Member on a Mission: Kari Gran

We’re incredibly proud of NAA members and the unique ways that they apply Nutritional Aesthetics™ to their personal and professional lives. It’s our goal to support them and share their wisdom by highlighting their stories with you in a periodic ‘Member on a Mission’ feature. One NAA member who has been on a mission to make the cosmetic world safer and more beautiful with every one of her carefully-crafted natural products is Kari Gran.

Even if you’ve been lucky enough to try the popular, Seattle-based Kari Gran beauty line, you may not know the story of the brand’s namesake—a self-described “40-something beauty junkie” who developed the line after battling an autoimmune thyroid disorder, further aggravated by the toxin-laden beauty products she’d slathered on her skin daily without a second thought. Kari’s company mission is to empower and educate other women about ways to treat their skin kindly through a holistic path to a healthy, natural complexion. And in that she excels. We chatted with Kari to hear how she applies Nutritional Aesthetics™ to her work—and what she wishes women would do more often.

NAA:

What excites you the most about the Nutritional Aesthetics™ Alliance?

Kari Gran:

It always feels good to be with those who have shared experiences or have a like-minded philosophy. I love that the NAA approaches healthy skin with an integrative approach. We’ve always said you have to take a look at the big picture when it comes to your skin. You can’t use the best skincare on the planet and eat food that doesn’t nourish your body (which usually comes from a box with a shelf life of forever). Same goes for eating the world’s cleanest, whole food diet-if you’re using skincare full of petroleum and toxic chemicals the diet isn’t going to do you any favors. I feel like this is a place I can always go and learn something new that I can actually apply in my personal and professional life.

NAA:

How do you apply Nutritional Aesthetics™ principles to your work?

Kari Gran:

We have taken a holistic approach to skin from the minute my company, Kari Gran, was formed. Healthy nutrition, lifestyle choices that support overall wellness, natural skin products, and non-invasive treatments? Yes please, and keep it coming.

Our products are formulated with organic, non-GMO, or ethically sourced, wildharvested ingredients. We house all of our skincare in glass as we don’t want have any potential plastic contaminants co-mingling with the product, given the volatile nature of essential oils. We are also lucky to have a yoga studio in our space so you’ll find us there most mornings at 6 a.m. The bottom line is we believe you do need to exercise, sleep, eat healthy food, drink plenty of water, and do some form of stress release (for us, it’s Transcendental Meditation®) to compliment our skincare routines. There just isn’t a magic pill, otherwise I’d be writing this from my private island!

NAA:

“For optimal skin health, I wish people would do more of ___________________, and less of ___________________.”

Kari Gran:

For optimal skin health, I wish people would do more accepting who they are and focusing on what they like, versus what’s “wrong” with them, and less trying to find the next miracle cream.