Halifax Beauty Company Releases Product That’s Good for the Gut
HALIFAX — When we envision obtaining healthy skin, we often think of products we use on the outside: soap, cream, or the latest craze being promoted by celebrities and Instagram influencers.
But a Halifax business owner says good health on the inside will show on the outside, too. Marc St. Onge, the founder of B-Corp Bend Beauty, has suffered from irritable bowel syndrome for more than two decades. He understands, as research has confirmed, that gut health affects skin health.
That’s why he and Bend Beauty created Gut Glow, a powder that helps alleviate the symptoms of IBS like constipation, bloating, flatulence, and mild gastrointestinal discomfort.
“What happens in the gut tends to show up in our skin, so it’s broadening the definition of what beauty is. Caring for skin means caring for our health as well. So much of it starts in the gut,” said St. Onge.
“I’ve had IBS for a long time, over 20 years. And it’s something that I’ve struggled with. If you know anyone that suffers from IBS, it’s something that can dramatically impact your quality of life. The days that otherwise would have been good days for you are not so good. And there’s a bit of always suffering in silence.”
April is IBS awareness month. Due to the stigma associated with bowel disorders, many suffer silently. But the Gastrointestinal Society says that 13-20 per cent of Canadians may suffer from it. And Canadians have nearly a one-in-three chance of developing IBS in their lifetime.
For St. Onge, IBS flare ups can happen quickly. And when they do, it can affect nearly every aspect of his well-being and mood.
“All of a sudden, my energy levels will tank and it might take me two weeks to get through that kind of flare up of my IBS,” he said. “It does affect my overall mood as well as my cognitive function. You’re always asking ‘what just triggered this flare up?’ It’s hard to sometimes piece it together.”
Gut Glow has two main fiber ingredients: Sunfiber (guar gum) and tremella mushroom. When St. Onge discovered the benefits tremella had in the gut, he began jokingly calling it his “magic mushroom.”
While Gut Glow may be Bend Beauty’s newest product, it is far from its first. St. Onge founded his unique beauty business in 2016. No matter what products the company creates, it has the goal of having a holistic approach to the definition of beauty.
“When you think of beauty, you think of the broad array of topical products, and that is not at all what we do. I have a very deep foundation in science and clinical research and what was interesting to me was that there was clearly going to be a large convergence of beauty and wellness,” recalled St. Onge.
“There’s a shifting definition of what beauty is. I think beauty of the past, which is a bit of a toxic culture, is all about how you look. Today, beauty is a much more holistic thing. It’s first and foremost how you feel. But nevertheless, the skincare industry continues to grow quite rapidly. So it’s always desperate for innovation.”
Bend Beauty’s flagship product, called Renew + Protect, exemplified St. Onge’s goal to combine health and beauty benefits in a holistic package. It is a supplement that helps the skin look and feel young, while protecting the skin from the harmful effects of UV Rays.
There’s a reason why St. Onge chose to focus on the skincare industry for his approach to promoting health. He noticed that people tend to be reactive to their health needs. People will start looking after themselves only after a scare or are warned by doctors. But, if there’s one area where we use preventive maintenance, it’s the skin.
“Most consumers don’t really start to invest in their health until they run into a problem. You have a heart attack, and you clean up your diet,” noted St. Onge.
“One of the only aspects of human health that is practiced in a proactive sense is skincare. There’s millions and millions of consumers out there that are trying to be proactive. And that is not something that we typically see in other you know, aspects of human health.”
St. Onge says all of Bend Beauty products’ advertised health benefits have gone through clinical trials and have been approved by Health Canada.
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].