Self Care School with Jo’s Body Shop
And a DIY lip balm recipe from Jo herself at the end 🫶
Happy Wellness Wednesday self care queens 👸 🛁 🌷
Today we’re sharing some self care must-knows from yesterday’s Instagram Live with our soul sis (and camp counsellor) Jo.
Jo is the alchemist behind Jo’s Body Shop, a conscious, WOC-owned business from Colorado which she created from scratch just over a year ago.
We chatted about why self care is so important and the different ways we can show ourselves some TLC.
Here is a recap of our conversation.
2:00 - What is self care?
Jo mentions that there are many different ways to practice self care, usually falling into these two categories:
Internal self care happens when we press pause and take time to relax. Whenever we make an effort to be at peace (even when the external world feels chaotic) or unravel whatever knots we have tangled in our minds. It is the inner work that we need to do in order to know ourselves and process the things we’re moving through. Inner self care can be practiced through journalling, therapy, practicing mindfulness, setting goals, or simply taking a break.
External self care, on the other hand, is the stuff we do to make ourselves feel rejuvenated and refreshed. Relaxing in a fluffy robe with your favourite face mask, or spending extra time in the shower hydrating your skin with some body oil are both examples of external self care. It is about those thoughtful physical steps outside of your usual routine which allow you to celebrate yourself.
9:00 - What are some self care misconceptions?
In our chat with Jo we highlighted some major self care misconceptions. The first being that self care is only external. Even though Jo is the skincare queen herself, one of the first things she mentioned in our chat was about how self care for her is mostly an internal thing. Mindfulness practices as simple as being aware of your surroundings and how you are feeling in your body are also important forms of self care.
11:00 - What about the physical aspects of self care?
Jo stressed how movement practices such as yoga are a crucial part of her self care routine and how these practices have helped her cultivate a loving relationship to her body. She said that yoga was life-changing for her and we couldn’t agree more. We asked why it is important to take care of your body and she reminded us that our body is our temple. By treating it with loving kindness and accepting it as it is (flaws and all) we become the best version of ourselves. Why fight our bodies when we can work with them, right? Jo said that for her eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise such as walking or yoga, as well as nourishing her skin with masks and soaks all play important parts in her external self-care routine.
16:00 - Why is natural skincare important?
Jo emphasized the importance of using natural products on our bodies. According to Jo, using things that are as natural as possible ensures that we aren’t absorbing bad chemicals or toxins which can harm us. Unfortunately the skincare market in North America is highly unregulated. This means that the products we are purchasing as a means of helping our skin could actually be doing more harm than good. One of the things we noted in the live was this motto: if you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. Why? Because your skin is actually your body’s largest organ and it absorbs whatever you put on it. So use this rule of thumb, if you would be scared eating your skincare you probably shouldn’t use it.
More highlights from our chat:
Bentonite clay is the real MVP and is uh-maz-ing for detoxing armpits, a mask for tight curly hair, and for basically everywhere on the body.
Body butter and oils should only be used on wet skin! Why? Because they lock-in whatever is underneath them. So if you put them on dry skin, it only gets drier.
If you’re passionate about something but nervous about it, that is the perfect sign to go for it. Jo ended our convo with the line “do things scared” and we are totally here for it.
We loved our Wellness Wednesday IG Live session with Jo and we hope you learned as much as we did!
