I have collaborated with The Skin Skope team and was lucky enough to get the opportunity to sit down with the founders to learn more about their brand! Check out my interview below!


​Tell me about yourselves:
We are the creators of The Skin Skope (TSS), a natural beauty and wellness website that wants to support you through your beauty journey. Our goal is to create a community that empowers people with sensitive skin to live healthy lifestyles so they can glow from the inside out and be proud to go au naturale! We believe in looking good and feeling good. We want you to feel confident and own your naturally beautiful self so we’ve done the work for you and Skoped out the best ways to help soothe your unique skin type through recipes, treatments, DIYs, motivation and lifestyle tips. We also collaborate with local brands and people like you to share their stories through our two series You Are Not Alone and The Locals.

What lead you to starting your business?
It all started after we both spent many years suffering from acne and eczema with doctors subscribing us drugs that could hurt our health in the long term. We quickly grew tired of the countless promises made to us by doctors and box store beauty experts who only gave us short-term solutions. We knew we didn’t need a band-aid, we needed a natural solution and that’s when we started started swapping natural remedy ideas and talking through our discomforts to help one another. There was comfort connecting with others who understood your struggle and the emotional impact it can have on your self-esteem. That’s when we realized that there needs to be a space for people looking for a long-term solution, a lifestyle that will help them feel confident and heal their skin. We created The Skin Skope shortly after and it’s become our passion to help and connect with others who share the same love for green beauty and wellness.
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What is your skin condition? 
Alex: I have acne prone, sensitive skin. I used to suffer from cystic acne.
Mala: I have very sensitive skin and eczema. ​

​When did your skin condition begin?
Alex: Growing up I had clear beautiful skin with barely any blemishes until I reached the age of 18-19 and adult acne started to show. It didn’t help that I was in my first year of college eating from the cafeteria every day. My skin went from breakouts to cystic acne. I didn’t start to see results until I became vegan and started switching my products to more natural ones. Throughout my skin journey I have learned to be very careful with what I eat every day and what products I put on my skin. That is why green beauty products are so important to me because they aren’t full of chemicals and toxins that can cause my skin to be irritated.
Mala: I’ve always suffered from eczema since I was a kid. I would have small patches on the insides of my elbows and knees but nothing too serious until the year of 2015 when I had an eczema outbreak that covered my entire body. I knew that it was an issue that was enteral and I wanted to get to the root cause of it. There and then was when I decided to go on this holistic journey in discovering my body and healing my eczema.
 
Does it continue to affect your life?
Alex: My skin issues has affected my life every day because I have to always be mindful that what I put in my body can show up on my skin. This mindfulness has taught me a lot about health and wellness and what my body really needs to be healthy and happy!
Mala: Now after I did my research and know my body a bit better, I am more at ease as to why I have these eczema breakouts. Don’t get me wrong, it is a bit frustrating at times when I do get those breakouts but now I know what triggered it. 

What do you recommend others who are going through similar situations to you do to overcome their conditions?
Alex: Get back to the basics and start within. Drink lots of water, get enough sleep each night, exercise and have a killer beauty routine that you like and stick to. On top of that, start being mindful of what you are eating each day. You can do that by writing in a food journal then you can see which foods are causing irritation. A good resource for how to do this is the Skin Cleanse by Adina Grigore. Once you get into the swing of your new routine you’ll start to notice that your skin is glowing and your body is happy!
Mala: Don’t give up, be strong and keep at it. Healing your body naturally can take awhile and you might not get the results as fast as you wish, but it will eventually heal. To me it was well worth it and what motivated and inspired me the most was having the support system, through friends, family and connecting with those who have the same issues.
 
What does the saying "true beauty is skin deep" mean to you?
Your external beauty does not make who you are, it’s what’s inside that counts. We believe that every natural beauty is someone who allows their inner confidence to glow and shine through, that is someone who is truly beautiful.
 
Can you share your daily skincare routine?
Alex: Every morning I wake up and wash my face with warm water and Wyld Skincare’s Bamboo Charcoal Konjac Sponge then I spray on Wildcraft Care’s Bergamot Rose Toner followed by applying Smith Farms Marshmallow Face Cream and Indie Lee’s Squalane Facial Oil. I have been adding my oil blend of jojoba, rosehip, almond oil to my face cream to give my skin some extra hydration during Canada’s dry winters. At night I wash my face with the oil blend I just mentioned, spray on my bergamot rose toner and apply the Squalane Facial Oil. Two to three times a week I use basd body care’s indulgent crème brûlée coffee scrub to exfoliate my skin and then I apply a mask. Lately, I’ve been digging Province Apothecary’s Detoxifying and Clarifying Clay Mask. Pro tip: don’t let the clay mask dry completely, as soon as you notice the mask starting to dry spritz your face with your fav toner to keep your skin hydrated!  
Mala: I wash my face with Wildcraft Camomile Honey Makeup Remover and wipe it off with a warm wet face towel. I also use Wyld Skincare’s Bamboo Charcoal Konjac Sponge to give my face a light exfoliation and to get any extra dry skin and dirt off. Then I give myself a little spritz of Wildcraft Bergamot Rose Toner, I absolutely love the smell of it! To give me the extra hydrating boost I need because my skin tends to get dry in the winter I use Province Apothecary Rejuvenating and Hydrating Face Serum, followed by Josie Maran Whipped Argan Face Butter.

2018 is going to be a year to remember, and there are so many awesome projects in the pipeline. The genuine truth behind celiac disease and daily struggles are so real! We all have our medical and daily struggles, and this year is about YOU! Together we can get through anything. If there's one thing I learned in 2017, it's so important to listen to your inner voice. If your body is telling you to stop something, don't push your body over the edge. Focus on your own health, find your favourite hobbies, and just learn to be you and enjoy YOU time! ​

With Christmas and the Holiday Season right around the corner, you can’t help but think about if you, your Celiac child, or a loved one will feel comfortable and safe at your holiday dinner. Well – I have AMAZING news for you…
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My brand of choice during any holiday season is Schar! Not only is all of their food Certified Gluten-Free, but their food tastes so good, your family and friends that visit during the holidays will have NO IDEA that their food is in fact gluten-free. With an abundance of gluten-free options including breads, cookies, crackers, wafers and a whole lot more, you will be able to enjoy all of the incredible foods you would normally enjoy, and no need to worry about cross-contamination! WINNING!

Enjoy hot chocolate with your favourite Schar cookies, bake a delicious cake or pie by using Honeygams as the crust, roast turkey and use Schar bread as stuffing to complete your masterpiece, and much more! Something that is always a lot of fun in my house, is decorating cookies! It’s always so much fun getting everyone involved, and creating personalized Christmas themed cookies to enjoy with family and friends! Having someone who has Celiac Disease or is gluten intolerant can easily be accommodated. Again, Schar to the rescue! No need to worry about cross-contamination as Schar cookies are completely gluten-free, and they have the perfect blend of sweetness and crunch. So, for this holiday season, your loved ones can finally feel comfortable, safe, and enjoy an entirely gluten-free holiday with all of your other guests!

​With the Christmas holidays nearly here, I have teamed up with Schar to give you a weekend of amazing foods and ideas for the upcoming holiday season! For the next 48-hours, I will be taking over the amazing Schar Instagram account and showing you some of my favourite Schar Christmas and holiday treats. Follow their Instagram page for great gluten-free products and recipes: ​www.instagram.com/scharglutenfree and watch for some of my top picks! You won’t want to miss out on any of the incredible foods, recipes, and even an amazing giveaway! Let’s get Christmas ready, with Schar!
 
To learn more, or see all of their products, visit: https://www.schaer.com/en-u 
 
Love to all xo,
 
Tarryn Skuy

​I was amazed with the shelves upon shelves of gluten-free, specifically Schar products throughout Italy when I went in the summer of 2016. There was not a pharmacy or grocery store that didn’t have TONS of different gluten-free goodies! Every time I went into a different store to choose a snack for the day, I would make sure to try a new Schar product that I hadn’t tried before. That is when it hit me that I had not yet seen Schar in stores back in North America.
 
Within a month of travelling back home, I had started to see a few products at Wal-Mart and local grocery stores.

Schar has been dedicated to the Celiac and gluten-free community for the last 35 years! I was amazed at how excellent and user-friendly their website was, and how you can find all things related to their products, helpful information from their in-house dietitian and a whole lot more!
 
Schar sent me every single goodie they could think of, including: Artisan Baker 10 Grains & Seeds Breads, Honeygrams, Vanilla Wafers, Chocolaty Dipped Cookies, Cocoa Wafers, Crackers, Ciabatta Buns, Multigrain Ciabatta Buns, Cheese Crackers, Breadsticks, Artisan Baker White Bread, Artisan Baker Multigrain Bread. Sound like enough? But – I can’t get enough!
 
I got private messages, comments, and everything in between on how individuals have travelled throughout Europe loving these safe products that can be found everywhere, and they have been looking in Canada and the United States for Schar in stores. People from all over North America were so excited to hear that – and I could totally relate to them!

​Working with Schar has been a dream come true! They are a fabulous group of exciting, creative, and smart individuals! With over 200 products worldwide spanning from amazing meals to snacks and everything in between, I just can’t get enough of their products! Ever since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease 8 years ago, it has been challenging to find a brand of food that actually tastes like regular, non-gluten free food, until I found Schar! Schar’s campaign, #ScharMakesItGrain is so true! With the school year just beginning, packing a gluten-free lunch for your children has never been so easy! Preparing a gluten-free sandwich with tasty slices of bread (especially with my favourite, the brand new Artisan Baker 10 Grains & Seeds Bread), along with delicious and healthy snacks, your kids can go back to enjoying their gluten-free lunch and can feel comfortable knowing that they won’t get sick at school.
 
I absolutely LOVE eating Schar products. Not only do they taste amazing and are completely safe for a Celiac, but they remind me of my European travels. Every bite into a Schar product brings me back to happy memories and thoughts of my travels, and I couldn’t be more thankful that they’re available in Canada and the United States! Seriously, you have to try this brand! You and your entire family will fall in LOVE!

AND for the next 48-hours, I will be taking over the amazing Schar Instagram account and showing you some of my favourite Schar tasty treats! Follow their Instagram page for great gluten-free products and recipes: www.instagram.com/scharglutenfree and watch for some of my favourites! You won’t want to miss out on any of the incredible foods and simple meals/snacks coming your way! Oh – and did I mention, there will be an exciting giveaway at the end of this takeover, SO stick around & stay a while, you won’t be sorry!
 
To learn more, or see all of their products, visit: https://www.schaer.com/en-us
 
Love to all xo,
 
Tarryn Skuy