First things first; when it comes to self-care, health and wellness, one of the most important elements is taking care of your skin. That means regularly cleansing your skin, making sure you protect with sunscreen and moderate sun exposure and moisturizing it daily. Paying attention to your skin type and how your skin reacts to different foods, environments, seasons etc. is all part of that self-care that will ensure your skin feels and looks great.

I recently was introduced to Empower, a Calgary-based skincare company that creates not only beautiful products but also creates business opportunities for women who are looking to get their start at entrepreneurism. First off, I love that the products include such great ingredients like organic aloe. It really makes a difference when a company cares about their ingredients.

I tried out five different Empower products: Radiate Body Butter, Nurture am/pm Moisturizer, Organic Aloe Night Treatment with probiotics, Renew Natural Enzyme Exfoliant with Organic Aloe and the Clean Foaming Cleanser.  I was really impressed with all of the products – especially the Organic Aloe Night Treatment; it is so light and fresh feeling and you know it is working some great healing magic on your skin overnight.

Empower has made it really easy to follow a skincare routine that is fairly simple and uncomplicated while also feeling great on your skin. Their three-step program starts with the Foaming Cleanser which is loaded with all natural plant and fruit based ingredients. After you gently cleanse your skin you move on to the Natural Enzyme Exfoliant with Organic Aloe. Natural enzymes from ingredients like papaya and pineapple give your skin a youthful glow as you exfoliate. Lastly the am/pm Moisturizer is going to hydrate and smooth out your skin. The formula is creamy without feeling heavy or greasy. It absorbs into your skin very quickly, leaving your face feeling light and hydrated. Overall the whole lineup is fantastic and I can see why this company has gained such growth.

I caught up with the amazing entrepreneur behind this great company, Deb Bateman, to chat about how she started Empower and some of the amazing things about her journey in entrepreneurship, skincare and working with women. Empower is more than just a skincare product line, it is also a company that allows women to become their own boss, work from home and sell the product themselves.

Tell me a bit about how you got started with Empower.

I was a single mom with two small children, running hotels and I wanted more balance in my life. I wanted to find my passion. I quit my job in 2000, three weeks before Christmas and decided that I was going to start a training company based on my love of working with people. My company was called The Affinities Group. Over the next ten years, I was really fortunate to have the privilege to meet and work with many First Nations people through my work. I always wanted to create something that would help women start their own business.

I met with several groups of women that I knew well and trusted with my business ideas, and I said “if I were to start this company – what do you think it would take to be successful?”. They responded with: confidence, strength and honour. That is what I ended up calling our three Empower collections. Our skincare is confidence, bodycare is honour and haircare is strength – the last one out of respect to First Nations people and the importance of hair in their culture.

What was most important to you when starting Empower?

I wanted to create a company that would empower women to run their own businesses that don’t have the initial skills to start their own company. I wanted to help them get from point A to point B. A lot of people want to be entrepreneurs but they don’t know where to start. We’ve grown a lot since we’ve started – I believe that our company’s vision is truly powerful. Our focus is definitely helping people with the entrepreneurial side of things with amazing skincare and bodycare products. We have some amazing women who are working with us doing amazing things for themselves and their families. It is truly awe-inspiring to see.

If you are interested in getting involved with Empower and becoming an Independent Business Owner simply click through and sign up for more information or call 1-855-465-0819.

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This post is in partnership with Empower. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep this blog full of fresh content.

I have always had somewhat poor eyesight. I still remembering being in grade school and squinting at the chalkboard trying to make out the words. I still remember getting my first pair of glasses in grade four and suddenly being able to see so clearly. My eyes continued to get worse all through my childhood and into my twenties. Now they’ve seemed to finally slow down and stay somewhat consistent – a big relief to me as my contact lens prescription is already pretty high.

Working as a writer and photographer requires me to take good care of my eye health. With a career that focuses on décor and design, my eyesight is super important to me – otherwise how would I experience life the way I do – or even make a living? In almost every part of my day to day I rely on my eyesight to create, write and share with my readers and followers.

By partnering with the Canadian Ophthalmology Society to share their See The Possibilities campaign, I’ve learned a bit more about the role of an ophthalmologist and the impact they have on their patients. Most people don’t know the difference between an ophthalmologist, an optometrist and an optician. Here is what you need to know:

Ophthalmologists specialize in eye and vision care and are the only eye care professionals who are medical doctors. They are trained to perform eye exams, diagnose and treat eye diseases, prescribe medications and perform surgery. They also write prescriptions for eyeglasses and contact lenses. While other eye health professionals can correct vision, only an ophthalmologist can restore it. Ophthalmologists are essentially the medical “quarterbacks” of the eye health team. They work collaboratively with the other eye O’s (opticians and optometrists) and other medical specialists to ensure optimal patient treatment and care.
Optometrists examine eyes for both vision and health problems and correct refractive errors by prescribing eyeglasses and contact lenses. An optometrist receives a doctor of optometry (OD), but is not a medical doctor.

Opticians use prescriptions written by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist to fit and sell eyeglasses and other eyewear.

Now that you know the difference between these three professions, you can see how important it is to have all three to care and maintain your eye health. As part of the See The Possibilities campaign, there are a number of amazing patient stories that share the transformative effect ophthalmologists have on the lives of their patients as well as the lives of their loved ones and family members. It’s so inspiring to see and also such a great reminder to remember how important it is to maintain your vision health.

To learn more and watch inspiring patient videos visit seethepossibilities.ca

 

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This post is in partnership with the Canadian Ophthalmology Society, Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep this blog full of fresh content.