The Wise Consumer

What is wildcrafted skincare? What are the benefits of wildcrafted skincare? And, what is this new magical “natural” anti-aging alternative to retinol everyone’s been talking about?! (hint: it's Bakuchiol). If these are questions you want answers to then you’ll absolutely want to tune in to this podcast episode with Kendra Kolb Butler, the founder of Alpyn Beauty. 

Kendra is a wild plant beauty enthusiast, former Manhattanite and 20-year beauty industry veteran who spent the majority of her career leading sales, marketing and public relations initiatives at leading luxury beauty companies from Givenchy and Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare to Clarins and Coty.

But, in 2015, everything shifted in Kendra’s life when she swapped out her high-heels for hiking shoes and moved out west with her family in search of open spaces, fresh mountain air, and serenity. As you’ll hear in our conversation, this was a scary decision for Kendra, but one that opened so many new doors for her. In fact, it was this move that led Kendra to launching her own wildcrafted skincare line, Alpyn Beauty -- a sustainably sourced natural skin care line formulated with, wildcrafted and hand-cultivated alpine botanicals grown in the mountains surrounding Jackson Hole, WY. 

In this conversation Kendra shares all about the journey that led her to launching Alpyn Beauty, how climate affects your skin, the environmental and skincare benefits of using sustainably sourced wildcrafted botanicals, what wildcrafted skincare is, the importance of ingredient transparency when it comes to skincare products, how she defines "clean beauty” in an industry where there is no FDA legal definition for such terms, and so much more! Hit play to tune-in now!

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The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/wildcrafted-skincare/

A few months ago I found myself once again parked in the middle of the supplement aisle at the grocery store reading the back labels of various prenatal supplements. I was pretty confused. What minerals and vitamins should my prenatal include? Should it include folic acid or folate? Is the brand third party certified and sustainably created? I had so many questions. So I went home and did what I do best...research. 

A few hours later I came across Full Circle Prenatal, a comprehensive, evidence-based prenatal multivitamin designed to deliver optimal forms and amounts of nutrients for women before, during, and after pregnancy developed by Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner, Ayla Barmmer, MS, RDN, LDN. I reached out to Ayla to chat with us to help clear up some of the confusion I know so many individuals face when it comes to selecting a prenatal and to help us better understand which nutrients we should be including in our diet when TTC and/or pregnant. 

In this episode Ayla will walk us through the nutrients women should include in their diet before, during, and after pregnancy, the difference between folate and folic acid, why iron isn’t included in Full Circle Prenatal, why so many of us are Vitamin D deficient and how we can remedy that, the difference between plant-based prenatals and synthetic prenatals, the challenges she faced and overcame to develop Full Circle Prenatal, and so much more! 

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The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/nutrients-to-include-in-your-diet-during-pregnancy/ 

Today you’ll be hearing from Dr. Aly Cohen, a board certified rheumatologist and integrative medicine specialist, as well as an environmental health expert from Princeton, NJ. Over the years she has collaborated with the Environmental Working Group, Cancer Schmancer, and other disease- prevention or­ganizations. She is also the co-editor of the textbook, Integrative Environmental Medicine, part of the Oxford University Press/Weil Integrative Medicine, Academic Series as well as the co-author of the book "Non-Toxic: Guide to living in a chemical world.”

I reached out to Dr. Cohen after coming across her book “Non-Toxic” because I was just blown away by the content, research, and resources she compiled to help consumers live healthier, more eco-friendly, and conscious lifestyles, which as you know, is something I am super passionate about! Now, while I absolutely love her book, and highly recommend it, I felt like there were a few topics from the book that I wanted to explore in further detail with her on the podcast. So, I invited Dr. Cohen to speak with us and friend, I am thrilled to share our conversation with you because it’s truly packed with so much useful, practical, budget-friendly, and actionable steps we can all implement to help us live healthier, less toxic lives today.

In this episode you'll learn how to reduce your exposure to flame retardants and why it matters, how wifi technology might be impacting our health, what the precautionary principle in environmental science is, how to improve indoor air quality within your home, and how to live a less toxic life without feeling super overwhelmed. If you’re curious about any of these topics or simply looking for simpler ways to reduce your exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, then this is a conversation I know you’re going to appreciate.

So, what are you waiting for? Press play and learn how you can live a healthier, less toxic life today.

The Wise Consumer "Feel Good-Do Good" Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/feelgooddogoodclub/

The Wise Consumer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewiseconsumer/

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/how-to-improve-indoor-air-quality-live-a-healthier-less-toxic-life/ 

As a Franco-American woman there aren’t many things in this world that I love more than a glass of dark dry oaky red wine. I’ve been drinking wine since I was about 4 years old actually. My French grandfather, my Bon Papa, used to fill up my little glass at the lunch table with a mix of water and wine. And I remember feeling so grown up that he would include me in this ritual, because that’s what wine was, and still is, in my family today. Wine is part of our dining ritual. We spend hours at the dinner table eating cheese, drinking wine, talking, laughing...and these are some of my absolute favorite moments. 

But, throughout my hormone healing and health journey, one of the things I couldn’t help but be curious about was the impact alcohol may be having on my hormones, and overall health. So, I did a bit of digging and came up with some pretty interesting findings all of which we’ll be talking about today. In this episode we’ll be exploring how alcohol impacts your hormones, why you should eat before you drink, whether or not red wine is actually healthy, the connection between alcohol and weight gain, and more!

Note: Special thanks to registered dietician Kathleen Robins, the founder and CEO of Kathleen Robins Nutrition, for reviewing this episode for accuracy. 

The Wise Consumer "Feel Good-Do Good" Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/feelgooddogoodclub/

The Wise Consumer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewiseconsumer/

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/how-alcohol-impacts-your-hormones/ 

Do you wear hair extensions? Do you suffer from rashes, acne, or severe discomfort because of your hair extensions? Are you tired of dealing with a painful itchy scalp? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions then I know you’re going to become a fan of my guest today, Ciara Imani May. Ciara is the founder of Rebundle, a plant-based, biodegradable, itch-free, toxic free hair extensions brand. As the first beauty brand to address the health and environmental disparities in the hair extensions industry, Rebundle is not only creating non-toxic and eco-friendly hair extensions but is also taking action to help eliminate the waste created by conventional synthetic hair extensions. 

So, if you’ve ever wondered what chemicals are found in your hair extensions, how these chemicals may impact your health, how to reduce synthetic hair waste, the challenges Ciara and her team have had to overcome to create the first US plant-based non-toxic and biodegradable hair extensions, then you’ll want to keep listening because Ciara answers all these questions and more in today’s episode! This is such a fun conversation and I know you’re going to learn so much! Happy listening! 

The Wise Consumer "Feel Good-Do Good" Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/feelgooddogoodclub/

The Wise Consumer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewiseconsumer/

The Wise ConsumerShow Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/rebundle-hair-extensions/ 

Being a consumer can sometimes be confusing, right? Sigh. Especially when it comes to selecting our skincare and cosmetic products. You’d think it’d be an easy decision but, to be honest, there’s a lot of contradictory information being thrown at us making it harder for us to know who to “trust.” 

On one hand you have reputable organizations and reports citing that conventional cosmetic products are packed with harmful ingredients, ingredients that are often untested and unregulated by the FDA. Scientific research claiming that fragrance is just another word for “hidden toxic ingredients.” Yet, on the other hand, you’ll also find organizations and research citing that the “clean” beauty industry is a hoax, a bunch of anti-science bullsh** based on fear mongering! And that the FDA does regulate cosmetic products! 

So which is it? Does the FDA regulate cosmetics? Is fragrance something to be concerned about? Is clean-beauty “anti-science”? Are you confused yet? I am. So, to help clear up some of the confusion and to answer some of these questions, I invited cosmetic chemist and marketing expert Melissa Christenson to speak with us on the podcast. 

Trust me, if you’re confused, you’ll want to listen to today’s episode as Melissa answers all these questions and more. I learned so much from Melissa and I know you will too! 

The Wise Consumer "Feel Good-Do Good" Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/feelgooddogoodclub/

The Wise Consumer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewiseconsumer/

If you’re an individual who menstruates today, count your blessings. Seriously. Do you have any idea what women went through before the invention of disposable feminine hygiene products?! Most likely this isn't a topic you've thought about a lot. Neither did I, to be honest. But, as I started exploring zero-waste period alternatives and plastic pollution, it got me thinking...how did women cope with their periods back in the day? 

In today's episode I'll guide you through my favorite zero-waste period options, share my personal struggles with the menstrual cup (let’s just say things didn’t go as planned), explore the history of menstruation (will make you grateful to be a menstruating individual in the 21st Century!), the environmental impact of disposable period products, and more! 

The Wise Consumer "Feel Good-Do Good" Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/feelgooddogoodclub/

The Wise Consumer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewiseconsumer/

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/how-to-have-a-zero-waste-period/ 

Over the past year I have been researching, taking courses, and reading as much as I can about women’s hormone health. My husband thinks I am obsessed. And, you know what!? He is right. I am learning more about my body and how it functions today than ever before. Uncovering information about my period that I wish I’d learned ages ago. I had no idea for instance that my hormones were outta whack until I started understanding the science behind my menstrual cycle. Turns out symptoms that I thought were normal....actually weren’t.  

Which is why I am so excited to introduce you to today’s guest, Krista King, MS, RDN, LDN-- a holistic health expert, certified dietician and Integrative and Functional Nutrition Practitioner. Krista helps women get to the root causes of their hormonal and/or gut related imbalances by integrating intuitive eating philosophies, evidence-based nutrition practices, and spiritual and emotional tools. Over the past few years Krista has made it her mission to not only help women get to the root cause of their health issues but to help women heal their hormones more naturally.  

If you’re someone who menstruates, has painful periods, who’s curious about the role nutrition plays in supporting your hormones, and wants to learn more about the four phases of your menstrual cycle, then you’ll want to tune into today’s episode. 

The Wise Consumer "Feel Good-Do Good" Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/feelgooddogoodclub/

The Wise Consumer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewiseconsumer/

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/4_phases_of_menstrual_cycle/ 

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Do you use lube? Have you ever wondered why your sex life may benefit from lube? Curious about whether or not “natural” brands actually work and/or if you can use coconut oil as lube? Trust me, you’re not alone. I can’t tell you how many times women have timidly asked me these questions. Questions, I had been asking myself to be honest. 

So, I decided to dedicate an entire podcast episode to the topic of lubrication, lube for short.

In today’s episode I explore, the benefits of using lube, the difference between oil, water, and silicone-based lubes, which ingredients you might consider avoiding and why, 3 of my favorite eco and natural lube brands, whether or not it’s OK to use coconut oil as lube and more! 

The Wise Consumer "Feel Good-Do Good" Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/feelgooddogoodclub/

The Wise Consumer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewiseconsumer/

The Wise Consumer Show Notes: https://thewiseconsumer.com/why-your-sex-life-may-benefit-from-natural-lube/ 

Welcome to The Wise Consumer podcast! The show that answers and explores all your eco-friendly and healthy lifestyle questions -- how to select safe cosmetic products, whether or not it’s normal to have a painful period, how to cycle sync, how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle on a budget, and more!

With the help of the experts -- I am talking scientists, toxicologists, endocrinologists, cosmetic chemists -- you’ll get knowledge and know-how to your most pressing health concerns and sustainability questions, straight from the source. 

This is a space where I do the heavy lifting so you don’t have to - a space where you can incrementally evolve, live a more mindful life and do good for yourself, your family and the planet in the process. 

So, come on in, pour yourself a cup of tea (or glass of wine!) and join me every Monday and Wednesday as we explore mindful and healthy living tips, tricks and takeaways to create the kind of slower, sustainable life you’ve been craving. 

This is our space, our corner of the world where we feel good to do good. Together. Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcast and make sure to connect with me at www.thewiseconsumer.com and on Instagram @thewiseconsumer