Award Winning Canadian And Pure + Simple Beauty
Alanna Mitchell: Pure + simple Beauty
Alanna is an award winning author and journalist, a media personality and a Pure + simple beauty!
Her two best-selling books, Dancing at the Dead Sea and Sea Sick, is her passionate and intelligent way of bringing us closer to the disappearing beauties of the world.
Led by her sense of curiosity and adventure, Alanna visited the rarely explored depths of the oceans as well as remote islands where she witnessed the impact of our disregard for nature. Now, with great courage, she is in rehearsal getting ready to perform her one-woman play based on her award-winning book Sea Sick. Sea Sick is a scientific chronicle of the life work of renowned marine biologists from around the world on the state of the oceans. It can also be read as an exciting mystery novel about the perilous future of mankind.
“Yours Truly” was lucky enough to attend the play’s read-through. Like the book, it is filled with enchanting stories. Even if you flunked science, the play will help you get the meaning of the numbers on climate change. First you will feel delight, intrigued by suspense, then horror.
Much like how we can feel about our skin sometimes.
So what type of Pure + simple beauty is Alanna? As always, Ayurveda is our tool to help connect with our skin. As evident in her physical energy and complexion, Alanna is a Pitta Kapha. This means she is logical and objective with a deep sensual conservative side.
Being a Pitta, Alanna can accurately record the changes in the oceans with the brain and eyes of a scientist while her Kapha trait is what leads to the deep, sensual prose in her books and play that reveals to us the beautiful world we are unwittingly destroying.
So what is this eco-conscious beauty’s approach to maintaining balanced, healthy skin?
“Skincare is something I am really passionate about! I have relied utterly on Pure + simple for nearly 15 years. I remember the moment in 2001 when, after a facial from you, you told me that all the products I was using were wrong. You said that they were actually drying out my skin and causing breakouts! You were absolutely correct. I had already switched to all-natural, organic products because I had been writing on some of the potentially harmful synthetic chemicals in the traditional products. I couldn’t see how it made sense to slather those chemicals on my skin and watch as my body absorbed them. I remember you telling me once that you try to find products for Pure + simple that are so pure you could eat them.”
As a busy and devoted Pitta Kapha, Alanna needs to have a simple unencumbered skincare regime to maintain her rooted Kapha beauty for the public eye. Here’s what she revealed about her skincare routine:
“I had my first facial with you and you suggested a simple, effective regime for my skin. After I made the switch, my skin was completely transformed and became clear and radiant! Of course, my regime has changed as I’ve gotten older but my daily routine is still simple.
To cleanse, I use the Naturopathica Chamomile Cleansing Milk. Then I use Holistic Vanity’s Healing Immortelle Tonic, followed by the Pure + simple Rejuvenating Face Oil. I love its geranium scent! I finish my moisturizing with Martina Gebhardt’s Sheabutter Cream. If I’m going out, I’ll use a sunscreen of some sort on top, usually Green Beaver.
In the winter when my skin is dry, I often massage my face with oil in my morning bath – a tip I got from one of Kristen’s blogs. I will use whatever I have on hand, usually mixing them: Jojoba and Rosehip, Seabuckthorn, or Argan oil. A few times a week I use Tata Harper’s Regenerating Cleanser to exfoliate. I found this product recently at the spa and I absolutely love it! After exfoliating, if my skin is feeling dry, I’ll put on the Pure + simple Calming Cucumber Mask and luxuriate in the tub for a while.”
As busy as she is, Alanna always makes time to treat her skin and give herself a much-needed rest. What is her favourite Pure + simple facial?
“Every time my skin feels dry or unhappy — and usually when the seasons change — I get a Super Hydrating Facial . I love the Oxygen Treatment it comes with as well as the Restoration Mask!”
As told to Jean Eng, February 2014.
