News — Kari Gran

Avocados are delicious. But our love for avocados goes way beyond that when we think of all the fantastic benefits avocados offer to our skin.

Wrapped snugly inside that bumpy green/black skin is the organic jackpot of skin-enhancing ingredients: antioxidants, healthy fats, essential fatty acids, and vitamins.  Here’s what Avocado offers the skin:

Strengthens Skin’s Natural Barrier

A weakened skin barrier leaves skin vulnerable to excessive dryness and environmental damage.  Avocados are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, and monounsaturated fats, all of which are essential in strengthening the skin’s natural lipid layer aka skin’s barrier.

Vitamins Galore!

Avocados bring a lot to the party when it comes to vitamins and minerals; particularly skin-enhancing Vitamins A, B1 & B2, C, D, and E.  Here’s what they can do to keep it healthy and radiant:

• soothe and reduce irritation and redness
• protect skin from free radical damage
• moisturize and help prevent dry skin

Antioxidants are crucial in protecting skin from free radicals, environmental damage, and other stressors. Avocado is rich in two of the best, Vitamin C and Vitamin E.  They help minimize signs of aging by plumping up the skin, making fine lines and wrinkles appear less noticeable.  

Avocados, Hydration, and Skin Health

Everybody knows that drinking plenty of water is essential to keeping your skin hydrated. (right?)  Avocados go the extra hydration mile due to their very high water content.  Exhibit A:  79% of an avocado’s weight comes from water and fiber.  Avocados shine in smoothies, salads, guacamole, and all sorts of deliciousness.  Don’t forget the Avocado Toast!

Avocado in Skincare

At Kari Gran Skincare, we use only organic cold-pressed avocado oil.  It contains at least 75%  monounsaturated fatty acids to help soften and hydrate dry skin. Avocado has been called Mother Nature’s number one moisturizer, and we don’t disagree.

Kari’s a big fan, “Avocado is one of my favorite ingredients. The oil of the Avocado has phenomenal moisturizing capabilities, is very nourishing, deep penetrating and full of protein (and the collagen in skin is built from protein) and vitamins.”

“Organic avocado oil is great for mature and sensitive skin, especially because of its high levels of vitamin E, which is moisturizing and known to reduce irritation.”

Kari loves to include organic Avocado oil whenever and wherever she can.  That’s why you’ll find it in many of the items in our Kari Gran Skincare collection. If you’re looking to get some avocado goodness into your skincare routine (and really, why wouldn’t you?), here are our suggestions. 

Organic Avocado Oil one of the start ingredients in our gently hydrating Essential Cleansing Oil.

Our luxurious Essential Serum is a nourishing powerhouse blend of 15 plant and essential oils, including—that’s right—Avocado oil.

Essential SPF 28  and Essential Tinted SPF 28

Both of these broad-spectrum mineral sunscreens use non-nano zinc oxide combined with botanical oils (Hello avocado oil) for a formula that hydrates skin as it protects it from sun damage. The tinted formula is slightly pigmented to provide sheer tinted coverage (helping to even out skin tone).

Avocado oil plays a big part in the moisture-rich formula of several of our Lip Whips:  Naked Peppermint Lip Whip, Naked Cinnamon Lip Whip, Wonder Whip, and Lip Whip Perfector.

Avocado Is Truly A Superstar Superfruit.

If you’d like your skin to look healthy, smooth, and naturally glowing, bring avocado and avocado oil into your life. As we like to say, ‘Avocado on your face, neck, and toast’.

Shop the Kari Gran Collection Now

Written by: Kari Gran

The views expressed in this article intend to highlight alternative studies and induce conversation. They are the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe & Chic, and are for informational purposes only, even if and to the extent that this article features the advice of physicians and medical practitioners. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.

People often cringe when they strike up a conversation with me this time of year and I tell them what I do. Simply uttering the word “nutrition” triggers thoughts of hunger, deprivation and the certain ruin of all holiday fun. I laugh a little inside because I remember feeling like that too and thinking that eating healthy meant chewing on celery and carrots all day. No thanks!

But the truth is, you DO NOT have to deprive yourself or miss out on the holiday fun to make good choices and feel your best! By practicing what I call “Strategic Indulgence”, you can enjoy the holidays, guilt-free and avoid waking up on January 1^st thinking “What have I done?!”

As a classically trained chef and former pastry chef, I love delicious food and am adamantly against eating anything bland or boring. I also struggled with weight and eating disorders for over a decade so I’m all too familiar with the pitfalls of calorie restriction and deprivation. Extremes are neither healthy nor sustainable so if we’re going to achieve a sustain-ably healthy lifestyle, we need to find a happy balance between eating clean most of the time and enjoying the occasional indulgence.

Enjoying decadent holiday meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas day isn’t to blame for that extra 10 pounds come January. It’s the accumulation of all the sweets, snacks and extra alcohol we consume before and after the big holidays that end up sabotaging us, so below I’m sharing my top 5 tips for “Strategic Indulgence” to help you navigate and emerge from the holidays unscathed. 

1. Don’t skip meals or let yourself get too hungry.

• Eat 3-5 nutrient-dense meals each day and keep healthy snacks on hand. If you let yourself get too hungry it will be extra tough to say no to junk food.
• Plan your day. If your holiday meal is in the early afternoon, eat a satisfying breakfast and have a small midday snack that includes protein, lots of veggies and some healthy fats. This will help you feel satisfied and avoid overeating later in the day.

1. Eat Mindfully & Strategically

• Eat slowly, chew well, and take time to experience your food. Pay close attention to your food – the taste, smell and texture – and savor every bite. Often when we overeat it’s because we’re not actually enjoying our food, we’re just mindlessly shoveling it in and then we’re left unsatisfied.
• By chewing well you’ll digest your food better and be less likely to feel gassy and bloated afterwards.
• Eat your veggies first, then protein, then have any starches (including starchy vegetables like potatoes and winter squash) and/or sweets. Vegetables are loaded with skin-loving antioxidants and minerals. They are also high in fiber which helps you feel fuller faster and less likely to overdo it with the empty calorie foods.

1. Don’t deprive yourself, but don’t bother with foods that you don’t really love.

• Don’t deprive yourself, but don’t waste your time and calories with foods that you don’t really, really love. Junky sweets are nothing special, so hold out for that amazing pie or crumble that you would only eat this time of year.

1. Drink Smart – This is a big one!

• Drinking enough water is crucial for plump, glowing skin so shoot for drinking half your weight in ounces of water daily. Sipping H2O also curbs sugar cravings, prevents headaches, and will help you stay alert and energized all day.
• Just like I recommended with coffee in my last post, don’t drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Your blood sugar will spike and you’ll end up fatigued and craving junk food.
• Limit yourself to one drink per day and make it a good one. Choose a really special, expensive glass of wine or scotch, or whatever you prefer and savor every sip. If you do have more than one drink, have a full cup of water in between each one and make sure you’ve eaten something nutritious.
• We all enjoy a cocktail now and then, especially during the holidays when we are celebrating or want to relax and wind down. But drinking more than 1 serving of alcohol actually increases stress hormone production, disrupting your sleep patterns and leaving you more tired and stressed the next day. Excess alcohol also increases fat storage, accelerates aging and dehydrates the skin L.
• Opt for lower sugar drinks. Dry red wine, or vodka or gin with soda are your best bets. If like me you love a delicious craft cocktail now and then, stick to one and limit or eliminate other sources of sugar.
• If you want a drink in your hand but don’t want the alcohol, order a “mocktail”. Sparkling water garnished with lemon, lime or a twist is a great way to go, but beware of fruit juice since it’s basically pure sugar.

1. Get right back on track

• Don’t allow one holiday meal or party to turn into a whole weekend or month of binge eating or overindulgence. Give away any tempting leftover foods that don’t serve you well and jump right back into eating clean the next day.

Give these simple tricks a try and share with us what you found most helpful. Stay tuned for upcoming tips on minimizing stress and maximizing your workouts in minimal time.

Happy Holidays!

Jeannie Oliver

Jeannie Oliver is a certified Holistic Nutrition and Wellness Coach, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Personal Trainer and classically trained chef.  She develops individualized strategies for her clients, empowering them to reshape their relationship with food, feel great about their bodies and transform their lives – deliciously!

What is one product in your line that you absolutely cannot live without and why?

That would have to be our Lip Whip. It has a cult-like following and is handmade and hand-poured in small batches, and contains a soothing combination of organic oils, organic beeswax and natural vitamin E. It is also handy in the purse, in the car, on the night stand and beyond. It fully passes the overnight challenge, no dry lips when you wake up.

What has been the most challenging part of your journey creating this brand?

Lisa and I both have had long careers as independent contractors, so we’re used to running a business, wearing lots of hats and having to think really quickly on our feet and be master problem solvers so we were up for the challenge.   Speaking from my side of the room, the actual manufacturing process has had a steeper learning curve than I expected.  As we started doing more, those 5 gallon pails of organic plant oils got a little heavier!  We are a bit unusual given we are the producers of our product, we don’t outsource.  So, when I need more, I don’t pick up the phone and place and order-I head back to the “lab” and get moving.

Any new products coming in the near future that you can share with us?

Yes!  We are collaborating with Jolene Hart http://www.jolenehart.com/about-jolene/ whose work we have long admired, to work with Kari creating our holiday 2015 color Lip Whip.  Stay tuned……

What sets you apart from your competitors?

The Kari Gran line is a unique regimen designed to enhance the skin’s natural beauty and encourage a holistic path to healthy, radiant skin. It is made of all-natural plant and essential oils that gently nourish the skin. Kari Gran products are not miracle creams, snake oil, or technologically advanced serums. They are gentle, timeless and natural. They work flawlessly for any age and skin type—they are truly “the little black dress” of eco-skin care.  We recently read a review that said our line was “small but mighty” a great compliment.  Good skin care doesn’t have to be complicated.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

That it’s okay to say no. In late 2014, we signed a deal with a home shopping network, went through contract negotiations and, ultimately, decided that the company didn’t understand our brand philosophy and had to forgo the opportunity for a large number of sales and brand exposure. In the end, we knew it was okay to say “no” and stay true to our brand for the right opportunity.