skincare — Blog — everthrive

My passions are rooted firmly in an essentialist lifestyle and in the pursuit of less.

Through many years of learning about myself through life’s ups and downs, I’ve identified the life I want - a life where I focus on my family, my health, my home, and cultivating meaningful experiences. A life where I safeguard my mental and physical health; a life where I help others do the same. Together with my family, I’ve cut out what isn’t essential in order to make way for what’s important. I’ve been in pursuit of less since 2013.

Early on in my journey, I encountered a severe barrier to reaching optimal health.

I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation around the spine, attacking the bones and joints, and can affect the arms and legs as well. AS also causes inflammation in the skin, intestines, and eyes. My symptoms included lower back pain, overall body stiffness, sciatica, and joint pain.

After many years of doctors and medications, I began to see a naturopath who steered me towards plant-based living to lower the inflammation markers in my body. I had to drastically reduce the stress in my life, as well as eliminate dairy, eggs, fried foods, and most meats from my diet. I began to choose healthier options and plant-based alternatives. I can safely say that I’ve been in remission from my AS symptoms for almost 4 years! It was hard at first, but now, 7 years later, plant-based living is such an easy choice to keep my body healthy.

Choosing natural plant-based skincare

I’ve either been pregnant or nursing for the past three years. During this time, I became aware that what I put on my skin goes directly into my body and its systems. As the skin is the largest organ of the body, I needed to start treating it with goodwill just like the rest of my body.

I’ve always prided myself on my low-maintenance skin care regimen.

Since my youth, I’ve existed on facial-care samples, gifted holiday-themed lotions, and pilfered hotel soaps. Once I began growing babies inside me, I became more concerned with what I put on my skin, and I started intentionally seeking out natural, organic, understandable plant-based alternatives. For a time, I became attached to a skin care line which seemed to be natural; however, I could never read or understand the ingredients.

Then, I discovered Peak Scents.

Peak Scents only uses pure plant-derived herbs, vitamins, and minerals. The products are simple and straightforward to use. This company uses plants as nature intended: as a complete resource for natural healing. Whenever possible, Peak Scents uses old-pressed, raw, non-GMO organic oils, vitamins, and extracts in their products. They never use chemicals or chemical preservatives, instead opting for food-grade preservatives. The ingredients are clearly listed and easy to understand. Peak Scents reflects my values and passion for plant-based living, which makes it easy to choose this skincare line.

DeeAnn Tracy founded Peak Scents in 1993.

She grew up in her mother’s apothecary shop in the 1970s, long before the essential oil craze, CBD hype, and renaissance of natural and holistic healing. DeeAnn was incredibly inspired by her mother’s desire to heal the world with the power of nature. It was her mission to learn about the earth and how to use herbs the best way. DeeAnn and her sister grew up in awe of their mother’s close relationship to Native American culture, and would often accompany their mother when she consulted elders about herbs.

It was through these intimate experiences with Native American culture and the outdoors that DeeAnn developed a deep, appreciative relationship with nature. The peace and comfort of the earth was acutely palatable to her, and the effects of this were amplified as she met people in her mother’s shop who ventured from all over the world who sought nature’s healing powers.

After a brief interlude where DeeAnn explored Western medicine and stepped away from natural remedies, she returned to Flagstaff to manage her mother’s store. She also began working as a Grand Canyon river guide where she again experienced a strong community brought together by nature.

After a time, she began noticing how her river guide community was suffering from terrible rashes due to the sun, the wind, and the heat.

“The sunscreen they bought in stores wasn’t cutting it. In fact, the chemicals in those products just made it worse. I saw this happen, and I knew that I could help…I didn’t see a business idea. I didn’t see my future. I just saw my community suffering from something I had the knowledge to fix. So I started making healing salves, passing them around to the other guides for free. As they worked their magic, I decided to make a sunscreen to share with them as well.” - DeeAnn Tracy

The more natural products she created and shared, the more people loved it. From there, Peak Scents was born. DeeAnn’s company emerged out of a deep love and necessity for healing, nourishment, community, spirit, and energy.

Just like DeeAnn, I’ve traveled on a path that led to me natural healing. For me, it makes perfect sense to choose Peak Scents products because they are completely in line with my personal belief that all people can achieve wellness through a compassionate and reverent relationship with nature, our communities, and ourselves.

If you are interested in learning more about Peak Scents and DeeAnn Tracy, you can visit the company website. And, if you would like to purchase any of their products, please enjoy 20% by using the code EVERTHRIVE.