PERSON

We are officially in the throes of autumn when dryness permeates everything…dry air, hair, and skin, punctuated by a dry cough, to name a few maladies. This edition of Align Women is thus devoted to all things hydration.

First things first: skin. My daughter’s eczema always flares this time of year. I’ve discovered a few effective ways to treat it. First, she takes a daily tablespoon of cod liver oil from American heritage company Carlson. As I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, natural Vitamin A is a silver bullet for many of our skin problems, and cod liver oil contains it in spades. It keeps her skin barrier from cracking, which is the most painful part of eczema!

Second, I make sure to preempt any breakout by moisturizing tricky spots in advance. This year, that means routinely lathering her elbows, knees, and neck with Fatskn’s Fatbaby whipped body butter. Fatskn’s secret ingredient is grass-fed tallow, and it’s chock full of bioavailable, fat-soluble vitamins and nourishing fat that your skin craves. I especially like that Fatskn focuses on a minimal ingredients list that is 100% natural and clean. And unlike the harsher products out there, the more consistently you use it, the less you’ll need to. The Fatbaby formula can also be used instead of barrier creams or diaper rash ointment and even works on newborn cradle cap.

PLACE 

We also invested in a Berkey Filter since the heavy metals and chemicals in most city water can be especially inflammatory, and we’ve all reaped the benefits. Since buying the Berkey (a beloved brand known to partner with all kinds of dissident influencers, like Bernadine Bluntly), I’ve seen improvements in my own hair and skin. And Berkey water filter systems are technically water purifiers because they remove bacteria and viruses that conventional filters cannot. 

Dry autumn air is another obstacle, but we’ve found success with two American-made, ideology-free companies. The first is Air Oasis. Based in Texas, Air Oasis produces both purifiers and humidifiers, and their featured new product is the iAdaptAir: a smartphone-enabled home air purifier, which promises ozone-free full spectrum air purification for optimal indoor air quality via a system that includes a HEPA filter, carbon filter, silver ion filter, UV light, and Bi-Polar ionization, allowing you and your family to breathe easy year-round. 

The other is AIRCARE, a whole-home system. Their headquarters is located in Little Rock, Arkansas, where nearly 100% of the construction process happens, and their ALLIANCE evaporative humidifier covers up to 3700 square feet and comes in several cute wooden covers for people who care about the aesthetics of their technology.

Personally, I think it’s worth the investment, especially since cheap air-filtering products can grow mold and ironically worsen your air quality.

PATRONAGE

Y’all know I like to use this final section to chat about public life, especially that aspect of public life that elevates our minds and hearts through beauty. That’s why I want to introduce you to a watercolor artist who comes from my neck of the woods–the lovely Mary Whyte, an American figurative artist known internationally for her watercolors of contemporary people. 

Today, Whyte’s groundbreaking national, traveling museum exhibition of fifty large-scale watercolors called We the People: Portraits of Veterans in America is currently on view at the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Washington, DC through January 2023. She also hosts educational sessions for artists of all levels, all over the country, that you can sign up for on her website.

That’s it for now. Chat soon!

Helen Roy