Spring Self Care Essentials

Hello there Spring 🌿 I’m so happy you're here!

I’m a huge advocate for flowing and living by each season we are given by beautiful mother nature. Spring is officially upon us! The season of rest, reflection, and hibernation has come to an end and its time for us to bloom and flourish alongside nature.

The Spring Equinox marks the time of year where everything around us comes to life and we are no different. Spring is naturally a very energetic time of year with temperatures rising, daylight sticking around for longer in the evenings, and everything around us literally blossoming. Vibrationally everything in nature is elevated, we are connected to nature so our vibrations rise as well.

We’re out and about more, spending more time outdoors, receiving more sunshine and fresh air, having more adventures and experiences. This is the natural ebb and flow. New seasons are an exciting time and each one serves a divine purpose in our journeys here. Spring represents rebirth, rejuvenation, and renewal.

I absolutely love making essentials guides and this one is all about elevating and revitalizing energy, mood, and wellbeing! All of the products I talk about are linked in the underlined headings, just give it a click if your interested in checking them out 💕

Body Scrub

Speaking of revitalization, a good body scrub is one of the most rejuvenating self care rituals you can do for your skin! Not only does it scrub away dry, dead skin cells it increases blood circulation and leaves you feeling smooth and invigorated!

Do a full body scrub once per week to maintain soft, healthy, glowing skin. If you have certain areas that tend to be more dry or bumpy, focus on those areas two to three times per week. My little hack for a better scrub is while you're in the shower take your towel and dab away some of the water on the desired area so that the wetness doesn't cause the scrub to disintegrate faster. This allows for a deep scrub.

I personally like a scrub that is more coarse so I can spend time working it into the skin vs. a fine scrub that just kind of melts away when you start scrubbing. The sugar scrub from Raw Sugar that is linked above is perfection. It's coarse, feels super satisfying on the skin, smells amazing, contains high quality ingredients, and has made all the difference in my skin and how radiant and healthy it looks.

I also have a homemade body scrub recipe that you might be interested in as well! It’s made with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen like coffee, honey, and olive oil. I’ll leave that linked right below for you to check out!

Homemade Honey Coffee Scrub - Blog By Bellamy

Non Toxic Perfume

It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore all of the harmful ingredients that are used in our self care products including perfume. Spring is the perfect time to give our beauty products a refresh. I always recommended shopping for clean, non toxic brands for everything including makeup, hair, skin, body, and even household cleaning products.

Perfume is something that many people use on a daily basis, put on their skin and breathe in. Everything that is ingested, applied to our skin, and inhaled gets filtered through the liver. Imagine what all of these toxic ingredients are doing to not only the liver but the skin (largest organ), lungs, nervous system, endocrine system, brain, and so on. Persistent use of toxic products will essentially weaken the liver and prevent it from doing its job effectively which is to clean and detox the body.

It’s honestly a tragedy but the reality is that if we want healthier products we need to seek them out. There are hundreds of thousands of harmful ingredients that are FDA approved used in our food, water, cleaning products, and self care/beauty products that are linked to all sorts of disease. It’s a huge reason why our nation is so unhealthy.

Let’s go over a few of the toxic chemicals used in formulating most perfumes…

• Styrene: a flammable fluid also used to make plastics that was declared a carcinogen (a substance known to cause cancer). It negatively impacts the nervous system, liver, kidneys and can cause depression, migraines, fatigue, hearing loss, trouble focusing, and cancer.

• Phthalates: a whole category of industrial chemicals that are used as solvents in many products including cleaning, makeup, skincare, soaps, and so on. This family of chemicals is known to damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, reproductive system, and impact fetus neurodevelopment which is linked to lower IQ, hyperactivity, inability to focus, learn, and communicate properly.

• Methylene Chloride: solvents that are most commonly used in paint stripping products, cleaning products, degreasing formulas, and polyurethane manufacturing. So what is it doing in perfume when it’s known to increase risk of cancer, and negatively impact the central nervous system, liver, heart, and eyes. Here’s the sneaky thing, you probably won't see this on the ingredients list if there even is one, it’s commonly labeled as “fragrance”.

• Benzyl Acetate: a very popular chemical used in a lot of perfumes known for its sweet jasmine like scent. It’s a known carcinogen most likely to cause pancreatic cancer.

• Musk Ketone: another commonly used chemical known for its musk scent, a very desirable undertone for both men and women perfumes. Synthetic musk is a known endocrine disrupter meaning it has negative impacts on hormones which can disrupt normal processes like menstrual cycles, testosterone level, and fertility.

Those are just a few of the hundreds of chemicals used in perfumes. It’s shocking that these ingredients are FDA approved and used so heavily in products that we use on our bodies. Sometimes it’s impossible to escape all toxic chemicals but we can start making better choices by doing some research. The perfume I linked above by Skylar is a great, affordable alternative that comes in a variety of fragrances. I still encourage you to research some of your own as well.

Reusable Cotton Pads

This one is for your wallet, skin, and the environment. What better time to do something nice for yourself and the planet than springtime when mother nature gifts us with so much beauty.

These reusable facial pads are made from a combination of bamboo and cotton that will totally replace single use cotton pads that are terrible for the environment and your skin.

Cotton itself uses a horrendous amount of water to grow which has negative impacts on the planet. On top of that cotton pads are processed with chemicals like bleach which you then rub on your face. Cotton pads are also rough on the skin which can cause unwanted texture. Not to mention constantly having to repurchase them adds up.

Save yourself some money and reduce your waste output by making a small investment into these reusable facial pads. They come with a cute bamboo holder and a wash bag that makes it easy for you to throw in the wash with your other clothes!

Under Eye Masks

A good, hydrating eye mask is one of my favorite parts of my morning rituals (besides coffee). There's something that feels luxurious about waking up in the morning sipping iced coffee from a mason jar, putting eye gels on and enjoying an early morning.

I’ve tried many different eye gels and my favorites so far are by Patchology. The jar comes with 30 pairs of eye gels doused in a nourishing, hydrating serum that conforms to the under eye area perfectly! These give me that feeling of being ready to take on the day and that's what spring is all about!

Pro tip: Keep them in the refrigerator for an extra refreshing, de-puffing effect. I promise this feels like the most amazing thing after rising in the morning!

Summer Fridays R+R Face Mask

We have a mask for the under eyes so it’s only suitable to have one for the face too! The R+R mask by the brand Summer Fridays is my favorite face mask hands down. I love trying out new products and don't often repurchase many of them but this one has become a staple in my skincare routine.

This mask screams spring to me. It has the most beautiful fragrance of rose and actually contains rose flower powder which gently exfoliates and speeds up the cellular renewal process creating healthier looking skin. It’s also loaded with hydrating oils, antioxidants, and fatty acids that hydrates and nourishes skin. Not to mention the packaging is a beautiful tone of blush pink!

Cordyceps Mushroom

Spring is all about renewing energy and zest for life and that is exactly what the cordyceps mushrooms can do for you!

Cordyceps of a type of healing, adaptogenic mushroom. These kinds of mushrooms have been used for centuries in eastern medicine aka herbal medicine/herbalism which just means the use of plants as medicine. Each one offers its own powerful health benefits from brain function, energy, hormone balance, immune system function, anti aging, anti inflammatory, antioxidant rich, disease prevention, mental clarity, focus, mood, calmness, detoxification, and the list goes on!

One common theme that all healing mushrooms share is how they work with the body to adapt to stressors and help regulate and maximize healthy processes. Hence the name adaptogens.

Cordyceps in particular are used to boost energy while supporting adrenal gland function providing sustained energy throughout the day. It also aids in improving workouts and athletic performance as well as recovery. Cordyceps offer anti aging benefits and increase oxygen absorption of the cells which is beneficial to those who have respiratory issues like asthma.

Healing mushrooms are a great addition to anyone's lifestyle. I currently am using this one in conjunction with red reishi in my morning cup of coffee to start my day off on a high vibe.

If the cordyceps mushroom doesn't resonate with you there are plenty of other ones to choose from that will fit your specific needs but I recommend that everyone incorporate an adaptogen into their lifestyle. You can easily add them into anything like coffee, tea, smoothies, and even food. I recommend purchasing them in liquid or powder form for better absorption rates.

Hemp Protein

Protein powder is a staple in many people's diets but the ones that are found in supplement shops and grocery stores are often loaded with unnecessary ingredients like artificial flavors, colors, refined sugar, additives, fillers, and preservatives, and chemicals. While upping protein intake is usually a positive thing it becomes a negative when harmful ingredients are invloved.

There is such a thing as clean, nourishing, single ingredient protein powders and I always get mine from the brand Terrasoul Superfoods. My favorite is the hemp protein because it’s an easily digested superfood that also contains the essential amino acids that the body cannot make independently. It also contains fiber, iron, zinc, magnesium, antioxidants, and many other minerals.

Terrasoul Superfoods offers a couple of other protein powders options as well as a bunch of amazing health supplements. Everything is always organic and minimally processed so all nutrients stay intact. A top notch company in my opinion!

Water Purifier

Everything that is living needs water in order to survive and thrive! Not only do we need water we need high quality water. There is a laundry list of over 150 contaminants found in our water supply here in the U.S. Investing in a water filtering system is of the utmost importance for overall health and wellbeing.

Water supplies in the U.S are deemed safe to consume by the FDA but this means nothing. The truth is there isn't much regulation when it comes to our water supply. Let’s take a quick look at some of the contaminants lurking in our “drinking water”...

• Chlorine

• Fluoride

• Pharmaceutical drugs like Ibuprofen, Atenolol, Carbamazepine, Naproxen and many more

• Lead and other heavy metals

• Radium

• Nitrate

• Arsenic

• Pesticides

Those are just a small handful of the toxic substances that make their way into the water supply. Some of them like chlorine and fluoride are added purposely despite the evidence that they cause adverse side effects. There is zero reason for elements like fluoride to be added into water. These people profit off of us being sick, that's all I'm going to say.

Some may argue that these substances are only found in trace amounts. Even if this was true, what do you think happens to the body when trace amounts of bleach and arsenic are continuously being ingested throughout life. We’re supposed to be drinking a lot of water in order to be properly hydrated all day every day for the duration of life. Water is the most essential element in supporting life. “Trace amounts” are still extremely harmful and will cause dis-ease.

The water filter I linked above is by an awesome company called AquaTru. They have both a countertop reverse osmosis water system as well as an under sink purifier that you can hook up to your sink. It removes the laundry list of contaminants found in water by filtering it through three stages, creating clean, pure water.

Reverse osmosis is a water purification process that removes unwanted chemicals, minerals, particles, and impure substances.

The quality of the water you put into your body isn't something to be taken lightly. We only get one body and we need to learn to take care of it as best we can. I’ve had my countertop filter system for a while now and I absolutely love it. I even see a difference in the color of the water and the taste is incomparable. It’s a small investment for how important it is to our health and wellbeing.

Book Recommendation - The Law Of Attraction

This book quite literally changed the projection of my life in so many ways. Spring is a time of growth and taking inspired action to evolve into the person we desire to be and live the lives we crave. This book provides an ethereal understanding of our universe and ourselves, how we can harness the power of manifestation in all realms of our being, and how we can co create our desired reality with these fundamental laws.

Delish Iced Matcha Latte Recipe

What says springtime more than a vibrant green, creamy, delicious iced matcha latte?!

Matcha is an amazing superfood that provides loads of antioxidants, nutrients, chlorophyll, and a natural yet calming boost of energy. It's something I enjoy everyday not only for the health benefits but because this recipe is so good I literally crave it! If you want to learn more in depth about matcha I'll leave the link to the blog I wrote on it right below!

Matcha Magic - Blog By Bellamy

You can make this recipe hot or cold but my favorite way to enjoy it is cold even in the winter time! It’s made with organic ceremonial grade matcha, the highest quality of matcha which is super important for getting all of the health benefits as well as better flavor and texture. I pair it with raw honey and plant milk!

What you’ll need:

• ½ teaspoon Organic ceremonial grade matcha, matcha is powerful so only small amounts are needed

• 4 ounces of pure, hot water

• 1 tablespoon Raw honey

• 8 ounces of a plant milk of your choice, I love oat milk for an extra creamy latte

• Dash of cinnamon

• Dash of pure vanilla extract

• Ice cubes

• Glass jar with a lid

• Eco friendly straw

How to prepare:

• Grab a small bowl and add ½ teaspoon of matcha into 4 ounces of pure hot water and whisk together well, add in the honey, cinnamon, and pure vanilla, whisk again until smoothly combined.

• Grab your glass jar and fill with 8 ounces of the plant milk of your choice then add in your desired amount of ice.

• Pour the matcha mixture into the jar and watch it slowly melt into the milk.

• Grab a glass or metal straw and enjoy!

Nut Butter Stuffed Dates Drizzled With Chocolate

If you're like me and have a sweet tooth you are going to love this super easy, nourishing snack recipe that I make all the time! We don't have to give up sugar or sweets, we just need to switch from the harmful refined sugars to the natural ones that aren't going to spike insulin, damage gut health, and cause inflammation.

Medjool dates are one of my top favorite foods to snack on. They're sweet, sticky, and super satisfying plus their nutrient dense offering dietary fiber, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, and B6. They also benefit gut and brain health so you're doing yourself a favor by snacking on this delicious recipe I'm about to give you! It’s also made with my homemade chocolate recipe, here it is!

What you’ll need:

• Organic medjool dates

• Nut butter of your choice, I prefer almond butter. Make sure it's raw nut butter that doesn't contain refined oils, sugar, or any other additives or preservatives.

• ¼ cup of cacao powder - not cocoa powder. Cacao is chocolate in its raw form and it is actually a superfood!

• 3 tablespoons of unrefined coconut oil - healthy oil.

• 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup or raw honey - a natural sweetener that won't cause an inflammatory response in the body and contains trace minerals.

• Celtic Sea Salt - purest form of salt that still contains its natural iodine and 83 other trace minerals essential to humans.

How to prepare:

• Grab a plate and the number of medjool dates you want to make for this recipe. I usually make about 10 and have them over the span of a few days.

• Pit the dates by making a slice and gently remove it. The nut butter is going to go in the slice so even if you purchased already pitted dates, still make a slice.

• Take a butter knife and fill the slice of the date with nut butter, place them to the side on a plate.

• Now prepare the chocolate by melting the coconut oil then mixing in the maple syrup and cacao powder until you have melted chocolate. If the coconut oil begins to harden as you're mixing, pop it in the microwave for about ten seconds.

• Drizzle the chocolate over the dates filled with nut butter and top with a dash of celtic sea salt.

• You can put them in the fridge to let the chocolate harden or enjoy them immediately!

Side note: Dried fruit in general is an amazing snack that offers many health benefits, however, it needs to be organic. Dried fruit that isn't organic is often pumped with refined sugars, artificial colors, and other additives to make them more appealing to the eye. A perfect example of this is dried apricots. Organic dried apricots are brown, not the orange color you typically see. Inorganic fruits offer way less nutritional value vs. organic.

As always, I’m very excited about this new season we’ve entered. I’m so ready to make the absolute best out of it just as with every other season, year, month, week, and day! This life is all about creating your happiest, healthiest, most fulfilled version of it and enjoying each phase of that journey.

Spring reminds us that everything blooms in its own time. You don't plant seeds and expect them to grow the next day. Blossoming is a beautiful process that takes time, energy, and nurturing. We are no different 🌷

This spring I encourage you to romanticize your life. To let anything that holds you back from your truest expression melt away. To take complete charge of your life and create days that you love living. To fully come into your power and become the fearless force that you are.

Wishing you a beautiful Spring 🌿

Much Love,

Bellamy Ryder