Interview with Kristen Ma from Pure+Simple

     As part of Blog Positivity Week, I'm sharing an interview from the creator of my favorite skin care product line, because being beautiful and staying positive are deeply interconnected. 
   If you're a regular reader you know that I firmly believe in holistic living.  A healthy diet free of additives and a healthy life lived as chemical free as possible is, in my view, the key to longevity and health.   As part of that, and including my struggles with hormone imbalances in the past, I focused on also having my cosmetics be as natural and as gentle as possible. Therefore, I've been a loyal user of the Toronto brand Pure+Simple for years now.  Their gentle, organic, and natural cosmetics have served my sensitive and abused *I am an actor after all and have to often wear a lot of make-up* skin very well.  Today, I have an quick interview with the creator and founder of Pure+Simple, Kristen Ma.  Enjoy!

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        1. What was the original thought, or motivation, behind Pure+Simple?

Pure + Simple was originally to be a place that consumers could shop with the assurance that none of our beauty products contained toxic chemicals and synthetic ingredients.  But as we evolved we saw that healthy, holistic beauty is much more than chemical-free skincare, it also involves addressing your internal health and balancing your constitution.

2. How did you go about making your dream a reality?

We began with a modest three room spa on Yonge and Eglinton (2375 Yonge Street), which we still have.  This spa has a retail area in the front that walk-ins could purchase natural skincare and cosmetics from.  It was a tough start because this was over ten years ago and most people had not learnt about the importance of avoiding chemicals in their cosmetics.  But we did have a fierce, devoted core group of regular customers.  They were mostly made up of hypersensitive skinned people who could only use soothing, natural products.  We were able to develop with their support.

3. You've also written a book recently.  Could you share a little about the key philosophies and ideas in the book?

My book Beauty: Pure and Simple is a guide to beautiful skin through holistic wellness and natural/ organic skin care.  Because I am an Ayurvedic Practitioner and esthetician, my approach is steeped in eastern medicine (Ayurveda).   Through this, I explain general skin care but also how ailments such as acne, rosacea, eczema and pigmentation have root causes in the internal body.  Its important to understand the role of internal inflammation, hormonal imbalance and dampness/ yeast in our skin's health.  I go in depth about internal solutions as well as natural topical skincare solutions.

4. You've also spoken very openly about your struggles with acne, what are some key tools to help others struggling with the same thing?

Acne is a complex beauty issue as it can be aggravated by many factors.  In my book I explain the different types of acne and their causes - for example, some break outs are caused by inflammation, while others are caused by dehydration.  One thing I think is important is to know that acne is not simply caused by bacteria or clogged pores, they are a symptom of some other imbalance.

I think that bowel detoxification is also key when treating acne and I ask about this to all of my acne clients.  This must be paired with a proper diet - but again, diet must be tailored to the cause of the acne, and different people with different acne types with have different food recommendations (based on Ayurveda).

5. Isn't putting oil onto a face riddled with acne contraindicated?

Not at all!  That is a common myth.  It depends on the type of oil - a good natural plant-based oil should never clog pores and cause break outs.  Also, oils such as coconut oil are light, soothing and even have anti-bacterial properties.  Oils like this are great for acne.

I never advocate dehydrating and drying out the skin or over-peeling, so our approach would never be aggravating to your sensitivity.  I would say our approach would be to heal rather than do harsh, deep pore methods of treatment, unlike most approaches.

6. Do you have any advice, secrets, and Pure+Simple products for facing these aging, and aging prevention,  head on?

Well, first I would say that getting older is simply a transformation - so while I believe in supporting the sin while we age, fighting it is not necessary.  But to age in the healthiest way possible, again its about balance and caring for our internal bodies.  Topically, using skincare that uses rich, nourishing oils is fantastic.  Our Pure + Simple Ayurveda - Vata Face Oil is a wonderful blend of organic sesame oil, ghee and restorative essential oils - its a great replenisher for the skin.  Also, our Collagen Elastin HCH Serum is amazing!  It is the most popular item across all of our spas because its so effective.  It infuses moisture into the skin and helps to repair skin damage.  I love that its a combination of natural ingredients with advanced technology.

I'd like to thank Kristen so much for being here on ModaMama.   Hope you enjoyed it as well.  You can check out her blog - Holistic Vanity for more tips, articles and information.  You can also read my review of my favorite Pure+Simple product here.

 If you have any questions for Kristen, please ask in the comments!