The Little Step That Kicked Off My Healing Journey

Hey there, I am Catherine, the founder of Freend Kat.  Many journeys in life may seem daunting at first.  However, I found that long and difficult journeys typically start with a small first step - and that's what I'd like to share with you today:    A story on how a little step kicked off my healing journey.⁣
⁣
A few years back, I was suffering from the worst of chronic eczema and topical steroid withdrawal.  Like many of you, I turned to the Internet for help with the hopes of getting  better.⁣
⁣
Shortly after, I found myself overwhelmed with contradictory do's and don'ts, unsustainable diets and routines. I was stressed and fearful that if I didn't follow everything, my skin wouldn't heal.  After several months, I was so exhausted and gave up. ⁣
⁣
During that period of skin pain, I retreated to the comfort of my bed.⁣
⁣
One day, while in bed, I realized the peace and calm experienced just resting on a set fresh, clean sheets. I kinda like it.⁣
⁣
As days passed, I found myself seeking my daily peace in finding fresh comfortable clothes to wear. The ones that made me feel comforted, clean and safe to start my day.⁣
⁣
Waking up every morning and knowing that I had comfortable clothes to wear, inspired me to take the next step, and then the next.   This one step, albeit a little one, started my healing journey.⁣
⁣
👉What about you? What is a little step you have taken that made a big difference in your healing journey?⁣
⁣
#healingjourney⁣
#littlesteps⁣
#topicalsteroidwithdrawal
#cleancomfort

 Gluten-free & Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

Here's a delicious and light pumpkin pie video recipe we've made especially for those with sensitive skin who have gone gluten-free, vegan and refined-sugar free, with the hopes of improving their skin.

Click here for the full printable recipe from Sensitive Skin Lifestyle.

For the Pie Crust:

• 180g cassava flour [1 cup]
• 140g cold vegan shortening* [1/2 cup]
• 15g arrowroot starch [2 tbsp]
• 12g ground flax seeds [1 tbsp]
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 30mL filtered water [2 tbsp] – for flax egg
• 1/4 filtered cold water – for pie dough, exact amount used will vary
• 11mL white distilled vinegar [1 tbsp]

*if not vegan, can substitute with cold lard or butter.

For the Filling:

• 1 pumpkin pie pumpkin
  or 796 mL canned unsweetened pure pumpkin puree
• 20g cassava flour [2 tbsp]
• 15g arrowroot starch[2 tbsp]
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 80mL water [1/3 cup]**
• 80mL maple syrup [1/3 cup]
• 1 tbsp white distilled vinegar
• 1 tsp avocado oil or any unflavored oil
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 50g raw unsalted cashews [1/4 cup]**

**If you can’t have nuts, substitute water + cashews with 80mL of your favorite unsweetened canned coconut milk

Try out this gluten-free and vegan pumpkin recipe and let us know how you like it by commenting below!

 
Slices of this pumpkin pie: (L) Sliced after cooling down (R) Sliced after hours of chilling in the fridge.

Above: Gluten-free and Vegan Pumpkin Pie ready for the oven!

No More Itchy Scarves

Fall has arrived and the cool air is here!  As we feel the chills, we cover up more of our skin with clothes to protect us.  Soon, winter will be here and we’ll experience cold temperatures, winds, and snow.

A comfy scarf is our go-to clothing to protect our neck from the environment and keeps us warm. The skin on the neck is delicate and sensitive. So for those with sensitive skin, the kinds of fabrics that touch the neck are extremely important.

Hence, finding the right fabric for our cold weather scarf collection was one of the key aspects of our design.

Being familiar with the sensitive skin lifestyle, we knew we were going to stay away from animal-based fibers (such as wool, cashmere, alpaca) which are common irritants for some people. Additionally, we were also avoiding certain common man-made fibers which are treated with thousands of harmful toxic chemicals during fabric production.

Our top two fiber choices for fabrics were, lyocell and organic cotton. Not only because they are the top fibers found to reduce itching and improve comfort for those with sensitive skin conditions (such as eczema), but also, we understood the characteristics of both fibers and their production processes.

We tested various types of lyocell and cotton fabrics - 100% organic cotton, 100% lyocell, and lyocell-cotton blends for our scarf prototypes according to a number of factors including: how it feels on the skin, how it looks, and how it stands up after being washed in the washing machine.

In particular, we paid close attention to the comfort tests because organic cotton can be made into many types of fabrics - and the feel can differ vastly. Just because something is 100% organic cotton does not automatically equate to true comfort.

After reviewing many different fabric blends, textures and weight, we think we found the most comfortable fabric for our Classic Anytime Cold Weather Scarf Collection. We’re so happy to introduce it to you and hope you’ll also experience true scarf comfort.

Grand Opening Message

Hello - I am Catherine, the founder of Freend Kat.  

We are delighted to announce the launch of our Anytime Cold Weather Scarf Collection exclusively available at our Freend Kat online store.

Living with extremely sensitive skin and unable to find a cold weather scarf made out of fabrics that did not irritate my skin, I decided to create my own.  

As I began making custom scarves for myself, I discovered I wasn't alone in finding traditional cold-weather scarves to be scratchy and uncomfortable. Encouraged by those around me, I set out to create timeless, comfortable and washable scarves that anyone could wear—whether at work, during important events, or simply at home.

That led to the creation of our Freend Kat™ Anytime Cold Weather Scarf Collection. Experience one for yourself today - Shop Now!

Sincerely,

Catherine
Freend Kat Canada