Page 35 - Reader's House Magazine Issue 48

Carrie’s Herbal Infused Skincare Cookbook is a delightful guide, empowering readers to create personalized, natural skincare products. It’s informative, engaging, and perfect for anyone seeking healthier, radiant skin through DIY solutions.
Carrie Scharf is a visionary in natural skincare, blending personal experience with expertise to inspire and empower others.
paints with her son who has autism. I wanted to find a project that we could work on togeth-
er and came up with
the idea of a book that combined her art with my love of skincare. She painted the cover and all the artwork in the book.
What was the initial spark that led you to start creating your own skincare products, and how did this passion evolve into writing Herbal In- fused Skincare: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating Your Own Personalized Skincare?
I began creating my own skincare when my son developed eczema. It would often be very red, itchy and bleeding. We took him to a dermatologist and tried many different creams that didn’t seem to work very well. I won- dered if there was a natural way to get the eczema under control and tried an essential oil blend that was made specifically for eczema. It worked well so I used it to make a moisturizer for him. I had so much making it, I decided to create more.
is beneficial. I also enjoy having plants and candles in the bathroom. A warm bath is calming and can help you fall asleep faster.
Homeschooling your
two boys while running
a skincare business and writing books must be quite the balancing act. How do you manage
your time and what stra- tegies do you use to ensure both your professional and personal responsibilities are met?
My kids come first of course. But it took me awhile to find a good workable schedule. For a time, I was just trying to do too much, and it wasn’t enjoyable anymore. I had a booth in a local shop and was doing many events. Now I plan out what I’m writing on every week and have it done by Friday. I work on it a little every morning. I also now only do a few events. I discovered that I can do anything but not everything.
Your books incorporate a wide range of natural ingre- dients and essential oils. Can you talk about your process for researching and selecting these ingredients, and how you determine which ones are most beneficial for speci- fic skincare needs?
I do a lot of reading. I borrow a lot from the library. I also read studies that are accessible online like this study which concludes, “Rice water should be thus con- sidered as an anti-aging ingredient to be used in skincare products.”
I try to stay on top of recent findings and what’s popular. Then I have fun experimenting with them in recipes. I will also give my customers options and like to personalize products to better fit their needs and wants.
The concept of self-care is central to your work. How do you define self-care,
and what advice would you give to someone who is just beginning to incorporate sel-
f-care into their daily routine, especially through skincare?
I define self-care as taking care of your own wellbeing and hap- piness especially during times of stress. Incorporate simple things into your day that you enjoy like making your favorite nutritious meals, taking a walk, or making time for a conversation with a friend. With skincare, if you cre- ate products with ingredients you love, that work for your skin, and are simple to make, you are more likely to keep it up.
Here is a free download I cre- ated to help you create your own all-natural skincare routine: https:// pensight.com/x/carrieclarinet/ digital-item-a10898ee-8748-4ed5- 934b-75aca2a2a503
As an advocate for natural and homemade skincare products, what do you see as the biggest misconceptions people have about commer- cial skincare products, and how do you address these in your books and through your business?
The markup on most commer- cial skincare products is huge. I try to price my items so that I can still be profitable while being affordable.
The thought of making skincare overwhelms many people. Many believe that it’s very complicated and over their head. They don’t realize that it’s not difficult to cre- ate your own homemade items that can help you to get the beautiful glowing skin you want.
I have a good friend named Lynn Browder and she
In The Cozy Bath, you em- phasize the importance of transforming a bath into a luxurious and beneficial ritu- al. Can you share a personal anecdote or experience that highlighted the healing and relaxing power of a well-craf- ted bath for you?
Being the mom of a child with special needs is challenging. My son has had 2 heart surgeries and almost did not make it through the first one. We go to multiple therapies a week as well as doctor appointments. My bath time is the time I get to relax and the
end of the day. I think about the Calgon bath product commercials of the 80s where the busy mom yells “Calgon, take me away.” I love to create bath salts, scrubs, and bath oils that smell lovely and make my skin soft. Adding calm- ing essential oils to my products
Reader’s House II 35