Our Story
Hi! I'm Maya, the founder of Kavana, thanks for popping by.
Did you know that 80% of women struggle with a hormone imbalance in their lifetime?
From P.M.S symptoms to menopause, acne to cysts, infertility to hot flashes, depression to breast cancer, women's hormone imbalances can run the gamut from subtle to dramatic and can cause subtle to dramatic health problems. While this is true, women's hormone issues, are for the most part still ignored or largely dismissed, a silent pandemic. Did you ever learn about this stuff in school? I didn't!
About 20 years ago, I realized that my PMS symptoms were a sign of serious hormone imbalances and, after working at cosmetic counters or toxic soups, as I like to call them, I made the connection to the toxic fragrance and beauty products I was constantly exposed to at work, as a professional makeup artist and skincare specialist.
At the time, clean skincare and fragrance were the rare exception, and hard to find. My concerns weren't taken seriously, if at all, and mostly dismissed. As the daughter of a teacher and an engineer, I set out to learn what I could about these toxins, and reverse engineer my own, DIY, clean makeup, fragrances and skincare.
Fast forward 20 years, and after studying aromatherapy at the Canadian Institute of Aromatherapy and skincare and fragrance formulating online and at Toronto's Annares Apothecary under Tracey Tief, I began to give DIY workshops to test my formulas out.
Learning is ongoing and one of the gifts of this work. Researching hormones and hormone health in earnest, via female endocrinologists, like Dr. Aviva Romm, Dr. Lisa Mosconi, Dr. Sara Gottfried, Dr. Mariza and more, as well as learning about the ancient traditional medicine and philosophical approaches to healing, via Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, is something I am constantly doing. After many years of ongoing research and development, and even more years of trial and error, Kavana Skincare was born and I am always keen to share more with you!
Aside from Kavana's non-toxic, hormone-safe and plant powered product offerings, I'm also proud to offer women the opportunity to feel heard and cared for. I host a weekly Instagram episode called "Question Peri.d", where I welcome audience questions, around periods, skin, skincare, hormones and so much more. Join me on Instagram @Kavanaskincare
I have also been an invited guest on Radio Canada 'en francais', to talk about toxins like xeno estrogens and phthalates, and how they affect our hormones. This is a topic I am obsessed with and love learning about, and the Kavana blog is a reflection of that.
It is such a thrill for me to serve women in these ways, and I am truly grateful for the growing Kavana community, whom I'm always learning from too. If you'd like to join the intentional beauty gang, please do, @kavanaskincare
