Here’s How the Team Behind Primally Pure Stay Cool (and Gorgeous)
Less is always more, especially when it comes to skincare and natural beauty.
This best shown by the skin-loving and nourishing products of Primally Pure, a company that makes nontoxic and organic skincare products with real ingredients found in nature.
Primally Pure steps outside the box with its ingredient list. Along with the almighty skin-loving organic coconut oil and shea butter, Primally Pure’s products are filled with unique ingredients such as locally sourced hydrosols and tallow from grass-fed cows.
Want to learn more about this primally perfect company? Read on for our exclusive interview with Courtney O’Connor, licensed esthetician and Marketing Director of Primally Pure on their summer must haves and skin tips and tricks.
Organic Authority: Tell us about Primally Pure – How did it get started? What exactly makes Primally Pure primal?
Courtney O’Connor: After struggling for years with acne and trying every mainstream product on the market, Bethany McDaniel began making her own replacements with real, recognizable ingredients. First she began making products just for herself and her hubby, but before long she began selling her products on her family farm’s website. From there, Primally Pure continued to grow into what it is today.
By definition, primal means very basic and powerful – and that’s exactly the approach we take at Primally Pure. The most pure and powerful ingredients our planet has to offer to support radiant skin, a healthy body and happy self. We’re taking a modern twist to traditional practices that our ancestors incorporated for centuries.
OA: What does Primally Pure offer to consumers? What sets it apart from other skincare brands?
CO: We offer skincare and beauty products that enrich your life by providing you with noticeable results without sacrificing health or well-being.
There are so many “organic” beauty brands out there, but so few that are truly pure, natural, and non-toxic. It’s easy for brands to hide behind marketing slogans like “made with organic shea butter,” because even though that may be true, organic shea butter (or whatever ingredient is being promoted) is often times at the very bottom of a long list of not-so-natural ingredients.
This isn’t the case with Primally Pure. Our products are made with only 100% natural ingredients. We don’t use harmful preservatives, hormone-disrupting fragrances, or anything that has the potential to compromise the health of the person using it.
OA: Tell us about tallow. Why use it in your products?
CO: Tallow is an incredibly nourishing, vitamin-rich form of pure, rendered animal fat that is quickly making a big comeback in skincare. Before the influx of man-made chemicals and unnatural substances in skincare, tallow was a prominent part of skincare products developed and used by our ancestors.
We only use tallow from organic and grass-fed cows that were raised outside on pasture. Healthy animals in turn produce healthy tallow that contains a high concentration of fat soluble Vitamins A, D, K in a balanced combination with their activators. Grass-fed tallow also contains Vitamin E, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is anti-inflammatory as well as palmitoleic acid with has natural antimicrobial properties.
OA: One of your bestsellers (and summer must-haves!) is deodorant. Why should someone choose a natural deodorant over a conventional brand?
CO: One of the most chemical-filled personal care products most of us apply every single day exposes our skin and entire self to an array of ingredients that have been proven to cause more harm than health. Aluminum, often the most active ingredient in antiperspirants, is carried through the bloodstream, targets the central nervous system and also settles into fatty tissue and breast tissue.
In addition to being toxic, aluminum also interferes with the body’s natural and necessary process for overall health – sweating! Sweat helps to rid the body of toxic buildup but antiperspirants block that cleansing, detoxifying function completely. Instead, they add to the problem of toxic buildup in our bodies.
You can bring balance back to your body with good-for-you ingredients by choosing a natural, effective alternative to conventional chemicals.
OA: Along with keeping our underarms fresh and dry, how else can we nourish our skin this summer?
CO: Sleep and water intake are also key for radiant summer skin. When our bodies are given the time they need to truly rest and slow down, they’re able to focus healing energy and restorative functions on repairing and rebuilding the body.
Drinking water helps to keep the natural detoxification process on track, maintaining a healthy flow of the excretory system and lymphatic system to move out toxins and cleanse cells of built-up waste. Opt for a glass water bottle that easily fits in your bag and infuse it with your favorite summer fruits and herbs!
OA: Summer usually means sunburn. What are some of your favorite ways to soothe burned skin or even prevent sun damage in the first place?
CO: Sunshine is a wonderful thing (producing much needed Vitamin D in the body!), but too much of it can also be damaging. However, conventional sunscreens contain a number of harsh, hormone disrupting and cancer-causing ingredients that we thoughtlessly slather all over the largest organ of our body before venturing out into the sun.
Again, especially in this sun protection situation, we continue to take the stance that nature is smarter than science. Sunscreens made from natural, non-toxic ingredients that use non-nano Zinc Oxide as the main active ingredient can be a great option.
If you have found yourself stuck in the sun for too long or forgot to apply your sun protection (even hats, sunnies and sarongs are a perfect, simple way to cover up!), aloe vera and lavender are powerful healing plants that your skin will be oh so thankful for! Our Everything Spray helps to repair and calm skin inflammation and irritation with lavender hydrosol and essential oil, aloe vera juice and several other natural skin-soothing ingredients.
CO: We love wellness tips and hacks. Do you have any wellness or skincare tips and hacks for healthy summer skin?
PP: A super simple health hack but one that is oftentimes so difficult to actually apply… Stress less. Seriously! Constant pressures and rapid heart rates plague our culture relentlessly and chronic stress is serious stuff – overexposure to stress severely attacks the health of our skin and self.
When our bodies undergo prolonged stress, the hormone cortisol is increased which can contribute to inflammation and make our skin more susceptible to breakouts. The effects of stress on the skin can appear differently depending on the individual (rashes, eczema, rosacea and psoriasis can all be stress-induced skin conditions). Setting aside time for self-care and creating habits that help minimize stress levels this summer is one of the most powerful healing approaches to skincare.
A secret to de-stress and ensure radiant skin is another super simple tip – taking long, intentional breaths. Deep breathing calms inflammation in the skin and body, boosts immunity, provides much needed oxygen for nourishment and replenishes vital nutrients to our blood and brain. It’s a simple, yet powerful reminder to remain present, and in the process, keeps skin clear and your whole self radiant.
OA: Along with nourishing our outsides, nourishing our insides is crazy important. Do you have any favorite summer beauty foods?
CO: Yes! Foods that are in season and are locally sourced are our beauty food favorites! Berries have high antioxidant properties which are powerful at repairing and protecting the body against free radical damage. Blending berries in a morning smoothie along with collagen peptides, organic greens and half of an avocado is a perfect way to start your day for natural energy and a glow that radiates from within.
Salads are always a summer favorite, as well! Fresh, cool and so easy to throw together, summer salad options are endless and the beauty benefits are numerous. From wild-caught salmon and walnuts with their essential fatty acids to nourish the skin at a cellular level and fresh mint leaves and watermelon to refresh the whole body and boost hydration levels. Get creative, make it colorful, drizzle with avocado oil and you can’t go wrong!
OA: What’s your craziest, most out-there beauty habit?
CO: From collagen peptides to cod liver oil and oil pulling to bone broth, Bethany has inspired our entire team to take a more natural approach to beauty and well-being. These once crazy, out-there beauty habits have now become a normal part of our daily routine! While they may seem a bit strange, here’s how to start incorporating these crazy but simple beauty habits in your own summer routine…
Start by oil pulling with coconut oil first thing in the morning for a whole body detox and a natural way to whiten teeth and freshen breath. Add a couple scoops of collagen peptides in your morning smoothie or cup of coffee to strengthen and repair skin tissue. Follow up with teaspoon of cod liver oil for a powerhouse of skin-healing nutrients including vitamins A, D, E and K2. And finally, sip on a mug of bone broth as a source of anti-aging minerals and one of the oldest healing foods on the planet.
Most importantly, remember that beauty radiates from the inside out. And (cheesy as it may sound) no matter how many things you do to improve your skin’s health and outer appearance, nothing will make your complexion glow more than a joyful spirit! This summer, focus on doing things that bring you joy — cultivate happiness on the inside and it will shine on the outside.
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