Hi Everyone,

Tina here (+1 662 830 8246, info@nakedactives.com). Here is our latest blog, and Chapter 7 of our recently published book. As you might know, our sister company Terrain Publishing has published a book with Formule De Soin, with a few of our founders from Naked Actives. Every week, we will publish all 10 Chapters from this great read and published book. The title of the book is called Skincare Collective- Conversations with Friends: From all natural skincare to the impact of social media in the beauty industry.  Click the link if you want to buy the book and read it in full or read these blogs of the book here! 

Chapter 1 of the Skincare Collective

Chapter 2 of the Skin Care Collective

Chapter 3 of the Skin Care Collective

Chapter 4 of the Skin Care Collective

Chapter 5 of the Skin Care Collective

Chapter 6 of the Skin Care Collective

Chapter 7 of the Skin Care Collective 

Chapter 7: 

The Skincare Collective– Naturopathic Doctor Shares All

Name: Dr. Donata Girolamo

A Q & A with a Naturopathic Doctor

Dr. Donata Girolamo, a lovely and welcoming naturopathic doctor. She shares her thoughts below with our team. As a patient of Dr. Donata, I know first hand how kind and compassionate she is with her patients. It’s no wonder, her practice is booming.

 

Sarah: Do you believe that diet/nutrition correlates with skin care health? Why or why not?

 

Dr. Donata: 100%! Nutrition is the foundation of healthy skin. Our skin is a reflection of what’s happening on the inside of the body. Our skin will show signs and symptoms if there is inflammation in the body from a poor diet. 

 

Sarah: Do you see this in your line of work?

 

Dr Donata: Yes. Skin concerns are a common symptom patients wish to address in their appointments (acne, eczema, rashes, psoriasis), and there is a resolution of skin symptoms when we get the right diet in place.  Additionally, patients will comment on improved skin conditions even when addressing other main symptoms with diet and nutrition.

 

Sarah: What is one piece of advice you wish you could tell your younger self about taking care of your skin?

 

Dr. Donata: Hydrate! Looking back on 2 different times in my life when I had acne, I was not drinking nearly enough water. 

 

Sarah: What age did you start putting a focus on skin care?

 

Dr. Donata: Health has been a focus for me for over 20 years. This helped my skin from the inside. I started focusing on good quality skin care products consistently at about 35 years old. 

 

Sarah: What's your favorite beauty tip that you use often? 

 

Dr. Donata: Meditate! People who meditate have a youthful, compassionate and peaceful quality that radiates beauty. 

 

Sarah: What's your favorite product line? Out of that what's your favorite product?

 

Dr. Donata: It took me years to find my favourite lines, and now I mix and match! I love the local company Garden City Essentials, especially the daily moisturizer. It’s not too heavy, yet also works well in the winter. I love Consonant Skin + Care; the natural foaming face wash and the ultra firming organic eye cream. From the American company Primally Pure my favourite product is the plumping serum. 

 

Sarah: How much sun do you enjoy each day? Do you use an SPF?

 

Dr. Donata: Summer is my favourite time of year. I appreciate sun kissed skin because it reminds me of being care-free, having fun with friends, and appreciating nature. Now that I am older and work full time, I probably get approx. 40 minutes of sun time daily during the week while walking my dog. On the weekends, it could be all day in nice weather. I will use a face cream with SPF during the summer and on tropical vacations. 

 

Sarah: Did you ever have a problem with your skin such as acne? What was the best advice you used to overcome the issue or help your skin?

 

Dr. Donata: I had acne at 2 different periods in my life – as a teenager, and then during my post graduate education. As a teen, looking back it was due to my diet. I had a standard American diet filled with wheat, sugar, dairy, too many grains, not enough water, or good fats. When I learned about an anti-inflammatory, low glycemic diet, my health changed in many ways, including my skin. 

 

Naturopathic school was a stressful period of life, and my skin reflected it. I not only had acne, but also bad eczema. My diet was pretty good during this time, so this is when I explored how the stress response influenced my skin. Stress can change our gut health – the microbiome – along with increasing acidity levels, and decreasing the detoxification abilities of our liver and kidneys. This can make us retain toxins and forces the body to try to eliminate them through our secondary organ of elimination – our skin! In this case, I had to change my perception of stress, focus on self-care, detoxification, and support my hormones.  

 

Sarah: Walk us through your daily skincare routine what's your favorite part?

 

Dr. Donata: In the mornings I will use a natural cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and eye cream. When I have time or need a little something, I will use a rose quartz face roller that I keep in the freezer.  

 

My favourite part is in the evenings. I use a cleansing oil and then put a hot face cloth on my skin for 30-60 seconds and then wash off. Then I will use a plumping serum followed by a cream of fats and organic plant oils. I recently started using a night lip serum which I absolutely love! Sometimes, like in the depths of winter, I will do some facial acupuncture on myself. You can really see a difference in skin tone, wrinkles, plumpness, and pores. 

 

Sarah: Tell us something fun about yourself that you don't normally share. 

 

Dr. Donata: I played percussion in the high school band. 

 

Sarah: Is there anything else that you would like to highlight about how natural health and skin care compliment each other? 

 

Dr. Donata: I’d like to highlight that there are many facets to skin care – nutrition, stress management, detoxification, hormonal, oxidation, environmental pollutants, and immune health. Taking care of your skin requires a multi-faceted individualized approach and a dedication to your health!

 

About Dr. Donata Girolamo

“My life changed in 1998 when I learned about the mind-body connection. I started to realize how much control we have over our health, and how much chaos we can create in our health. I went on to study English literature and Sociology, because it was through these avenues the brilliant authors continued to share this idea of symbolism, of metaphor, that we each carry in our lives and connect to our health if we stop to look and listen. We all have a story. Through yoga, this same connection was revealed, through the breath.

During this time I experimented with my own health, and found that simple nutritional changes completely transformed my life; my immune system strengthened, I lost weight and energy increased.

Then I found Naturopathic medicine. This was it! This combined the thread I was looking for – the mind and emotions are intricately embedded in our cells and organs, and Naturopathic medicine could account for it.

Since then, my journey has lead me to understand how important all aspects of the body are:

• the physical – we live in a polluted environment, children are born with hundreds of known toxins, getting addicted to sugar at an early age, are inundated with antibiotics, the list is endless here.
• the emotional – our stress hormones touch each organ system and now are known to cause most chronic disease.

Addressing all factors is imperative to health care. My passion continues to be inspired by how magnificent the body is, and how it educates us about our entire being if we connect the dots. The body is the true healer, the one with the wisdom.”

– Dr. Girolamo

Dr. Donata Girolamo is a licensed and registered Naturopathic doctor in St.Catharines, ON. She maintains a private practice, where she cares for families using evidence-based medicine, combined with the art and wisdom of traditional medicine. She also has a special interest in women’s health, mental wellness and fertility.

Dr. Girolamo is committed to continuing education, and has extensive training in homeopathy, biotherapeutic drainage, auricular medicine, and medical intuition. She has additional certification in First Line Therapy, a lifestyle program for weight loss and chronic disease prevention and treatment. Dr. Girolamo has taken intensive courses in Vipassana and Mindfulness meditation, and mind-body medicine.

She is certified by the Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy Naturopathy and an active member of The Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors, and the Association of Perinatal Naturopathic Doctors. She is a regular contributor to Health Wellness and Safety magazine, and has written for Canadian Health and Lifestyle. She is a guest speaker at Niagara College, teaching stress management with meditation, and is active in the community, giving health talks to groups like Run Girl Run, Happy Hearts, and Form Fitness