The Pillars of Accessible Knowledge
Reclamation
When colonization first took place in Canada, the Indigenous People were not only stripped of their land, language, children & culture, but also their wellness & healthcare. Many wellness practices & herbal medicines were criminalized throughout the early stages of Canada’s development, creating greater distance between the Indigenous People and their sacred healing traditions. It is our belief that there is no ethical way to profit from the reclamation of stolen, censored and forgotten teachings.
The Preservation of Tradition
Traditionally, many of the beliefs and practices within indigenous cultures were passed down through the art of storytelling. Typically, this knowledge was transferred from generation to generation by Elders, Grandparents & Medicine People. When cultural rituals and practices became criminalized, children were being sent to residential schools. Many of our stories went with them, along with many languages & beliefs. By platforming these remembered stories and tongues in a free and accessible space, we can create conversations and piece together lost knowledge. Profit from generational trauma does not align with our values.
Spiritual &
Cultural Connection
When we discuss openly the ways in which we can practice & embrace these lost or formerly criminalized traditions, it begins to chip away at both the internal and external stigma that colonization & residential schools engrained into our communities, our families & ourselves. By sharing and practicing our ancestral teachings, we can forge a path toward spiritual and cultural freedom. Wealth gained at the hands of desperation and the loss of spiritual connection is inherently done with poor taste.
About Herbal Vixen
Our Story
My roots in herbalism and holistic views on wellness began with my ancestry as an Algonquin. In my younger years, I enjoyed walking through the woods with my Grandparents, where they taught me how to identify plants, and the ways that they and their ancestors used them. This is the way my culture teaches, by passing on knowledge and traditional uses for these beloved plants with stories and legends. I was captivated and sought out more and more information as the years went by. It was much later in life when I realized I wanted to help preserve these traditions in writing, for those who want to learn, to connect with Spirit and nature, without paywalls and deadlines.
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In 2018 I began my studies at Herbal Academy, where I started into my journey in becoming a Registered Herbalist. I’ve received my certification of completion in the mushroom course and both the introductory and intermediate herbal courses. I’ve earned badges of completion for botany and wild crafting, botanical skin care, and making herbal preparations. In total studying over 800 hours of course material, and completing various assignments. I am currently studying the advanced herbalism course and working my way towards completing my clinical hours to become registered herbalist (RH). Getting this registration would give me the opportunity to both educate and bring awareness to the benefits of herbal practice.
My goal with this website, and my social media presence is to make learning about herbs simple and straightforward. No signing up or credit card required. My reasoning behind this comes from my own struggles and frustration when it came to finding accessible, accurate information when I first began my studies. Many of the traditions when it comes to healing and wellbeing, specifically in the context of my ancestry, is fading away. This unfortunate reality is largely due to the tragedies of residential schools and colonization. The younger generations, my generation are left grasping at straws when it comes to what we know about our spirituality and medicine. I am driven by the call to do my part in making herbalism something we can practice and pass down the way it was meant to.
Miigwetch
Botanical Skin Care
Ingredients With Purpose
Want to learn more about what goes into our botanical skin care? Here you can find some of our star herbs and get to know how they're used in our products!
Shea Butter
Shea butter is best known for its deeply moisturizing properties. This natural emollient contains fatty acids (lineoleic, oleic, palmitic just to name a few) that lock in hydration reducing the look of dry skin & fine lines. Additionally, shea butter's naturally occurring blend of terpenes & fatty acids provide anti-inflammatory & antioxidant properties that have been shown to soothe skin conditions such as sun burns, eczema & psoriasis. [R]
Organic Fair
Trade Coffee
We take pride in our locally sourced finely ground organic coffee. Our beans are processed meticulously to ensure a smooth and gentle exfoliation that leaves the skin feeling silky & energized. When applied topically, coffee has been shown to support blood flow & lymphatic drainage which can in turn reduce the look of fine lines and cellulite. [R]
Handcrafted Blend of Warming Oils
Our Dirty Chai Exfoliating Soap Bar has the warming aromatics of a warm mug of homemade chai tea. The stars of this refined combination include Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, Vanilla & Clove. Our blend is curated with sensitive skin in mind, meaning all oils are 100% pure & used minimally. This way we are able to provide all of the benefits these amazing herbs have to offer without the skin irritation. [R]
Sweet Almond Oil
Our Wild Thyme Hair and Scalp Oil is made with Organic Canadian made Sweet Almond Oil. This oil is incredibly lightweight and sensitive skin friendly, making it perfect to soothe an irritated scalp while also hydrating split ends. This versatility is what allows our hair oil to be used both before the shower as a hair mask, and as a dry end treatment to lock in moisture before styling. [R]
A Blend of Organic & Locally Sourced Herbs
Our Wild Thyme Hair and Scalp Oils is specially formulated with a simple blend of organic & locally sourced herbs like Rosemary [R] Thyme [R], Rose [R] and Chamomile [R], that soothe irritation & overall improve the appearance of split ends. All products at The Herbal Vixen Co. are made with sensitive skin in mind, with organic, mild ingredients suited to all skin types.
