The reality of period equity is that there are many barriers to receiving equal opportunity period care, and one of them is neurodivergence. My daughter Victoria has non-speaking autism. She will communicate simple phrases like, “I want strawberries.” But mostly, her communication is non-verbal, and I understand her very well through body language and facial expressions. 

Victoria is dependent, but she’s patient and happy! She teaches me every day what is truly important in life. Like any other person, she wants to be safe and loved. 

Period care for autism

Having non-verbal autism, Victoria can’t tell me when she feels terrible or starts her period. It can be challenging and scary for all teens to experience their period in a way that isn’t empowering or normalized. I’ve always been very open with her about my period and have walked Victoria through my own. Being consistent is essential, with a pad that’s comfortable and works like Joni.

Better period care with Joni

Joni aims to make sustainable and affordable pads for all menstruators, regardless of gender, location and class. Joni pads are made of bamboo, cornstarch, biodegradable paper and plastic, and are about 92 percent biodegradable after 12 months. 

Like many people with autism, Victoria has sensory sensitivities and OCD. The pad must be the right length, and the sides have to stick down for her. It has to feel just right, or it simply won’t work – she has to feel comfortable.

Pads and underwear give Victoria period care independence, something many of us take for granted. Period cups are challenging to master and too personal and invasive, especially when support workers are involved.  For me, autism has environmental factors as well as a genetic disposition, so I want to know more than anything that she’s using safe and clean products, which is why I love Joni!

Why period equity matters

Equity acknowledges different people need different levels of support. Achieving period equity all begins by acknowledging the different barriers that are in the way for various people. When it comes to autism and periods, we need to look at the barriers and get the complete picture toward greater understanding. It begins by acknowledging diversity, including neurodiversity so that no one is left behind! 

We all have our challenges, and when we share those challenges, that helps everybody. Some people judge autism and say how awful it must be. It is challenging, but it comes with a lot of learning. Victoria teaches me, again and again, the different values in life. Because of her, I’m more patient and less judgemental. I’m less concerned with stuff and more concerned about our health—health is everything.

 Read my full conversation with Joni here: https://getjoni.com/a/blog/autism-and-periods-periodequity

It’s time to REAPPLY, want a safer SPF?

I’ve got options that protect YOU and the PLANET!

I hope y’all had a chance to enjoy the outdoors this weekend and indulged a little bit for #internationaldonutday! As we move into warmer weather this summer, I know many of us will be dusting off that questionably old sunscreen that has been sitting in our beach bags and hiding in our cupboards.

With that in mind, before you lather yourselves up with whatever you’ve got on-hand, take a few minutes and look for the sunscreen ingredients. I have some important information to share with you. 

Sunscreens have been getting a lot of attention over the past couple of years regarding their safety. However, it isn’t only the safety for human health that being questioned, but also whether they are safe for our environment! Unfortunately, you can’t just wash away toxic or harmful ingredients that many popular sunscreen brands contain. The ingredients get absorbed into our skin and what doesn’t get absorbed by our bodies, washes away into our oceans. Here’s the toxic truth: Most sunscreens contain two harmful chemicals called oxybenzone and octinoxate. Shockingly, these are known endocrine disruptors that have also been linked to the death of coral reefs and are still ever-present in sunscreens across the world.

Luckily, there are safe options out there, such as the Beautycounter Countersun Mineral line! This product line doesn’t contain ANY oxybenzone, octinoxate, or other potentially irritating chemicals and is guaranteed ocean-friendly.

VALISURE DETECTS BENZENE IN SUNSCREEN

In addition to the controversy regarding the two ingredients mentioned above, Valisure (a U.S. independent pharmaceutical quality assurance program), recently published the results of a study on popular sunscreen brands. The results showed 78 popular sunscreen and after-sun brands had been contaminated with Benzine (don’t worry, I didn’t know what benzine was either).

Unfortunately, benzine is a Schedule 1 Toxic Substance as laid out in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. This chemical is known to cause cancer with direct links to blood cancers and other conditions. In other words, “Benzene is a chemical that, when activated with exposure to the skin, blood, or organs, can affect changes in your DNA that cause mutations for cancers” as laid out in this article by SHAPE magazine.

This is big news, and as result, may possibly lead to a very large recall of sun care products!

THE SAFER SUN PROTECTION YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR. 

Beautycounter has rigorous screening and testing processes and bans toxic ingredients in every product. If you would like to learn more about the ingredient selection process, you can visit the information page here. On top of that, it has a really awesome sun protection and after-sun line called Countersun that I can’t wait for you to try!

Sunscreen is an important part of our daily skin-care routine to protect ourselves from skin cancer. Additionally, an estimated 90% of the signs of aging are caused by the sun.

Beautycounter believes that the sunscreen people use on themselves, and their families should not only work but should also be healthier for both people and the planet. That’s why the Countersun collection has been safer and ocean-friendly since day one.

The Countersun sunscreen contains a powerful ingredient that sets the formula apart: non-nano zinc oxide. In fact, this physical particle actually sits on the surface of the skin and scatters/reflects the sun’s rays away. Additionally, it defends our skin against UVA, UVB, and blue (HEV) light rays—without harming the environment. Why non-nano zinc oxide? Therefore, since it is not 100% certain that nano materials (like nano zinc oxide) are safe for humans, they automatically don’t make the shortlist in the formula! 

Beautycounter really is the best one-stop-shop for safer sun protection product. So, keep yourself and your family safe from toxic chemicals and give the Beautycounter Countersun line a try!

Three Tips On How I Keep it Fresh On Social Media

 I often get the question how I stay consistent with my social media posting and online business without becoming overwhelmed, depressed or burnt out. Considering I am my business, it isn’t always easy! But here are 3 things I do everyday that help me keep it fresh.

1. Get outside every morning.

Even if this means getting up before 6am so I can take my kids to school, I do it. I might take photos but I don’t engage in texts, emails or calls at this time. It is my only “me” time of the day. 

2. Enjoy my social media time.

When on social media, I try not to compare myself with others but use it as an opportunity to see what others are doing successfully. I love looking at fashion, food & beautiful places I would love to purchase, travel to, or try someday. @beautycounter has also helped me with this comparative piece as so many consultants are friends and we are supportive of each other even though we aren’t on the same team.

3. I try to prioritize calls, messages, texts & emails.

I don’t beat myself up if I don’t get back to everyone ASAP and I also don’t worry if I do want to take a quick call or text wherever I am, even if this is skiing at our island mountain Mount Washington.  However, it is really important to me that this time isn’t disruptive and I have communicated what I am doing with my family & friends. This way they aren’t waiting for me or expecting me to be engaged at that time. 

If you are overwhelmed and find it really difficult to keep up with social media, take a few days off and relax. I find having a bath and shutting out the stresses of covidlife so beneficial.  Here is a link for 8 steps to an ultimate bath.

Here are 4 simple tips from Teah Hopper to help you out.

When it comes to social media, consistency is key! 

1. Determine how often you want to post on social media.It sounds so simple, but if you don’t know how many times a week you want to post, you can’t determine what’s consistent for you. So if you want to post five times a week, make a plan to post five times a week. Figure out which you channel or channels you’re focused on and how often you want to post on that channel. 

2. Decide what you are going to post. The best social media strategy is a well-planned one. It’s so important to plan out your content ahead of time. Sit down, do a good old brainstorm session, come up with a list of ideas for posts, then plan your content based on those topics. Once you know what you’re going to post for the week, or even for the next few weeks, you can go ahead and get that content created and get those posts ready. 

3. Use a content calendar. Now that you know what you are going to post, you should organize your ideas using a content calendar. A content calendar is a must have tool for social media. It gets all of your ideas organized and helps you post consistently. It doesn’t matter if you use a physical calendar, an Excel file or a Google calendar (which is my personal favorite).

4. Schedule your posts. Scheduling posts in advance is the best way to be consistent. Think back to tip number one. How often do you want to post? If it’s five times a week, then sit down once a week to schedule your posts for five days of the week. You can go back and look at your insights to see which days of the week are the best for your audience so that you can get the most engagement on your posts. Use the insights that are available to you from Facebook and Instagram to help you strategically schedule your posts.