When I met Guy Dufour at the gym 28 years ago, the one characteristic which
stood out early on was his appetite for learning and growth – consistent,
incremental personal development, to be exact. As we developed our interests
into careers as Personal Trainer and Art Director, respectively, we’ve managed
to stay in touch. Every time we connect, he puts me on to a new book or
workshop or podcast, reinforcing the idea that stretching (both our physical
and mental capacity) has undisputable long-term benefits, provided you can
get past the inherent resistance.
Over time, we went from working out at World Gym to working on his
marketing collateral as I helped design his vision for Corefit’s brand identity.
All the while, I held an annoying little secret. The barbells and equipment were
leaving my hands stripped and calloused, and overall, my workouts were
uncomfortable because of how dry and cracked my skin felt. If I had still been
living in Barbados, the solution would have been easy. My Gran would bring
back raw cocoa butter on one of her shopping trips into Bridgetown, offering
a pure, simple solution, but in Toronto, I had trouble finding it, and by this
time my skin looked flat-out embarrassing!
So, I did what most people do: I rifled through countless drugstore options in
the hopes of recreating a moisturized state that, ultimately, lotions couldn’t
safely or consistently deliver. Adding insult to injury, I was having a reaction to
a preservative widely used in cosmetics and skin products – the last thing my
eczema needed was ethylhexylglycerin! So, I had my ‘what’ and my ‘why’, the
‘how’ meant I began sourcing and blending the raw materials that embodied
my early idea of self-care and nurturing.
I eventually introduced Guy to my pet project – the natural moisturizer I’d
been crafting to protect my sensitive skin – he loved It, and true to form, he
was encouraging and supportive and prompted me to lean in.
This Spring, EL3MENTS Skin Care has excitedly launched an ancestrally inspired
skincare brand of body butter comprising three distinct moisture levels.
Built on the foundation of raw materials, my Caribbean family introduced me
to, the entire experience has been elevated to deliver smooth textures, high
absorbency blends and warm, familiar scents, all while omitting chemical
stabilizers, parabens or anything else typically found in ‘self-care’ products
that could potentially trigger irritation.
Being familiar with Corefit’s philosophy of learning, you know the value of
education and experience in optimizing your physical performance. As a
component of good health, learning to lower the toxicity of products we put
on our body means we need cleaner skin care alternatives as part of a holistic
approach to wellness. The organic and natural ingredients in EL3MENTS
replace their synthetic (often toxic) counterparts without compromising
effectiveness.
If you’re on a journey to embrace safe, natural options for nourishing your skin,
we invite you to start with the EL3MENTS. Subscribe at el3mentsskincare.com
and let us welcome you with a discount on your first order. As a special bonus
to CoreFit clientele, use CoreCare15 to experience the difference.