne a whole new level of treatment.  

Kinesiology has been a way for me understand what strengthens and weakens my body and eat according to what I need to maintain wellbeing. Similarly, acupuncture and naturopathy have been helpful to understand my skin and reactions to certain foods.  

Food is medicine 

I’m a big advocate for caring for your gut with bone broths (to protect, restore and strengthen the gut lining), prebiotic foods like stewed apples to help feed the good bacteria in our gut and probiotics to replenish and restore the good bacteria in our guts. I’m loving the Kehoes fermented beetroot cashew cheese dip right now! Similarly, I look for extra zinc in foods like sunflower and pumpkin seeds for healthy skin and cell renewal and repair. Good fats (ghee, salmon, avocado) are essential as are liver supporting foods like cauliflower, broccoli, and bok choy.