Joy McCarthy changed my breakfast forever.
I eat her Blueberry Oat Bran Flax Muffins pretty much every morning (though I do sneak in some dark chocolate chips). When I learned she was launching “Hello Joyous,” a collection of organic, plant-based, sustainable beauty products and wellness teas, I was sincerely excited.
I’ve always been impressed by Joy’s captivatingly transparent approach to healthy alternatives (rosacea sufferers will want to google how she cured herself of this stubborn ailment holistically).
Her expertise is miles-deep, but even as a fan I wondered how her stuff would stand out in a market saturated with organic skincare, and that started our conversation.
“There are a lot of lines out there, but despite that, I was never able to find something I was completely satisfied with,” says Joy. “Some products worked great but had ingredients I didn’t want to put on my skin. Some had incredible ingredients but didn’t work on my skin and a ton were somewhere in the middle – and let’s not even start on the price.”
“As a holistic nutritionist, my focus is always to empower better health and well-being. Whether it’s a wellness tea or an exfoliating mask, my formulations have real, functional ingredients that provide real results. No fillers. No junk. No hormone-disrupting ingredients. Ever.”
Hello Joyous offers seven beauty items – all worthy of repeat buys – but my three favourites start with the Ultra-Moisturizing Body Butter. It has the most wonderful texture (slightly solid before it melts into skin) and, thanks to organic cocoa butter, it has a slight chocolatey scent that is delicious.
Joy says, “It’s the only thing I’ve used on my daughter who is now 7 and it’s cured hundreds of people’s eczema and dry skin. Plus, it’s incredibly versatile – great for taming frizzies, softening cracked heels or overtop your fave matte lipstick.”
The magic of the Hella Hydrating Serum gets a boost from the Magical Mist Toner - spritz it on first, then apply serum for a dewy glow.
For the face, the Hella Hydrating Serum is crackers! “It’s our most popular skincare product and I think that’s because of its simplicity – just two ingredients: cold-pressed organic rosehip oil and hyaluronic acid.” It is fantastic on fine lines and imparts a believable glow.
And while I wasn’t a fan of Dry Shampoo, I am now but not for its intended use of skipping washes. The Dry Shampoo (I use the Dark Hair formula) is genius for adding really cool texture that doesn’t look stiff or greasy – more rocker fabulous. Joy says, “Men and women with fine hair love the way it adds texture – it’s like a less drying version of sea-salt spray.”
There is also a daily Cleanser (infused with organic comfrey root), an Exfoliating Mask (in powder format – just add water to mix up a fresh mask every time) and an antioxidant-rich Eye Serum that works wonders on puffiness.
I am trying the wellness herbal teas next, but for now I can honestly say that with my Blueberry Oat Bran Flax Muffins and this new clean routine, my whole mornings have become joyous.
