Why Plant-Based Wellness?
When we use a plant-based natural approach to our self-care we become closer to nature and more aware of the power of her healing gifts.
Plant-based healing has been around for thousands of years.
The Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest and most important medical papyri of Ancient Egypt (c. 1550 BCE), attests to the Egyptians’ use of plants for medicinal purposes.
The papyrus describes plant-based remedies including the use of frankincense as a painkiller, cedar oil as an antiseptic, camphor to treat seizures, brushing with a loofah for skin exfoliation and sesame seed oil for beauty and purification. In fact, uncovered baskets of sesame seeds were found in Pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb.
Ancient Egyptians used natural substances such as salicin (a precursor to salicylic acid, a component of aspirin), extracted from the willow tree, to reduce inflammation and pain.
Aromatic plants’ fragrant oils and gums such as frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, cedarwood and juniper berry were integral to their embalming and mummification practices.
The constant activation of our sympathetic nervous system leads to chronically elevated levels of stress hormones such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine.
High levels of stress hormones can impair the immune system and disrupt the balance of our nervous system leading to symptoms such as anxiety, depression, memory loss, insomnia, irritability, hypertension, and digestive problems. 
Skin self-care taps into the brain’s emotional center.
Research shows that the touch of our hands massaging our skin stimulates the skin’s nerve cells sending signals to the brain to release endorphins, oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin.
These “feel-good" chemicals can give you a natural "high", strengthen the body’s immune system, and reduce its “stress hormones”.
Research indicates that the skin, nose and brain communicate through a complex network of neurotransmitters and hormones.
Scents can bypass the thought center of the thalamus and connect directly to the emotional center of the brain.
Remembering my father’s excitement on smelling the sweet scent of a jasmine flower for the first time since immigrating to Canada from Egypt, beautifully exemplifies how the olfactory route of inhalation can affect the emotional center of the brain.
Inhalation of essential oils and bio-active plant compounds can stimulate areas of the brain to release “feel-good” neurotransmitters that reduce the impact of stress hormones-increasing emotional well-being and reducing symptoms of pain, anxiety, stress, lethargy and low mood.
Egyptian Loofah sponges (Luffa Aegyptiaca) are 100% natural and hand-harvested from the loofah plants grown in the fertile Nile Delta region of Egypt.
Loofah plants are part of the gourd family and in Egypt are referred to as "Egyptian cucumbers". These Egyptian loofah sponges are free from chemicals, additives, and preservatives, ensuring a pure and safe exfoliating experience. Used for over 5,000 years in Egypt, the loofah has been a time-tested skincare tool known for its effectiveness in exfoliating, improving circulation, and enhancing skin appearance.